Hurray for Hazel...

Hello friends and may I introduce you to my grand kitty, Hazel.  Along with Mickey, I have inherited her as another pet.  No, she does not have eyes like Max Scherzer, she is in fact blind in one eye.  Dane rescued her from a shrub on Hazel Street-hence her moniker.  She's slightly skittish, being feral and all, but she seems to be adjusting well, and I get a kick out her in the absence of Lola.

  I love all animals and in a perfect world I would own pigs, calf's, monkeys, ponies, goats, llamas, and many others.  We would live on a farm and I would have many hot, half nekkid farm helpers to feed and groom them.  I would pet, snuggle and love on 'em all without all the dirty work.  My idea of paradise!!

So I guess my question is this:  are you a cat lovin' person, a dog lovin' person, both, or neither?  And, have you ever had a favorite pet?  Let me know!

Have a wonderful week.  Can you  believe it's the last week of August already?  And a belated Happy 30th. Anniversary to our dear friends Lori and Ivan.  They celebrated last weekend with a lovely party, and I marvelled at how they are barely 50 and already at this milestone.  Stay in love my dear friends. xoxo

Black Widow...

Did you ever have a week that just flew by in a blur?  After arriving home and enduring the death of our precious Lola, surprisingly the world just kept turning.  It did not stop while I mourned anew. I had to buy cremora, pay bills, look after the yard, see my Little Sister, and plan to head up north for a family wedding and to rescue my Mom from her 2 weeks of dog sitting Mickey.  Events just keep happening no matter how much you'd like to stay in bed for a nap and a good read.

Tragically, people in the Detroit area cleaned up from the massive flood.  Tearfully they put their belongings on the curb and prayed for a way to replace the things that they lost.  Sister in law, Cheryl completed 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen cancer walk. The training she did was intense and she stayed focused.  Hooray Girl, you did it again and we are so proud of you!  National Coney Island and shopping for my Little Sister's school supplies took up most of a Wednesday afternoon and I muddled thru knowing that a nap would come later.  Cousin Kristie and her man Kevin wrapped up plans for their wedding and on Saturday it all came together in a lovely celebration..  It was a happy event although I couldn't help but blink back tears thinking of how the time has past.  Their beaming smiles and faces full of love were so optimistic and I pray that they can stay that way. .

I fear for the future of all of us-mostly the inevitable.  Handling life's sorrows is so hard.  I'm not sure how anyone prepares for having the air knocked out of you.  No one can predict what might be waiting around the corner for any of us.  One rainfall, one phone call or one split second can change the color of how we view the world.  I look at everything differently now.  Happiness is a moving target with no guarantees.  Nothing is the same and  I have changed.  Baby's are being born and the circle of life continues relentlessly without skipping a beat.  I'm happy for those new parents while mourning the grandchildren I will never have.

I pray for the strength to continue without constant question.  Live for today.  Be good to yourself and others.  It's the only chance we have at living thru this thing called life.  xo

Lovesong...

                                                                           
                                                                 Lola Simone Tigerlilly
                                                              02-14-2005 to 08-10-2014
                                                                     Rest in Peace

                                                                 Mommy loves you. xo

End of the Road...

Yes, this week, I can be found at the 'end of the road'.  In the Keys of course.  I spent the day-hot as it was-in Key West.  Shopping and wandering and having a customary margarita at the Bull.  Okay, 2 margaritas!  Dig this old pic from back in the day with the old gang at Sloppy Joe's.

On Wednesday, the Florida lobster season officially opens.  We have flown down for a quick 9 days and plan to grab up as many of the sweet treats as possible.  It's been HOT, 103 degrees in Key West today and occasional rain, which makes it feel like an outdoor sauna.  But what can you expect in south Florida in August? 

This trip isn't about the weather or even the lobster.  For me, it's just a necessary change of scenery and routine that I hope will bust me out of the funk I have been feeling.  I realized a strange thing, tho.  I have been doing some MAJOR bed hopping.  Yep, bed hopping.   Let me 'splain.  Last Sunday night I crashed out at the beach house.  Monday night found me back home.  Tuesday, I took Mickey to my Mom's and spent the night in Ossineke.  Wednesday and Thursday I was home again.  On Friday night, I enjoyed a wonderful night's rest in Miami and then on Saturday, I was in the Keys.  Whew, I wake up in the morning not sure where I am and even worse, in the middle of the night I get completely confused!  Stubbed toes, spilled water bottles and bumping into wall as a result.  Keeps a girl totally off guard...

I'll catch up with y'all next week when I will have the 'lobster report' to share.  Wish me luck!  xo

LeFreak...

At the tail end of a perfectly wonderful weekend, I had to face some of my worst fears.  Really, right out of nowhere, I got the beJesus scared out of me.  Twice.  Do tell, Jodi?  Yes, I think I will!

A family weekend at the beach house started out innocently enough with barbequed ribs and bonfire.  Things got slightly dicey when the disco dancing took a turn for the worse and had some of us nearly and literally, 'Burn Baby Burn'(ing) as such gyrations got too close to the flames.  However, unscathed, we avoided third degree burns over 90% of our bodies..

A friends daughter's grad party found us dancing again on Saturday night at no less of a 'fevered' pitch.  Someone sat in, and broke a chair, but the fall seemed to be tempered by the effects of alcohol leaving said reveler intact.  The rain held off, and once again a good time was had by all.

So when does this weekend take a turn for the worse, you ask?  Well, on Sunday night a terrible thunderstorm moved in with high winds.  I do not mind snow or heat, but I HATE and am petrified of high wind.  I had visions of our little beach house being blown in the lake.  Blessedly, with a shaking Mickey by my side, things seemed to let up a little.  Later, as I'm walking to the kitchen, I spy a sugar snap pea on the floor under the bar where I had been eating them earlier.  As I stooped to pick up the pea, it MOVED in my hand.  Yes, the girl who doesn't mind spiders and snakes, but hates worms, has just palmed a giant, slimy slug!  It was unbelievable gross and most certainly deaf and comatose as I screamed and hurled it back down to the floor.  Randy rescued me and Mickey stopped shaking long enough to at least seem concerned.

High wind and worm-like things.  This calls for a large glass of wine and hope that I will not have a nightmare involving being blown into a slug filled garden-a most tortuous fate! 

As I drifted off to sleep, I kept repeating; unicorns, pink ponies, puppies and kitties, butterfly's, babies and cotton candy...bubbles..rainbows..etc.

What are your fears and phobias?  C'mon, fess up.  Inquiring minds want to know! xo

Stop Thinking About It...

I think most of us has a story of a 'celebrity' or 'personality'.  Well, I'm no different and with the death of Tommy Ramone last week, it's high time I trotted out this little nugget.

As I remember it, it was a sunny day in late fall.  You know the kind- cold but sunny with every breath smelling that crisp leaf smell.  The year was approximately 1999.  I was busy doing hair at a salon in Alpena.  The door blew open and I looked up from the desk to see a tall, skinny, black clad, sunglass wearing, long haired dude stroll in.  'Can I get a haircut'?  Absolutely I told him, and walked him back to the shampoo bowl.  He had to duck to clear the archway.  'Sorry my hair looks like hell, but I've been busy and haven't had time to get it cut'.  Not a problem-it's what I do.

 When I asked him what he had in mind, he told me to just go for it.  I gave him a trim and gobbed a massive amount of mousse in, before having him flip over for the blow dry.  I then teased and hairsprayed the hell out of this huge hair.  I whipped off his cape and he preened in the mirror and put his sunglasses back on.  Just then, the door opened again and three more black clad dudes walked in.  "What the hell is taking so long?"   "Dude, the hair rocks!" " Hey Joe, ask her if she wants to see the bus!"

As you can guess, I had cut and styled the hair of Joey Ramone.  No formal introductions were made but I was told they were heading to the U.P. for a special gig.  I pocketed a generous tip and told them to stop back if they were ever in the area again.

And that's it.  Oh, there may have been a vague offer about a hairdresser for the tour, but I don't remember who offered-Joey or me!  They walked out, got into their bus and I never saw them again.  But it was fun and I can say that I met the Ramones and had a very 'hands on' encounter with one.  R.I.P. Joey, Dee Dee,  Johnny and Tommy.  xo

 Also R.I.P to James Garner.  As Brett Maverick, I had a dizzying crush on him.  xo

Like a Rock...

Hello Darlings, from the 'Birthday Queen'.  Most of you know that I really do not find the day of my birth reason to throw a party, preferring to applaud my Mother for birthing me.  I did very little but enter the world and scream for food.  Birthdays are for kids.

However, many lovely peeps in my life insist on making me feel special.  Pictured above is friend and trainer extraordinaire, Tony, who just could not let my day pass.  He insisted that I wear a tiara and He and his lovely family, Jaime and Dexter showered me with gifts.  They were very thoughtful in their choices and proved just how very well they know me. 

Amongst the bounty o' the gift bag, there was an actual and official 'The Rock' doll! Only close and true friends know the depth of my love for Dwayne Johnson, a.k,a. 'The Rock'. Not only is he a sight for my sore, old eyes, but in interviews he comes across as a polite, intelligent and humorous dude.  Totally my type.  Sigh....

I've never been the sort that played much with dolls.  Oh yeah, I had the requisite  Barbie dolls and my mom made her the coolest outfits ever.  My Barbie was the envy of all my friends with her awesome wardrobe.  I, however, had barely the patience to dress her hard, sticky body and usually sent her off in her Kleenex box sports car, sporting high heels and sunglasses with a marabou tossed casually around her little neck. (an outfit, I, to this day envy!)  I have long since lost track of my Barbie's but my new Rock doll will take his place of extreme honor among my Ben Wallace bobble head and Hello Kitty figurines in my dressing room.

I really must thank Tony and Jaime for making me feel like a kid again, along with Randy, Rose, Kristin and my Mom.  Y'all are the best and so special to me.  Love from this old chick and Dwayne, The Rock, Johnson! xoxo

 

P.S. And if you ever want the best personal trainer ever, lookup Tony at T3 Training. He will kick your ass every time-and you will actually have fun doing it!  xoxo