Hairy Times

What happens when you take a fuzzy dog....

And give him a haircut?

You get...

"Half" a dog!!

Still, he's enjoying it.

Here's a pre-haircut tidbit to enjoy:

Friday Funnies

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• lumberjacks (and their silly songs)

• eating light

• umbrellas blossoming in the rain

• breaking open pistachio nuts

• going to the theater

Perplexing Ponderings

Do you ever have thoughts that make you say: "Hmm...I wonder..."

I spied a container of light cream we'd had in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

I've read the carton -- you know, the itty-bitty words on the side that say "use within x amount of days of opening." I had the niggling feeling that I should just toss the rest. But before I did, I somehow had to open the container. Don't ask why...I don't know.

Like the proverbial "rotten egg" and cliched expression "let sleeping dogs lie".....

All I can say is: Eeeeewwwww!

* * *

And another "hmmmm".....

We're out of Cheerios....my son's favorite -- no, correct that -- the only cereal he likes.

I bought him Hot Wheels cereal a few weeks ago. It has sweetened Os with little marshmallows shaped like cars and wheels and bits of exhaust flames, spoilers, oil cans, checkered flags..... You get the picture. It's COOL. The kind of cereal I would have begged for as a kid had I a: been a boy and/or b: been allowed to have "sugary cereals." We don't usually have this sort of cereal in our house either since it is so sugary, but it was COOL and a treat and...on sale.

It's like trying to feed medicine to a dog. Or, worse yet, poison to a rat.

Perplexing, really.

Why does our son want to be so healthy?

*grin*

Edward Edified

Edward has an imaginary super hero called "Number 2 Edward." He's had him since, well, he was 2, I think.

Stuart came home tonight and saw a group of bricks in the middle of the yard, one of which had "pain" written on it in chalk.

Curious, he asked Edward about it.

"Oh, that's Number 2 Edward's first wife's gravestone. She died," he told him importantly.

Stifling a laugh or two, Stuart asked why the word "pain" was on the stone....was that her name? A description of her?

"No. That's how she died. In a lot of pain," Edward answered matter-of-factly.

Phew....had us worried about his concept of marriage.

* * *

While eating dinner this evening, Stuart was quizzing us on "True or False" facts from a daily calendar he has.

Wanting to join in the game, Edward asked Emily, "Who built the Eiffel Tower in Paris?"

Emily laughed. "I don't know. Mr. Eiffel?"

"Well, he has a first name. Do you know his whole name?"

She said she didn't. "So what was his name?" she asked.

"I don't know. That's why I asked. I really wanted to know," Edward said, sighing.

"Bored" of Education?

How to Know Your Kid Is (Maybe) Bored in Math:

Our kindergartner is doing 1st grade math this year.

Not really a big deal. He did very well on the placement tests, and the school counselled us to consider a higher placement to keep him challenged.

He's doing very well in it and seems to be enjoying it, too, though at times I get the idea that he's actually bored and would like even more challenge.

He's just a very "linear thinker"...like his dad.

Traveling in the car a few days ago, he pointed to a speed limit sign and asked Stuart, "Daddy, does that '55' mean 55 miles per hour?"

Stuart told him indeed it did.

"Then doing the speed limit we'd be able to go 55 miles in an hour," his kindergarten brain reasoned.

*sigh*

I think I was at least 20 years older than him before I figured that out...

...I'm a slow genius. Maybe even a sloth with brains?

Which Car Are You?

I'm a Ford Mustang!

You're an American classic -- fast, strong, and bold. You're not snobby or pretentious, but you have what it takes to give anyone a run for their money.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Musing on Monday Again

Monday.

Back to it.

Another week already.

I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by.
Last week was just a blur of activities, between Edward's illness that he very kindly shared with his dad and sister and the PSSAs and our homeschool co-op and a birthday party sleepover...and...and...

You get the picture.

I should have had some of the new...drumroll, please...24 GUM! (What they won't think of!) Apparently the motto is "Chew More, Do More." Hmmmm..... I'll have to watch Jack Bauer on tonight's episode to see if he's chewing gum. Maybe that's the secret to his "weebling."

Anyways...

I'm looking at the calendar this week and sighing. It's not quite as busy. Yay!

* * *

Emily survived her tests without a problem. She actually enjoyed the time and even made a new friend named...Emily.

Edward is finished his medicines and the nebulizer treatments. We go for a second follow-up visit next week to make sure everything is cleared up.

* * *

Edward experienced his first sleepover at a friend's house last Friday. His friend invited him and two other little boys to have a pizza-movie-sleepover. I asked if I could help out -- a. k. a. hang out with my friend and watch movies -- in case Edward decided he didn't want to stay.

But come bedtime around 9 p.m., he was really psyched and excited to be sleeping at a friend's house.

By 12:30 a.m., we really "laid down the law" and told the boys they had to go to sleep. Seems each of them had been taking it in turn to wind up the others. All part of the fun of a sleepover. In the end, they all finally crashed on his friend's bunkbed, three on top and one on the bottom.

Edward was quite a tired boy the next day...but he had a great time. And that was what it was all about. Naptime came early Saturday.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• Spanish moss
• a burst of energy
• the backseat of a stretch limousine
• a softly rainy spring day
• extra batteries when you need them

* * *

Stuart had to travel to the English office of GAI-Tronics several times when Emily was still a baby so we took the opportunity to travel along. It was fun because we got to ride in style with him in a limo on the way to the airport.

On one of the trips, Emily -- newly potty-trained -- had to go "tinkles." And when she was first starting out on the "potty train," having to go meant NOW.

The woman driving the limo was new and went the wrong direction on the turnpike, putting us 20 miutes behind schedule and many more miles away from the airport.

Needless to say, we were further from our destination and...a bathroom.

So what do you do in that sort of situation?

Use a soda glass.

Our poor little girl got "pee-lock" from it (probably not a bad thing considering that the alternative may have been harder to contain than we thought...plus, quite a shock to the limo company on the car's return to base).

We rushed from the limo into the airport, carting our "potty princess" to the nearest bathroom.

The result?

The bathroom was equipped with automatic-flushing toilets which scared Emily so much she continued to have "pee-lock" until we got on the airplane.

Happily, she didn't hear the airplane's toilet flush until we were on our way out....otherwise, she might have held it all the way to England.

Worldly Wise

Emily has become very aware of the world now that she's a mature 9-year-old.

She's chief of the word-police, censoring all swear words (and even some she deems as such), though she rarely hears any. She tries hard not to disapprove of anything remotely alcoholic in nature, though there's very little of that sort of stuff in our house anyway. And she is very aware -- with a wink and a smile -- of things more "adult" in nature, though she's never a part of any conversations involving such topics.

So when she was out on a daddy-daughter date last Friday evening it gave Stuart a bit of a start to have her proclaim loudly enough for the entire restaurant to hear: "So are you and Mommy trying for another baby?"

Then when Stuart chuckled and looked a bit shocked embarrassed, she added very seriously, "It's okay, Daddy, I know all about how it works."

See: Times You Want to Melt into a Puddle Under the Table.

Friday Funnies

Still a crazy-busy week here.

I had another post all ready to save to my blog, and it got deleted (grrrr!)...so it may take me a day or so to get it rewritten and re-posted.

Until then...

Enjoy a video using the song "Tubthumping" and scenes from one of my favorite funny-yet-poignant movies, Dead Heat, for the rainy first Friday in Spring!

A Wednesday Wah-Wah

Monday Morning Musings

New crazy-busy week.

New video. New thoughts. New video.

New countdown clock on my sidebar. (Counts down to the next episode of 24...though you have to add an hour for daylight savings time...)

Going now....

* * *

Emily has her PSSA tests -- the state's standardized tests -- today and tomorrow. She's nervous, but we told her she cannot fail. The tests show whether or not she's learning at her grade level so she can exceed her level, be right on the mark, or need help being brought up to her level.

There's so much noise about these tests in the news media that it's no wonder kids dread them. Heaven forbid we give them some kind of standards to achieve... Okay, okay...hopping down from my soapbox....

We know she'll do fine.

* * *

Good thing kids are more resilient than their parents sometimes....

Edward had his follow-up visit with our doctor this morning. The doctor explained that Edward looked much better on the outside than he sounded on the inside. Apparently, our little guy was much sicker than we realized.

The doctor drew a picture of what the x-ray of Edward's lungs looked like and told me that it was hard to tell if it was bronchitis or pneumonia. He gave us another prescription and told us to continue with the nebulizer.

Hopefully, "budboy" is on the mend.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• kids trading comic books
• a handwritten menu
• buffalo wings in barbecue sauce
• renting a house on an island
• catnip cat toys

* * *

We started a new tradition this season with our 24 viewing: wings.

It all started at our 24 premier party when we forgot to defrost the wings in time to make them...and ended up having them the following week. Mmmmmmm!

Now we realize they're so yummy and easy to make that we've continued making them each week of the season thus far. Why not? It beats chewing off our fingernails...

Stuart likes his with hot sauce, and I usually have mine with honey mustard.

Quick recipe:
Preheat oven to 450. Defrost chicken wing sections. Place on foil-lined pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Place with sauce in a covered bowl and toss. Serve hot with LOTS of napkins.

Hot Sauce:
2 Tbsp. melted butter
4 Tbsp. Texas Pete
3-4 dashes of another hotter sauce

Honey-Mustard Sauce:
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2-4 Tbsp. each of spicy brown mustard and honey

A"cute" Emergency

Ask any parents and they'll tell you that life with kids is never predictable, especially when it comes to illness. (I'm guessing predictability would make parenting boring?)

What started for Edward as a common cold put him in the ER at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center. He had somehow developed acute bronchitis.

When you watch your child struggling to breath and see his heart beating through his shirt, you begin to realize how fragile life is, especially for a child. A 2-year-old boy in our church nearly died from a similar condition last month. So my concern for Edward wasn't small.

As I watched him trying to rest on his bed, I knew I had to make a decision. Our doctor's office closes at 2 p.m. on Fridays. It was 1:10. Add to that the fact that we only have one car which Stuart had just driven back to work after his lunchbreak. Then to complicate things just a "tad" more, add in a big snow/ice storm that had just started and was now blanketing the roads with slushy danger.

I called the doctor and had Edward speak to him just to be sure I wasn't being an over-concerned mom who was jumping to the wrong conclusions in assuming his cold was more than it seemed. The doctor told me to take him immediately to the ER where they would have more equipment to help him should he need it.

Then I called Stuart, and by 2 p.m. we were in the ER.

As an aside, I hate going to the ER -- not that anyone loves it really. Thankfully, we've only been there a handful of times. But the amount of time you wait to be seen can intensify the worry. Yesterday was different because we were in the hospital's new ER.

The snow and the fact that they'd recently opened an urgent care center down in Reading helped us be seen in a matter of minutes. They gave Edward a pager similar to those you get in restaurants when you're waiting, and we had only just sat down to watch a PBSKids show when it began flashing.

After weighing him, taking his temperature, and listening to his lungs and heart (his heartrate was 185), Edward was checked-in and taken by wheelchair to his room. He was hooked up to all kinds of machines to monitor his vitals and then put on oxygen to help ease his breathing struggles. Through it all, he stayed calm and obedient, doing whatever they asked him to do and even downplaying how he felt. (We were amazed because he's so shy, and a year ago this little guy might not have been so cooperative.)

When they took him to X-ray, Stuart went along, and Emily and I stayed behind to wait. I told her how proud I was that she was being so "brave" for Edward by not crying, though I could see that she was on the verge of tears (as was I). She said she had to be strong for him so that he could be brave, too. Then she did start to cry. I explained that it was okay to cry because it was scary to see him so sick. I had cried when we were still at home, and I was deciding what to do. She looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I'm so proud of you. You're being so brave, too."

Lots of hugs and a few more tears (from both of us) later, we sat smiling again when Edward returned from X-ray with four stickers for being so brave.

Needles have never been a favorite for Edward -- again, not that anyone loves them -- so when they came to draw blood and put in an IV line, he lost his "bravery" momentarily and two large tears rolled down his cheeks as he said, "Ow!" More stickers, the promise of a new matchbox airplane, and many hugs and kisses later, he sat watching TV while the IV dripped and the monitors blipped.

It was all a bit surreal.

After more TV time, an hour-long breathing treatment, and a mega-dose of antibiotics in the IV, the doctors decided they didn't need to keep Edward overnight and that he was okay to go home with a nebulizer.

Then a nurse asked if he'd gotten his t-shirt.

T-shirt??

You know the saying: "Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt?" Well, she wasn't kidding, and off she went in search of a nice blue T-shirt (and coloring book and crayons) for a brave boy. He proudly wore it out of the ER...a little PR for the hospital? Not a problem...they did treat him "good" in the ER.

It was just about 6:30 p.m. when we rolled out of the parking lot onto the slush-covered roads on our way to McDonald's for Happy Meals all around.

Quite an experience for all involved. Thank God for our little guy now sitting in front of the TV watching an episode of Veggietales.

I can report that now we're all breathing a little easier.

Friday Funnies

Fantastic Four

I was "tagged" with this little game recently and thought it might be fun to share. I find it extremely hard to limit some of the questions to only four answers... Feel free to leave your own answers in the comments.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. assistant preschool teacher
2. business/lifestyle writer for the Reading Eagle
3. editorial assistant at Highlights for Children
4. copyeditor at an adveritising agency

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Paradise Found
2. Flatliners
3. River Queen
4. Gladiator

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Annapolis, MD
2. Swindon, England
3. California, PA
4. Folsom, CA

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. 24
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. The Office
4. 'Til Death

E) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Falmouth, England
2. Europe
3. Nags Head, N.C.
4. Los Angeles, CA

F) Websites I visit daily:
1. http://www.agora.org/
2. http://www.pennykeating.com/Kiefer.html
3. http://www.24fans.net/
4. http://writersblock-susie.blogspot.com/index.html

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. chocolate
2. buttered baby carrots
3. bacon
4. ice cream

H) Four places I would like to be right now:
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Manteo, N.C.
3. New York City
4. In the Cotswolds, England

Idiots, Beware...or Not...

So we were on our way to drop off Stuart at his work this morning, and we're waiting at a traffic light notorious for idiotic drivers.

Sadly, we weren't disappointed today.

A man in a SUV turned in front of us while the signal was still very red, nearly crashing into another car coming up to the light and two ladies with their dogs.

Angry, Stuart made mention that he would have been a witness for the other car's driver had there been an accident. I agreed and was seconded by Emily. We all agreed that we would have shown up en masse in court to announce to the judge that the SUV driver was definitely an idiot. Our conversation escalated to include the district court, the state court, even the Supreme Court. Stuart said he would even testify in front of Congress!

Our ranting continued until Edward piped up, "I'd stay home. Or maybe go to Mt. Rushmore."

That's our shy guy -- our little "social butterfly."

Back in the Day

Funny how a photo can bring up a treasure cove's worth of memories...

First grade...Broadneck Elementary School...Mrs. Branch...Jeannie Farquhar, John Jacobs, David Harrison...Annapolis, Maryland...1976...Bicentennial.

You gotta love the styles back then....

Can you find me?

Monday! Monday!

La! Laaaa!...La! La! La! Laaaaa!

Can you hear 'em? It's the Mamas and the Papas, singing: "Monday, Monday."

In case you can't....

To start the spanking brandnew beginning start premiere debut of the week....can I get any more redundant?

I'm keeping my video for another week in honor of our fantastically fun time seeing Rocco and crew on Sunday evening. (Did I mention that we're seeing them again next month? Did I tell you how excited I am??......I know, I know. Yes... Over and over.)

I'm taking down the quiz for a little while in the hopes that something more fun interactive will come along.

* * *

From my online daily calendar:

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• van Gogh’s sunflowers

• a toddler’s toothy grin

• new uses for old things

• a puppy trotting purposefully

• attending your high school reunion

* * *

For those of you with kids, you'll probably remember this. I absolutely LOVED when our kids were toothless. Those gummy grins were just priceless.

But I have to agree with my online calendar. A "toddler's toothy grin" is equally adorable.

I was always amazed at how strong our babies' gums were before they got teeth. They chomped down on nearly everything with jaws like nutcrackers.

Emily was about 7 months old when her first teeth broke through. Edward was nearly 12 months. It was such an exciting time since it was another milestone reached...yet, I remember feeling sad, too, since I knew they'd lose their gummy grins.

Still, they didn't feel sad. Once those teeth came in, they showed them off over and over in huge smiles that melted even the hardest heart.

Still warms my soul!

Washington, D(a). C(ity).

So last week I'm perusing my usual favorite "24" sites, reading interesting tidbits on my favorite show and actor, and I come across a press release about another special screening of the rockumentary I Trust You to Kill Me with a Q & A with none other than Kiefer Sutherland, Manu Boyer, and Pliny Porter.

Oooo...ooooo!

This time it's in...Washington, D.C.!

A quick call to my parents to see if they're available for an overnight with the kids...another to my hubby to see if he's interested...and it's all organized.

Whoo-Hoo!! Road trip!!

Okay, okay. So we've already see the movie a few times (and now own the DVD). And we saw a Q & A about it in Atlanta last October. But this time the "cherry on top" was that Rocco Deluca and the Burden would be playing live after the Q & A.

It was all part of the closing ceremony of the D.C. Independent Film Festival held on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia outside Chevy Chase (who knew the actor took his name from this little suburb of Washington?), a suburb of D.C.

So we headed down after church and arrived about an hour and half early.

The tickets included a buffet of cheeses, meats, snacks, salads, and other goodies. After we finally got our seats, we watched the closing ceremonies of the film festival, including a cool video sampling of the films that were presented during the festival's 12 days. Then we watched the Rocco movie, and it was time for the Q & A.

Kiefer came out with the other two men, and everyone cheered. It's always so funny to see him in person since we watch "24" and expect him to be in L.A....where we last "left" him.

They answered lots of questions about the movie, about making movies, about becoming an actor or filmmaker. As an added bonus (to me especially!), Kiefer's longtime buddy and co-owner of Ironworks, Jude Cole, was there. (I desperately wanted his autograph and a photo with him, especially for the kids since we're all big fans, but, alas, not this time. He sat in a row across the aisle from us during the Rocco concert, but I didn't want to disturb him...or miss anything Rocco & co. were doing.)

Then Rocco came out with the band and played four songs. They were "phenomenal" (to borrow Kiefer's favorite adjective) as always. We left the auditorium feeling tired but exhilarated. And, of course, arrived home way past our "bedtime."

Still, it's always worth it! And we have tickets to see them in concert in Philadelphia next month.
Can't wait!

Q & A in Five (or so) Parts

The first 10 minutes or so of the Q & A. Sorry it's so small and shaky. I was using my little Kodak digital camera. Funny bits include how Manu managed to talk Kiefer into doing the movie, as well as how the Bunny joined the band...and more. Enjoy!

Friday Funnies

Even the great ones can make mistakes...and laugh at themselves.

Enjoy some Friday funnies!

The Life in a Day...

A "story" Edward wrote for his sister using the magnetic words/phrases in a poetry kit:

once upon a time
my sister on a sunny day makes a scary noise laughs out loud plants a garden wakes me up dreams plays with the monster reads a book laughs sings a song tells me a joke sleeps soundly is quiet worls eats digs a hole barks at me sails a boat runs fast writes the pirate going to be the cat finds the treasure lives says I like the old king unless I laugh is funny.

A Sketchy Figure

We spend an hour every Monday at the Goggleworks, a center for the arts in Reading, while Emily is in her dance class. Stuart and Edward usually play a game of chess, and I usually do some writing.

On Monday, a man we guessed was an artist approached us about drawing a quick sketch of Edward. It took us off guard as we were busy doing our various activites, but we agreed. He asked if we might give him a donation for it if we liked it when he finished.

How could we say no? The man looked like he could use a few dollars.

The man looked rather scruffy and had a few teeth missing in his mouth, but he chatted with us in a friendly way as he sketched. He'd started drawing when he was about Edward's age, he said. He had a small, beat-up leather case and sketch pad. And he obviously loved art as he talked about the various different artists' paintings around us.

Edward sat so still, staring at him while he drew. He was thrilled to be chosen as a model.

In about 10 minutes, he showed us what he'd created. It was amazing. Not a Picasso or Monet -- perhaps more of a Gauguin? -- but a very talented sketch, nonetheless. We gave him the donation and many, many thanks. Edward showed him some of his drawings of ships and airplanes.

I think it brightened his day....

I know he brightened ours. Edward can't wait to hang the drawing in his room.

Once Upon a Time....

Once upon a time....only a little while ago...on this very day...a beautiful baby girl named Michelle Rene was born.

She was adorable with a sprinkling of "chocolate" on her nose and nutbrown eyes and lovely auburn hair. She had a big sister and, later, a little sister, making her the "middle button."

She was smart and sweet...with an adventurous spirit that soared like a bird. She and her little sister shared a room and spent many nights playing "20 Questions" or telling stories. She played that she was Robin (and her little sister was Batman -- his "sidekick")....she played that she was a damsel in distress...she played that she was a teacher.

And she grew and matured, and the two sisters spent the nights chatting about boys and grown-up life and things of a literary nature. They shared tea-times and laughs and memories.

Then she went to Japan to be a teacher...and her little sister went to England....and their big sister stayed in America. And it was hard for a little while. Yet, their love carried them through.

She returned from Japan and moved to L.A. to be a teacher there...and to be closer to someone else she'd begun to love. And they married and had an adorable baby boy (like her) who would one day outgrow his mom. And she loved them...and her sisters and parents...and life and learning.

And she still does to this very day.

* * *

This is to celebrate YOU, Shelly. You are a wonderful big sister. We've shared many fun times together! And I pray that we'll share many, many more!

Happiest birthday to you!

Musingly Moving Along on Monday

<--My dad and his sister, ages 18 months and 3-ish(?), respectively

It's all about newness.

A new week. And a new month already.... Wow!

A new video and a new quiz.

And some new posts further down (specifically Feb. 22nd).

Our friends over at The Barrister Barista have a new baby boy! Congratulations!

And, best of all, a new episode of 24 tonight! Yee-haw!! Start roasting those wings!

* * *

My hubby recently watched The Empire Strikes Back with the kids. Edward began wailing after the scene in which Luke loses his hand.

Stuart paused the movie and explained that Luke would get a new hand like Anikan had in an earlier film.

Edward sniffled and said, "That's not it. He lost his light saber." Stuart laughed and told him Luke would get a new one of those, too.

"But not right away!" Edward sobbed.

Priorities, right?

* * *

From my online daily calendar:

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• sincere good wishes
• oyster shells
• Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
• a romance unfolding
• racing goggles

* * *

I've been doing a lot of writing recently. At the moment, I'm working on a story I call "Gibberish," merely because I am writing and writing without really editing it yet, and I have no specific plans to do anything with it. Occasionally, I'll go back and reread (a.k.a. edit) it to regain the thread of the story.

I was rereading a section in which the main character -- who has undergone much sadness and pain -- reflects warmly on a romantic memory of being with his wife at the beach...and it reminded me of when I lived in the beach town of Brighton, England, and dated my hubby.

Being a young thing of 19, I had stars in my eyes and my own idea of romance based on television or romance novel ideals. Looking back on it, I'm filled with a certain warmth in the reality of what I actually experienced.

My hubby is my best friend. From the start, the foundation on which we built our whole relationship was friendship. It's what sustained us through seven years of "dating" overseas and being so far apart.

While I lived in Brighton, Stuart would drive down the coast from his naval base in Portsmouth, and we would go "downtown" (I lived only a few blocks out) to the American Donut Shop and then to the beach to sit on the pebbles and watch the water and lights. It was very romantic and brought out a certain giddiness in me.

The man who ran the donut shop got a kick out of us, no doubt. I think he knew what was happening between us before we did.

I looked forward to Stuart's visits for days before they happened. He was a light in a somewhat dark and lonely time in my life. And I learned so much during that time.

Not long after I'd moved back to Swindon -- before I returned to the States -- I revisited Brighton with my sister. I was eager to show her the doughnut shop and share with her my memories of the time I'd spent there with Stuart.

But it was gone.

I can't remember what was there instead, but the disappointment I felt was immense.

Still, I have the memory of it. I can still see the red-white-and-blue striped awning and sign on the front window....and taste the "death by chocolate" doughnut I always ordered.

So, like my character, I, too, can reflect warmly on a romantic memory.

Meals With Wheels

Kids say the darndest....

Today, when our 6-year-old son was reading the bulletin at church, he noticed a checklist of ministry opportunities, including one for the Meals Ministry.

"I could do that," he told Stuart.

"You could?" Stuart asked in surprise.

"Sure," he answered. "I like to eat!"

Gives new meaning to "Meals On Wheels." In Edward's case, it might be more appropriately named "Meals With Wheels"...

Bugging Him

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• a boxful of pastries

• soft oxford shirts

• Wiener schnitzel

• big grains of kosher salt

• a close game of Scrabble

My hubby and I used to play an online Scrabble game on a website called Bug Cafe.

I'd forgotten about it....

He didn't.

And today he mentioned that it [the game] is 304 days old...but the score is 163/153.

Does that still qualify as "a close game of Scrabble?"

Friday Funnies

A true "classic" to brighten an otherwise gray, gloomy, and rainy Friday:

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus!

Or...Happy Saint David's Day!!

Never heard of it?

Well, Saint David is the official saint of Wales. And March 1st is his day. The people host parades, eat yummy foods (like the leeks I have sitting in our 'fridge), and celebrate their country's heritage.

"Os y chi'n caru Cymru, dylech chi fod yna!" (which means "If you love Wales, you should be there!")

Who exactly was Saint David?

"Saint David (known as Dewi Sant in the Welsh language) is the patron saint of Wales. He was a Celtic monk who lived in the 6th Century and was Archbishop of Wales. His influence is shown by the number of churches dedicated to him in Wales.

The daffodil is the flower of Wales, and on St David's Day many people celebrate by wearing a daffodil."

To learn more and find some fun activities and recipes, etc., check out this website.