I'll never be an Independent Mary Kay Consultant

Aside from the fact that I have no discernible skin care regime and wear the least bit of make-up possible, I could never be an Independent Mary Kay Consultant. Last night at a Holiday Bazaar at which both of us were vendors, my Independent Mary Kay Consultant friend, who meets all the requirements you would expect of an Independent Mary Kay Consultant, told me she was also showing her wares at another craft show in Ashburn that wants her to start setting up at 8:00 this morning. It was about 9:30 at night when she told me this and she was rather dramatic about the late hour and the need to get up so early the next morning.

She then pulled me close and in a low whisper, she confided in me that she was planning on going straight to bed, not even taking off her make-up, then getting up in the morning and not even showering and heading off to the show. Heck, I do that every other day!

But that's not the show-stopper here ... she was selling single gloves at her table with cute little signs on them calling them "Getting Gas Gloves." Apparently, Independent Mary Kay Consultants take off the nice gloves they have on in the cold winter months, pull a single pink glove out of the glove compartment and put it on their pumping gas hand so as to not soil their nice gloves.

Give me a break.

(Note to my Blog Readers, all 6 of you ... sorry it's been so long. Thanks for the nudges to get back to this from Willie & Sissy!)

'Ello to Ya!

Life is good in London!

After a long flight and a first sleepy day of Bus touring, we spent our second day visiting the Tower and exploring Old London. Pete The Tour Guide on the bus taught us a lot about the City of London ... his grandmother survived the WWII bombings and he is very proud of his City, Christopher Wren and St. Paul's.

When Kayti and I were here 3 years ago, Big Ben was being restored, so this was the first time we actually heard him chime the hour.

This fine gentleman Beefeater talked to us for a long time ... learned a lot about what it takes to be a Yeoman Warden (apparently "Beefeater" is actually an insult) ... at least 22 years exemplary service in the military. Thirty-six Yeoman Wardens actually live in the Tower while working there. We later walked to St. Paul's, but we got there just as a Choral Concert was about to start, so we were unable to tour the building. We will return, no doubt, at a later date.

Here's the view from the South Bank of the Thames ... not all bad, huh?

Gotta go ... heading off to Portobello Road to search out fun 50th birthday gifties for Lori and old buttons for Jean.

Sonrise 2010

I could spend an entire day taking pictures of little kids. It just makes me happy. Here are a few classics from my week with preschoolers at Sonrise 2010, our church's day camp. There were almost 300 kids there, ranging from 3-10 years old plus over 100 volunteers. Kayti took tons of video and is preparing a movie for church on Sunday. Willie led a small group of 19 5th grade boys and I led a group of 11 preschoolers. Luckily, we had high school helpers who deserve medals for giving countless piggyback rides!This is Campbell ... she is just over 3 years old.

Kayti and I both have a crush on Luke and his blue eyes, blonde curls and dimples. Sweetie, whose real name is Elaine-Rebecca, may only be four, but she can read and write like a 10 year old.

Sophia only came on Monday and Tuesday, but kept us laughing both days. The kids had to race out into a field covered in plastic cups, find the green ones (our team color), fill them with water and bring them to their leaders. Sophia filled a cup from a bucket far away from our team and proceeded to walk very very very slowly back, careful to not spill a drop despite the kids flying past her the entire time. It took her 5 minutes to come back with one cup!

Kayti also adores Matthew, who is holding up a picture he drew of his mom and dad. (Amoeba parents!)

Nathan had a hugh temper tantrum this morning, sobbing and crying in Spanish ... I had to finally get help from Edwin because high school Spanish would not help me console him. By snack time he was much better!

These four sweet kids barely spoke English. Christyan, Samuel, Valeska and Enrique. They were cold from getting all wet during game time outside. Thanks to them, my Spanish has improved somewhat ... I can say "Come Here," "No more," and "if you don't want to get wet, stay with me" (well, kinda ... si no gusta aqua, staya aqui con mi). It worked!

And here's Robbie with some of my group ... L-R front row ... Samuel, Luke, Christyan, Sweetie, Robbie and Nathan. Behind them is Jackie holding Campbell, Kristin holding Matthew and Amber holding Valeska. Behind them, pouting and refusing to be in the picture is Carter. He only participated if we were dancing.

Time for a nap.

The Lord's Pictures

On Tuesday, July 13, God woke me up at 5:45am. I was startled by a case of the hiccoughs ... who gets hiccoughs in their sleep? A hiccough woke me up and I sat up, hiccoughed two more times, then said out loud to God, "Okay, I'm awake." I looked outside and the sky was yellow. I ran to the sliding glass door and saw this beautiful orange ball low in the sky, grabbed my camera and walked out to the beach. The orange ball was behind a cloud, so I began a nice little chat with God while I waited to see whatever He woke me up to see.

I wasn't the only human awake at that hour, but I was alone on the beach for quite some time, so I continued to talk aloud to God as I photographed His amazing sunrise. I don't know if He woke me just to talk or to also have me photograph His work, but here's what I saw that morning ...

What a wonderful way to start the day!

More about Kingsmill

Our gathering at Kingsmill was wonderful. We were there to celebrate Betty & Fred's 60th wedding anniversary. We had so much fun all together. Here we are after the Monday brunch ... we're missing Doug, Diana, Sarah and Daniel, who all had to leave early that morning.
Several of us went into Colonial Williamsburg on Sunday ...

Jamie, Sarah, Kayti and I broke off from the group and headed straight to the candy store. While inside trying to decide which sweet treats we wanted to purchase, we saw a fellow tourist wearing a 3-cornered hat. We inquired as to where he bought it, and headed straight there.

We got one for each girl and proceeded down DOG Street (Duke of Gloucester) taking pictures with every costumed person we could find.
At the hotel, Betty spied an osprey nest on the top of a chimney ... we had fun watching the momma bird feed her babies throughout the weekend. Here's the momma ...On Sunday night we went out on the docks, put our feet in the warm water of the James River and watched the fireworks from Busch Gardens.

Happy Birthday, America. Happy Anniversary, Betty & Fred. It sure was fun celebrating together.

A Brief Note about Kingsmill ...

Here I am, skipping along quite happily in Williamsburg with the entire in-law family ...

early morning walks

cards games along the James River

snow cones

poolside reading

miniature golf

and then I step into the fancy bathroom and I am slapped smack-dab in the face by a ridiculously huge magnifying mirror ...

zits

gigantic pores

hairs in places there shouldn't be hairs on women

yikes!

More to come once I return to the fold, including pictures, but trust me, there won't be any close-up shots!

Quick! Before they die ...

Ask my friend Jean, my neighbor Ann, or my mother-in-law Betty, and if they are honest, they will tell you that I am horrible at keeping plants alive. Kids, dog, husband ... they are all thriving. Plants inside and outside the house are another thing. Betty once told me to not have any plants until the kids are grown and gone ... and yet I keep trying. So, here's a look at the wonderful blooms around my house. Look quickly. If history does indeed repeat itself, they will be dead by July 1st.

The tag said "At least 6 hours of full sun." No problem with that. Our south-facing front yard bakes every plant all day long!

Love this variety of Sweet Potato vine. It likes sun, too!

These are already more than I can handle. Although the tag said "At least 6 hours of full sun," it lied. These Gerbera daisies drink water every morning and are still mad at me by 2:00. They whine and moan through droopy flowers and rolled up leaves ... wimpy wimpy wimpy.

Daily watering for these, too ... they were a gift from Roberta ... fingers are crossed cause they are more whiney than the Gerberas for watering. Very dramatic drooping when thirsty! Impatien(t) is an understatement!

These wonderful perennial lilies are watered only by God. He does indeed take care of them just as He does me ... Too bad He doesn't mention Gerbera Daisies in the Gospels, too!

Coon Dog

Each year we have lived here we have seen more wild animals moving into the neighborhood. Over the last week, we have seen several foxes, deer, bullfrogs, turtles, a blue heron and for the first time in almost 21 years, raccoons.

Kilmer found the two baby raccoons first ... they were just outside the fence and he immediately made it clear that he did not want either of them to stop in for a visit. One of them ran along the outside of the fence to safety, the other decided to fight the big black mutt on the other side of the fence. Big mistake. Kilmer picked it up in his mouth and shook it a bit, then tossed it a few feet before he finally heeded our frantic yelled and stopped. The baby raccoon ran back through the fence, then climbed the outside of the fence and sat on the top of the highest picket where the two fences met. His sibling came back along the outside of the fence and climbed up to join it.

Once the sibling got up there, it stayed close by and protected the other, despite the frightening crowd of humans who came to see them.

We were worried that the little one tossed by the dog was injured, but we read on the internet to just leave baby coons alone and the mother would come back to get them after dark. So we did just that and this morning they were both gone. Way to go Momma Coon!

Ironically, on Saturday, my parents came down to visit for the day and brought Kilmer a cute little yellow stuffed chick that squeaked. After 5 minutes of adorable play with the toy, Kilmer proceeded to rip it apart with a vengeance, pulling out the insides and shaking it from side to side until all the fluff and both little squeakers were flying all over the porch.

We actually discussed this behavior and winced at the thought of how awful it would be if Kilmer actually had treated another living creature the same way. We're so thankful he let go of that sweet little raccoon.

Road Trip for Snow Cones

Kayti and I love snow cones.

As snow cone connoisseurs, we have identified two snow cone establishments on the East Coast worthy of a road trip:

One is Sno-To-Go in Williamsburg, a six hour round trip for Kayti's favorite Twizzle Berry and my favorite Cherry/Grape/Lemon Lime mix.

The other is The Snowball Stand in Woodstock, Maryland, a 2.5 hour trip round trip for Kayti's watermelon and my cherry, both with a huge dollop of marshmallow goo on top.

Last Thursday, Kayti took a personal day from school and we took a road trip to The Snowball Stand. To make the trip educational (ha!), I gave Kayti the map and she told me when and where to turn. No major highways allowed once we crossed the Potomac. For just over three hours we giggled our way along the highlighted route below, passing through lots of cute tiny towns until we finally made it to the corner of Woodstock Road and Route 99.

We took highways on the way home and made it back in 1.25 hours. Worth every minute in the car. Yum!

Entering the High School: A Study

More often than not this year, I have driven Kayti to school. This process gives her an extra 15 minutes in the morning and it gives me time with her in the car, something that will slowly fade away over the next few months as her solo trips as a new driver become more frequent.

Every morning, after Kayti gets out of the car, I have a brief moment or two while I am still in the car line to observe the social phenomenon of Entering a School. At any given time, there are about 20-25 kids walking toward the 2 sets of double doors to get into the building. While there are the exceptional one or two groups of kids entering together, the majority of 15-18 year olds enter alone, keeping their heads either down or straight ahead and walking tentatively to avoid the awkwardness of keeping the same pace with the person next to them. I've seen kids, who I am certain know each other, glance in the direction of their acquaintance in hope of recognition, only to be denied or unseen and so they continue with the pack as it moves toward the doors.

Funny thing about this ... at 49 I can still relate to the "will someone acknowledge me / should I acknowledge them" tug of war of this process and the agonizing attack on self-worth that can accompany it with every step. I still feel it sometimes as I enter the same building for church each week, but then up walks the designated Greeter, who reaches out his or her hand and welcomes me on Sunday mornings.

Too bad there's no Greeter Club in high school.

A Loser with High Standards

Every project, every process, everything we do can be broken down into methodical steps:

Step 1: Open refrigerator.

Step 2: Take out milk.

Step 3: Open pantry.

Step 4: Take out Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Step 5: Open cabinet.

Step 6: Take out bowl.

You get the idea.

My question of the day is this ...

Why is it that no one ever completes the last step of anything?

Last Step: Put cereal box back in pantry.

Last Step: Throw empty yogurt container in trash can.

Last Step: Fold up old tarp.

Last Step: Put hammer back in the garage.

Last Step: Wipe off kitchen counter.

Last Step: Put placemats back around the table.

Last Step: Put movies back on shelf.

Last Step: Put clean clothes away.

Last Step: Put pillows back on couch.

Each morning, I spend the first 30 minutes on the main floor of our house doing everybody's last steps. Why do I do do this, you ask?

Because I am a "Loser with High Standards" ...

What I like.

The older I get, the more I am refining my list of things I truly enjoy.

Of course, time with my family and friends will forever top the list, but interesting, unexpected things are pushing their way up as the

years go by ...

The Sound of Water ... not from a faucet, but from a babbling brook or a rain storm. Amazingly peaceful. See the pictures below and just imagine how wonderful the sounds are at Swallow Falls.

Screened-in Porches ... heavenly, especially when my family & friends are out there with me, too.

Puzzles ... Jigsaw, crossword, anagram, logic, etc. I could sit and do them all day long.

Quiet Mornings ... Waking up with the birds, praying before I get out of bed and enjoying a bit of alone time before everyone else gets up.

TV Shows about Cake ... Ace of Cakes, Ultimate Cake-Off, Challenge.

Lunch with Friends ... I'm not a fan of "fine dining," but I love the casual get-together with my buddies and a turkey sandwich from my favorite restaurant, JPs Deli.

Gary and I spent last weekend at Deep Creek Lake with a bunch of our close friends and I got to enjoy all of the above (except the cake shows) ... it was wonderful. Here's some of the beauty we got to enjoy:

Gary, Brian, Sharon and Mike at Swallow Falls National Park.

The largest waterfall in Maryland ... after climbing dozens of stairs, we got to stand at the top of the falls and look down over them (sorry, Mom, but I made it back safely!)
More dandelions than you could imagine ... a mother's nightmare, a daughter's dream.

Thank you Barbara, Brian, Doug, Gary, Kathy, Mack, Mike, Penny & Sharon for a wonderful weekend!

Frolicking!

Thank you, Lord!

There is sunshine and warmth here in Northern Virginia, and I

am FROLICKING!

I love Spring and it has sprung ... pre-mulch croci ...

I have been walking my crazy mutt, mowing the lawn, working in the yard and resting on my front porch.

Robbie has moved into our basement and to prepare for his arrival, I have been going through everything down there ... pre-school artwork, Christmas decorations, old Halloween costumes, American Girl dolls, GI Joes, Power Rangers, McDonalds Toys, etc. The dog is not allowed in the basement, so he waits on the steps while I'm down there. Kinda pathetic. Poor guy, I guess it's hard to sit on the steps when you have four legs ...

On Sunday, we gathered the Mears family together at my in-laws to celebrate Fred's 83rd birthday ...

While we were there, a Red-headed Woodpecker stopped by for a bite of suet. Betty's bird feeders always amaze me ... I could sit and watch the birds for a lot longer than I'd like to admit ...

Life is good.

Babies in the Basement

Kaylie Kushin and Maddie Rockwood were visiting the Mears home recently and when babies are around, my camera gets lots of use. While Maddie's dad, Tom, and Kaylie's mom, Laurie, cleaned out the Young Life office, the girlies hung out with Robbie and me.

Kaylie Kushin:

Maddie Rockwood and a yummy Pez container:

Watch out, Kaylie! Maddie gets what she wants:

It sure was fun hanging out with these two sweet girls!

New York, New York

Kayti and I got to spend 4 days in New York City during her Spring Break and here's our stats for the trip:

3 Plays (Chicago, Mary Poppins & Promises, Promises)

2 Museums (MoMA & Natural History)

4 Brushes with Fame (Danny Aeillo, Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenowith

& Tabatha Coffey)

3 Soft Pretzels

39 Floors above Times Square at the Marriott Marquis:

20 Minutes in the Sunshine out at Bryant Park on Thursday,

our only non-rainy day

1 Huge Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity:

2 Books Finished (hung out in the hotel room for 5 hours on

a very rainy Tuesday afternoon just reading and relaxing)

2 Trips to Amy's Bread for Yummy Cinnamon Challah Knots

18 Miles worth of Books at the Strand Bookstore ...

coulda stayed there all night:

360° Around in the View Restaurant (with pieces of EVERY dessert

offered in the buffet!)

1500 Model UN Students cramming the Elevators and Hallways of the Hotel

1 Italian UN'er we ran into several times who stared at Kayti a lot

7 French Sailors roaming Times Square in silly uniforms with

red pompoms on their hats:

7 Lindt Truffles Consumed

1 Amazing Flower Show at Macy's:

2 Lousy Disposable Cameras ... never again. I will carry my Nikon

next time, even if every day is rainy!

7 Trips Around on the Toys R Us Ferris Wheel

1 Great Picture with Candy Land's King Candy:

And LOTS of wonderful memories!