Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Fernds

I had this friend, Fern. We liked to hang out in the shade together, as we both get a bit wilted and burnt in the afternoon sun. I tried to support Fern's notion of the more being merrier, but she did not respect my vision of everything having its place. She worked fiercely in her secret underground to build a network of roots to support her random offspring. I was lured in several times by those adorable little wound up curls, just waiting to fling themselves open with the same misguided enthusiasm as a party blower.

This year I tried harder to keep the invasion at bay. By that, I mean that I ripped out many a wandering juvenile threatening to dwarf or strangle my other perennial friends. They got the hint...or so I thought
Really, Fern? I can't even say I was mad though to be honest. I admired her strength. She hit a wall, for the most part, and persevered. It was unnecessary for her to invite friends...
...but who was I to judge such tenacity? My trips to and from the car started to alternate between varying levels of fascination, annoyance and concern for the security of our driveway.

I don't know if the people my husband hired to seal out driveway sat in a circle around Fern, having their own "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" moment; or whether she was plucked from her spot and flung aside without even a second thought.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

I donut random

Once again, it's been a minute. I thought I would give you some time to reflect on life and some of its great mysteries, like...

...why, indeed? (And now we don't need to discuss how my glamorous customer service job is going, since I am obviously killing it.)
I feel you apples, I feel you! (Figuratively, of course.)
Were Bugles struggling for a niche market? Was being delicious just not enough? Are we sure olives are really in second place? 

Now you know I loves me some baked goods...
...but I prefer not to be intimidated when trying to purchase them...
...that's more like it! And speaking of donuts...
...and apple fritters! And bagels?!
Nope, that is a few days old donut that I toasted up. To infinity and beyond, indeed! Pancakes don't sound like autumn to you?
Try harder then! Binge!!!
This is downtown Syracuse and one of the sets for the movie, Binge. Kind of cool!
Fancy!
Looks like it is going to be some party
Oh, that reminds me that I ought to give you an update on Amandequin...she's been trying to find her way to fall fun as well!
She fell victim to some unfortunate cropping when we went apple picking...
...but you can check her out in her entirety on her instagram @Amandequin6

Sunday, September 15, 2019

It's in the answer

I have been holding onto this gem since July. I guess I was struggling with exactly what I wanted to say, or how to frame it. For a period of time I found myself getting slightly agitated when people on the fringe of my small inner circle asked how my grandmother was. How was I supposed to answer that question? Most often I would just respond that she was "fine," but that didn't really seem fair to either my grandmother or myself. It also wasn't necessarily fair to blame the person for asking. Eventually I came around to accept that my discomfort at answering someone's question did not mean that the inquiry was flawed.

How is my grandmother? Well for starters, much of the time she is not my grandmother. For those of you who have met dementia, this probably resonates, but for anyone else, I would like to explain. I am not going to spend a lot of time talking about the long goodbye that has taken place, because that is sad, goes without saying, and not my point. When we show up to visit, the best we hope for is that she seems content and comfortable. There are still sparks of my grandmother's personality that come through from time to time. I do still feel her love, whether it is in the smile as she recognizes me or when she rubs my arm or puts her head on my shoulder. When she complains about the look on a fellow resident's face or offers other critiques, I know she's still holding on to pieces of herself. She still manages to teach me things, like finding a patience I never knew I had. The time we spend together is very different than it was, but still has its bright spots. Sometimes I don't recognize them right away.

My grandmother had just commented on how I should get married. I told her I was married. She asked how old I was, and when I responded "49," she said "That's older than me," and I thought maybe what followed would be worth recording. I think this may best answer the question, "How's your grandmother?"

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Fairly ridiculous

Oh hey! How have you been? Thanks for stopping by to check on me. What, that's not why you're here? You came for cake? Well apparently that third egg the recipe on the box calls for is vital...
...or it crumbles more than a cookie...
...and we ate it anyway.
Then again, we do not have very discriminating taste, as evidenced by this year's trip to The Fair...
...where three rights most certainly might make a wrong. We decided the photo was not even appealing. A few members of our squad this year had Milky Buns for breakfast, and while this treat may look appropriate for morning, being a donut sprinkled with cereal and all...
...but, it was filled with ice cream. There were other breakfast options, of course, but my son went with the "sudden death" for lunch...
...not appropriate for any time of day really. I will admit that this one did pretty much look as advertised...
...a package of delight, gift wrapped in bacon. I do like the checkered flag paper...
...as if to suggest this meal is for winners? Sure. The review, discussed over some blooming onion petals, was that it was salty. Maybe it just needed some maple cotton candy...
...followed by deep fried Oreos that this friend was willing to share...
...(Those grease spots on the bag?! Yikes!) Wash it down with some milk!
(Clutching that maple cotton candy for dear life)
Thanks cows!
Obligatory butter sculpture photo...
Thanks again cows!
We did draw the line somewhere...
...nope. We were off to see the Wizard...
...and flying monkeys...
...who I thought were flinging sand poo, but the kids pointed out they they were supposed to be apples from the tree. I am still not convinced.

Hope you are having a good week...
...and sharing your snacks!

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Randomosity

To begin, let me give you the glads...
...now I will show you the love...
...you see the heart in that lake "greenery", right? 

Now a reminder to show your felines some love...
...but make sure to follow the directions...
...and be sure to know what kind of cat you are dealing with.

Meanwhile, in the back yard, the birds are up to no good (and are obviously friends of the barn swallows)...
...just digging some holes to fluff themselves in. Dirt baths? Are you kidding me?!?! I clearly can't count on Amandequin to be an effective scarecrow...
...She's too busy feeding a woodpecker...AS ONE DOES! 

I think in this case, two out of three might actually be bad...

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Random intermission

I just remembered that it’s actually Wednesday, which may be a date late for random, but now we are closer to the weekend! Get yourself a treat to celebrate...live on the edge and try a s’more made with a peanut butter cup!

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Rehydrated random

Once again, I did not realize how many important photos I had stockpiled on my phone, so let's get right to it...
Hey Britain! Thanks for suggesting you have us covered...
...but are those what you consider "bigger boobs" over there? Or is that actually a photo of what your sorcery powers can make 38DD look like? What kind of voodoo magic are you practicing, or what is the median bra size in your country? I will just be here looking all stylish and versatile!
Seriously, this is just a simple exercise t-shirt I bought. I considered returning it, as it seemed unnecessary for my simple walking workout regime. However, when I went to check the price again,  and saw all I was getting for under $15, I ripped those tags right off! Stay tuned for my selfie! AND, if I need more inspiration, I can find my "daily dose of superhero"...
...in a ten mushroom blend? I have absolutely been looking in all of the wrong places! Speaking of things I wasn't looking for, and could have missed due to some great camouflage...
...just take a few seconds and let some captions for this come to you, then share them with me! Perhaps now you are feeling saucy?
Don't hate! My friends assured me it would be everything I hoped for. I am not too proud to admit that they were correct!

In closing, remember that time my idyllic vision of Mary Ingalls was sullied? 
Her blind eyes were less creepy than whatever is going on there. Anyway, I did not even want to consider what precious moment was going to be tarnished next. Aaaack!
This is not at all what "Don't you forget about me" meant to be remembered as! Hold me Kari!

Friday, July 19, 2019

My next guest needs some introduction

Did you ever try to explain something, and words just don't help to clear up any confusion? It's almost as if what seems like a simple path from point A to point B in your mind is a circuitous route to nowhere to other people. Eventually it just feels like...
...but, keep trying!
Here's where we begin the introduction. This is Amandequin...
...as you can see, she is super festive and patriotic. She gets a little nervous when people try to understand why she is here (see above). I can give you some key plot points of the story if you promise not to think too much or try too hard to have this make sense...to you.

Amandequin spent several eternally six year old years living with her dads just outside of Boston. Her sense of style and love for her brother Bruno (as well as her dads' sense of humor) could be seen in many a holiday greeting card...


...until last summer...
...on Cape Cod. With this being a new year and all, her dads thought maybe it was time for Amandequin to light up someone else's life for awhile. Enter my daughter and me. We were busy being pampered at Amandequin's house and I must have let my gaze linger too long in her direction. Her dads thought she was the muse I needed, the spark that might breathe some life back into this old blog of mine. And here we are! She really has gotten to work around this place.

She loves Lily (as well as her sweet hand me down clothes)...
...but sadly the feeling is far from mutual. Rescue dogs took more of an interest in her as they are more familiar with her plight.
So far the worst thing for this Red Sox girl has been how helpless she feels in a NY team home.
(You can see the shame in those eyes even though she won't turn her head.) For the most part, she is enjoying her new adventures, like knee boarding...
...and kayaking!

I let her start her own instagram account if you'd like to check out more!