Scrapbooking my life...one page at a time

Just Wondering ...

 
If you could bring back ONE TV show from your childhood day what would it be and why?

Humm,  only one eh! 
That's a tough one because I've always liked my TV.   I  mean - I seriously love watching TV  ...

My greatest TV moments involved the introduction of  the Remote . the DVD,  the TIVO and of course, COLOR  and while I don't remember the first time I ever watched TV ... I do remember when I married Mike he had a color Television and Jessica & I were thrilled  because all we had was a small B/W TV.  Ya know, I am not even sure if you could buy a new B/W television set today.  Can you?

Anyways, one of the great things about TV is that every week you get a 'do over' -  Think about it ... you pay $11 bucks to see a movie at the theater and if it's crap ... it stays crap F.O.R.E.V.E.R. (well, okay - until they remake it 10 years later) but on TV if this weeks episode is crap ...well then maybe, just maybe - next week 's episode  might  Great  AND if there are too many crappy episodes in a row ... well, one of two things will happen. 
either:  A) you change the channel and quit watching or B) the show is canceled and another possible hit fills it's time slot!    It's Sheer Genius. - so don't you believe Alex Baldwin when he tells you that TV will, 'soften your  brain like a ripe banana'  because - it's not all giggity goo. 

Okay so now you must somehow block out the fact that we  live in an age of Tivo, TV Land, Itunes,  Hula.com, DVD's, DVR's, and Satellite  Dish TV with 200+  channels ... I know, it hard to imagine that a show you've spent several years loving would ever truly disappear - because it probably no longer ever would, but ...  

... let's pretend that it could happen.  Let's pretend that TV shows from long ago (say  25 - 30 years ago)     were not available ... ANYWHERE, to ANYONE, but for some unknown reason  - and you may need to go beyond the Outer Limits of your imagination for this, but try ... okay, now imagine that  you were offered a chance to bring back only ONE show from your childhood ... one beloved show, which one would it be?  Remember,  just one ...

Would it be The Flying Nun?  Hogan's Hero's?  Northern Exposure?   What about The Odd Couple?   Or how about The Partridge Family, Saved by the Bell or remember One Day at a Time!  Oh or how about  I Dream of Jeannie  and The Carol Burnett Show!  Anyone remember F-Troop or Petticoat Junction?

I know, I know ... it's hard - Television is not just a bunch of random shows ...it helped define your Wonder Years and archived The Facts Of your Life.  And just hearing a couple lines from the theme song of an old TV show can reawaken & open the floodgates of your memories.  All the Good Times - and all the Growing Pains  that you lived through ... EVERYTHING ....

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip ...

It's very hard and I am not sure I can only pick one ... Seriously, I could never pick just one - never!   I'm afraid ... It's hard to admit ... but you see, well um, well yeah *sigh* .. I'm addicted to the box.  There, I've said it!  It's a fact ... 

Hello, My name is Nancy and I'm a idiot box addict!

Okay, Okay ... here is a list of my TOP 10 favorite TV shows from my youth.  Shows that I loved & watched regularly and they are ranked: So I guess the Walton's is the Number One show - who knows maybe it's because I grew up on farm ???

1. Walton's
2. My Three Sons
3. The Andy Griffith Show
4. Bewitched
5. Mary Tyler Moore
6. Gilligan's Island
7. The Brady Bunch
8. All in the Family
9. Knot's Landing

So - now it's your turn... 

If you need help remembering all the shows from your childhood just click on this link for a reminder. www.crazyabouttv.com

What show would you pick?

Have a great day & don't forget to smile!

- N -

A Zoo Run & Day 3 ...

A Zoo Run ...

My neighbor, Ms. B, her son, little A & I all spent most of Tuesday at the Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ).  It was a beautiful sunny day and I LOVE the zoo.  I almost always have a current WPZ membership card in my wallet because ... you never know when you'll be experiencing a "sunny-day-with-nothing-much-to-do"  kinda day and the zoo is always a great place to go.  

If you know me then you know that I am always up for a trip to the zoo - with or without little kids ...  I like to just wander around and get lost for a while.  The animals amaze me, the gardens & plants always bring me a little ... Zen ... it is, for me, an oasis - a paradise lost!  Okay, okay - I know, it's not so much paradise when you're experiencing the zoo from behind bars but that aside - I still love the zoo ...

And hey, it's not all bad!  For example, did you know that most zoo's are now an integral part of worldwide conservation & education efforts and that many species that are now lost in the wild exist today ... only in zoos.  The WPZ currently partners with 38 field conservation projects taking place in more than 50 countries.

Anyhoo - we were there for some FUN!  Nothing more than simple Fun, Fun, fun - not to learn or conservate (I think I just made that word up - if you don't know what it mean ... look it up).  We had come to soak up a little of that not so abundant PNW sunshine, get a little exercise, and have FUN - oh ya, and to wear out the baby so he would sleep well later that night!

We just knew that little A would love seeing all the animals, squeal with delight as they pranced about their naturalistic zoobitats and interacted playfully with their cell mates.  Sometimes It's even hard for me to contain my delight as I watch all the exotic wildlife at the zoo ...

-  little A looks excitedly for the animals -

What did he find ...

-  some lazy goats getting ready for a nap -

-  a flamingo napping -

-  a gorilla napping -

Well, we had obviously arrived at nap time - everyone was asleep so we decided to go to the children's play area which ended up being much more fun 

- little A constructing a little bug at the play table -

Day 3 ...

Here is Day 3 of my 365 days ...

 

If you asked Mike, he would tell you that he is not a caffeine drinker but for those of you who really KNOW Mike you know he is a major caffeine guzzler ... as in he guzzle down about a liter of caffeinated diet Pepsi a day!  I am not sure what you would pay for a 2L bottle of Pepsi in Canada but down here - on a good sale - we can get it for about $1.19 a bottle.  The other day I was at QFC getting some steak to BBQ (yum) and they had it on sale for .83 cents a bottle.  A BOTTLE!  That is a crazy good price but. as you can see, they had a 6 bottle limit per customer. Life is so-da good - isn't it!

An Unexpected Song ...

I found this video clip on Utube and It made me smile.  

It reminded me not to sit on the sidelines - not to stand on the edge of life and watch it passing by but to go ahead and stand up, cheer, clap, sing yourself silly and dance along as the parade passed by. 

Look at the smiles of join on the passenger's faces as they stop and enjoy this piece of magic that has creep unexpectedly into their lives.  I love that so many of them just dropped their bags and joined the dancers!!

365 Days ...

At the Father's Day BBQ this weekend Sarah was telling me about a friend of her's who was participating in a scrapbook/journal challenge called 365 Days!  Sarah said her friend had been faithfully documenting every day since January 1st.

The idea is that you take a photo of just 1 photo everyday that gives a little glance into your life - something that helps describe you, your day or a significant event from that day.  I love the idea that at the end of the year (mine won't be a calendar year) you have this glimpse into the life of ...

I'm not sure how much journaling Sarah's friend does every day but I will probably only do a line or two about the photo that I have taken - just a snapshot into my day.

I have decided that I will probably try to incorporate most days photo's into my blog.  Just a single photo and a line or two about it at the bottom of my entry.  Some days will be missing from my blog but I do intend to try and complete the challenge and take a photo everyday. 

Today, Day No. 1 - I took several photo's but the photo below is the one I will enter into my 365 Day Photo Journal.

Day No. 1

Today I was up at 5am, off to the Y at 6am where I did a weight circuit [13 machines] , walked 1.5 miles and I was home by 8:45am (I stopped at the bank & grocery store on the way home).

Take the time to find the sunny in today

- N -

Happy Dad's Day ...

Saturday was the day Jessica moved her remaining stuff from storage to her new house.  Dad, Mike, Dale (J's Dad), Wayne and Jay were all on hand to help with the moving and furniture building.  It went very smoothly ...

Jessica's new backyard BTA (before toys arrive) ...

It was a whirlwind of a weekend ... Mike & I drove up to Canada on Friday night and got to J's house about 10pm.  Saturday was Jessica's final moving day (she moved in stages) and so we were all up early and work began about 8am. 

Jessica & her Dad, Dale, went to pick-up the truck and Mike went over and picked up Dad then met them at the storage unit.  Sandy, Brad, Wayne & a mover she had hired to assist all met them there and once they were all assembled and the truck arrived they began loading.  They had the storage unit loaded up by about 10:30 and were back over at the new place by 11am! 

WOW - this was the fastest move I have ever participated in (not that I did much - Aidan & I just waited at the new house for them to return).  It went like clockwork and they had the truck unloaded by lunchtime.  We had pizza for lunch and then Jenny, Jay and the kids joined us for a 'putting furniture together' party!  We got her new futon, bookcase, kitchen table, 4 chairs and Aidan's bed all put together. 

Backyard ATA (After Toys Arrive) ...
Home Sweet Home Aidan

Bella found a piece of bubble wrap ...

and fashioned herself a very elegant cape out of it ...

Jenny's Mom always told her, 'if you make that ugly face too often  - it will stay that way.'
humm, it appears Cathy was right!

Once all the boxes were moved in & the furniture was put together  ...

everyone sat down on it and enjoyed a good laugh (not sure at what though) ...
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Then we all wandered over to Sandra's new place for a
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY BBQ ...

Sandra & Brent hosted the BBQ at their new house.  It got a little chilly out later in the day but that didn't seem to put a damper on the fun.  The kids ran around and had a great time, the food was great, the company even better and all the Dad's who were able to be there had a great Day!
.

Here is a glimpse into our Dad's Day Celebration ...

The Cheezies were a hit with the younger crowd ...

As evidenced by the all the orange fingers & faces ...

As were the juice boxes ....




Oops - that's Mike & Jay's juice bottle  ...

Everyone had a nice time visiting, relaxing & eating some great BBQ ...




Sandra & Brent's new backyard is so nice and it is the perfect spot for a family gathering and despite the cold wind that blew around for a while - everyone had a great time ...




Yum ...

Back to play time ...

In the front yard there is a fairly large Japanese maple tree and all of the kids just seemed to gravitate towards it.  It was very weepy and so they could hide under it and climb into it, and, as always, age holds certain privilege - only the 3 older kids (John, Aidan & Livy) were allowed to go outside of the fenced backyard and play in the tree out front - unattended.  This created a certain amount of 'tension' among the kids and the smaller ones were constantly looking for someone out to the front yard.

everyone loves a secret hidy hole ... 

right Max ....

- Here we see Jimmy has sweet talked Mike into taking him outside the back-fence into the forbidden zone

Oh no! It looks like Mike is getting ambushed  ....

by a band of marauding kids (each with a twinkle in their eye) ...

Poor Mike - he doesn't stand a chance - he is out numbered & possibly outwitted  ...

Yet,  he is still smiling - he is such a great guy!
Oh oh, Check out that devilish grin on Jimmy's face ...
I think he's up to something ...

Oh my!
What are they all looking at in the garden -  the lush, dense garden  ....

Tee Hee Hee ...

Humm, it seems Jimmy may have tossed Mike's wallet into the garden ....

 Yup, he sure did.  Looks like we'll need a search party ....

Very quickly the younger part of the search party  is retired  ...

And another Dad is recruited & after a 10 minute search the wallet was at last found ...

 And play resumed ... 
 


but, as with all good things, it was soon time to say good-bye  ....  





Some had to be picked up ...
 
and carried to the car ...

I didn't really get any good shots of Sandra, Brent, Jay or Sarah (or me) so in lieu of ugly old us - here are some of the gorgeous photos of some of the flowers from Sandra's garden (click on the photo's to blow them up) ...

 



 

 

This was our first family celebration without Mom and I cried for many days before driving up to Canada.  I knew it would be a fractured gathering but also, in a very big way, a healing one.  Mom, we are still a family and I believe with all of my heart & soul that you were watching us and felt a great peace at knowing we were all together and doing okay!  We are strong & still bonded together and that is what mattered the very most to you ...

Also missing from the festivities were Cathy, Hannah & Todd.  Cathy is away this week enjoying some peace & quiet and recharging her batteries.  Hannah was busy at a baseball tournament and Todd was putting out fires and saving families. 

Sandra & Brent gave us a wonderful Father's Day celebration and I thank them both from the bottom of my heart.  It was a lovely day ...

- N -

Garden Party ...

Portrait by a Neighbor

Before she has her floor swept,
Or her dishes done,
Any day you'll find her
A-sunning in the sun!

It's long after midnight
Her key's in the lock,
And you never see her chimney smoke
Till past ten o'clock!

She digs in her garden
With a shovel and a spoon,
She weeds her lazy lettuce
By the light of the moon,

She walks up the walk
Like a woman in a dream,
She forgets she borrowed butter
And pays you back cream!

Her lawn looks like a meadow,
And if she mows the place
She leaves the clover standing
And the Queen Anne's lace!

- Edna St. Vincent Millay -

Wouldn't you love to have your neighbor's talk about you like that ...

Oh, Happy Day
- N -

Friday's Smile ...

Happy Graduation Sarah

Jenny H.'s daughter, Sarah graduated from high school this year, this photo was taken when she was on her way to her Prom! 

What a gorgeous photo of a smart & beautiful young woman, Congratulations Sarah!!  You looks amazing and I wish you the greatest success at college next fall. 

What a beautiful dress!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.  Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll  start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

- Dr. Seuss -
Oh, The Places You'll Go


We are heading up to Canada tonight
Have a great Dad's Day everyone
- N -

My Mom Lives Here ...

It was one year ago today that my Mom got the news that her cancer had returned.  Kate & I had driven up to Canada to be with Mom & Dad when they got her biopsy results.  I remember we all stood around the kitchen, crying and struggling to come to grips with this ... next ... newest reality  ...

Today, as I continue to struggle but now with the loss of my beloved Mother I now take solace by looking around my home and seeing evidence of her everywhere ... I placed these things that remind me some much of her and how much I loved her throughout every room in my house so that no matter where I go ~ there she is ....

This is now where my Mom now lives for me  ...

In My Living Room

A Bowling Ball ...

I honestly don't know how long my Mom bowled for but I do know she loved to bowl and that this bowling ball meant a great deal to her ... she kept it her whole life, tucked away in a closet inside it's dirty old bag.  She must have owned it for many, many years because her initials A.J. are carved into it so I know she had it before she was married.  This is now one of my most prized possessions because it will always bring to mind that while I knew Mom very well ... I never really knew everything about her ...

The Dining Room

Two Ladies Dancing ...

These two fine ladies are now displayed in my dining room.  Safely tucked away in my cabinet but visible to everyone who enters.  I just catch a glimpse of these two Ladies swirling & twirling and I am reminded of my Mom in the nicest way .... delicate, fragile and full of beauty & grace

The Kitchen

 

A single Cup ...

High upon a shelf above my kitchen sink - near the window sits a single tea cup full of the silver spoons she spent years collecting on her travels through life ...  but it reminds me of her every morning when I'm making my coffee because like her - it is simple, beautiful and filled with precious treasures ...

My Office

 

Books Read & Pages Unturned ...

My Mom loved to read and so sitting on a shelf right in front of my computer where I sit everyday is a stack of her books - some read she has read, some she did not get time to read.  My Mom loved Maeve Binchy and - well, lets just say that Maeve couldn't write them fast enough for my Mom.  While my Mom's taste in books was very different than mine we did share a love of reading.  It is my goal to read one of her beloved Mauve Binchy book's - to share it in a way and then one day read the others - some of those which she never had the time to finish.  I would like to finish them for her ...

My Scraproom

 

Mashed Potatoes

I can not look at this bowl and NOT think Christmas, Family Birthdays & Mashed Potatoes!  This bowl just brings a smile to my face and that is why it sits in my scraproom - it's like she is smiling back at me every time I see it ... it brings me joy and reminds me not only of her but her sitting at the table smiling & laughing with the entire family  but of how she was framework upon which this family was built ...

My Mom taught me that a  treasure does not have to be the biggest, the best, the oldest, the shiniest or the most valuable of things ... the greatest treasures are the things that you love because they make you smile when you glance upon them or hold them near , in other words, the simple things that hold all your greatest memories ...

    My Bedroom

 

A Card & A Book

I saved this one old Christmas Card that inside says .. ' Best Wishes Andy - Love Annie Johnston'.  I love this card, I love that my parents saved it for over 50 years .... It reminds me of how strong, true and unconditional their love was, it reminds me that this ability to love without hesitation has been passed down from one generation to the next and it reminds me that this is their legacy, their greatest gift which I have hopefully passed down to my children. I have framed the card so it will be with me, my children and their children for many years to come.  A compass of who we are and what matters most in life. 

It sits beside my dearest reminder of MOM, her 'The New England, Butt'ry Shelf Almanac'.  She loved this book so and because she so loved it I once asked her once if I could borrow it and read it.  She said, "no" because she didn't want anything to happen to it.  She liked to pick it up and browse through it whenever the notion struck her - it is really such a simple book - just a collection of stories about gardening, cooking, recipes and illustrations by Tasha Tudor but I {heart} this book because she loved it so ...

So as you can see ...

I now feel like my Mom has come to live with me, amidst me, within me, along side me -  in such a sweet & gentle way

I miss you terribly Mom

Love n

Daytripping ...

This week has been a good one ...
                            I puttered around the garden ...
                                            I went on a few day trips ...

                 and this is a little of what I saw along the way ...

                                                                                                   

A Beautiful old barn  ...


A dancing bear & an owl ...

A peacock  ...

A Water Wheel ...

Bad Doggie  ...

Good Kitty ...

Well, like I said ... It's been a pretty mellow week so far,
hope you can say the same ...
- N -

Everything in it's place ...

Katy & Chewie
(I once heard someone describe the cost of Veterinary school as 'The Price of Love' &  they might be right because sometimes I think Katy loves her animals more than she loves us humans!)

When Katy first went away to college she lived in the dorms and so her bedroom here at home remained intact but when she moved out of the dorms and into an apartment several years ago she took her bed & dresser with her.  I replaced the bed ASAP so she & guests would have a place to sleep but I have just never gotten around to replacing the dresser.  

 
Please take note of this before shot of Kate's Room - as in before she got here ...

Poor Katy, not only is she dresserless but I have also managed to fill up her closet with all my junk.  So when she's home ... she basically has to live out of her suitcase ... which, by the way, seems to explode upon being unzipped!  Check out the before (above) and after (below) pictures of her room.

I am not even sure how this much stuff got stuffed into her suitcase but it was obvious we needed to do something .  And I don't know how the heck she got the sheets and blankets so disheveled and messed up in one week! 

Anyway, this weekend was our complex's annual garage sale and Katy & I did the rounds on Saturday hoping we would find a dresser ... Success! We found this white dresser which was the perfect size, shape & price - $30.00.  It was kinda beat-up and dirty but it had ... as they say ... 'good bones' so we snapped it up and Katy & Mike carted it home for me.

The knobs were broken, the paint chipped but the drawers all worked nicely.  I also liked that it had a hutch for the top of it.  I decided that I would pain it black and do a 'shabby chic' thing to it.  The broken toilet in the background is another story for another day ....

So I spent a whopping $14.00 on Matte Black spray paint and all it took was one coat.   Easy Peasy!

 

When it was dry I grabbed my sander and 'distressed' the edges of it.

 

Wiped it down (which I haven't done yet in this picture), Mike & Kate dragged it upstairs.  Katy & I went out today and bought some new knobs (another $38) for it and put them on and voila ....

 

Within 48 hours Katy had a nice new dresser to house her TV, books, clothes and other assorted odds & sods and Katy can now clean her room because I know how much she hates living in that kind of a mess.   And they all lived happily ever after ....

Yeah right!

Have a good day tomorrow

- N -