Coming Up Tulips

This was "take 2" after I told him he had to smile

If you know me well, you know I can't tell an Anemone from a Freesia (I had to Google to get those flower names). Sure, I do know some of the everyday flowers, daisies, carnations, roses, and lilacs. Plus the other much recognized flower - the tulip. I must say, though they don't last long, tulips are in my "favorite flower" top five. Don't ask me to name the rest - I know them when I see them!

A couple springs before my mom died, she asked me to take a Friday to travel with her to Pella to see the town and the tulips. I'd never visited the town before. It was something Mom had always wanted to do. As a young mom, I had barely heard of the place - let alone flowers! Amy would have been ten and Jud around six years old then.

My trip with Mom at Chandon - bubbly factory

It was a gorgeous spring day - sun shining, with the temp in the low 70's. We went to the Pella Historical Museum - a place I've never visited since. Mom loved history and foreign lands. After Mom and Dad visited Scotland with their longtime friends Harv and Joyce Whisler. She enticed Dad with golf. After that, she took each of her daughters on a trip.

• Betsy (around age 15 at the time) to England - and maybe Ireland. Mom always booked with a travel company. On a trip like that, you get to know your fellow travelers well. After their return, they entertained us with stories of a loopy woman in their group named something like Margie Dinkledine. She was always missing the bus and losing things. In other words - the polar opposite of our mom. 
• Cindy to Europe - Germany, France and more? Cindy still talks fondly of their trip. 
• Susi and Mom to Greece. That was the summer of 1979? I took care of Susi's dog, Mac, while they were gone. 
• Mom and I to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland in 1983. Our tour group was old - I believe I was the youngest person on the trip. It was fabulous - my favorite parts were Norway fjords and Copenhagen. 

Mom and I were good traveling companions. By then she was good about not smoking inside. I wish she would have had the willpower to quit altogether. We also traveled to NE Iowa and took a trip from SE Washington State down the coast to San Francisco together. Priceless memories. 

Every time I go to Pella, I think of Mom. It had been a while since I'd been in town when the tulips were blooming. Friday I felt them calling to me - and talked Paul into heading there. It's about an hour drive. It was another lovely sunny day in the 60s with light wind. Not all the tulips were in bloom, but many were showing their stuff! 

The central park is where most of the tulip action is. The colors were vibrant and there were many styles. It was a feast for my eyes and my memories. We attempted to visit the delicious Jaarsma bakery there - but the line was nearly out the door. I didn't need goats legs that badly! 

I did bribe Paul into going by telling him we could stop in Bondurant - just east of Des Moines on our way back. They have a nice brewpub we don't usually go to - Reclaimed Rails. I like the place because of the beer - but also because they reuse materials throughout their place. The deck is made from wood from Adventureland, a nearby amusement park. Pretty cool! 

The town of Bondurant also brings back good memories. As we drove in on surface roads from the east, I told Paul about how I rode with my friend Sal's dad Wayne Rodgers to deliver my horse Jack to Les Walker, a horse trainer somewhere over here. We went by a stable as we drove. I loved being Wayne's horse side-kick! One month later we drove back to get my three-year-old sorrel gelding. He he'd mostly been cured of rearing and was cantering more slowing - but would never have that rocking horse gait that Sally's Miss Viscosity did. Jack turned out to be a very good boy! What a lucky girl I was to have Wayne in my life to help make having a horse possible. 

Happy Father's Day Dave Bullfrog!

I don't have any memories of my father actually in a pool - only these pics

Did you really know your dad when you were a kid? Back when Baby Boomers grew up, dads weren't expected to spend a lot of quality time with the cherubs. The rules were different in the 1960's and 1970's. Most dads weren't involved in all of their children's everyday lives - especially when they're girls. They brought home the bacon.

Mom and Dad were very social - Poker Club, supper clubs - such a handsome guy

My dad worked hard to support us by traveling throughout Iowa Monday through Friday. He was a sales representative for Lorraine Lingerie. Fun guy that he was, he'd say he was "in lady's underwear". Ha! This actually included panties, slips, and silky pajamas. Nice stuff, some of it manufactured locally in Bedford and Leon, Iowa. Those plants are now closed.

Dad lived out of a suitcase. He had nice suits that he purchased at Reichardt's Clothing in Des Moines. He left a weekly schedule by the phone. It included town and hotel. No mobile phones back then. If you recall the era, small towns were still commerce centers. They had small department stores that "had it all", including lingerie. Dad had his routes throughout the state. He knew which little restaurants had good pie. He loved Gooseberry. He enjoyed beets and liver and onions - Ick.

Dave Bullock traveled the state of Iowa (and a little bit of South Dakota) in first Buicks and then Cadillacs supplied by Deter Motors. He put 60,000 plus on his cars each year, so he'd trade cars annually. Even Caddies didn't come with a center console back then - so he had Eddie the Cobbler make him a leatherette covered armrest that opened. There he kept his Tareyton cigarettes, Binaca (breath freshener) and Dentyne gum. Salesmen are worried about breath! Dad was a great driver and was only in one accident his whole life - a hit and run in Fort Dodge, not his fault.

Dad used to buy funny toys from his customers bring back to us from his trips. Key the Mom eye-roll. Things like chattering teeth and wind-up barking dogs. When the older three kids grew up, and Betsy was at loose-ends, Mom talked Dad into taking Betsy on his route to South Dakota. Oh, how the buyers loved that little girl! Forgive me Betso if I fail to get the story right. She needed help with her hair, and they'd go to one store so she could get a comb-out from a client. Dad bought Mexican-Jumping Beans (which are really live worms in beans). They couldn't figure out what was rattling in the back window....then they left them in the sun too long, and they fried. Sorry worms!

Grillmeister - note white shoes

I wish I had more memories of spending time with my Daddy when I was a child. We watched family TV shows together Walt Disney and Bonanza. He'd torment us by saying Lassie wasn't going to make it this time. Crying ensued. Mom would yell. Dad liked to take us to Dairy Queen, and we'd take our dog Jud (hey, it's a family name - my son is not...just... named after a dog) and he'd (Jud) get a vanilla cup of ice cream. Dad was the grillmeister. Nearly every weekend he'd sizzle up something delicious - rotisserie chicken, steak, pork roast marinated with mustard/grape jelly.

Dad liked to play golf and pitch at the Country Club. He tried to teach me how to play golf...fail! Susi and Cindy turned out pretty good though. He did teach me how to drive a clutch car, but it wasn't pretty. That corner by the YMCA was a bitch!

Dad was a people guy. He had a lot of friends and continued to make them all through his life. I think that's why he was such a great salesman. He was a snazzy dresser too. The poor guy got criticized a lot by teen daughters later in life."Not the white belt Dad!".

At our first house with the Alvillar girls

I had the opportunity to get to know Dad better in my adult years. Paul and I were very thankful that Mom and Dad paid for flights to visit them in Marco Island, Florida. As young parents buying a house, we wouldn't have been able to visit otherwise. Dad loved showing us their second home. Later, after the kids were born, he'd take the kids down to the beach, tossing popcorn in the air for the gulls. Their interaction was priceless.

With the Kohan boys

After Mom died in 1997, we were all stunned. Mom was a strong woman - the "director" of the family. We had to establish a new order - new communications. We took the opportunity to get to know each other better. It was a busy time as I was in the midst of raising kids. Looking back, I wish I would have taken more time to spend with Dad. But, in the moment...kid duty calls.

Mom and Dad's condo in Atlantic - Paul and I have on sweathers, kids, shorts? 

We got to spend some quality time with Dad and his friend Kay in the last years of his life. He enjoyed her family and ours. Dad was very proud of his ten grandchildren. Somewhere he's watching from afar, sipping a cocktail with his buddies Dandy Don, Eddie Freese, Fritz, and more. They're smiling. Cheers Dave Bullfrog!

Why didn't I get his skinny legs? 

Feeling the love part 4

Four weddings (and no funerals) since late July. Jordan and Jill 9/20/2017. Paul and I were very happy to witness their marriage, together with many of the couple's family and friends. It was grand!

We actually flew to Denver this trip. We've traveled to Colorado by car so many times the gas station attendants along the route know us by name. (no, not really) Paul had never actually exited the Denver airport before - he'd just flown through. Flying was a big deal! Amy collected us curbside in Dave the car. Franklin (the wonder wienie) and Corey were back at the ranch - their apartment not far from downtown Denver.

It's so weird to think of Amy and Corey as husband and wife. I'm still getting used to seeing Jud sporting a wedding ring!

Look at that blue sky! Last year we ate chili in PA with the Parks

On Friday we attended a benefit chili festival put on by firefighters from around the country. It was on Larimer Street on a beautiful Denver day. Amy had helped a guy re-brand his chili powder and he had donated all the bowls for the day. Pretty cool, and the chili was great. 

View from Pottorff's condo

That evening our peeps started to arrive. Logistics boggle my mind, but somehow - through the magic of Uber and Google Maps, we conquered! Cindy hooked us up with awesome accommodations for Friday and Saturday. Our pals Bonnie and Eric (yes, of Christmas Dinner prime rib fame) have a primo place in the Spire in downtown Denver to go along with their lovely home in Edwards. Yep, the best of both worlds! It's super cool, with a view of Rockies stadium and they split tickets to games with other Spire owners. I love how it's decorated - just right for the space and Paul was digging the large TV. We met Cindy there and settled in.

Later we met Jud, Kara, and Kohans (Betsy, Wayne, son Paul and his gf Christine) at a little place called the Corner Office. It was fun catching up. At the last wedding (Amy & Corey's) we didn't get to chat much. Amy and Corey were at the rehearsal dinner. Later, all the youngsters ended at Amy and Corey's place for a few drinks. I love that they like hanging out. My niece Leslie's husband Jordan (not to be confused with her sis Jordan) seems to be a bit of an instigator. He kept them up late, coming up with interesting topics to discuss.

Doing the prep thing

On Saturday, Cindy, Paul and I took a long walk and settled into Sam's 3 for a big breakfast. Then we heard from Amy that Sister Susi (at the venue getting ready) was experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and wished for some visitors. Betso, Christine and I Ubered over to the venue and checked it out. We got to meet Jill's parents and chat with Susi, Jordan, Amy, and Les in the totally cool urban warehouse venue. After, we met up with the rest of the gang at Lucky Strike, a bowling alley in downtown, until it was time to get ready for the main event.

Look at this wedding cake topper - clones of the brides! 

Some jubilant faces

Ashley Alvillar and Amy are beaming, David Alvillar in the foreground

The wedding was so beautiful. Susi looked gorgeous with her lovely silver hair and gown. There was a solo of the song "I Want to Hold Your Hand". If you haven't seen the video, it includes the vows which say so much about how these two people feel about each other. The ceremony was perfect and Jordan's dress was so perfect. Jill was killing it in her outfit - it was so Jill. 

4 of my fave guys. Corey - not so secretly watching the Clemson game...

Susi with grandson James - so fun watching them interact

We got to see so many of our family members again! My cousins, the Lamms, with the family matriarch, Aunt Marty. Again - I love that we dig each other. I liked watching Marty watch her grandkids have fun together. I got to finally meet our great nephews James and Jonah and see David and Ashley Alvillar for the first time in a long while. One of my favorite parts of the evening was watching the three Alvillar siblings dance to - you guessed it, my song selection, "Love Shack".  Tin Roof...Rusted. Kara made sure that Paul, Cindy and I had the appropriate photos taken - for the guest book and at the photo booth. #shessosmart.

With Aunt Marty. Somebody took a cousin pic - but I didn't get a copy, hint, hint

It was much harder to say goodbye to everyone at this wedding - because I don't know when I'll see some of them again. Ugh. But...there is the Kohan wedding next August - so we have that going for us. Getting excited for Alex and Lisa!

Congrats again to Jordan and Jill. They have faced adversity because of who they are. It isn't easy to be someone who because of who they are, they do not conform to other's expectations and closely held beliefs. They are difference makers, helping to show that love is universal. We need more of it.

I swiped this photo off of Facebook - so good. 

We got to get together with just our kids on Sunday after Cindo dropped us off. I have to admit, I wasn't ready to leave! We walked to a food court type place for a bite - then Corey took off to host clients at the Broncos game and Amy delivered the rest of us to DIA for our flights. Can't wait to see them all again for Thanksgiving in STL!

Our second home

Paul and I headed west to our second home over Memorial Weekend. We didn't stop at the cemetery. I decided that was okay. We visited with living members of our family. A living memorial to the veterans in the family. We even looked at flowers. Last year we didn't go to Colorado over the Memorial Day holiday - and we really missed it. This year, Amy now lives there again but was on a trip to visit Corey's grandparents in California. We went anyway! We love to visit our family.

The fam (Pablo, Odie and I) didn't take off until Friday afternoon. I had work obligations until Friday afternoon. Once Odie sees the suitcases come out she begins to freak out. I guess she is concerned that her undies are packed...all that. She was pleased to discover our travel plans included her. The food and kennel in the car were a big clue. And Paul says she's not intelligent I always bring a towel and a pillow for her travel comfort. She's a good little traveler.

We made it to North Platte Friday evening. Our hotel was nothing to speak of. When you have a pooch, you get shuffled to the "cheap seats". The beds were okay and we were there a short time. By 6:00 a.m., we hit Starbucks (I know, who knew they had them in rural NE) and we were off. We made it to Edwards, Colorado before noon.

We (Paul) helped Cindo with some chores that afternoon. That night it was chops on the grill and an excellent tomato salad and potatoes. On Sunday we were off to the Junction...Grand Junction. If you've never made the drive, it's gorgeous traveling between the Vail and GJ. Glenwood Springs and the river are spectacular followed by the high desert of GJ.

We love visiting Susi and Jim. They are great hosts and their house sits in a beautiful location. The good news was that haying (field nearby) was completed the day before we arrived. Sitting on their patio, chatting with my family was my favorite part. Our nephew Colby and his girlfriend Gretchen stopped by on their way from Durango. Susi and Jim prepared a fabulous prime rib on the grill.

On Monday, Cindy, Paul and I took a short walk before Susi fed us once again. This time it was corned beef hash with eggs. They sure get good fruit in Colorado. That night, we dined at our friends Bonnie and Eric's. It wasn't the prime rib we usually have at Christmas. Yummy burgers. Our friends the Sanders were there. We love catching up.

Our drive home Tuesday was uneventful. The short week was really long. TGIF and I sure do love my sissens. Wish Betso could have been there.

Mother's Day

It's the day past Mother's Day. I've been a mommy for 32 years now. Yes, I count my "pregnant with Amy" year. I scored a diamond necklace that Mother's Day! The two of us were living in Osage, and we headed Austin, MN that weekend to shop a bit.

I was still in the earlier stages of pregnancy - not yet full-on big and bitchy. He had always told me if I ever spied a deer before he did, he'd get me a diamond necklace. I know, it doesn't sound like much a feat today. But back then, deer were still rare. (If only...). It took me a long time. I'd been searching for a couple years by then. That day I scored!

I still think of that when I wear the necklace. It's not a big diamond, but I love it. The funny thing is, Paul still yells out, "there's a deer!" every time he sees one. Like it's a rare creature. Right. Anyhow, I still love him, father of my children.

Not sure who was driving...

When Mother's Day rolls around, somehow I always feel like an imposter. It's supposed to be for MY mom, not me. Even though she's been gone 20 years this year. And sadly, I didn't value her as much as I should have when she was here. First I was busy being a self-centered young person. Then I was busy being a young mommy.

I was in about 8th grade here. Don't tip Dad! Are those socks he has on?  

I miss my mom. In her honor, I published the picture above on Facebook. It's  from the early 1970's. Mom got the idea that she wanted a sailboat. So she switched cigarette brands for a while - from Virginia Slims to Kool, collecting carton ends to purchase a Kool Sailboat. I remember when the styrofoam boat was delivered and we had to put fiberglass sheets on the bottom and smear epoxy glue over them to harden and protect the boat. The result was a lightweight boat that held 3 people or 4 if 2 were little kids.

I don't remember how we got the boat over to Lake Anita. Periodically we'd head over there and said. Susi and Cindy had attended Camp Lake Hubert in Minnesota and knew how to sail, but I don't think Mom and Dad knew a thing about it. The Deters like to go over with Mom and Dad too. There may have been some beverages - perhaps a trip to the Redwood.

The boat's official name was "the Bullfrog" and they joked that they should put the letters on upside down - as that was how they sailed it. I wonder if they Dad's wallet when they drained the lake a couple years ago? Happy Mother's Day Momma. Love you.

I was childless this Mother's Day because the kids live far away. But the offspring represented very well! Flowers on Saturday from Jud and Kara, with a gift - a way cool dish towel from an environmentally friendly company. Amy made a great donation to an organization I care deeply about. I've told them before - don't get me anything. They disobeyed! And they both called. Jud fessed up that Kara took care of the gifts. Daughter-in-laws rock. Soon Amy will be married and we'll have another son - Corey! I'm so glad I'm a mommy.

Paul treated me well on Mother's Day even though I'm not his mommy. He talked me into riding 14 miles on my bike. At least there were some nice cool stops along the way. And beer. And water. I'm very careful about drinking and biking because I'm a brittle old girl! Great weekend.

The big event

And the process was grand!

I admit, I was a bit emotional this past week, leading up to Jud's much awaited wedding. It's milestones like these that make one consider our paths in life. How did I get to be a 58 year-old woman with this amazing son about marry a talented, beautiful, caring woman?

While in my car this week running an errand, a song came on that elicited thoughts of Jud through various stages of his life. (I was at one of West Des Moines long stop lights)
Picturing him:

• newborn - looking much like his big sis, but still like himself
• toddler, towhead blond - full of himself and impish
• temper tantrum boy - tough to wrangle because he was so strong
• those grade school years - when his love of all things sports emerged
• junior high and high school filled with sports practices
• entering college, a new Jud emerged - talkative and funny - meeting lifelong friends his freshman year, finding his way in life
• at his cousin Leslie's wedding in 2010, he started talking about a girl he was interested in. By Christmas that year, he was smitten
• following a career path in logistics, starting in St. Jo, Missouri - but staying kinda close to this very special girl
• Watching this relationship grow and mature - to when he called to tell me he was going to ask Kara to marry him

I admit, sitting at that traffic light, I went all "Diana McKim watching a Hallmark Commercial" and got teary eyed.

Right then I was sure I'd be a basket case at the actual wedding ceremony.

Fast forward. We traveled to Saint Louis, where Jud and Kara have made their home for the past two years, on Thursday morning. Kara had channeled my mother (AKA "the YMCA Director" Pat Bullock) and emailed an itinerary out that week. We planned to pick my sis Cindy and her son Colby and girlfriend Liv up at the airport that afternoon. Sis Betsy, husband Wayne and their oldest boys Alex and Paul flew in that afternoon and rented a car.

All our bags are packed - plus two long dresses!

Our home for the weekend was the Hyatt located right by the St. Louis Arch. So close I could spit on it! Okay, not really - but almost! Fabulous facility if you're ever looking for a place to stay, or hold a wedding. Kara and Jud decided if they were going to get married in STL, they wanted to embrace the location - instead of heading to the suburbs. 

Paul and I headed to Jud and Kara's apartment to meet up with her family that night for a picnic. It was nice to see them again in person since we hadn't gotten together since the kids graduated from ISU in 2011. Kyle and Renee's son Nate arrived shortly after we did with his wife and their baby Alexander. The weather forecast was looking promising for the big event! It was nice to have a casual event to meet with each other and talk - before "stuff got real".

Later we were able to hang out with family in our room which was "party central" - a suite. Daughter Amy and her boyfriend Corey had arrived that afternoon and went out to eat with a work friend of Corey's.

Paul was busy on Friday picking up tuxedos and shuttling groomsmen for theirs. After lunch at a burger place with the clan, I was able to hang out with Cindy, Betsy and Wayne at the free zoo in Forest Park. We didn't have time to see the whole thing, but the bugs and reptiles were cool. Amy, Corey, Colby, Liv, Alex and Paul toured Budweiser and got to see that neighborhood. Sister Susi and husband Jim arrived late Friday afternoon - we had a bit of time to catch up with them before heading off to the next act. A few of the Goldsmith siblings were starting to trickle in too. It was surreal having all these people there for us!

Friday evening was the rehearsal, followed by a meal Ballpark Village, a short walk from the hotel but right near the St. Louis Cardinals ballpark. Not a favorite team for either of my two guys, but hey - they can still appreciate a gorgeous park. Paul gave his toast at this dinner. He did a wonderful job. I'm glad I didn't have to speak! (I'm more the writing type!)

pretend wedding

My honey looking hot in his new sport coat

Jud and Kara on the walk to the restaurant

Jud with Whiteds

Rehearsal dinner gang

with Amy and Corey in front of the ballpark

When we got back to the hotel, my fam had arrived back from the Shaved Duck restaurant in the Hill neighborhood. It sounded like they enjoyed the food after a bit of a wait. We had fun chatting with family members for a while when Jud and Kara and some of her friends stopped in to say Hi. They were pretty wound up! I must say I didn't even hear Jud come in later to sleep on the fold out bed in the other room of our suite. I did get it all set up for him so he wouldn't be stumbling around in the dark! The wedding day deserves its own blog...

More long pants weather

On Saturday we met Cindo for a quick lunch at Moe's Original BBQ in Lionshead (a Vail suburb) where her son Colby works as the manager. He also has now been promoted to manager at the Eagle store too. Way to go Colby-Monster!

Hands-on manager - does it all, Colby

 We had a southern bbq lunch, ribs, smoked turkey, black-eyed peas, corn bread and more. It was fab. Then we were off to Grand Junction where we knew another yumster meal was in store at the Alvillar home - Susi and Jim are great cooks. It's a lovely drive through the Glenwood Canyon to GJ and Amy, Cindy Paul and I enjoyed chatting on the way.

On the patio - Jim and Susan

Culotte steak was on the menu that night. Susi had been marinating it. The Alvillars told us about their recent European trip, and we enjoyed partaking from their wine cellar. The conversation is always lively with this group!

In the morning I took a walk enjoying the beautiful scenery.

View from the trail behind Susi's home

We piled into Jim's Toyota SUV and headed 10 minutes up to the Colorado National Monument - the daily view of the Alvillars, but a place they hadn't actually entered for years.

The sissies

After our Monument tour, we had brunch at Garfields and then pointed the Subaru back east. We spent a bit of time in Edwards at Bolder's favorite bar - E-town. His portrait is still displayed there.

Etown with Boldie looking down

On Monday, Cindy invited friends over for supper. Skirt steak this time! (we were eating our way through women's clothing). Paul got his yard work jones fulfilled by helping spread mulch on the berm in the yard. We did have an incident on our way to Home Depot.

Paul had selected a can of soda that turned out to be frozen and it erupted slowly like Mount St. Helen's in our car cup holder as we drove. I was afraid it might overflow onto the car carpeting - and leaned down to sip from the can, nestled between the seats, as the sticky liquid trickled out. Paul yelped, "people are driving by!" He was worried about appearances. I howled with laughter! That made it hard to drink. Later, Amy and I took a walk - she wore gloves. Walking is harder at 8,500 feet!

The dinner party was fun! All the usual characters were there - our Vail pals. Bonnie and Eric - Cindo is their sister wife (in name only). The Sanders, Jim and Shiloy and their adorbs son Reeve with his new girlfriend. The food was nummy - Cindy is a good cook. I didn't get that gene either, but am determined to work on it. The conversation was enjoyable. A good time was had by all.

We were up and out of there at 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning, stopping in Denver to drop our beloved Amy off and to say goodbye. It was a long drive home, but an audiobook kept us company. We only stopped twice! Odie had McDonald's eggs for breakfast because I left the darn food at Cindo's. Oh well. We'll be back! Love my peeps there. Thanks for everything.

Hair

When my sister Susi went off to Temple Buell college, she went through what I remember as a bit of a "hippie" period. Remember, I was a twelve year-old in Atlantic, Iowa. She was a groovy coed in Denver - arriving home from college with wire frame glasses and fringed jeans. She also had a stack of record albums.

I'd grown up listening to my sister's music and still feel fortunate today that I was exposed to that "crazy rock" music as a kid in the 1960's. The summer after Susi's freshman year of college she came home and set up a bedroom in the basement. Evidently she and Cindy could no longer co-exist in the small bedrooms we sisters grew up in. Susi slept on the fold-out couch that summer. That had to be comfy!

Besides the black and white television in that room - the thing that attracted me was Susi's stereo. I loved to listen to her tunes. I don't know if I had permission or not - but it made me feel so cool! Susi was a lifeguard over at Lake Anita that summer - back in the days when state parks provided amenities like that.

We had great fun with the Kool sailboat

That was around the same time that Mom saved up a bunch of Salem cigarette cartons to get a sailboat for some ridiculous price. It was basically made out of Styrofoam...so she then purchased an epoxy kit with fiberglass fabric and we helped her glue it onto the bottom of the boat - that was named "Bullfrog".

Cindy and Susi were veteran sailors from their years at Camp Lake Hubert in Minnesota. They were shipped off to that camp for a few weeks each summer for a few years. That's where Susi learned to play the guitar too. Cindy only figured out the ukulele....

I'm not sure how Mom knew how to sail. Dad pretended to know how to sail. That's how his wallet ended up on the bottom of Lake Anita. They always joked that they should have put the name Bullfrog on upside down - because that's how they often sailed it! Don and Jane Deter used to head over to the lake with Mom and Dad too. I think cocktails were involved.

One of the albums I learned to love the summer Susi was a Lake Anita lifeguard was "Hair".

Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy

I've been thinking of that lately - as my hair falls. Thinning hair is a side-effect of Graves Disease and the drug Methimazole (yes, I'm on Meth) I take to block the hormones my thyroid was pumping out.

I've blogged before about how I don't have the hair gene. That's true...but I am a girl! I don't like seeing my hair change like this. Even the texture of it is different. Ugh. I do what I can - but hope I can get off this drug soon. Maybe then my hair will start perking up. I didn't always like my waves - but now I'm thinking they weren't so bad...

Until then, I'll keep humming "gimmee a head with hair!"

Exploding eyeballs and running errands

My sisters' eyeballs are exploding. No not really. But close! Cindy experienced a torn retina back in November and underwent surgery right after Thanksgiving. Susi discovered she had tears in both retinas and had surgery a few weeks ago.

Then Cindy's bad eye developed at cataract. When she and I discuss it - we always turn it into an old joke dad told where the punch line was a Cadillac vs. Rinkin Continental. Cindy had that procedure this week. That's no joke. She reported to me last night that the procedure went well. Yay.

I hear from my own eye doc (Dr. Don McKim) that these things are genetic. Dad had a detached retina I recall. So I imagine I've got something like this in my future. Yippy! My eyesight is lousy. Dr. Don likes to say that I have one bad eye and one really biffed up eye. So while I'm not looking forward to health problems, a cataract might end up working in my favor in the eyesight department. So I've got that going for me!

Here's to my sissies returning to good eye health!

Me and sissies - from last summer in Cannon Beach

I'm running errands today. I started pondering - my life has sure changed since we moved here to the big city from Creston a couple years ago. Where errand running was simple.

In Creston I could stop at the scrap book store - located in the restored Post Office. And I could get some engraving done at the same time. Nearby at the quilt store I could take care of clothing alterations. The staff there would pin and mark the item as I "styled it". The actual seamstress picked up the article up at the Quilt Store to transport it back to the town of Orient to her husband's welding shop where she works magic with her sewing machine.

Maple Street Memories - at the former post office

A block away I could swing through Family Shoe Store to check for any hidden gems in the Bargain Basement. If I forgot my purse - no problem! My spouse could stop by later and pay. They know us there. On my way home, I could stop at Farm & Home - operated by our neighbors. It's a place where a person can buy fashionable jeans, bolts, kitchen utensils, lawn chemicals, a toy and a greeting card all on the same trip. One stop shop!

You get the picture. Creston isn't just like the big city. Today I'm on my way to Costco. I might stop by DSW or Trader Joe's. But nobody there will say, "Hi Leslie! How are your kids?"

I like living in the big city. But sometimes I miss that small town.

Paul and I graduated from Ballroom Dance class last night. Maybe...graduated is too strong a word. We're done with class. ChaCha was the last dance we learned. We did pretty well at that one!

Is that relief detected on Paul's face?