Summer time and the living is easy.....

I love Summer! I actually love every season for very specific reasons but here in Oregon we have a particularly short Summer, so I appreciate every day of it. While Summer officially began on June 21, here in Oregon one would never have thought that was true! We had a terribly rainy Spring. It was difficult to find a clear enough day to plant this Spring as the weather was so bad. The flowers and veggie starts in my garden were very unhappy but the slugs were delighted! I was a bit saddened to see my roses pelted day after day by the rain. I have about 12 very old rose bushes and this was the first June in 12 years that I could not make teacher bouquets.

There is a saying among Northwesterners that Summer begins here on July 5. I tend to believe that, but we did have a lovely weekend. It was the first weekend the public pools were open and fireworks went on sale as well. I have big plans to live every day this Summer to the fullest and we certainly kicked that off this past weekend.

I took Laura and her friend Lizzy to the Sellwood Pool. The weather was perfect. 82 degrees. The Sellwood Pool was built at the turn of the century and is gorgeous. The pool house has been lovingly restored and it is my favorite public pool in the city. They also have a Shaved Ice Cart so we stop and have a delicious treat afterward. So good!

The following day Laura started as a Girl Scout Program Aide at Oxbow Day Camp. She had many hours of training for this and loves every minute of working with the kids. Her camp counselor name is "Toast" and I must say she has the maddest style of any camp counselor around! She is working another camp in July and going away to Camp Cleawox in August and this makes me happy too. I know she is creating fantastic summer memories she will carry with her forever.

After Laura's first day at camp we went to Vancouver for dinner at Five Guys (I say they make a better burger than In and Out!) and then on to buy the good, Washington fireworks! Oregon sells the Safe and Sane kind only. (Shh!)

I will update you on the 4th of July extravaganza we are hosting next week! I am going to sign off now by saying: Welcome Summer! We have missed you so and will cherish every moment! XO


BEND low again night of Summer stars.
So near you are, sky of Summer stars.
So near, a long arm man can pick off stars.
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl.
So near you are Summer stars.
So near, strumming, strumming.
So lazy and hum-strumming.
-Carl Sandburg

Sisters-in-Heart

I have been blessed with the best friends in the universe! Friendship is very important to me and I have been inspired and touched by my wonderful friends. I could write many a blog devoted to each and every friend I have. I try to let my friends know how important they are to me on a regular basis. I would be bereft to lose any of them as they all play a unique and special role in my life. Some of these friends I have known since I was four years old, others are more recent but they are all dear to me. I like to say friends are like stars. You may not see them every night but you always know they are there! I truly believe my universe is full of bright, shining stars! I vow to be the best friend I can be and will try harder to let all of my friends know how much they mean to me!

As many of you know, I lost a dear friend in 2006. Daphne was Godmother to my daughter and I had a tattoo done in her honour. She called me her "Sister-in-Heart." Ours was a special friendship. We were very different and she was quite a bit older than I but our core values and interests were totally in line. Her influence in my life lives on through the great memories we created together and the things she taught me. I think of her daily and she is still with me in spirit.

Fast forward to June 2009. I met a woman named Adrienne at a mutual friend's party in California. She seemed to be a lovely and unique gal and we chatted about a mutual love:cupcakes! We became facebook "friends" and I soon noticed we had many similar interests and our posts were very simpatico. We were both happy and positive souls! She actually reached out to me first via e-mail. She shared that she found my posts inspiring and that she also would like my address as she liked to send what she termed "FUN MAIL." Soon the FUN MAIL started arriving! I really enjoyed the cards and sweet treasures she sent and soon I was doing the same for her! I had never met anyone so genuinely happy to receive my little found treasures in the mail! She was a joy to treasure hunt for! Many of the things I sent would be meaningless to anyone but her. We also started e-mailing and our friendship grew and deepened. I came to look forward to hearing from her, and her snail mail and e-mails are truly one of the highlights of my day! I love nicknames and I gave her one (I believe EVERYONE should have a nickname) S4. It stands for "Sparkling-Sweet- Sunshine-Star". She is all that and more! After many more months of corresponding our friendship grew to the point where I felt she was truly my "Sister-in-Heart."

I recently had the opportunity to visit with my Sister-in Heart, S4 in California. We spent the day in San Francisco. We mainly just talked and talked and I think I totally out- talked her which is one of my biggest vices! Iso enjoyed being with her. We were able to have a couple of cupcake toasts and jump for joy together which is what I really looked forward to doing! We are planning another visit in the next few months and I cannot wait! My Sister-in-Heart makes my heart sing!!!!!!

I love what Nathan Scott said about friendship: "It is hard when you miss people but if you miss someone that means you are lucky. It means you had someone special in your life. Someone worth missing." So true! I am one lucky gal! XO

BUNCO=FUNCO

Our lovely winner Dela! Laura filled in. Here she is with sweet Naomi and the one and only Cass!
The marvelous fountain of chocolate!

The beautiful Goddesses: Sarah, Robin and Dorit.

Beautiful, bodacious Tina has a real dice technique. She won some dough too!

Robin is excited to try the chocolate!

What gorgeous ladies! Stephanie, Dela and Tina.

Chocolate Fountains make me happy. Call me the crazy Bunco lady!

Last year my friend Stephanie asked me if I ever played Bunco and would I be interested in playing. I had never played and was not sure if I was interested. Truthfully I thought Bunco was for the blue-haired, chain smoking, Bingo parlor dames and I have never been good at card games. She explained it took no skill, only the ability to roll the dice. I insisted on a lesson and after we met for tea and a Bunco run-through I was a believer! It is super easy. The best part was I could co-hostess Bunco night! You see, I love to have parties. Any time, any place, I just like to have parties. My friend Robin has nicknamed me "Hostess" and I love trying to live up to that moniker! It was also up to me to be the Bunco recruiting mad woman! I was able to round up the greatest Bunco crew on earth! We share lots of laughs, good food, and try to win money! What could be a better than spendng the fourth Thursday of the month with a bunch of fun-loving goddesses? Most of these gals had never played and I think they joined to shut me up! I do not think they have any regrets though! We win real cash and cool prizes ( I make the gift bag) and it is easy peasy and fun. I admit, I usually have a few cocktails and forget which table I am supposed to be at so I rely on the sober, pregnant Bunco lady, Sweet Naomi for assistance! This month we were able to Bunco outside as the evening was lovely. I brought out the marvelous chocolate fountain and served cheese fondue. YUM!I won last month so I thought I was on a roll (I am coveting a pair of vintage, red cowgirl boots) but alas the lovely Dela won most of the moola. Win or lose it really does not matter because BUNCO=FUNCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting a new blog!

Today I decided to start my blog back up. I had one briefly last year but life became busy and I pushed the old blog aside. I want to write about things that bring me joy and happiness. My goal is to inspire others with positivity and creative thinking. In turn, I would like to connect with other like minded souls! Let the blogging begin my friends!