I laugh when I look at this because I look like a bag of cotton candy at the county fair. I have been teased that it is a "glamour shot" but in reality my seven year old son took the picture and I glazed it over with photoshop. My husband REALLY does not like it but it makes my children laugh so I agreed to post it. That's me, Pink and Fluffy. If you can't laugh at yourself once in a while then what's the point.

A Super Hero Batcave Party

As all little boys will eventually do, my sons recently became obsessed with Batman and Spider Man. As a long time purchaser of dress up clothes for my nieces, I new this would be a piece of cake. BIFF! BAM! BAP! We found costumes!

From my own personal experience I know that little girls will play "dress up" and use their imaginations to bring castles and magical lands to life but I soon realized that "boys" need something more tangible and visual to help them out. Why this surprised me I have no idea...

So began the construction of the "Batcave". A plethora of ideas and commands from two powerful Super Heros that needed a central command center. A black plastic sheeting and black light wonderland. It was full of bats, stalactites and stalagmites and spider webs. Sophisticated computer control panels also emerged. It took two days and my hands had blisters from using the sissors to cut out over a hundred bats but "Holy Smokes Batman" it was done!!!

We had a Two Face tracker, Poison Ivy alarm and a host of other "necessary" components. (for anyone that might want to try this, plain old computer paper "glows" really well under black light when used with some neon highlighters) We played non stop in this room for a week.

Riddle me this Batman.... A cool room, great costumes and a "Super Mom" that knows how to make cake.. What comes next? A Super Hero costume party with all of our Super Friends!!!

Super Mom made a batcave cake that smoked (a little dry ice helped) and plates of purple bat cookies and a smoking boiling punch bowl of super hero juice. (Kids think dry ice is sooo cool) What could be better than a house full of screaming children dressed up and ready to fight villains completely high on sugar. By the way, silly string makes a great weapon to shoot the "Daddy villains".

Yes, I am tired. Yes, I went a little over the top. No, I don't want to do this again anytime soon BUT... My sons think that I am the coolest "Super Mom" in the galaxy so jeewillikers Batman, I think it was worth it in the end.

Tristian as Batman

Brody as Spidy

The Super Friends

The Smoking Batcave Cake

Black light BatCave
(wow these really do not do it justice
but you can get the gerneral idea)

A boy, a bike and a pole

Or perhaps it should be titled "Three men, three bikes, three fishing poles and the Lake of opportunity. "

What a wonderful way to celebrate the last days of summer. A few miles of great bike paths, beautiful weather, a picnic lunch and the wildlife preserve to our right, echoing birds of every kind. It could not have been a better day. Watching my husband "talk shop" with the boys about the fish and the lures and the greatest thing known to a lake "THE BIG MOUTH BASS." It warms a mothers heart. It also doesn't hurt that I caught the first fish of the day and my sons think that I am cool. Funny how no one rushed to grab the camera for my little blue gill. There was a flurry of questions and bait changing though in the moments that followed. We also caught the worlds smallest trout. Upon his release I thought to myself "swim away, swim away.." Someone should do a study on the long term affects of Disney movies on the adult mind. Anyway, I will say goodbye to summer and hello to fall and add, as my oldest son said, "the fuzzy yellow bait that looks like a crawdad" to the next shopping list.


The lake



The big decision



The Catch

A placemat folded stuck in the back of my date book is found

The Last Summer


I take my coffee and sit at the small table outside the cafe. The spring tulips in the pot in front of me have been replaced by the more tolerant marigolds of summer. I take a satisfy drink from my cup, losing myself for a moment in the patterns of cream floating on top. The warmth of the day and the coolness of the wind blessedly swirl around me. Slowly the sounds of the city begin to fade.

Fragmented memories of a childhood long lost float on the breeze of an early summer wind, the earthy smell of fresh turned dirt caress my senses and beg me to play like a child with no consequences.

Glimpses of the past float by like shimmering dust reveled by a ray of light from the warm afternoon sun through a closed window. Adolescent awakening sparkle between clarity and hushed whispers under starlight. Forgotten are all promises given. Mother earth calls and a young woman can not resist.

I smell the crisp clean scent of leaves and wood after the late afternoon shower and it brings an unwitting sense of peace to my young heart. I watch the rain drop like diamonds off the last of the pink frosted petals. The cherry blossoms brought to life by rain drift down and caress my face like an unknown lover.

I gaze through the branches, lying on a cool blanket of rain kissed earth. I dream of who and what I would become. Finding patterns and pictures in the curling bark of the tree then looking higher to the soft white clouds floating overhead, looking for wisdom beyond my years.

The sharp metal tic of the sprinklers is a steady and comforting movement of time on a warm and lazy summer afternoon. Motion in the trees momentarily reminds me of where I am. The trees are the boundary of my small universe. The cool wind has the power to make time stand still. I watch the last small buds open into tender green leaves while forcing womanhood to come early by wishes carried to heaven on daydreams.

I turn my head and whisper all that is me in the ear of my confidant. Hushed giggles can be heard over the orchestra of the valley. Two young women forge bonds, written in the blood of secret imperfections and unlimited possibilities. Mutual trust and disclosure mix with giddy optimism. Pacts of unfailing friendship that will last a life time are branded in their hearts. The wind rustles through the orchard matching the restlessness in their minds. Childhood and innocence are tangible things that can be let go of in the wind.

The warmth of the day and the coolness of the wind swirl gently around me. I look down at the cold coffee in front of me. In the distance I hear a siren. A gentle peace fills me. I am what I have become once again.

(written on the back of a placemat at Pave Cafe some time ago)

The Eternal Quest for Health

I would like you to meet a new person in my life: Her name is Carolyn. She is fifty-plus and the epitome of good health and blond ambition. She is my new aquatics instructor. She looks innocent enough, grandmotherly even. I believe, although this has never been confirmed, that she has a military background. This presents itself in class with stern orders to move our bodies more quickly and to "feel the burn".

Considering the time of day that my schedule allows me to take this class, I am the youngest member of the pool bouncers. Imagine if you will a melody of music reminiscent of an afternoon with my grandparents listening to an AM station. Lycra clad bodies moving more quickly than the twenty minute shuffle from the showers to the pool would allow you to envision. Carolyn is determined that these mildly arthritic pool goers will keep themselves mobile by pushing past their limits.

She has lofty dreams. The group of ladies to my left have their hair perfectly combed and make-up expertly applied. Their diamond earrings shine brightly in the overhead lights. Their husbands are no doubt enjoying this time to bask in sunshine on the golf course. Water would not have the nerve to splash in their faces or disrupt the scent of their perfume. They chat during Carolyn's rhythmic boot camp and wonder if the coffee upstairs will still be fresh while gently swishing their bodies in our wakes.

The group to my right are indeed in the water for the exercise, determined to fight the war against time and skin elasticity. My favorite is the woman with tight white curls and a home made swimsuit. She informed me on the first day I was there that the best thing about water aerobics was "during the class, everything that jiggles is under water where no one can see." Amen Grandma! This group audibly groans during the deep water routine but continue to march at Carolyns polka beat. Carolyn is their hero.

There is one lone gentlemen in our group, his name is George and he is quite the hit with the ladies. He has found his heavenly dating ground and winks at them prospectively between sets. He is the highlight of my day. When Carolyn shouts out a boisterous "give me a whoo hoo" he sinkers and gives his best "sick moose call", or his self professed "dying dog". I can't help but laugh during my "moguls to the north wall." We like each other. I like his spunk, he likes my cleavage. If you are seventy-five and can still hit on a woman in a pool during water aerobics you are "the man". Miss so and so with twelve grandchildren is going to go to coffee with him after class. I wish him the best.

Now back to Carolyn and myself. The fact of the matter is this. Carolyn LOVES what she does. She lives for it. She has not had a lot of gratification in the mid morning class until I came along. I am now her personal project. She knows that I have no excuse but to keep up with her. I tried to explain that the reason I was there was because I was diagnosed with Rhumatoid Arthritis and I needed a moderate low impact workout. My goal was to ease into and through the pain. My interpretation of "ease into" and hers were entirely different. I am now positioned in the center of the class directly in front of Carolyn. I am now expected to to show newcomers the proper form of the "washing machine" and the "cross county" and the "underwater mogul". While she moves her body ten times faster than the beat of our era appropriate music.

Thank you Carolyn. Thank you for not letting me quietly slip into class and leave with Jello legs at the end of my hour without appreciating the scene around me. Thank you for reminding us that if we don't double step our "rocking horse" that our bottoms will continue to jiggle until we die. Thank you for screaming "give me all you got ladies" in your best drill sergeant voice while we float in seven foot water holding our tiny white foam dumbbells, pressing our abs to our spine and our feet to the ceiling. Thank you Carolyn for pointing out that you didn't get your size five figure by eating Krispy Creams while watching TV all day. The world needs a few more "Grandmothers" like you. I will see you in class on Monday, front and center! (saluting)

Me and My Hubby June 05

Let's call this home!

Ok, after bouncing around between AOL, Yahoo and a slew of other sites. I have decided to just sit still and stay with Blogger until I publish my own site. I promise this will be the last invite for at least six months!!! Hope to hear from all of you soon.

Gwen