Fun Fact...

 

This is mom's shirt that she gave me after mine wore out!!!

The first concert I ever went to was James Taylor. My mom took my sister and me, Girls Night!!!

When she asked if I wanted to go I said "yes" because I didn't want to be left out (hey, I was only 10 at the time).She asked if I knew any of his songs. I said "no" so she let me borrow her cassette tape (yep that long ago).

That summer Mom took my brother, my Nona, and me on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and Four Corners. So, the whole road trip I listened to my Walkman (I know I am really dating myself) and learned all the lyrics to the whole tape, both sides.

I still remember that night. My mom bought me a Brisk Iced Tea. I drank the whole thing and we had to leave close to the end because I needed to pee (so much so that I didn't hesitate to use the port-a-potty, which if you knew me would know I don't use public bathrooms if I can help it). Unfortunately, mom missed the encore he performed at the end because of me. Ever sense I have been very cautious with how much liquids I drink when I'm out so we don't miss out on anything because of me again.

James Taylor: Fire and Rain

I Don't Hold Grudges, I Remember Facts!

 What happened when the last crazy guy with questionable fashion sense went after those he thought were "poisoning the blood of the nation" and "the enemy within"?

Oh, Right!!!

Some Were Neighbors

This!!!

Camps

and This!!!

My grandfather was a medic in the Army during WWII. Fighting this fascist shit is in my DNA.

Don't tell me that I spent years being traumatized by studying the Holocaust and World War II in school with the idea that we would learn to never let it happen again, just to have it EFFING happen again! Please make sure we learn the lessons that cost so many lives. We can't say we didn't know what would happen because we have seen it already.

The Choice Is Easy

 Lately, I've been reelin', watching the nightly news

Don't seem to find the rhythm, just wanna sing the blues

Feels like a song that never stops

Feels like it's never gonna

Gotta get that fire, fire, back in my bones

Before my heart, heart turns into stone

So somebody please pass the megaphone

I'll shout it on the count o' three

One, two, three

Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I'm singin' to the sky

Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify

Oh, hear my prayer tonight, 'cause this is do or die

The time has come to make a choice

And I choose

Yeah, I choose joy

Let it move you (Move you, move you)

Yeah, back when I was younger, my eyes were full o' life

But now that I am older, I live at the speed o' light

Feels like the cycle never stops

Feels like it's never gonna

Gotta get that fire, fire back in my bones

Before my heart, heart turns into stone

So somebody please pass the megaphone

I'll shout it on the count o' three (Three)

One, two, three

Oh, hear my prayer tonight, I'm singin' to the sky

Give me strength to raise my voice, let me testify

Oh, hear my prayer tonight, 'cause this is do or die

The time has come to make a choice

And I choose

Yeah, I choose joy

Let it move you

Joy

Yeah, I choose joy

Let it move you (Move you, move you)

I need that joy, joy, joy, joy

Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay

I need that joy, joy, joy, joy

Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay, yeah

Joy

By: For King & Country

Honor

 Carl was so proud to serve in the United States Navy. He was a scrawny young man before enlisting and had to gorged himself on bananas to gain enough weight to pass the physical. He served on a guided missile destroyer during the Vietnam War.

That's My Dad!

Before I was born Carl was a volunteer firefighter. During most of my childhood he worked for Public Service/X-Cel Energy. He loved music. He loved taking his '55 Chevy Bel Air to car shows.

That's My Dad!!

When I was little he would carry me around the mall. He was always ready for a hug. When I was around 7 we went to Disneyland. We went on the log ride and I had the pleasure of sitting next to him. I learned a whole lot of cuss words (he was a sailor) very cleverly strewn together on the way down. I was laughing so hard at him that I forgot to be scared myself.

THAT'S MY DAD!!!

Last October Carl passed away. He was laid to rest in a military cemetery. My mom captured the moment I saw his tombstone for the first time.

I have been having a hard time coming up with the right words to convey how I was feeling. Thank you, Gus, for helping me find the right words.

P.S. My dad loved dogs and dogs loved him.

(Daddy, give Bear a hug for me!)

Fidgets

 Something weird about me, I fidget when I am stressed. I would crack my knuckles when I studied for school, which drove my mom absolutely nuts. So I started tippy tapping my fingers annoyingly, even annoying myself. Then I began clicking the back of the remote on off on off on off on off, and that explains why my Fire remote has a cover on it now.

I have found more productive ways to occupy my hands.

This is just a handful of the projects I have done in the past year and half.

Do you think that I might be a little stressed?

Do Something

Make America Normal Again

 I'm a 37 year old suburban, registered *Republican, white woman. And if Kamala Harris thinks I'll vote for her?!? Well, I already did.

*This will be the last election I will vote as a registered Republican. I would have changed my affiliation to Independent/Unaffiliated sooner, but I'm stubborn. I will see this election through as a Patriot.

Jamm'n Challenge!!!

Ah, summer. It comes every year.The birds chirping(not going to mention that crow). The smell of freshly mowed grass in the air. Mom chasing Thumps out of the garden(poor thing is sooo confused. She said not to eat the strawberries, now she is saying stay away from her lettuce and eat the strawberries). Itchy eyes, stuffy noses and all around itchiness from the strawberries on the counter. Guess it's time to make that jam we bought them for.

This is my little buddy.  He's so big because last spring he ate all of mom's newly planted strawberries.

Now comes the point that mom and I cant agree on which recipe to use. LIGHT BULB!!! We each make a recipe since there's more than enough strawberries, (that's what happens when mom tells me to pick out some strawberries since they were on sale, so I picked out 4 pounds)

Maybe I have been watching too many cop shows but man does this look like a murder scene.

I have helped mom out in the past but never all on my own. So here's what happened. After putting on some Jammin tunes for us to work to we got to work.

Mom's Jam

My Jam

Some how I ended up with over a jar less of jam than mom. Mine took half the time though. In the end we were both successful. Although I am fighting the urge to go and buy more strawberries for more jam!!!