Monthly Archives: May 2010

Jingle Bell Sunrise Safari

Posted on by

0

Last night when the Diva’s went to bed,  we  were 5  women, 2 female cats and a female Yorkie.  The kitten and dog slept on my bed with me.   Well more accurately the dog slept on the bed by my left leg, the kitten  slept on my head, her favorite place to snooze.  Since the little Pixel weighs just over one pound that works well for now, but when she tops out several pounds heavier I’m not so  sure  it is going to be feasible.

This morning I woke from a deep slumber to the breeze of the fan gently blowing across the bed from the window, the sounds of little bells and ID tags  jingling,  and a warped episode of Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom playing out on me!  The  kitten and the dog were chasing each other, growling and meowing, all around on the bed.  Their little wrestling match was hard to ignore at 7:12am.  I made several attempts to get them to stop and go ‘night night’ but they were  far  too interested in their game.  Just when I thought they had finally given up the fun,  and I was drifting back to sleep, the dog  starts her “hey I need your assistance” grumble at the door.   It sounds  very much like geese honking.  I kept hoping to wake up from what would be a nightmare in a rain forest but  it was all too real.  The dog needed to go outside  before she had no other alternative but to pee  on the floor.  I left the room with her  and  kitten stayed behind.

Mind you, because of the great clay I use in my hair to get that spiky, butt-end of a chicken look on the back of  my head (the whole Kate Gosslin crossed with a soccer mommy style)  I am  sporting gold medal bed head.  I’m looking really fashionable in my light blue and white plaid  jammie shorts and matching blue tank top with sock monkeys covering them (part of the jungle theme today), yesterday’s makeup and mascara smeared around my eyes looking like a demented  raccoon (please do NOT call Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, I’d  never go out in public this way).  Naturally one of the neighbors from behind us was walking back down his long,  private driveway from retrieving his newspaper as I creep out on the deck with the killer pup.  Just when I thought I was safe, he had not spotted me,  my dumb dog starts barking at him.  Oh well I  just waved and smiled, hopefully he isn’t scarred for life.  When I came back up to my room after my  lengthy hike out to the back deck with the dog I heard the kitten crying at the top of her tiny lungs, she  was miffed we had left her behind.   I crawled back in bed in the hopes of a few more hours of sleep.  THAT was a joke,  the big cat is now outside of the door trying to open it, the kitten is  pouncing on my head  playing poke out your  peepers with her paws, and the dog is whining to be fed. I gave up and exited the jungle with the ferocious beasts hot on my trail.

First order of business is coffee.  None of the critters are going to starve if they wait 5 minutes but I very well might skin one of them alive without that caffeine jolt to push me back to rational  thought.  I also had not  yet taken my Lexapro and could not be held  responsible for my reaction to their 100mg morning assault. Besides I only take 40mg which was no match for their well planned foray.  I may need to discuss this with my doctor if the sunrise jungle boogie  is going to be on stage for an extended period of time.

Penny, the Yorkmonster, was fed first, the kitten has an endless supply of her dry  food that she already was munching, and then Noel, the big cat, was served some  nasty, fish smelling meal that won her approval.  Score: beasts 1, Marvi Marti 0.  I went back to make the bed and wait for the coffee  to  brew.  Now, I sit here sipping coffee and writing this account of my morning jingle bell safari.  Life in the Princess Palace: S.N.A.F.U.

The Safari Sisters

Caught In A Bad Romance…

Posted on by

1

That is currently one of my favorite songs, Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”, so much so that I splurged and bought the CD, well actually 2 CDs.   I liked her music long before I ever knew who she was and then when I actually saw her I REALLY became a fan.  My first glimpse of Gaga was on Oprah where she performed and gave an interview.  Frankly I think she is beautiful, and I love her unique style.  This woman knows how to market herself by expressing her individuality no matter how strange the public may find her costume or look of the moment.  As I sit here with pink streaks in my hair again, needless to say I love anyone that is willing to let go and be themselves and not give a flying frog’s butt what others think.

I enjoy all kinds of music  and hate when I get one of those “get to know your friends” surveys that asks me to list my favorite kind of music as I really do not have a favorite.  I enjoy classical, jazz, blues, hip hop, new age, soft rock, hard rock, country, a little rap and even some serious metal.  I’m lousy when it comes to artists and composers, I just know I either like a song or I don’t.  When making my 45 minute commute to and from work each day I will flip around from station to station on the radio and land when I hear something I like, then move on if I don’t care for the next piece.  The only time I am known to sing outside of church (where I more lip sync than sing out of  courtesy to those around me) is in my car when I am alone.  I cannot sing, absolutely cannot carry a tune at all.  What comes from my vocal cords could likely exorcise demons.  But I do love to sing along with my favorite songs when driving.

Music is one of life’s simple pleasures for me.  It can make or break a party, set the mood, and bring back memories of the past.  Who hasn’t heard a song from years back that immediately reminds them of a particular time frame if not a specific moment in life and either brings on a smile or brings them to tears?  I think music can not only tame a bad mood, but helps to heal wounds to the mind and heart.  I find much comfort in certain music when hurting, or peace when disturbed over  issues in my life.

The box from Jim

At Christmas this past  year in my extended family instead of buying socks or candles for the person who’s name you pulled, we had a theme, ‘my favorite things’.  You were supposed to go out and  buy something that was one of your own favorite things, include a note as to why this was something you liked and then give that as your gift.  The idea behind it was to learn a little bit about  the giver, and expose the  recipient to something they might not have tried themselves.  My mom’s cousin Barb (we call her Babs) is part of the Christmas family gathering.  Her husband, Jim, had my name.  Babs has a fetish for unique boxes and uses those to give gifts, so if you get something from her you get a box that you will want to keep as well as a nice gift.  Jim used a box Babs had found (by the way Tuesday Morning has some outstanding boxes) and gave me a CD from one of his favorite jazz musicians, among other things.  I LOVE the music!  Could not tell you who it is at the moment as the CD isn’t on my desk but I thought it was very cool to get a peak into Jim that I did not have before, as well as being exposed to the musician.

Next time you need to find a gift for someone, consider giving them music.  It is an inexpensive gift that lasts, and a personal note included about your choice is a nice touch.

Forgotten Chocolate & Diva Dynamics

Posted on by

0

HAPPINESS IS:  Finding a chocolate bar in your purse that you purchased a few days ago.  Every choco-holic woman out there is asking “how do you forget you have chocolate??”  I know, I know!! It was because I bought it at the vet’s office Saturday when I had Pixel there for her first visit.  Someone was selling them for a fund raiser and I’m a push over for chocolate so I bought it.  Then I had to put some paper work in my purse, was juggling the kitten and  it slipped down inside my purse, forgotten.  I just found it and it is SO good!

All of us in the Diva Den have experienced questionable reactions when telling someone about our living arrangements.  Few seem to understand how 5 women can live under one roof peacefully.  My guess is they know of young ladies that go off to college as bosom buddies, share a dorm room or apartment, and end up unable to stand each other.  No one seems to believe that we actually have a very harmonious household with the pool of hormones we’re currently swimming in.  It is something I call Diva Dynamics.

While there are some that have referred to it as a Princess Palace, and don’t we all have an inner princess, there is no room for anyone to have a Princess complex, no one in the house has staff (except the cats).  And no one within the house is a Cinderella, we are all responsible for keeping the house clean and in order.  If you make a mess you clean it up.  If someone does leave behind a mess we give the benefit of the doubt, maybe they were in a hurry or got side tracked, and the finder steps up and handles it.   We all accept that in order to live in a house this large it takes all 5 of us to keep things in order and it isn’t fair for it to fall on any one persons shoulders.  Everyone takes responsibility for keeping their own room clean, and we’re all obligated to maintain the bathrooms, living and dining rooms, family room and kitchen. If you cook dinner one night, everyone else cleans up and handles dishes.

We keep a grocery list on the refrigerator and anytime someone uses the last of something, or notes supplies are low they add those items to the list.  Everyone knows where to find the toilet paper, paper towels, shower supplies etc and no one believes in the restock fairy in our Den, we’re ALL fairies and we all know how to replenish where needed.  We all look pretty adorable in our wings and tiaras too!  We keep a pitcher that filters water in the refrigerator and when you use it to fill your water bottle, you fill the pitcher, very simple.  It is not uncommon for one of us to ask the others if they have laundry that needs to be done, so that when the washer gets ran it is for a full load.  Or if, while doing laundry, we notice enough there in the laundry room for another load, we just do it.   We all know how to fold clothes once the dryer stops, and everyone puts the clean towels away.  At night before going to bed every Diva knows to scan the common areas for her own things and take them to her room as she heads up.  Even the coffee pot is loaded and ready when we go to bed because those of us that drink it make sure it is set up each night.

We all respect each others private spaces, our bedrooms, and each others personal property.  You don’t use it without asking the owner.  Since we are all connected via our BlackBerry phones, we’ll message each other for permission before using or borrowing anything from one another.   Number one rule, if it isn’t yours you don’t use it or eat it or wear it without permission from the person that claims ownership.

We Divas haven’t gone completely green but we do try to do our part.  We all use a water bottle for a few weeks rather than going through cases of bottled water.  We found a good way to individualize our bottles was to buy hair holders/elastic bands and each use a different color.  We found some with plastic jewelry so each bottle has bling, very Diva like!  We fill up from the filtered pitcher and no spread of colds etc.  We reuse anything we can, save our aluminum can tabs for charity and try not to waste.  There are no tree huggers in the group but we do try to make good use of what we have.

My bottle bling


I think part of the reason this all works so well is because we are all family first, then friends.  Family has each others backs, loves each other no matter what.  We all allow for each other to have faults and make mistakes and we don’t hold that against each other.  We talk out problems when they do arise and try to find a solution or compromise that leaves everyone happy.   We’re all very protective of each other and if one of us hurts, we all hurt with them.  If someone hurts one of us from outside they just raised the wrath of the entire Den, heaven help them.  We also are all supportive of each other in everything from weight loss to trying to break habits like biting nails or cursing.   We can tease each other, all of us are able to dish it out and take it well, but we also know not to get to carried away to where someone gets their feelings hurt with it.

When it comes to matters that will impact the whole household, we have a pow-wow.  We had one when we first moved in to discuss any and all home improvement projects anyone noticed needed addressing. We talked about solutions, and got those prioritized by weighing in pros and cons until we all agreed on what needs fixing first.   A pow-wow can be called to address any issues that arise if someone thinks it is needed.   We all know that if it will impact the household, the Divas all have a say and if we cannot reach a compromise or agreement then whatever it is cannot happen.

We all understand that we are family, friends, and a team and there is no ‘I’ in the word team.  Someone said we are like a mini sorority.  While we are all individuals, we also have to function as a unit in order for this to work, and so far I think the Diva Dynamics are working very well.

Friday Fragments

Posted on by

2

This is one of those blogs that will be filled with seemingly random, short thoughts I’m having tonight.  Nothing spectacular just this and that.

I love Fridays, nothing beats a productive week at the office.  I placed 180+ follow up calls to potential customers this week, scheduled jobs of all sorts for my sub contractors and did a few dozen follow up letters.  There are countless other administrative duties to go with being production manager, all of which I actually enjoy.  And come Friday I feel I’ve earned the 2 days off to relax.  I enjoy the job and really enjoy my boss too. He isn’t in often but we are constantly in touch either on texts or the phone between his appointments.  We seem to have a good working relationship and chemistry which helps a lot!

My baby tried again to keep me from leaving for work this morning, this time by sitting on my stuff on my bed and looking up at me all adorable like and meowing.  It failed but I do have to admit it was very cute!

Pixel trying to keep me at home this morning

One of the coolest part about living with my mom, sis and nieces is the bonding that is taking place between me and my baby sister (who likely just cringed because she is 40 years old and probably not happy about being called the baby sister).  With 6.5 years between us we weren’t real close when she was growing up.  Our interests were very different and it wasn’t until we were both adults with babies on the way at the same time that we really started to flesh out some sort of sisterly relationship.   Texting, emails, and IMs helped us to keep that going over the years since and I’m thankful for those technical helps.  While we have had our rough spots over the years I’ve always admired her.  She got through college to be a nurse while a single mom of one.  Then went back to school to get her masters in finance while single mom to 2 teenage girls.  She worked her tail off and is the only one of us to finish college and I’m very proud of her for that, it is no small accomplishment.  Like anyone she has a slate of mistakes in life and skeletons in her closet though like me she tends to just leave those on the couch in full view rather than hide them.  We  both prefer to skip the trip around the bush and just be direct with people about who we are, it works better.   She has been one of my cheerleaders in life and that has always been a huge help.  She is one of the most generous souls around, always doing sweet things for others to encourage them or make their day, often spending money she really doesn’t have because she is so giving and wants those she cares about to be happy.  Her heart is many times bigger than most and far exceeds her bank account but she cannot help it, she is other oriented to a fault and I’d far rather that be the case than the opposite.  She is passionate about those things she stands for and very protective over her family.  Don’t cross one of us or you’ve crossed her too.  And never mess with her daughters, talk about a bear protecting her cubs, she’ll shred you.  She and I have a blast doing things together now and I love it, we’re close again and that is the best part of my current living arrangement. I love my sister!

The other great part is being able to share more of my life with my mom.  We’re all close to our mom in this family, and I know I talked to mom daily either by phone or text for years.  But living with her rocks.  My mom is a pretty hip lady and open minded.  She is much more tech savvy than she realizes.  Few folks in her age range will mess with a computer, and yet she is very into her PC and she can text on her cell and keep up with most anyone doing it.  Mom goes out of her way for others often and she too is fiercely protective over those she loves.  I wouldn’t piss her off she’ll become your worst nightmare.  Accepting that she won’t be around forever is hard, so I’m blessed to be able to share a home with her and enjoy times with her.  I loved last Friday when we had dinner out together then went shopping.  She  is always ready to give advice if we ask but she rarely gives it unsolicited, she  respects each of us as individuals and  doesn’t interfere with what we do in our lives.  The older I get the smarter she gets! I love my mom!

I saw a Tweet about the library summer reading program the other day and checked it out.  Not sure when they started including all age groups but now, no matter your age, they are encouraging folks to read!  Not hard to do for me I LOVE to read.  I am not into heavy books, I like novels, biographies and such but nothing too deep.  I suggested the entire Diva Den should sign up and everyone is on board!  I’m not a big TV watcher for the most part, so this should be easy.  If you are interested the link is:  http://cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2010/summerreadingkickoff.html .  I thank mom for encouraging us to develop a love for reading!   I remember spending summers on the front porch curled up in a chair with a good book for days at a time.  My son is a reader like me, my daughter only if it is a book that really grabs her (Harry Potter and Twilight books are her big favorites).  I get addicted to books easily though and have to be careful or I’ll sit up all night lost in the pages.

I’ve been holding off on meeting new guys and hanging out, figuring it is more respectful to wait until the divorce is final.  I’ve recently decided that I need to ease into it now.  I have had several guys I’ve known for a while ask me to go out for dinner or drinks and I keep saying no.  Maybe it is time to venture out a bit now and not worry about the divorce being final.  There won’t be a rebound guy, my heart will NOT be involved.  I am simply going to seek out some friends to do things with and benefits with a select few won’t be ruled out.  Don’t be shocked, I’m 47 years old and have needs and way beyond the stage in life of no kissing on the first date.

I am going to start a detailed bucket list.  I saw the movie The Bucket List and LOVED it.  It is worth the time to watch.  My thought is why wait until I’m ‘dying’ to get around to it?  Since the objective is things I want to do before I die I prefer to get a head start on it all, why not do and enjoy the listed things now while I’m healthy and can do things much  more  easily than I will when older or not well.  When that is a bit more detailed I will post it, maybe some of my readers can help me accomplish some of the items.

Well it is late and I am tired.  My little Pixel already is crashed in her bed sleeping, she played hard tonight and the little baby is just too tired. She fell asleep sitting on the steps, and now she is curled up in her bed under my t-shirt.  She climbed up the side of my bed looking for a place to sleep but  it isn’t turned down yet so she crashed in her own bed.  I’m hoping she lets me sleep a bit more tonight, it’s like having a human baby the way she wakes up and needs  food then her litter box.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

One tuckered out kitten

Little Pixel, Big Impact

Posted on by

0

Today is day four of being a cat owner for me.  Well let me rephrase that, I’ve seen a quote, “dogs have owners, cats have staff” so I guess I’m staff to a cat.  Because of her tiny size I thought the name Pixel fit her well.  She is SO tiny I fear stepping on her so one of the things my daughter did was purchase her a tiny break-away pink collar with a little pink bell on it.  Being a kitten she pounces and bounces a lot so we hear her no matter where she is at the moment.  The collar is extra small yet  is a bit large for the little fur ball.  She doesn’t realize that she could work it off her head if she knew what she was doing.  I question her age of 8 weeks old, though since the vet techs looked at her teeth to give an approximate age, perhaps she was the runt of her litter.

She is a whiny little thing unless she is being cuddled, meowing her tiny little heart out while trying to climb my pants leg if I am not holding her or on the floor playing with her.   She is fortunate to be in a household of women, someone is always feeling sorry for her and getting her from my room to love on her.  She will be spoiled rotten if she isn’t already.

I know very little about kittens and rely a lot on my daughter’s knowledge from vet tech school and work.  I do know for something so tiny she leaves a very strong stench in her litter box!  I’m cleaning it out daily and hopeful it is the worms giving her this lovely aroma or the fact that she is a baby and adjusting to kitten food.  She is a rescue case, her mama gave birth in a sewer and left her babies.  The little kittens made so much noise they drew attention and were retrieved and bottle fed, then weaned just recently.  Pixel’s bed is fur lined and she instinctively tries to nurse at the side of her bed, pawing the side and rooting in the fur to find a nipple.  She never finds one but sucks on the fur lining, purring, then curls up and sleeps.  Breaks my heart that she started life so rough but she is now a Diva and will be properly treated.

Noel, the big cat in the house, isn’t yet sure what she thinks of Pixel.  Sometimes she appears to be trying to get her to play, other times she has her pinned to the floor with the kitten’s entire head in her mouth or strangling her.  We have to watch this closely so she doesn’t hurt the baby.  If looks could kill Pixel would have gone to kitty heaven on day one, Noel glares at her when Pixel invades her litter box or water bowl.  It is amusing to watch the innocent actions of Pixel cause such jealous rage in Noel.

Sleep has been interrupted every night so far as Pixel wakes up next to me and thinks it is time to play.  She paws and nibbles my fingers and chin and if that doesn’t work crawls up the pillow and plays with my hair. The minute she sees my eyes open she meows and pounces.   During the night she has no fear of sliding off the edge of the bed to get food or use her litter box, then sits and meows til  I pick her up and put her back in the bed with me where she makes an attempt at play time again. Eventually she gives up and snuggles up against my chest to sleep.

If I leave the room she is hot on my heels.  When I shower in the morning I close my door so she isn’t roaming freely through the house unattended. She sits at the door meowing at the top of her tiny lungs until I come back.  This morning my niece tried putting her in her lap at her vanity while getting ready for school but Pixel wanted me.  She wasn’t happy unless she was curled up against me and sadly I had to get ready for work so that didn’t go so well.  When I was sitting on the floor trying to put my shoes on and play with her one last time, she tried to climb in my shoe.   She is so small she would fit nicely into my size 8 gym shoes.

For such a tiny little Pixel, she is making a big impact on my life and heart, I just adore this little cutie!  Yesterday one of  my brothers Tweeted asking if she gets fat will I be changing her name to Mega-Pixel. I admit, that is funny and I just might, though I have no intention of letting her get chubby!  Her first vet appointment is Saturday so we give her a good start with vaccines and a check up.  Guess she will be impacting my wallet along with me heart.  Right now I am sure my friend, Krista, is grinning and laughing at how easily Pixel has turned me into a cat lover. (stop laughing, and yes I’ll bring her to visit aunt Krista soon)

Someone thought they could keep me home from work by getting in my shoe.

A Marilyn Monroe Thought For The Day…

Posted on by

1

I really love reading about Marilyn Monroe, she was sexy and far more intelligent than she let on.  Her quotes are some of my all time favorites and of late several apply so well to my life.

My Marilyn quote and thought for the day:

“When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I’m already better than them.” ~ Marilyn Monroe

It is a good one to consider as advice.  Stop worrying about what others think of you, let them think anything they like about you, all that matters in this life is that you are true to  yourself.

Be yourself, don’t look back, and never concern yourself with what they think , if they don’t like you they will put a negative twist on anything you say or do, and they thrive on your pain and misfortune.  Don’t  waste YOUR precious time giving a damn what they think.  Your friends love you for who you are and accept you with all those great characteristics as well as your faults.  Truth be told it is most likely jealousy driving those that speak negatively about you, and while I do not know who said it one of my favorite lines is “jealousy is a disease, get well soon bitches”.  Jealousy takes root in people and drives them to focus on you, what you do, say, etc and always in a negative light.  Take the higher road and follow the Thumper rule in life, “if you don’t have something nice to say it isn’t necessary to say anything at all.”  That includes drawing attention from others to your dislike of someone, doing that you give that person you dislike power over you, you have made them worth precious minutes that would be better used on something else. Once the moment is past you cannot get it back.

Anytime you care enough to follow someone’s  life  you have placed value on them.  Whether for real enjoyment, love, concern or to look down on them, you’ve still placed a very high worth on them because life is short, time is limited, and you’ve used some of that limited time to focus on them.

Chose wisely how you spend your given minutes and  never apologize for being true to yourself.

I’m A Reformed Cat Hater

Posted on by

2

Any conditioned cat-hater can be won over by any cat who chooses to make the effort.
Paul Corey

I love that quote! And yes I am now a reformed cat hater.   Yesterday for my birthday my sister got me an 8 week old kitten.  In some light she appears black, in other light the markings of a deep brown tabby cat are evident and she is about the color of Karo corn syrup.  Because she is so tiny I named her Pixel.

Being so little and young she was very scared and I could not get her to sleep in her bed. Oh she loved it as long as I was up and moving around, but then she cried when I got in bed and came and sat there looking up at me in the night light, meowing.  I tried giving her the t-shirt I had on yesterday and that worked for about 5 minutes before she was back at the side of the bed.  Her little cry got to me so she ended up curled up against my chest for the night.  This made her happy if that is what the purring meant.  It was a safe, warm place for her.  Trouble is she woke during the night and thought it should be play time.  She would nibble and paw at my chin and fingers, then try to walk up my pillow and sit on my hair.  After retrieving her a few times she would nuzzle in again and go back to sleep, only to wake up a few hours later and start over.  I am a bit sleepy to say the least.

I left her with her litter box, which amazes me that she knows what to do with it, food, water and her bed with my t-shirt then closed the door and headed to work.  She will be safest in my room where Noel, the big cat, cannot bother her.  Noel is not impressed and tried to dribble Pixel’s head on the floor a few times and hissed at her.  Because Pixel still has claws I am hoping she takes a swipe at Noel’s nose and that ends the harassment.  Meanwhile I am sure that as soon as any of the Divas arrive home they will have Pixel in their laps or playing with her toys on the floor.

So me who hated cats, then grew to actually like Noel, now has my own cat and I’m falling in love with the adorable little bundle already.  Thankful I am for allergy meds which will allow her to be close to me, and lint rollers for removing traces of her from my bedding and clothes.

I think she is precious and I think loving an animal is great therapy for a broken heart. Therefore, since I am one bad relationship from owning 10 cats it is all the more reason NOT to get emotionally involved again.

Meow…


I Love Being Me

Posted on by

1

I love when I first encounter someone on IM and they say “so tell me about you”.  I always respond with, “what exactly would you like to know?”.  Specific questions from the other side are a big help in telling someone about me, because I am never sure what it is they really want to know.  There are a lot of things I could share with them but most are seeking certain information and the more direct they can be the faster we can supply what it is they really want to know.  Since I am a freak magnet, they usually are seeking to know if I am married and what my favorite sexual position might be.  Those land on my ever growing ‘ignore and block’ list.

Once in a while I will receive one of those “get to know your friends” emails with a list of questions designed to get to know them better.  Usually the answers do not reveal a whole lot I wasn’t already aware of about my closer friends but once in a while there will be a shocker in there.  It is more fun to answer the questions as it is like reviewing who I am, and I always find that I really do like the person named Marti that is answering those questions.  I just got the 2010 version of get to know your friends so just for fun I will answer a few but in more detail that  I would on an email.

Q. What is your favorite flower?

A. My favorite flower is lavender roses.  At one time, like my mother and her mother, it was yellow roses, but then I discovered lavender roses.  Purple is my favorite color, just about any shade, and lavender roses are just beautiful.  Mixed with white ones their color is even more intense.  I have a lavender rose bush at the old house that I plan to transplant.   The women in my former church had a secret encourager program, where those interested filled out a short bio about themselves and stuck it in the ‘hat’ and everyone drew one.  For a year you secretly did something at least once a month to encourage that person.  This resulted in many notes, cards and small gifts especially around special dates like birthdays and anniversaries.  One year for my birthday my encourager gave me a lavender rose bush and some how I’ve managed not to kill it.  I love that bush and want to bring it to my new home where  I can enjoy the flowers again this summer.

Q. Name 3 things you are afraid of.

A. The number one fear I have is fire.   I’m not entirely certain when that started, though I suspect it was when I was in grade school when two separate fires really impacted me.  One was  the Beverly Hills Super Club fire, the accounts in the newspaper following that night really upset me a lot.  The second was a fire in Amberly Village that claimed the life of two teen age girls one night. The accounts of neighbors and family that could hear their painful, last screams have been with me since reading them, I cannot imagine a more horrible way to die.  Having been married twice to fire fighters I also have a pretty good education in what happens in a fire and so I am a fanatic about smoke alarms and changing the batteries every time the time changes in Spring and Fall. In my first marriage I saw first hand the destruction of a house fire when our home caught fire while we were separated before the divorce.  There is  something deeply upsetting about seeing your things burned and coated in soot.

The second fear I have is the dark.  I am again not certain why but I am terrified of the dark and have to have night lights around the house so that I can see at night.  I sleep with a flash light within reach in case the power goes out just to be sure I can see to find a candle.  I am also night blind so that adds to the fear because I don’t make out my environment very well on a visual level once it is dark.

The third fear I have is storms.  I’ve always been afraid of nasty storms and never got over it as I have grown older.  I have a  weather radio and keep it on all year round.  I admit I am not liking not having someone to wrap around me now when it storms like it did the other night.  I am okay with storms during the day time but once it is dark I really hate them.

Q. Favorite fast food?

A. I guess Chipotle would qualify as fast food, goodness knows once to the counter it is prepared very quickly for my enjoyment.  I love  their steak bowl with rice, black beans, corn salsa and cheese.  I skip the fork and use tortilla chips instead.  I have been known to go on a binge and eat it 2 meals a day for several days in a row it is that good!  I find it a good value to for the money too.  If I am not overly hungry the bowl will feed me for two meals which isn’t bad for $7.50 for the bowl and chips.


Q. Favorite adult beverage?

A. This is easy to answer, I like beer. Big shock, I am a west sider, raised Catholic and love the summer church festivals so yes, going to doubtlessly like beer.  I grew up on beer as a kid.  Now don’t freak out  but yes my parents would let us have a tiny cup of Hudepohl 14K draft now and then.  We lived in Price Hill and dad used to walk up to Curnayn’s Bar, around the block from our house with a half gallon jug during the week and a gallon jug on the weekend.  He and mom would enjoy their beers on the porch at night in the summer time.  A big thrill for me and my siblings when dad would allow one of us to walk up with him.  Then things in the area went down hill a bit and the bar became a rougher place and dad stopped taking us along for the walk.  I come from a long line of beer loving German/Hungarian blood so beer is my favorite.  I’m not a big wine drinker but starting to enjoy it on Saturday evenings when we Divas get a different wine to sample.  This week the choice is another Mad Housewife variety, next week we are trying one called Big Pecker.  Our Saturday wine has to be something with a fun name and that one sure sounds fun!  I enjoy coconut rum over ice to sip, or vanilla vodka in diet coke, but given a choice I will usually opt for a beer.


Q. Zodiac Sign?

A. Taurus.  And believe me I am very true to my sign.  Now before all my born again friends start freaking out and pointing out that the Bible addresses following such things as reading your fate in the stars, I know that.  BUT I also think God in His endless wisdom would have seen fit to apply certain personality characteristics to those born at various times of the year and with certain planets etc all line up a specific way.  After all everything He created works together so why not?  Besides I have yet to find someone that doesn’t line up with their sign.  Not all the characteristics of the bull are ones I am fond of but I am true to it.  One thing I did not do in the past was pay attention to the compatibility of my sign with others when forming long term relationships.  My soon to be ex is true to his  sign, and the least compatible sign to pair with mine other than Leo.  No surprise many of the issues we had were the very ones astrology experts warn about when pairing Aquarius and Taurus.  I’d say I’d be watching that in the future but I have NO intention of getting in a long term relationship again so astrological compatibility will not be an issue for a friend with benefits. If you want to know more about my characteristics read up on Taurus.


Q. Favorite time of day?

A.  Whatever time it is right now.  I have learned over  the past years to live in the moment, life is short and you have to enjoy where you are and what you are doing right now as there are no guarantees that you have the next minute.  No point in longing for what isn’t here, far better to enjoy the moment I am currently living.  At the moment my favorite time of day is 1:15 in the afternoon on Saturdays.


Q. If you could change one thing in your past what would it be?

A. Not a blessed thing.  Seriously I would not go back and change anything.  I believe everything in my life before today has helped make me the person I am today.  My life is not without its very painful and difficult times, some frightening as hell, some so painful I didn’t think I’d survive, and some so gloriously  happy that I cannot find the words to describe the feelings.  But everything worked together, and still does, to make me who I am now.  Certainly I’ve paid the price for many of my decisions, the consequences sometimes were hell, but they were my decisions and I learned from them.  The Garth Brooks song, Standing Outside The  Fire, describes it well, “life is not tried it is merely survived if you’re standing outside the fire”.   I have said this before, I’d rather be sitting in my rocker when I’m old saying “remember when” rather than “damn I wish I would have…”  I would rather have regrets for the things I’ve done than the things I wanted to and never did.  “I’d rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” ~ Shelby, Steel Magnolias

Okay that is a little bit more about me.  Perfectly imperfect, adorable, fun loving, sometimes temperamental, sometimes moody, mostly always bubbly and forgiving to a fault ME!  And I LOVE being me!

T.G.I.F. Ramblings…

Posted on by

0

I’ve said it before,  having a job makes Friday mean something again!  It is the final day of the work week and I am very happy about that.  Don’t get me wrong, I very much love my job and the folks I work with day to day, but the weekend always is a welcome change to the routine.  I like getting to wake up when I feel like it on Saturdays, and staying up late on Friday night  without having to worry about being sleepy in the morning.

This past week has been adjustment time, getting used to sleeping in a different home, a new room, new noises in the night, driving a new route to work and living with 4 other women.  The work route really hasn’t been a big deal, takes an extra five minutes to get home but that is hardly noticed in the commute.  The new room and night sounds have not been an issue, I sleep very deep and short of the Rumpke truck on the street at 4:20am this morning (is it really necessary to start so darn early???) and a stray, severe thunderstorm Wednesday night, I’ve slept just fine.  My bed is wonderfully comfortable and the gentle breeze across the bed from the window has been outstanding.

I’ve said this before too, I hate cats.  The only good cat in my opinion is a dead one, unless you have a farm and they are barn cats perhaps.  My niece’s cat, Noel, is growing on me, however, and is the only exception to date on the disdain for felines.  She is a very beautiful cat, shades of gray with darker gray stripes and beautiful green eyes that clearly show her unending curiosity.  She is only about 7 months old so she is still a kitten at heart and loves to play.  We stalked and chased each other this morning while I was getting ready for work, much to her delight.  Okay I will admit I too was enjoying the game.  Her collar has a little bell on it so I had the advantage in the game when she thought she was in stealth mode.  I often find her laying on my windowsill watching the world go by outside.  She loves an open window and mine is most often open as I love the fresh air even on a chilly night.  The only thing I truly find irritating is that she sheds, leaving her calling card on my desk chair, and I am allergic to her so if I forget to take my allergy medication I am miserable.  But I keep a lint roller near by so it isn’t all bad, and so far so good on the meds.

It is amazing how different a household functions when it is all women.  Dinner dishes are a group effort, everyone clearing, someone rinsing and loading the dishwasher, pans get washed and dried and things are quickly cleaned up and put away.  No need to ask, it just happens.  Someone always notices the litter is in need of changing, or sweeping around the litter box is needed, laundry gets done regularly by whoever happens past the laundry room, the vacuum gets ran, anything that needs attention just seems to happen.  There is order.  Not necessarily peace, as the 16 and 19 year old have their ‘moments’  but there is order!

Last night we had our first gal-pow-wow to discuss  projects around the house.  Every0ne chimed in with things we know need to be done, like replacement windows, tile etc, then we all discussed which needed the attention first. At the end we tossed any thing on the discussion table we thought needed to be addressed that wasn’t a major project.  No arguing just discussion about things to ensure the household runs smoothly, and it all went well.  This living arrangement is great and seems to be working for all involved which is rather nice.  We’ve been in the house exactly 7 days today and already it feels like this is how it has always been.

This coming week the painting will take place and I cannot wait!  I love my new bedding, my room is so nice and the paint I’ve picked will be beautiful and complete the look. Well almost, I need a black mini blind to really set off the curtains but that will be ordered this weekend. I love my new room, it is my haven when I need some me time.

This morning had the potential to be a disaster for my great mood but thanks to the ex it got righted.  Seems the car battery decided it was time to give up the ghost and of course this was discovered when it was time to leave for work.  Out of habit I texted Pete  and told him the battery was dead.  He came over and jumped me and told me he’ll handle getting a new one tomorrow, but suggested I take his jumper cables in case I need a jump to get home because he doesn’t want to drive 45 minutes to assist me later today.  Okay so I’ve been calling him ‘dickhead’ but I gotta be fair he is a good guy and it was nice of him to come rescue me this morning which I greatly appreciated.

In the moving process I lost something that I am not missing one bit, five more pounds!  My jeans are even loser now and when the next five drops off it will be time for a few new pair.  I haven’t been trying to get weight off lately, but all the trips up and down steps and carrying boxes then watching more closely what I eat has helped.  It doesn’t hurt that this house is so big, a walk to my room from the kitchen is indeed a walk, as is a run down to the laundry room.  No matter where we go in the house steps are involved.  NO COMPLAINTS here, all that distance is doing me good and I am happy about it.  Last night my sister-in-law walked over with the twins and she mentioned it is exactly half a mile to their house.  I will be walking over there and back a lot this summer rather than driving, and walking down to the park to hike the 3 miles of trails in the woods.  I need the exercise and those trails through the woods are beautiful.  My son’s former fiance, and still close friend to our family, lives down the street and loves to walk so I have no doubt that I will have a willing buddy for hiking.

One of my favorite bars is about a half mile away, Linnie’s Pub.  They have a nice outdoor area out back with cornhole boards, and inside is just one of those nice, neighborhood bars where you are bound to run into someone you know.  It will become our regular hang out this summer and in fact we plan to start stopping in this weekend.  Oh we’ll still hit The Pirate’s Den and J’s Sports Bar when TimePiece or Chuck Brisban and The Tuna Project are playing, but our hangout of choice is going to be Linnie’s.  Oh and to all my friends that like to head north to the ‘country club’, don’t worry, I’ll be back soon!

Random question of the day:  If you could snap your fingers and appear somewhere else, where would you be?

At this moment if I snapped my fingers and could appear somewhere else it would be on the deck at home.  The backyard is up against woods and is frequented by deer.  It is very shady on the deck as we have a lot of trees around the house and it is very quiet there.  It is my favorite place to have coffee in the evenings and soon on weekend mornings when weather is in our favor.  Being at home on the deck with a cup of coffee just sounds wonderful right now.

Okay enough rambling for now. No doubt more to come later.

Rosie Sow

Posted on by

1

The Diva Den has a new member, Rosie Sow.  Rosie is a ceramic pink piggie bank, sporting a tutu and a tiara.  In the midst of the moving hoopla over the weekend my sister and Jeanne were at Target in search of needed items when Jeanne spied Rosie lounging on a shelf.  Because Rosie is decked out as a Diva they felt she was needed in the household.  We all agree she is a perfect fit. She was given the place of honor on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker.

Now I need to be up front, Rosie is my personal name for our counter top royalty, we have not all agreed to a name for her as of yet because we’ve just been too busy getting settled.   I hope the other chicks don’t mind but she needed a name for the blog and calling her a pig just seemed rude, and we in the Diva Den are all about positive reinforcement and supportive words and all against negative energy or tearing each other down. We are  our own greatest support network and Rosie being a part of the team she needs to be treated with respect.  Besides she has a tiara which makes her a princess like the rest of us in the palace so Rosie it is.

The original purpose for Rosie was all loose change would be fed to her and over time we’d build up quite the savings to be put toward a yet to be determined goal.   We have a household emergency account set up so we will probably use the sow savings for something fun.  Either way Rosie is quickly putting weight on her ham hocks as each day we all add any left over change from our pockets and purses to her tummy.

I mentioned in an earlier blog that in the this household we say ‘fuck’ a lot.  We get it, not a lady like word but hey, we’re Divas, we do what we want when we want.  Mom noticed over these past few days that we have a lot of little kids in the neighborhood, several living on either side of us.  The houses are not on top of each other, there is good distance between, but the little tykes trek through the back yard to each others to play.  Inside the house we really cannot hear much room to room as the house is very large,  and the walls have great insulation that buffers the noise quite well.  However if you walk around the house, as mom did,  you will hear a good deal as you pass under windows.   This means those adorable children are unwillingly enrolled in Cursing 101.  We all know we need to eliminate the F-bomb from our vocabulary and now we have good reason to make it a goal.  Let these kids parents educate them in swearing, we need to set a better example.

Mom decided that every time one of us drops the big F word, we should have to deposit  50 cents in Rosie.  At the rate my sister and I let that one fly we could fatten pinkie up to her tiara in a week!  In fact just yesterday my sister walked out and fed Rosie $5 to cover her extensive use of the big bad word.  I managed to squeak by on $1.   We all agreed to come up with a more acceptable expression and now Farkle (a favorite game for many of us on Facebook) has become the substitute for “fuck” in our house.  We Divas know that if Farkle is used it is a big curly tailed deal, but the neighbor kids won’t be taking home any new words that might get them a time out on the naughty step.

To go along with her new status as the language monitor Rosie has been elevated to the top of the refrigerator.  We needed her spot on the counter for the toaster and frankly she looks more appropriate up high looking down on us all keeping watch over our phraseology and reminding us that too many trips to the contents of the fridge and we’ll start rounding out like our little pink porker.

Rosie Sow

Divas Uncorked

Posted on by

0

FINALLY the big move is finished!  There is some minor  cleaning and a few odds and ends to be tossed out at mom’s old house, but we are done!!!

Yesterday we must have made a thousand trips up and down dozens of steps, hauled countless, over stuffed boxes and then put things away until we simply could not move anymore last night.  We sat down to a dinner of fried chicken,  green beans, mashed potatoes and biscuits from KFC and you would have thought it was a 5 star dinner, we were SO hungry but no one realized it until we started eating.  Then last night we waited for Sarah to get home from work and shared a bottle of  wine.  Earlier my sister and Jeanne went to the store and Jeanne found a bottle of wine made for our first evening – Divas Uncorked: By Sisters Who Sip.  And it  was GOOD!   We all finally fell into our beds exhausted beyond words.

First thing this  morning my sister-in-law, Christy, and my niece, Dee Dee, came over and made breakfast for us.  They brought the waffle iron and those waffles were wonderful!  My daughter came over too to have breakfast, it was so nice to all be together.  Then we finished putting  away contents of boxes,  again ran up and down countless steps, hauling, unpacking and then cleaning up behind ourselves.  Multiple trips to Target and the grocery store and finally it looks and feels like home!  :)    Throughout the moving  process we have seen wonderfully good karma all over everything from furniture fitting perfectly into intended places to unbelievable sales on needed items. It felt so good when I got tired last night to just go to bed, not have to pack up my laptop and leave to sleep away from the women I’m drawing so much strength from.

The most amazing part by far is that throughout this weekend I did not shed a tear, did not even have a sad moment!  In fact last night we toasted “welcome home” to us all and I feel like  this has been  the way it has always been.  My room is beautiful, the new bedding and new desk is outstanding.  I woke up in the middle of the  night and felt absolutely like I was finally home again and okay, it was such a peaceful moment.

The Divas are now uncorked!