Sparkle

There are many reasons I like having a daughter.
When I clean out the lint tray in the clothes dryer, it almost always sparkles with bits of glitter.

funk

Am feeling old and fat. Leah went grocery shopping with me and as we stood at the deli counter making small talk with JoAnne, the deli lady, she smiled and asked if we were having a "grandmother/grand-daughter day"? I should have just said yes but I feel the need to correct people when they call me Leah's grandma. So I said "no, this is my daughter." Had I known how JoAnne would react, I would have let it go. She paused and then in embarassment said "she should have known." Then as she readied the roast beef she apologized with each slice. I said "it's okay, I understand." The apologies would not stop and it made things much worse. I tried to reassure her but she continued. Even as we made our way to the dairy case, I could hear her relating the story to her co-worker. Stop. Enough.

I'm wondering if in the future I should just let it go when someone makes this assumption. I really do understand why. I mean I have friends with grandchildren that are Leah's age. It makes sense but I just don't need reminders of how old I am. I always wonder if all the celebrities with their IVF babies hear these same comments. Does their botox, plastic surgery and sparkling teeth make them immune?

In the car, on the way home, Leah told me that I'm pretty.

Easter 2011

Finished decorating a couple of weeks ago. This is a glimpse of our Easter Tree and the buffet in the entry. Don't you love Easter decorations? We have wooden eggs, plastic eggs, fabric eggs and glass eggs galore.

Leah woke us at 5:45 this morning for the egg hunt. Is this the same girl who accuses me of being the Easter Bunny? Luckily Tempe is an early stop so every rock, shrub and tree was ready for inspection. Am wondering why Mr. Bunny didn't put more chocolate in Leah's basket as I'm craving peanut butter cups...

Brunch at Z Tejas was good as usual but the service was a little off. They didn't have our reservation and at one point Lynn left the table to get a drink (Bloody Mary bar.) While he was gone (and I was sitting there!) the wait staff took his chair to use for a large table next to us. Lynn took the chair back and we watched as Musical Chairs began when the party was seated.

Had 21 kids in Sunday School this morning. We didn't have enough chairs. I thought people quit going to church.

Savor this day, our next holiday will deliver temperatures that have us heading for the pool.

I've Got It, But Don't Tell Anyone

Shhhhhhh. It's our secret. I was forced to see "Never Say Never" today and he won me over. Yes, I've got it - Bieber Fever.

Leah talked me into taking her to NSN and I thought I'd have two hours in the theater to daydream or snooze, but I watched every second of the "documentary". It's a compelling story. Really.

It seems he was born musical to a very young mom who felt guilty about being a young mom so she supported his dream and vowed to give him every opportunity to succeed. She posted some of his music videos on YouTube, they were seen by a music producer and the rest is history.

I think he's very talented. I'm not crazy about most of his songs...okay...I am. I've always said I have the musical taste of a prepubescent girl and now I just proved it.

A Decade

Chatty, brave, stubborn.

Freckles kiss her nose. My girl.

Today she is ten.

My Happy Place

When I saw this, I knew I was home. There's no place like Eugene, Oregon.

What's In A Name?

Nicknames are welcome in my family. I find them very comforting. I think nicknames are a sign of love, affection and a certain amount of intimacy. My parents have called me "Marykins" for as long as I can remember. Sometimes my mom shortens it to "Kins". She has also called me "Sweet Stuff" but when Leah was born, I lost that title to her.

My brother called me MoogPaloog or Palooger. He also calls me "Mare" which bothers our mom, but I don't mind it one bit!

For awhile one of my friends called me "Ellen".

Lynn has called me "Lambchop" or "Lambchop Queen" for most of our marriage. Laurie called me "Mimi" the first time she met me and it's carried over although lately it's become "Mia, Mia".

Donna calls me "Mia Woods" and if I hear "Miss Mia" I know Didi is beckoning me.

When Nancy found out that my parents call me Marykins, it stuck. Except (and I forget why) she drops the "s" and just calls me "Marykin". (Nancy, why did you drop the "s"?) -- I know there's a story buried in that truncation.

Other friends and acquaintances have simply called me "M.E."

My initials are MEW so I have indeed been called "Mew". And my maiden name is Smolnisky resulting in a short "Mes".

Patty calls me Queenie or Mary Queen (that's a story about a conversation she had on a ferry in the Pacific Northwest about 20 years ago.)

An old friend, Barb (who I haven't seen since 1984) called me Mary Pie or simply "Pie."

In the KKC, I'm Mrs. Woods. In fact, it sounds strange when one of the KKC actually uses my first name.

Occasionally Linda calls me "Marilyn" because one time we were somewhere and someone thought that was my name. If you say my name really fast it sounds like Marilyn.

I happily answer to all of these names.

Just don't call me "Mary".