How to Walk a JRT

After a day at the fair and a dip in the Pacific (intentionally or no), it's time to care for the animals. Two of the dogs had become ill while I was there. One, sadly, didn't make it. The third, Tank, has so far been fine and may possibly be carrying a litter.


This is how they give Tank a walk:

The nine year old fires up the golf cart. The Dad holds the leash. Off they go!





After a tour around the five acres, Tank is properly exercised. Don't let the hanging tongue fool you. She still has plenty of pep!


For my final evening in California, they took me out for some authentic Mexican food. First the Pacific, and now this. Could a visit get any better?

Beach Bliss

After a day at the fair, we had to run an errand in Oceanside. Mark went right up I-5, which of course runs right along the beach. I quietly asked, "Do you think we could possibly stop at the beach on the way home, just long enough for me to put my toes in?"

Taylor exploded with excitement. I guess it's been a while since she put her toes in the surf, too! She had gone to Hawaii, surfed, came home, and was soon diagnosed with cancer.

Mark graciously agreed. We knew we wouldn't stay long as there were horses to feed and dinner to attend. A moment was enough!

On the way home, we went along the Pacific Coast Highway. Mark doesn't know how to drive slowly enough, so I grabbed what pictures I could as we were speeding along. I tried to capture shots to show my children what I love about the beaches in California, specifically in Oceanside and Carlsbad (Leucadia is my favorite, though).



Along the coast, most of the buildings have some kind of beach scene painted along the sides.


This is a little beach hotel or restaurant. I couldn't tell because we were going too fast.


Like Park Ave here in Winter Park, or Rodeo Drive, or El Paseo in the desert, there are shops and restaurants that line the street. Unlike the previously mentioned places, you can show up in flip flops and shorts, or even stop by the place on your bicycle. If you're not hauling a surfboard, a bicycle is the preferred mode of transportation.


This was my absolute favorite surf shop: Off Shore Surf Shop. It's listed on the side of this building, with Harbor Fish in the front. I don't think I ever bought more than a bumper sticker, but how I loved going in there!


Hello, beautiful. It's so very, very good to see you again! I've missed you . . . .
Ok, I'm not talking about the guy obviously. I'm talking about the wave in back. Look at that beautiful form! Look at the curl! Look at the power in the wave! We had just passed many, many surfers. Mark didn't want to stop there, though.


So hello, good friend! I want to be next to you . . . from my head, for my heart, for it's true . . .


A pink beach cruiser. More waves forming in the back. I couldn't wait to get out of the car at this point!


This is the family, heading to the surf. My shoes were left in the car since I knew I wouldn't be needing them at this point. I looked like a total tourist, but I didn't care. I knew the truth! I was coming home to the beach I knew and loved, body surfed, boogie boarded, frisbied and smash-balled.


Here, I'm looking to the right and facing NORTH. My world is right once again. You can seen the jetty sticking out, and on the other side of that are the surfers. Yes, that is a person sitting in the sand. We didn't have to worry about thinks like lice. Sand fleas maybe, but not lice. LOL



Come on, Taylor. Let's go say hello. At this point, there was a smile on my face that didn't leave until I went to bed.




I still remembered the power and timing of the waves. We were only allowed up to our knees (wisely) so I would watch the wave crash and yell, "Back, back, back!" when I knew it would come up way past that, even though we seemed to be far enough away.

The Pacific is powerful. I was just at the Atlantic yesterday and it was a gentle lap-pool compared to the Pacific. I know it can get pretty gnarly with hurricanes and all, but the Pacific has such beautiful form and grace. It also seemed much cleaner. It was definitely colder!

My friends, BA and ML, think the Pacific is freezing. I found it completely refreshing! Had I been in swimsuit with fins, I would have dove right in for hours. BA, it's honestly warmer than Rock Springs!

Yesterday, the Atlantic was like bathwater. It was not refreshing at all. Atlantic, I have tried to like you. I have. Could we simply remain acquaintances?


This picture is for you, BT, so you know exactly where we were. The only things missing were you and Kazebee!

In my hand, you see the rocks that caused me to be searched at the airport. I didn't care.



While my back was turned, the Pacific reminded me that it was still a force to be reckoned with. It came up behind me and gave me a playful boot to the bottom!


I didn't mind. Truly. I still love you and respect you, my beautiful Pacific.


< ------------------------------South. North ------------------------------------->


Here you go, Mom. My foot and Mark's foot, and we're not even kicking each other. He's a great man, Mom. His family is great, too. And, we all miss you!

Contentment in a Role

Ty's band played a gig last night. I didn't go. Instead, I stayed at home where I belong.

And it was good.

I have never allowed my children to go to parties they weren't invited to just because their sibling was. I have never bought them a gift just because their sibling was getting one. I think it would be more unfair to let them do everything the other was doing, because life is just not like that. Instead, we've encouraged them to be happy for their sibling and rejoice with them! They in turn have the joy of happy siblings when it's their turn.

More and more, Himself is the one to do the band stuff with Ty. This is well and good. They're both drummers, they both really dig performing, and they share this interest with equal enthusiasm. Far from being upset, how can I not rejoice to see my hubby and my son grow closer? How could I impose myself upon that?

My joy comes from having the band practice in our home and feeding them. What mom doesn't like to watch teens eat? This is my role.

And it is very good.

Two Terrific Tykes

We call them The Twins.

Glenna and Will were born only weeks apart. Unfortunately, we moved to Florida when Glenna was 20 months old, so they were only infants in the same town together. We made one trip out to California since then [with the kids] and Will has been out here twice.

All this explains why my heart is so glad to see these two together. For the most part, they get along so well! They play together for hours and hours, laughing and having a good time. At other times, they're like my two Grand-Aunties in New Mexico who used to fuss and fuss at each other, much to the amusement of the rest of the family.

I took Will to Walmart because one of the dogs (not to mention any names) ate his headphones. Granted, he had been warned to put his stuff away, so it wasn't entirely the small, name-sounds-like-Robbs dog's fault. In fact, I am never surprised when a dog acts like a dog. It's just what they do.

So we take Will to Walmart, and suddenly he realizes he's at a store with cash money. This is money his mother gave him, for him to use. He was giddy, I tell you. After pricing and purchasing headphones, he headed straight to the toy department.

This is the scene that greeted me after I put ice on Himself's back last night:
That's Will, and under the coolest coffee table ever is Glenna and Hobbs. They're playing with this Wrestlemania stage that Will bought after hours of deliberation.

"What are you guys doing?"

"We're making a pet food commercial."

Glenna finds this quite funny. Will pretends to be bashful. Trust me, this kid is bashful for all of 5 minutes, tops, then he jumps right in! Note the full attention Hobbs is giving Glenna; after all, she did mention pet food. I think he's planning on his next meal being miniature wrestling guys.

Will sets the stage for some major wrestling (or wrasslin', depending on where you're from) action. As he's explaining everything to me, there's hysterical laughter and commentary coming from under the table.

Is Mom still there with the camera? ACK!


It's so fun to chase a kid under a table with a camera. You don't even need the viewfinder, you just point and shoot.

Any time they start to fuss at each other, I'm going to show them these pictures.

Here's Jack, newly shaved, shampooed, and shining, keeping a dignified distance.

Some of my best memories are the times I spent with my cousins. Each of them are wonderful, special, and I love talking and laughing with them. It grieves me that my kids don't know their cousins as well because we're so far away, but we're really trying to make sure they know who they are! Their closest cousins are in South Carolina.

Do you have any cousin memories?

50's Glamour Party

Kelly and I were invited to Caitlin's Sweet 16 party. We were told to dress in 50's "glamour," but that includes too much cleavage so we opted out. Instead, we were more 50's Night on the Town.


I had so much fun dressing up with my girl! Isn't she so lovely?

I wish you could see how incredibly blue her eyes are. She got those from her Daddy, for sure. Mine tend to change with the weather (or whatever storm may be brewing within! :-) )

Caitlin's party was lots of fun, and her Daddy had a big surprise for her! Here she is, freaking out big time.

Now she's attacking her Dad:

And here it is!

She jumped in and shut the door, and we could all hear her screaming and screaming. Her face says it all!

One happy girl, happy friends, and a new Toyota Matrix. Happy 16th birthday, Caitlin!

Oh, and I handed my camera to her older brother, Brandon, to hold. It came back with this on it.

And this, of course, is his "Blue Steel" face. He said I wouldn't be able to handle the Magnum face.

Dad

I wanted to write about Dad. Hopefully he won't be reading this, because every time I write about him he says I'm writing his eulogy. Dad came into my life when I was three years old, then finally married my Mom (after shacking up for 30 years ha ha!) when I was 33 years old! All my life I've called him Jeff, but when he married Mom, with great relief and pride I started calling him Dad. So now I have Dad and My Dad.

Here, you can see his wheels turning. He's coming up with something really important to say, and you know it's going to be a doozy. That's why I kept the camera up and clicking. What he said here at first was, "You know, I've been noticing something about how you and your Mom are so alike. . . . "

In these pictures, taken at this time last year and the ones to follow in future posts, Dad's 85. All my life this man would tease me unmercifully. He never stepped into a "father" role with us kids, but I think that's because he didn't want to usurp My Dad. Still, I learned more than he ever intended! I also knew he would be there for me in a heartbeat if I ever needed him, but boy, I tried so hard not to need him. I couldn't handle the five weeks of teasing that would follow! I'm learning this is a definite cowboy trait. Comedians, all of 'em (see http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ and read about her pesky brother-in-law, Tim).

So, he continues his train of thought of Mom and I by spreading his hands out:

" . . . both of you are THIS wide!"

Now, just look at the smugness on his face here. I can hear him laughing! Yes, when I married Himself I weighed 93 pounds. Now, I've turned 40 and . . . I do NOT weigh 93 pounds. I'm in the healthy range for my age and height, but do you think I tried to tell HIM that? Of course not! He wouldn't have listened, anyway. Just because HE has jeans he wore in his twenties and can still wear them . . . . Not kidding. He has jeans so old they have completely faded to WHITE, and he still wears them. Cowboys don't give up on a garment just because there's some age to them. I've also never, and I mean NEVER, seen him wear a short-sleeved shirt. He's worked in the sun all day, all his life, and he's the whitest man I know except for his hands, neck, and face. More on that, later.