sugarpie honeybunch

ooo baby baby

2010-09-14T06:24:00.002-04:00

While I recovered in the hospital, my daughter, Erin, was keeping a secret from me --she had just learned that she and her husband are having a second child! What wonderful life-affirming news to receive when I got home ..... and (oh, boy!) another grandchild to spoil!

In case you've missed me brag about this new baby's big brother, here's a little bit about my Benjamin.

do you believe in magic?

2010-09-06T06:02:00.009-04:00

My extended blog absence actually has very little to do with my usual long-term procrastination and laziness. In truth, I've been very sick and spent a week in the hospital (which included 3 days in ICU).

While I think my recovery has been good, I'm still not up to normal speed and it's a constant reminder of just how sick I was -- and it's also a reminder of just how lucky I am to have my family and their constant love and support throughout all of this.

What happened to me? Suffice to say that it was a conglomeration of my stubborness, my failing to read a situation correctly and two infections that weren't acting the way those infections are supposed to act -- if they had, it would have tipped me off that I had something more serious than the flu. As I understand it, I am lucky to be alive and even more lucky that I didn't lose the function of a kidney.

Because hearing aspects of what almost happened to me still upsets me, I know that I have a lot of mental processing to do before I know where to place this event in my life, both emotionally and mentally. I certainly feel more mortal than I ever have before ..... but I'm also now a survivor which can't help but make me feel at least a little powerful.

Do I believe in magic? You bet I do.

(I love the little dog above because he reminds me of my many, many shuffle-footed trips to the bathroom with my IV pole in tow and my butt unshamingly hanging out the back of my hospital gown. From the happy look on his face, though, he was definitely getting better meds than I was!)

everyday people

2010-07-29T15:31:00.009-04:00

When I planned for my eighth grade dance in the mid-sixties, I carefully selected my ensemble and lovingly crafted my coif. You can see the results in the top picture. No, really. That's me.

Of course when I looked in the mirror that June evening, I saw something very similar to Lauren Hutton in the picture below (from the October, 1967 issue of Seventeen). I saw blonde, tall, skinny, slinky, and so hip-that-it-made-your-teeth-hurt. Unfortunately, neither the camera (or anyone else) saw what I did.

It's obvious, though, that I thought I was the bee's knees and you'd think from the barely amused expression on my 13 year old face that I was at my wit's end due to being followed by the paparazzi all night long. (Nope, just one snapshot by Mom who loved me no matter how bad I looked, thank God)

i got you babe

2010-07-20T15:32:00.009-04:00

I would imagine that when this was recorded in 1965, neither of them could have possibly imagined that one day Cher would become an Oscar-winning actress and fashion-plate who would be headlining a solo show in Vegas when she was in her 60's .... or that Sonny would become mayor of Palm Springs, California, and then later a Republican in the United States House of Representatives.

I love watching them here when they were young and in love .... and their fabulous lives were still out there waiting for them.

psychotic reaction

2010-07-19T19:15:00.013-04:00

Our family has always taken Halloween a little more seriously than most so it's not surprising that at least one of our kids would enthusiastically sign up for Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights, which is a legendary Halloween institution around these parts.

Personally, I can't stand things that jump out at me so I don't attend very often but, of course, last year I had to go to witness my sweet baby girl shoot a machine gun at unsuspecting victims while dressed as Chucky, the evil and murderous doll from the movie "Child's Play." Makes a Mom proud.

I snapped a quick picture which isn't too good because of all of the fog they were pumping into the building -- but in case you did attend, I thought you might enjoy seeing the sweet face behind that scary, gun-wielding Chucky who no doubt made you shriek and walk a lot faster.

(And, yes, she has a part for this year, too!)

oh, pretty woman

2010-07-19T18:48:00.007-04:00

Because Yardley of London knew exactly who they were marketing to in the 60's, it's not surprising that so many of their commercials ended up airing during "The Monkees" tv show which ran from 1966 to 1968. I was a huge Monkee fan but my love for Yardley cosmetics way outlasted my love for Davy, Micky, Peter and Mike. Sorry, guys. I'm the fickle sort.

I recently came across these two old Yardley commercials from that time period -- they will give some of you a happy trip down memory lane and they will give some of you a little insight into what the hullaballoo was all about.

Note the British accents of the voice-overs and keep in mind that this was at the height of the so-called "British invasion." We were suckers for anything (and anyone) from across the Big Pond.

Enjoy!

gimme shelter

2010-07-08T09:41:00.005-04:00

In addition to all of my other unabashed eccentricities which I refuse to apologize for, I'm a huge fan of reality television. Yes, I know I should be above it. As someone with a degree in Broadcasting, I know that I should be typing the words "reality television" with the same revulsion I experience while typing the words "end-stage syphilis."

But from "American Idol" to "Hell's Kitchen" to even some seasons of "The Bachelor," trust me when I tell you that I love me some reality tv and I'm not the slightest bit ashamed of it.

There is one reality show that I have to admit I enjoy with just a tinge of self-loathing (which I truly believe only further enhances my enjoyment of it) and that's "Big Brother" which premieres it's 12th season tonight on CBS. In case you've been living under a rock for the last ten years, "Big Brother" consists of 14 (usually very attractive young) people moving into a studio that resembles a home where they conduct their completely secluded lives on camera 24/7 all summer ...... while plotting how to get rid of each other.

As in all reality tv, it's unpredictable. Some seasons it's a big snore and I quickly lose interest while other seasons I practically live on my computer monitoring "Big Brother" message boards for the latest news. My passion for any particular season is dependent on at least one of two things: 1) There must be someone I adore and/or 2) there must be someone I despise. If I can get both in one season, I'm in "Big Brother" heaven.

Anyway, I said all that to say all this: even though the show starts tonight, I may never mention it again. Or I may blog about it hourly until no one can stand me .... if you don't believe me, ask my best friend, Sharon, about my former Taylor Hicks obsession. It wasn't pretty.

she's a rainbow

2010-07-07T10:37:00.002-04:00

Dolly Face, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

Of all of my retro/vintage photos on Flickr, this is probably my very favorite -- partly because it's just a visually-interesting photo but also because it's part of an advertisement for a product I well remember trying: Yardley's Dolly Face Beauty Mask.

The masks came in 5 different colors and each color was designed to address a different skin problem -- I don't remember which color I purchased or what it was supposed to do but, apparently, I wasn't impressed because I never bought it again.

It's a great photo, though, isn't it?

P.S. For those who care about such things (and I do), Colleen Corby -- the most prolific American teenage model of the 60's -- is in the upper left hand corner.

american woman

2010-07-04T06:44:00.004-04:00

Flowers of 1776, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

Okay, so this isn't the most traditional Fourth of July commemorative you've ever seen -- but this ad is from the September 1975 issue of 'Teen magazine so it sure as heck works for this blog.

The Bicentennical back in 1976 was a pretty big deal for the country --as a 200th birthday should be -- and it reached into virtually every area of advertising life ..... and teenage cosmetics were no exception.

On July 4th, 1976 you could attend your neighborhood barbecue knowing (deep down inside) that you smell just like a 1776 American flower garden. (And if you were lucky, you might meet your very own Minuteman!)

Happy 4th of July!

(they call it) puppy love

2010-06-24T07:01:00.004-04:00

In 1960, I was in second grade and living in Dayton, Ohio when my Mom took me to see a brand new Disney movie called "Pollyanna," starring British child actress Hayley Mills. My childhood would never be the same.

I fell in love with Hayley the same fan-girly way little girls fall in love with Miley Cyrus today. This was eons before anyone had even dreamed of videotape so instead of watching her movies over and over and over again, I listened to the soundtrack recordings on my record player. I could -- and did (much to my family and friends' chagrin) -- recite huge amounts of dialogue at the drop of a hat. "The Parent Trap," "Summer Magic," "The Moon-Spinners," and "The Chalk Garden" -- I saw and loved them all.

One of my strongest memories about my Hayley obsession was repeatedly telling my Mom that if I ever had a daughter, I would name her "Hayley" because I loved the name -- and the actress -- so much.

Well, I did give birth to three daughters and their names are Erin, Megan, and Molly .... nary a Hayley in the bunch. Not my fault, though. With every pregnancy, the very first girl's name I suggested to my husband was "Hayley" and he simply could not be coerced into considering it. I dearly love the names we gave our daughters but it would not be a lie to say that I still have an itsy bitsy teensy weensy smidgen of disappointment that Hayley never made it into the line-up.

up, up and away

2010-06-23T06:20:00.002-04:00

While watching her perform these amazing aerial silks moves scares me more than just a little, I'm very proud of my daughter, Megan, for having the guts, the creativity and the drive to do it.

Megan also works full-time, is in the final stages of getting her MBA ...... and she made her costume, too!

it's nature's way

2010-06-09T10:12:00.001-04:00

Dear Mother Nature, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

I don' think that there is a female over the age of 13 who can't relate to this wonderful Kotex ad in the May, 1970 edition of Seventeen Magazine.

girls just want to have fun

2010-06-07T10:08:00.001-04:00

Retro Girly, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

This is a pink-centric mosaic I created with some of the hundreds of retro magazine ads I've uploaded to flickr.

you've really got a hold on me

2010-06-07T09:59:00.001-04:00

Grandma braggin' time. The t-shirt says it all: "Ladies Man"

respect

2010-06-06T08:38:00.020-04:00

In addition to June 6, 1994 being the day my son, Morgan, was born, it was also the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. At the time of his birth, we made sure to pick up some books and publications about the anniversary for him so that he would some day understand the significance that the date of his birth shared with world history.

Turns out I had a lot to learn about "understanding the significance" of that date as well .... and I don't kid myself that I will ever be able to fully comprehend it.

When Bob and I took our cruise last June, we were fortunate enough to spend a day in Normandy, France -- we visited both the landing beaches and the American cemetery. The photo at the top is a monument built on the sand of Omaha Beach. The writing at the top is in French with the English translation below:

The allied forces landing on this shore which they call Omaha Beach
liberate Europe -- June 6th, 1944

Our visit to the American cemetery was gut-wrenching. Grave after grave after grave with the same date of death -- June 6th, 1944 -- it taught me something about what the word "sacrifice" really means.

During our visit, I walked through much of the cemetery and whispered "thank you" to each gravesite I passed -- I felt completely overwhelmed by both the courage of those who died and the loss of humanity represented there.

sunshine superman

2010-06-06T07:23:00.013-04:00

It was 16 years ago today that my life was changed in ways I could not have possibly anticipated. I gave birth to a boy ......... and I was scared to death.

It wasn't that I didn't have parenting experience -- after all, I was a stepmom to one girl and had given birth to three others -- goodness knows I should be an expert on raising little girls. But because I'd never had a son -- heck, I'd never even had a brother -- this whole "boy" thing really threw me for a loop. What the heck do you do with them?

I needn't have worried, of course. After I adjusted to the difference in diaper changes, I found myself absolutely revelling in just how different he was from his sisters and just what a unique individual he is. Sixteen years later, I still feel the same way.

Happy Birthday, Morgan!

skinny legs and all

2010-06-05T16:11:00.003-04:00

Thermo-Jac, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

I used to think that the age of the uber-thin model began with Twiggy in the mid-sixties but when I came across this ad from the March 1961 issue of Seventeen, I realized I was waaay wrong.

Is it just me or are the waists on these ladies just impossibly small??

abc

2010-06-05T08:02:00.007-04:00

It was almost exactly one year ago today that our youngest daughter, Molly, graduated from high school -- it's a little late but I wanted to make sure that her accomplishment was acknowledged here.

Molly is currently going to a local community college and planning to both major in business AND ultimately become a hair stylist -- sounds like a great path for someone who wants to own her own salon(s)!

Mark my words: if Molly really sets her mind to it, there is nothing she can't do.

sugar, sugar

2010-06-04T09:29:00.005-04:00

Oh! de London 2, originally uploaded by sugarpie honeybunch.

Of course -- this blog being what it is -- I can't reminisce about a trip to London without tripping down a different memory lane with this ad from the November 1965 issue of Mademoiselle:

Oh! Pout! Oh! Fizzy Stuff! Oh! Silly Curls! Oh! Flutter of lashes!

Oh! de London!

What a sweet, simple time it was to be a young girl.

winchester cathedral

2010-06-04T08:40:00.008-04:00

In my effort to continue to update due to my inexcusable absence over the past year or two, these pictures show my hubby during our British Isles cruise almost a year ago -- it's how we celebrated our 30th anniversary (which I do consider a significant accomplishment for both of us!).

In the top picture, Bob is chowing down lunch at a pub in Belfast, Ireland (including the requisite pint of Guinness, of course!) and in the bottom photo, he's enjoying a cigar while lounging on the grass of beautiful Hyde Park in London.

We had a wonderful time. I'm fortunate enough to have been to England a number of times and there is always something about it that feels very "homey" and comfortable to me. I can't wait to go back.

light my fire

2010-05-30T07:25:00.019-04:00

When I was 13 years-old, I was a good little 60's teenybopper who knew her place .... most of the time. My concert experiences were innocent and few: I was in the audience when the The Monkees filmed their Phoenix, Arizona concert (I told you I moved a lot) for an episode of their TV series. During this time in my life, I also saw Sonny & Cher (whom I still adore) and another great band called The Association. Suffice to say that I was as innocent and naive as I could have possibly been.

Until The Lizard King came to town. If my Mom had harbored any clue as to just how un-innocent The Doors -- and their fans -- were, she never, ever would have dropped me and my girlfriend off at the Phoenix Coliseum that night. Of course, it was a night I will never forget.

It was the first time I encountered marijuana -- no, I didn't smoke it, silly -- I was a good girl, after all -- but the smoke hung thick in the air and it seemed like everyone around us was partaking.

Oddly enough, there didn't seem to be much security present -- no one was getting busted for drugs -- and I was able to walk right down to the stage and snap a couple of photos of Jim Morrison with my little Kodak Instamatic and no one said a word to me.

(In contrast, it was just a year or two later that Jim was arrested in Miami .... for exposing himself to the audience. I'm still wondering what effect that experience might have had on my only half-formed 13 year-old brain.)

While I was kneeling in front of the stage snapping the pictures, Jim actually looked down at me and our eyes met for just a moment. I don't think he actually saw me, though -- it was as if his eyes were looking somewhere deeper and far more exotic than my little mod-dressed baby-faced visage. At least I hope they were because, honey, I was anything but interesting.

The concert was wonderful and even though I (regrettably) didn't do a single thing that would have disappointed my parents, I still left feeling a teensy bit more grown-up than when I arrived.

Looking into the eyes of The Lizard King will do that to you.

leaving on a jet plane

2010-05-21T06:08:00.018-04:00

Back when I first met her, my best friend Sharon said to me, "You know, you're the only person I've ever known who really reads the TV Guide from front to back." It was an interesting observation and probably the first time I recognized that TV looms bigger in my life than most folks. Heck, I even have a 4-year college degree in it.

Maybe it was because we moved every two or three years and because I had no siblings, I was forced to spend an awful lot of time alone while I was growing up, but TV became very, very important to me. Still is -- if I'm home, it's on -- even though it's usually just noise in the background of my life.

Six years ago, I picked up the Fall Preview issue of the TV Guide (yes, I still read them front to back) and read about a new upcoming show called "Lost." The description absolutely intrigued me but I reminded myself not to get too excited. After all, there have been many shows in the past that didn't live up to the hype and several that did but didn't survive, anyway (Nowhere Man, for example). I warned myself not to fall in love too quickly.

Of course, I fell hard and I fell fast .... as did many others, thank goodness. No matter how brilliant (or not) the the last episode of "Lost" is on Sunday, I'll no doubt be watching with tears streaming down my cheeks. I've seen many TV shows come and go but this one is somehow different -- I will truly miss these characters. They're very real to me.

To everyone involved in creating "Lost" : Thanks for an incredible ride.

(And thanks to The Injustice League for the terrific farewell video!)

a horrible warning

2010-05-19T08:17:00.010-04:00

I usually title my posts with a song title from the past but for this post, I thought I'd use part of the wonderful Catherine Aird quote, "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning."

Today is my 29th month quit smoking anniversary ..... yay, me! But when the wonderful Quitnet website sends me monthly e-mails to remind me to celebrate my anniversaries, they always also include a statistical approximation of how much time I have added to my life span due to my quit.

I have been quit for almost two and a half years and so far -- according to their estimates -- I have added only 4 months, 14 days, and 18 hours to my life. Why so little? Because I was an idjit who smoked for 35 years ..... that's a helluva lot of damage to undo. Someone who has only smoked for 10 years is going to see their regained life span estimation explode compared to mine.

Now I know that the additional 4 months number is far from set in stone -- I could die tomorrow or I could live another 30 years -- but my hope is that there is some young smoker out there who reads this and decides to quit sooner rather than later so that they regain their expected life-span light-years faster than I do.

Let me serve as your horrible warning. Please.

sittin' on the dock of the bay (redux)

2010-05-17T07:06:00.008-04:00

Looking at the picture below made me all nostalgic for Middletown and that home, so I looked through some old photos and came upon this one my Dad took around 1968, right after we moved into the house. It must have been very low tide because the ocean easily covered those large rocks most of the time -- but the photo gives you some idea of how right on the water we were. I envy the lucky folks who live there now (unless it's still haunted, of course).

That's my afore-mentioned bedroom window on the upper right -- as you can see, it was cracked open because I loved the ocean sounds and breezes.

sittin' on the dock of the bay

2010-05-16T07:58:00.011-04:00

Another Esplanade shot, originally uploaded by G.E. Long.

I was absolutely thrilled to come across this photo in G.E. Long's flickr photostream.

See that little gray house on the far left? The very first house in the row of houses? The one closest to the camera?

It's in Middletown, Rhode Island and I lived in that house while I was a junior at Middletown High School many, many moons ago. Obviously, it was right on the shore and at night I would fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks right beneath my bedroom window. Although I appreciated how special that was at the time, I realize now that I didn't appreciate it half as much as I should have.

The photo was taken from Easton's Beach in nearby Newport .... it's better known as First Beach to the locals .... on an evening with an incredible sunset. What a breathtaking photograph!

I grew up in an Air Force family and it's an understatement to say that we moved a lot -- but of all of the places we lived, Middletown -- and the New England area -- remains my favorite. If my husband didn't hate cold weather so much, I would try to convince him to retire in that area.

One more interesting thing about that house: I'm convinced it was haunted. I'll have to tell you about that sometime.

to sir with love

2010-05-15T19:33:00.011-04:00

I unabashedly admit to spending literally hours and hours and hours poring over teen fashion magazines during the 60's and early 70's ... and it's probably not surprising that now that I collect them, I can vividly recall quite a few specific articles, fashion layouts and advertisements.

However, extremely few ads smack my recall button the way this two-page spread from the June 1968 issue of Glamour does. Of course, it's been well-established what a sucker I was for anything from Yardley, so it naturally follows that when I saw how flawless and exquisitely romantic Yardley nail polish made the model's hand appear, I ran out and bought the very same shade that she wore. I painted my nails and then placed my freshly-polished fingers right next to the model's in the ad and wondered why my pudgy little digits didn't look as flawless and exquisitely romantic as hers did.

Obviously, I had no knowledge of hand models. Or photo-retouching. Or air-brushing. I truly believed that virtually everything in the advertisement would look the same way in real-life. I mean, they wouldn't trick us, would they?

I'm ashamed to say I still struggle with that idea today.

I know I must have focused most of my attention on the hand-half of this ad because if I had spent anytime at all studying the young couple, I would have been enlightened about one bit of advertising chicanery: that is the worst fake mustache ever.

(I'm still in love with that red-stoned ring she's wearing)

wild thing

2010-05-11T10:03:00.004-04:00

You are looking at my eldest niece, Emma, and part of what she calls her "museum." Emma is the daughter of my baby sister (yes, I still think of her that way) Heather and her terrific husband, Steve. Emma has an achingly sweet little sister named Ellie.

I sometimes think that there is a very eccentric little old lady possessing Emma's adorable little person because she's so incredibly wise for her years. Mostly, though, I think she inherited boatloads of her rather eccentric grandfather's personality. Of course, it's a lot cuter on her than it was on him!

Heather often relates Emma's latest Emma-isms on her Facebook page here but I don't think she'll mind if I quote my favorite (so far) of her Emma stories here:

Emma is "selling" stuff to us for $1 everyday e.g. makers, lip gloss. She takes it back (but keeps the money). She says she's practicing to sell at the Farmer's Market. Her booth will be called "Emma & Ellie's Booth" and sell - mac n cheese, lemons, hot dogs & princess pencils. She said, "would you write that down for me so I don't forget? Thanks."

Mac 'n cheese and princess pencils? C'mon, that's marketing genius!

cherish

2010-05-09T09:59:00.012-04:00

This is me at the age of three with my Mom and my Dad's mother -- it is absolutely one of my favorite pictures.

It was about this time that my grandmother learned that she had leukemia and had only a few years to live. I was her only grandchild at the time and I've been told that one of the things that upset her the most about her prognosis was that she would pass away before I was old enough to have strong memories of her. To that end, she set out to spend a lot of time with me -- and spoiled me in every imaginable way -- and although she died when I was only five years old, I almost feel as though I had her for my entire childhood -- she made me feel that loved and cherished. Mission accomplished, Grandma!

One of my biggest regrets is that my younger sister, Heather, never had the opportunity to know our grandmother and be on the receiving end of her love and generosity of spirit.

My own Mom passed away in 1990 and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and miss her. If I started talking about all of the incredible and amazing things about her, I would be here for hours so let me sum it up this simply:

I'm eternally grateful that she was mine and I was hers.

Happy Mother's Day, ladies. I love you and miss you both.

bad bad leroy brown

2010-05-08T14:26:00.007-04:00

This is Elijah. He is what is commonly known as "teacup Persian," meaning that he was specially bred to be tiny ..... which he is. He weighs about 3 pounds soaking weight ... and he's soaking wet a lot more often than you'd think.

Given his genetics (and the frou-frou name we gave him), you might reasonably expect that Elijah lounges on satin pillows and prefers his fresh salmon served on a crystal platter -- that's certainly what we expected when we got him.

Instead, we have a fearless nighttime hunter who recently killed a squirrel that weighed more than he does. Elijah disappears about 7PM every night and doesn't reappear until early morning, damp with dew and covered in a huge variety of vegetable matter that has embedded itself in his thick, luxurious white coat. We consider ourselves quite lucky if he hasn't brought home a freshly-killed animal.

Eli (which is what we call him now that we realize how horribly inappropriate the name Elijah is) isn't real concerned about personal hygiene -- and don't even think about approaching him with a brush -- so once or twice a year we have him professionally shaved just to get him good and clean. You can see the contrast in the above before-and-after pictures.

I tell you, though, Eli has taught me a lot about self-image and the way we perceive ourselves. When we look at him, we see an ultra-prissy-looking white Persian with a snooty expression who looks like he wouldn't lower himself to chase a mouse.

But when Eli thinks of himself, he sees a lion -- and the truth is, he's more right than we are.

love child

2010-05-07T09:48:00.008-04:00

Of course, the 60's and 70's were the height of the hippie movement and as anti-conventional, anti-establishment, anti-commercial and anti-anything-phony as the hippies were, the trappings of their culture still seeped into the advertising of the time as this ad from the March 1971 issue of Mademoiselle illustrates. Part of the ad copy says, "Be a blonde Pocahontas or a gypsy moonchild." Really, all you need is "Age of Aquarius" playing in the background.

It is doubtful that many true commune-living hippie-type women would lower themselves to do something as superficial as bleach their hair, so this ad is clearly directed at women who loved the cool and unconventional attributes of the hippie "look" while still being able to be a faux blonde, paint their lips with Yardley Slickers and shave their armpits.

Lest anyone think I'm being cynical or unkind let me make this perfectly clear: I was one of those women (which is probably why I love this ad so much)!

bad blood

2010-05-07T06:58:00.009-04:00

Although they certainly aren't babies anymore, I'd like to introduce you to my other two grandsons: that's Justin on the left and Jeremy on the right -- they're the offspring of my oldest daughter, Caitlin, and her husband, Dave. The squirrelburger sitting between Justin and Jeremy is my son, Morgan, who -- believe it or not -- is their Uncle even though he is younger than both of them.

Because they are normal teenage boys, it's very hard to get a photo of them in which they aren't exuding "attitude" but don't let them fool you -- you won't find three more pleasant or well-mannered young men anywhere. I'm so proud to have all three of them in my family.

you light up my life

2010-05-05T10:25:00.009-04:00

Further updating, perhaps the most significant news of the past two years is related to this post from January, 2008.

Meet Mr. Benjamin Tate Campbell, my third grandson, born August 31, 2008 to my daughter, Erin, and her husband, Lee. Grandchildren are amazing -- it's as if they open up a whole new compartment in the heart and fill it with a different kind of love than you've ever experienced before.

Ben is the spitting image of his Dad and has the considerable brain power of both of his parents -- in fact, he may even be a little too smart for his own good. And I absolutely adore him.

you keep me hangin' on

2010-05-04T16:54:00.006-04:00

I should be embarrassed to admit that I've spent a considerable amount of time pondering this 7up advertisement from the September 1962 issue of Seventeen magazine.

Clearly, the girls are all in a dorm and they're waiting in line to use the communal telephone (thank goodness that by the time I hit college, each room had it's own phone!) Now three of them are apparently sipping on bottles of 7up and the tag line implies that if they just polish off those bottles that they'll not only suddenly be as "brightened" and "fresh" -- and well-groomed and well-dressed! -- as the girl who is currently hogging the phone.

My question is when does this transformation happen ........because the girl in the yellow sweater is next in line and it doesn't seem to be close to working for her yet. And where did the girl in the blue dress stash her empty 7up bottle? I don't even want to go there ......

stayin' alive

2010-05-03T16:59:00.014-04:00

I know that at one time I had a number of people following my quit-smoking journey and I know that many of them were traveling the same road. I hope that we all ended up in the same happy place.

I'm immensely proud to be able to say that I still have not had a single cigarette since December 19th, 2007 -- 29 months! For a 35-year smoker, that's an accomplishment. I only wish I had done it much, much sooner.

I'm a bit of a rare animal in that I successfully quit on my very first try -- I had to, you see -- I know me and I know that a quit attempt that resulted in failure might mean that I'd never even try again. Having said that, I'm far from cocky. I know that in order to maintain my smobriety I must never, ever have that first puff. As long as I don't do that, I'm home free.

too much heaven

2010-05-03T11:11:00.013-04:00

So .... where were we before I so rudely disappeared?

I had just announced that, Megan, my 3rd oldest daughter had just become engaged .... and then I promptly evaporated into thin air. Life has gone on in the interim and I plan on (eventually) bringing everyone back up to speed. But let's start where we left off .....

Megan and Hunter were married on February 21, 2009 and it was a breathtakingly beautiful event for all -- it was held at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando and rich, jewel-like colors dominated the color scheme. We are so happy to have Hunter in the family!

love can make you happy

2008-03-24T07:05:00.005-04:00

If you look closely at Meg's hand in the photo above, you'll see a beautiful brand spankin' new engagement ring on her finger! At our wonderful Easter brunch at The Peabody Hotel
yesterday, Hunter proposed to Megan and she tearfully accepted -- it was a joy-filled moment for the whole family. No date has been set yet.

We like Hunter a great deal and are so pleased and proud that our daughters have done such a good job in selecting their husbands.

chantix: another month bites the dust

2008-03-19T07:04:00.005-04:00

Family obligations have kept me a bit busy lately but my narcissism will permit me to pop in and pat myself on the back in recognition of my third month quit-smoking anniversary. If only the first weeks had flown by as breezily as the months do now.

I've actually finished my required 3 month Chantix run, however, my doctor told me that studies show that hard-core long-term heavy smokers (like me) have a better success rate staying on Chantix for 6 months. I'm not going to argue with what obviously seems to be working.

All along I've said that I don't have any of the negative side effects that so many folks seem to experience. Granted, I have about 5 minutes of nausea if I take my morning Chantix on an empty stomach and some of the worst gas I've ever had in my life ..... but otherwise I've pretty much sailed through. However, I'm actually starting to re-think some of that.

As a life-long dieter, I'm familiar with hunger -- I'm quite certain that I've experienced it in all of it's possible permutations. There's one type of hunger -- a grinding, gut-churning hunger -- that I hadn't experienced often but I paid attention to it when I did -- I always felt that it was my body's way of telling me, "I'm not screwing with you: eat something now." I actually call this type of hunger "core hunger" because it seems to go beyond the routine "Is it time for dinner yet?" hunger I experience daily while on a diet. It's extremely uncomfortable and makes me feel very antsy.

Ever since I quit smoking, I've been experiencing that type of hunger on a daily basis. At first, I attributed it to my quit -- the body adjusting, the addiction demanding attention, the brain demanding a distraction -- and I either gave into it or fought it. I kept telling myself it would get easier. But I'm three months into this and I'm still experiencing this extreme hunger on a daily basis -- even when I haven't been dieting strenuously -- and I'm starting to wonder if it doesn't have something to do with the Chantix. We know it affects the digestive system -- perhaps it creates just enough havoc in my stomach that regular hunger feels like "core hunger?"

Either way, it makes no difference. I'm in this for the long-haul, hunger or not.

my guy(s)

2008-03-01T07:11:00.002-05:00

My son, Morgan, had his first heady taste of the limelight last night -- he was prisoner John in his middle school's production of "The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree." Here he is with his proud Dad. Arrrrr, matey!

i hear a symphony

2008-02-20T15:32:00.002-05:00

I look forward to American Idol every year even though it's largely a crap-shoot for me. If I get into the current season, I get really, really into it (bordering on obsession). If I don't get into it, I could truly care less about who wins and that's always a disappointment to me.

I think that this year is going to be in the former category since I'm already half in love with 17-year-old David Archuleta and I haven't even seen the Top 12 women perform yet. This kid is an incredibly talented seasoned performer AND an awkward teenage manchild and the combination is charming beyond belief.

happy anniversary to me

2008-02-19T06:20:00.007-05:00

I'm a member of the great quit-smoking community QuitNet and this morning they sent me a happy reminder that it was two months ago today that I quit smoking. I plan to celebrate my "smobriety" today.

I can vividly recall that first week, when each hour felt like a full day and I couldn't begin to imagine being two months into it. One sign of progress in this very long process is that my not-smoking time goes by much more quickly now -- I know that I'll be at three months smoke-free before I know it.

One small additional achievement for me is the weight issue. I've battled a weight problem all of my life and having recently lost 30 pounds (with 10 more to go to my goal), I was scared to death that I would gain it all back when I quit smoking. Since I quit on December 19th when the house was full of Christmas goodies, I did initially gain 10 pounds (yikes!) but I've already managed to lose 5 of that. I'm anxious to lose 5 more so I can just concentrate on maintaining until my smobriety is easy enough that I feel up to tackling the final 10 pounds.

A nice thought: I weigh 25 pounds less than I did a year ago today AND I'm a non-smoker as well. That feels good.

all you need is love

2008-02-14T07:04:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

good golly miss molly

2008-02-08T06:59:00.006-05:00

My youngest daughter turns 17 today -- when she left for school this morning, she discovered that her friends had snuck over during the night and decorated the car for her!

This age milestone means it's just one year before she takes her first fledgling steps out into The Big World.

Molly is a force of nature. She's smart, passionate, stubborn, tenacious and beautiful -- there isn't anything she can't accomplish once she sets her mind to it. I hope The Big World can handle her.

Happy Birthday, Mollster!

blowin' in the wind

2008-02-06T05:44:00.000-05:00

When I made my daily check-in on the Chantix GetQuit website this morning, this is what was waiting for me! Woo hoo! Those who know what a deeply-entrenched cigarette-loving smoker I was will understand what an accomplishment this is. I truly believed that I would smoke until the end of my life (even if smoking hastened the end).

During the extremely early days of "my quit," I watched the very clever "Welcome Aboard, Chantix Users" over and over again created by the very clever Stan. It lightened my mood and reinforced my goals. I've also enjoyed all three episodes (so far) of Meg & Brent Quit Smoking. As their struggles testify, quitting with Chantix ain't easy ..... it's just easier.

There's been much in the media lately about some Chantix users suffering severe psychological problems. Just as some people are allergic to penicillin, I don't doubt that there are some people who should not take Chantix. Speaking solely for myself, I'm doing fine and any anxiety I feel (and I'm anxiety-prone to begin with) I attribute to this dramatic lifestyle change and not the medication itself.

kabuki colors

2008-01-30T15:14:00.000-05:00

Both of these ads are from the same 1959 issue of Mademoiselle. Although they're both for different products from different companies, they both use the Asian term "kabuki" to describe the bright colors of their respective products.

I thought this was rather interesting so I did a quick search on Wiki and learned that kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. I'm guessing that the Coro jewelry company and Merle Norman are using the term "kabuki" to compare their colors to the bright stage make-up used in traditional kabuki performances. Odd nonetheless.

While I don't see much of a connection between Kabuki theatre and Coro pearls, I think the ad is brilliant. I want a strand in every color!

chantix dreamin'

2008-01-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

This not-smoking thing is a very convoluted process. According to the experts, I am waaaayy past physical withdrawal from nicotine -- that's over after the first 72 hours. What I'm still struggling with on a day-to-day basis is the psychological addiction which is a different animal altogether. It's gettting easier but it's still not easy. I rarely actually crave a cigarette anymore -- instead, there's just kind of a constant vague low-grade anxiety and the feeling that something's just not quite right. I'll gladly take that over the near-panic I experienced the first couple of days. I can't imagine how much worse this would be without Chantix.

It will be 40 days tomorrow. I'm even impressing myself. :)

baby love

2008-01-24T15:04:00.000-05:00

You see the little arrow in the picture above? Do you see the little gray blob it's pointing toward? That's my grandbaby! Yes, Erin and Lee have announced that they're expecting their first child in September!

This might be the appropriate time to be pensive, introspective and contemplate the circle of life -- after all, my senior years are approaching just as this new life is beginning ........

Naw. I think I'll just go out and buy a whole bunch of cute baby stuff instead. :)

can't you hear my heartbeat

2008-01-17T07:20:00.001-05:00

Bellasugar.com has long been included in my links so I was thrilled when they asked if they could use some of my flickr 60's cosmetics magazine ads in a slideshow presentation on their site. I almost feel hip! Thanks, Bella!

pretty woman

2008-01-17T06:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know that anyone defines the 60's better than Twiggy. Just look at that face. I vividly recall pulling my long hair back and pinning it up and if I twisted and turned and stood just so while looking in the mirror, I could sorta maybe kinda see what I looked like with the short Twiggy cut.

Of course, the amount of time I spent doing that pales in comparison to the amount of time I spent with brown Maybelline cake eyeliner and an eyeliner brush creating arc-shaped creases in the hollow of my eyes and painting teeny tiny little lower eyelashes beneath my real ones. Truth is, I still love this look and would wear it again in a hearbeat if it came back in style (and if I were 20 years younger ........ ).

Twiggy, of course, is still beautiful ..... and still skinny.

shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen

2008-01-16T04:43:00.000-05:00

This ad for Cairol's Great Body Conditioning Shampoo created all kinds of frustration for me during my high school years. I had long poker-straight hair and became completely obsessed with achieving this hairstyle in which only the very ends of the hair were curly. Mind you, this was before hot rollers and curling irons were in vogue and the only hair dryers we had came with a bonnet and a long plastic hose.

Not comprehending that there was probably at least one highly-paid hair stylist on this photo shoot whose job was to lovingly create and carefully position each curl in between every shot, I spent hours trying to duplicate this look and never came close. I even tried a bottle of Clairol's Great Body Conditioning Shampoo. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

Eventually I gave up and returned to my old stand-by for giving my limp hair some life: pulling my slightly damp hair into a ponytail on the top of my head and rolling it on an empty orange juice concentrate can before hitting the sack. As any formerly long-haired 60's girl will tell you, it worked!

ice ice baby

2008-01-15T04:39:00.000-05:00

It was 4 weeks ago today that I smoked my last cigarette. For decades cigarettes were my constant companion. If I was leaving the house, I made sure I had a pack with me. If I was going to another room for an extended period of time, I made sure I had a pack with me. If I was going out of town, I made sure that I had a lot of packs with me.

Meet my new constant companion: Dentyne Ice Arctic Chill sugarless gum. These days you'll rarely find me without a piece in my mouth or a couple of packs in my pocket. I can't say that I enjoy feeling so gum-dependent but it sure beats my previous addiction. As John Lennon said: whatever gets you through the night is alright ........

just like romeo and juliet

2008-01-14T05:30:00.000-05:00

This ad from the November 1969 issue of "Seventeen" gives me all kinds of pleasant memories. It depicts two things that were near and dear to my romantic adolescent heart at the time: my beloved Yardley cosmetics and Franco Zeffirelli's incredible 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet."

"Romeo and Juliet" remains one of my favorite films of all time and former Juliet Olivia Hussey is still gorgeous!

happy together

2008-01-13T11:22:00.000-05:00

My beautiful daughter, Erin, on her wedding day: November 17, 2007

All my girls. From the left: my stepdaughter Caitlin, my daughter Megan, Erin, Erin's best friend Brooke and my daughter Molly.

Erin and Lee, the couple of the moment at their wedding reception.

It was an amazing day and photographs could never come close to representing the beauty and the emotion of the day. I hope that Erin and Lee cherish the memory forever. I know I will.

hang on sloopy

2008-01-11T05:54:00.001-05:00

24 days. Amazing. I know it's just a drop in the bucket of the rest-of-my-life as a non-smoker, but I never, ever would have dreamed that I could go 24 days without a cigarette -- I had a hard enough time going 24 minutes without one!

There are no miracle fixes .... this is outrageously hard work .... but there isn't a doubt in my mind that Chantix has made this much easier than it would have been otherwise. I have had a disturbing smoker's hack for years and years and it's almost gone now. I still get significantly strong urges to smoke but they're usually in connection with some activity I used to associate with smoking -- and I had many -- but they're gradually diminishing.

No, I don't own any stock in Pfizer, but I just can't recommend this product enough. Believe me, if it's working for me, it can work for anybody.

sexy sadie

2007-12-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

Meet the newest addition to our family: a big fluffy bundle of boundless energy we have decided to call "Sadie." She's a Golden Retriever puppy and we surprised Molly and Morgan with her on Christmas morning -- they've both wanted a Golden Retriever for years! They're both getting a speed course on puppy care and training and I think they're starting to realize why we didn't do this way back when they were little kidlets.

(Yes, I'm still smoke-free: 9 days)

Chantix or (not) smokin' in the boys room

2007-12-23T07:57:00.000-05:00

I've been hesitant to blog about this simply because I feel it's so tenuous -- like a baby bird making it's first attempts at flight. For the first time in my life, I'm trying to quit smoking and I'm doing it with the help of the relatively new smoking cessation drug Chantix. Having never given quitting a good effort before, I wasn't sure just how effective this drug is in curbing cravings. However, I've noticed that an hour or so before my next dose, my nicotine cravings have become more demanding. Most of all, if you'd told me a month ago that I could go without a cigarette for 4 days, I would have told you that you were out of your gourd so I know Chantix is helping significantly. Having said that, I will add that this is one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do.

Will I make it? I don't know. I know that, statistically, the number of long-time smokers who quit on their first try are about nil ..... but I still hope to be amongst them.

maggie meggie

2007-11-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

I suspect that my children insist on having birthdays only to keep me feeling old. Today is Megan's 24th birthday. Meg has spent a lot of time with us in the last couple of months and I'm so very grateful for that. She's one of my very best friends and I could not be more proud of her: smart, energetic, resourceful, beautiful, kind, compassionate and simply one of the funniest people I have ever known. Happy birthday, Meggie!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T05:16:00.001-05:00

This is my grandfather, cutting a turkey in his kitchen in West Virginia sometime in the late 40's or early 50's. I suspect that he looks so stern because someone has snapped him wearing my grandmother's apron. Happy Turkey Day!

you've got a friend

2007-11-21T10:48:00.001-05:00

One last wedding-related photo -- I promise no more until Erin's wedding photographer gives us her photographs. This is my near-life-long best friend, Sharon, as my Maid of Honor at my wedding. Gorgeous, no? Many, many years later we're still best buds, confidantes and frequent partners in crime. In fact, we're going to New York City in a couple of weeks to see what kind of trouble we can stir up there. I consider Sharon to be the keeper of parts of my personality that only emerge when I'm with her -- she takes good care of them.

the good, the bad and the ugly

2007-11-19T08:45:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving-themed fashion ad appeared in the November 1967 issue of Seventeen magazine. I'm loving the dress, the stockings, the hair, the shoes and the colors .... those forked turkeys are a tad scary, though.

there's a kind of hush

2007-11-19T04:22:00.001-05:00

The wedding is over and it was beautiful! Since we had a professional photographer and videographer, the only photo I snapped myself was this one of Emma, my niece and Erin's flower girl, taking a nap amidst all of the hustle and bustle of the bride and bridesmaids getting dressed for the ceremony. The nap was an absolute necessity since she spent rest of the day expending a great deal of energy charming everyone who crossed her path.

darling, you send me

2007-11-12T07:49:00.001-05:00

Continuing my stroll down the nuptials memory lane, this is my baby sister, Heather, and her hubby, Steve, at their wedding in New Orleans last December. It was truly one of the most memorable, unique and from-the-heart weddings I've ever attended -- as anyone who knows my sister will tell you, Heather knows how to do things in style. Heather and Steve's absolutely perfect little girl, Emma, will be Erin's flower girl.

you've made me so very happy

2007-11-10T06:36:00.000-05:00

Since I'm all sentimental about weddings, I guess I'll go ahead and post this photo from mine. That's my wonderful husband and me on our day almost 29 years ago. Four kids (and a wonderful stepdaughter) later, we're still going strong. A piece of fabric from my wedding dress has been sewn into Erin's dress -- I'm happy she's a sentimental fool like her old lady.

chantilly lace

2007-11-09T17:35:00.001-05:00

I was thrilled to come across this Chantilly ad in the May 1965 issue of "Mademoiselle" since Erin's wedding is now only one week from tomorrow. Yikes!

baby now that i've found you

2007-11-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

All this wedding talk and I realized that I haven't introduced the couple of the moment! This is my daughter, Erin, and her fiance, Lee. After seeing so many parents coping with the marriage of a child to someone they don't like, we feel very blessed. We like Lee a great deal and wholeheartedly believe that he will do everything within his power to make Erin happy.

i got you babe

2007-11-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

I've obviously got weddings on the brain (and with good reason) so I thought I'd share this photo of my gorgeous parents on their wedding day in 1952. It captures their personalities so beautifully -- especially my mother's playful nature. Their marriage didn't last but I'm grateful for this image that reminds me how much in love they once were.

chapel of love

2007-11-07T07:14:00.001-05:00

I think today's bride would recoil in horror at the mere sight of this wedding ensemble from 1971. In truth, there were probably a lot of brides in 1971 who didn't like it much, either.

While I don't much care for the dress or scarf, I do relate to the mindset of the designer: simple, uncomplicated and modest -- an offset of the "hippie" trend at the time. This wedding would have taken place on a farm or a beach, food and decorations would have been made by friends and family.

My wedding wasn't quite this down-home but it resembled this far more than the wedding my daughter will be having. Don't misunderstand me: I'm thrilled with Erin's choices and I'm happy that she's doing it her way. But as they used to say, different strokes for different folks.

wedding bell blues oranges

2007-11-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

I got married in my groom's home with about twenty people present. Our wedding budget was probably about $150. Suffice to say that I don't know nothin' about planning weddings. When Erin got engaged, we hired a wedding planner, a florist, and a caterer because we were hoping that most aspects of the wedding would be handled by them. Boy, was I kidding myself. While they are ALL doing their jobs (and appear to be doing them very well), I wasn't aware of just how many miscellanious details would still fall to us. Erin has taken on the lion's share of them but our bedroom is gradually starting to resemble a storehouse for an autumn decorating wholesaler.
These are just a few of the 50 bottles of orange sparkling water for our guests who are staying in hotel rooms. They'll be part of a larger basket of orange-themed novelties -- everything from bath bombs to orange scones. We went with the orange theme because of our Florida location and because the color fits in well with Erin's autumn color theme. One and a half weeks to go!

ooh child

2007-11-05T06:24:00.001-05:00

This is the kind of magazine ad that would have had me scraping all of my hard-earned babysitting funds together and running to the drug store as fast as possible. I don't specifically recall them but I can just about guarantee you that I had some of these eyeshadows -- this was precisely the type of advertisement that got to me every single time.

What was it about Yardley ads in the 60's that made their products so appealing? Was it the whimsical, sweet, and innocent image they offered? Is it because they weren't suggesting that we become vampy red-fingernailed femme fatales -- just a prettier -- and non-threatening -- version of who we already were?

what i'm playing right now

2007-11-02T18:42:00.000-04:00

My first introduction to casual gaming was the original release of Luxor. It literally took me about a month of frequent playing to complete it but I loved the challenge and the look and feel of the game. It's probably not much of a surprise that I was beyond thrilled when the third edition was recently released and I'm thoroughly enjoying grabbing some time to play between wedding planning and supervising my retired husband.

build me up, buttercup

2007-11-02T09:54:00.001-04:00

This ad for Tangee lipstick and nail polish appeared in the September 1967 issue of "Seventeen" magazine. Of course, this was back in the days when "Seventeen" measured a whopping 13"X10" and didn't even comfortably fit on a teenage girl's lap so everything in the magazine seemed larger than life.

We have two wonderful elements from 60's advertising here: one, the eye-popping color and two, quintessential teenage model Colleen Corby (on the left). Any 60's girl will remember her in a heartbeat. Just looking at this ad gives me psychedelic-tinged warm fuzzies and makes me want to listen to something by Tommy James and the Shondells.

she used to be my girl

2007-11-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

Now that Halloween is past us, we're speeding straight into my second oldest daughter's wedding a little over two weeks from now. I'm approaching the date with a mixture of happiness (she's marrying a wonderful guy) and a touch of sadness (how did she grow up so fast?). I recall my mother expressing the same feelings when I got married. Life really is a circle, isn't it? The chocolate truffles above were part of her lovely bridal shower a month or so ago and the photograph below it is of ALL my girls -- from the left: Erin (the bride), Caitlin, Molly and Megan. Is it any wonder that I'm partial to pink?

transformers! more than meets the eye

2007-11-01T06:15:00.000-04:00

My brilliant son, Morgan, created this kick-butt "Transformers" Halloween costume with the help of his equally brilliant older sister, Megan. The top picture shows him in robot mode and the bottom picture shows him after he "transforms" into a jeep (with working headlights!). Our family has always taken Halloween very, very seriously and this year was obviously no exception.

happy halloween

2007-10-31T05:53:00.000-04:00

Oh, how I adore Halloween! This photo was taken at my Halloween party in 1964 during a rolicking game of Bite the Apple. That's my Dad grinning in the background -- I think he had almost as much fun as us kids.

hey there, georgy girl

2007-10-30T19:41:00.000-04:00

My daughter, Molly, decided to dress up as a 60's girl for her high school's "Decades Day." I was more than a little enthusiastic about that, of course, and even pulled out my vintage "George for President" Beatles button and let her grace her lips with my treasured straight-from-the-60's Yardley Slicker Frosted Lip Polish. I don't know who enjoyed it more .... her or me.

not witchy women

2007-10-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

This photograph is on a postcard that is stuck in a corner of my bedroom mirror all year long -- I love it that much. Like many, I've always assumed the elderly women were four models posing as witches. Seeing as Halloween is almost upon us, I wanted to learn a little more about the photograph and so I did some research. I couldn't have been more wrong. The photo is titled "Jacobean Tea." It was taken at The Hospital of Holy and Undivided Trinity at Castle Rising in Norfolk, England in 1929. The women reside there and are wearing Jacobean dress as they take their afternoon tea. I don't love the photo any less -- in fact, I love the fact that this is how they truly lived. And there is something so revealing in their expressions and posture - the sweetness of one, the wry sense of humor of another. It will remain stuck in a corner of my mirror for many years to come.

monster mash

2007-10-29T15:13:00.000-04:00

My daughter Megan and her boyfriend, Hunter, went to a downtown Halloween party this past weekend as Batman's foes Two-Face and Poison Ivy. Zap! Pow! Splat!

"sleeping beauty" done kid-style 1958

2007-10-22T14:54:00.000-04:00

As promised, I'm posting a photo of our kid-produced and kid-performed neighborhood version of "Sleeping Beauty." I'm in the pink dress and my Prince Charming is in the blue next to me (no, he didn't really kiss me when he woke me up .... yuck!). All in all, it was a pretty impressive effort on the part of a bunch of kids. Our parents got together and threw a big neighborhood barbeque post-performance and told us over and over again how wonderful we were.

what i'm playing right now

2007-10-22T08:07:00.000-04:00

I'm almost always in the middle of playing one casual game or another. For the unindoctrinated, a casual game is a game played on the computer. Unlike a lot of other computer games, though, they're generally very simple and fit well into my lifestyle --they don't require hours of continuous complex gameplay and they're easy to start and stop. I particularly like to play at the end of the day because I find that while they're somewhat mentally stimulating, they're also quite relaxing.

Right now I'm playing Diner Dash: Hometown Hero. You can learn more about current casual games at Gamezebo, a wonderful site that always has the latest news in casual gaming.

candy is dandy

2007-10-21T19:22:00.000-04:00

I've been dieting for almost six long abysmal months and have succeeded in losing 32 pounds. I would like to lose 12 more. Almost anyone who knows me would tell you that I can be a paragon of willpower when I want to be. But I'm only human and Halloween -- a day I love second only to Christmas -- is right around the corner. Now I could try to fight the holiday temptations and probably eventually succumb to a Reeses Cup or two pilfered from my son's treat bag and end up subjecting myself to all sorts of massive guilt. Or I could give myself permission to enjoy myself and promise to get right back on the bandwagon the next day. I've chosen the latter. Halloween night will find me curled up with a bag of Hershey's Kisses Candy Corn while enjoying the live six hour Ghost Hunters event at Waverly Hills Sanitorium. Woo hoo! More Halloween candy goodness at X-E

the sleeping beauty sheet

2007-10-14T20:20:00.001-04:00

One of the earliest pop culture influences on my life was the Disney film "Sleeping Beauty." I first saw it when I was five years old and somehow convinced all of the other kids in my South Carolina neighborhood that it would be real nifty if we put on our own "Sleeping Beauty" play for our parents. I was going to be "Sleeping Beauty," of course -- after all, the whole thing had been my idea -- and I needed a costume. So early one morning while my parents were still slumbering, I got into the linen closet and pulled out a sheet to create my costume. My mother caught me right after I had cut the sheet up and had started coloring it with crayons. She wasn't impressed .... or amused.
We did produce the play and it was a big hit with our parents. I've got pictures somewhere and I'll post them when I come across them.

happy birthday, mom

2007-10-11T15:37:00.000-04:00

My Mom passed away in 1990, and I will miss her every day of the rest of my life. Of all the many advantages I've had in life, I count scoring her as my mother at number one on the list. Mom, I hope I've made you half as proud of me as I have always been of you. Happy Birthday. I love you.