Change of Address Cards
A friend of mine moved to Stockton in February. She told me that she’d let me know when she was settled… but it has been a while since I’d heard from her. I sent an e-mail only to have it returned due to a full mailbox. When I tried her cell… it had been disconnected. I felt like I was the one that had been disconnected. I had no way of contacting her to find out if she was OK… until I received her change of address card in the mail. What a relief. In a quick note, all of my fears were settled. It included her address and new phone numbers.
We recently changed our post office box from Modesto to Ceres to make it more convenient to pick up the mail. Since everyone drives themselves to school now, I have no need to go to that part of town on a regular basis and the mail was not being picked up in a timely manner anymore. I wasn’t going to worry about send out cards… I figured I’d just wait till my Christmas cards go out and notify people that way. But… now I’m thinking, maybe I’ll send out a little “summer” greeting to say hello and let everyone know about the change.
High School Baseball
Everyone knows I’m a big sports fan… but I’m especially fond of high school sports. Actually… It’s the only real competition (other than a few college games) that I even care to watch anymore. It’s the personal connection. I didn’t care about college football until the day I saw Louis Bland (former CC Raider standout) on the screen. What a thrill. As time goes on, I hope to see more and more of “my boys” playing at the college level. In high school and college… it’s sport for the love of the game. No salaries, no contracts… just kids out giving their all and building character.
Today I was able to shoot (photograph) high school baseball. (Sidebar: I have to admit that it is NOT my favorite game to photograph… too difficult with the speed.) Coach Glines (see previous post) allowed me in the dugout to get a better view of the game. It’s always an honor to be in the game with him. Opportunities like that don’t come along every day so I take advantage when I have the chance. It was a lot of fun. Hearing the coaches and players cheering for the team… watching the organization and discipline required to be successful… and then celebration when they won. We even had a kid hit a grand slam to break the tied score. You can’t ask for more than that!
Eye Makeup Remover
I’m a big fan of the clump mascara. It’s a carryover from my high school days in the 80’s. (Yes… Tammy Faye.) I am not, however, a fan of taking it off. I NEVER wear waterproof mascara just for that reason. (I’d rather have it run down my face a funeral than to rip out my eyelashes later trying to get it off.) I’ve come across a new product that I really love. It’s Clinique’s Naturally Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. (Hmm… maybe I’ll start a Favorite Things blog like Oprah!)
This stuff is really terrific. It’s creamy, feels great and gets rid of all the crud. It doesn’t sting when it gets into your eye and washes away very easily.
Moms’ Dinner
Once a month (or pretty close to it) I have dinner with 3 friends that I met when Sierra was in first grade at St. Stanislaus School. These ladies also had daughters in Sierra’s class and we’ve stayed good friends since that time. When the girls were in 2nd grade (I think) we started going to dinner once a month… just the moms… and we’ve been going strong ever since. There used to be 6 of us, but over the years we’ve lost a couple participants… but for the 4 of us… for 12 + years… we’ve held on, made the commitment … and kept it going.
In the early days… we’d meet (usually on a Friday night) around 6:00 or so and stay until way after midnight… just chatting away. We’ve even been asked to leave a couple of times. We were oblivious that it was almost 1:00 am and we were the only customers left. Sometimes we wait for a long time for a table, and sometimes we’re seated immediately, but it doesn’t matter because we’re talking the whole time anyway. These dinners were an outlet for us to compare notes on our daughters, keep up with school news and help each other through the ups and downs of life. They were a refuge. Times to escape the stress of family life and to share conversation with real, true girlfriends. Even though our girls have all gone in different directions… not much has changed. We still talk about our kids, work, spouses and school… but we’ve changed. Our kids are growing up and our roles in their lives has changed. Interesting… but it’s only change. Even though it’s different, we each still enjoy and see the need for the camaraderie we so enjoy.
Cow Show
If you would have told me 10 years ago that attending a cow show would be a blessing, I would have thought you were off your rocker! I used to dread them… actually, I used to do whatever was necessary to get out of attending them. It’s really my own ignorance that causes the boredom. I don’t have a clue what to look for when judging a cow. I love to watch the showmanship classes because I have a sense of what the judge is looking for, but the breeding classes are a mystery to me.
I had a good time at a cow show in Merced today, but to be honest, it didn’t have anything to do with the cows. It was just fun to be with family and old friends. We went to watch Brandon show his “pink” cow at the State Holstein Show where we ran into several old friends that we haven’t seen for quite a while. It’s fun also to listen to Leroy try to explain to me why he did (or didn’t) agree with the judges picks. Poor guy… his effort is in vain. I don’t understand half of the terms he is using… but at least he tries. I just like hanging out with him and the family.
Dance Production
Tonight is the first performance of the high school’s 2009 Spring Dance Production. This is a chance for the dance classes to show what they’ve learned and to entertain their family and friends. The students work very hard for several weeks ahead of time and these shows (one tonight and one tomorrow night) count towards their grade.
I’m estimating that I’ve watched about 20 of these performances and they are always entertaining. When Sierra was in school (and dancing in several numbers) we would attend both shows, but now we usually only go to one. I know I’m biased, but watching the boys dance is the best part. I can’t believe how many more boys there are in dance is year, compared to Sierra’s freshman year. They are really terrific.
Left Overs
Not a real popular item for most people but I have to say that having left overs in the fridge has become a blessing for me. I don’t necessarily eat them… but just knowing they are there and having them available is a gift.
Since my surgery (Gastric Bypass in 2003) I don’t eat much… well at least not in one sitting, so I always have left overs… especially when we’ve been at a restaurant. I always box it up and bring it home and throw it in the fridge. If it’s something really yummy (like left over filet mignon) it won’t make it till I get up the next day. Sometimes the left overs are eaten as soon as I get home. If Steel has not been with us and comes home after we do… he’ll check out the bounty to see if there is anything he likes. If it something really special… I always write DO NOT EAT on the box. Not that it always works but I’d like to think it’s a bit of a deterrent… maybe?
Lately… I’ve been obsessed… no, I should say addicted to the Scampi Pasta at BJ’s. I always order it without the breadcrumbs with a cup of Minestrone. The best part is that by the time I’m finished with the soup, I’m full, so I get to take (most) of the pasta home. Then I have it for 2 or 3 small meals later on the next day. Delicious.
Secretary’s Day
Today I was surprised by my husband with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in honor of Secretary’s Day… or what is now known as Administrative Professional’s Day. The fun thing about this year is that I totally forgot about the day. I saw it on the calendar last week and planned my usual set up. In year’s past, Leroy would forget about it… I would remind him and tease him and make him feel a bit guilty (not much) then I could sucker him into taking me to lunch somewhere. It wasn’t a hard sell. But this year… the joke was on me. I forgot, he remembered… and had flowers for me early in the morning.
Sierra told me it wasn’t really fair because I’m not a secretary. I told her that I’ve worked as her father’s administrative assistant since I married him almost 22 years ago. The pay is lousy, but the benefits are tremendous!
College Counselors
College is confusing… on many levels. It’s a bit overwhelming just applying, choosing a major, choosing a school and then choosing classes… And I’m just speaking from a parents point of view. I can’t imagine how it must be for the student. So today, I’m thankful for trained professionals who are available for us to explain and clear up some of the confusion.
Today, Sierra went to a counselor at Chico and they made the decision that she would add a 2nd major (Hospital Administration) along with her already stated major of Pre-Nursing. Then… they sat down and figured out the schedule that she will follow to get her to graduation in the Spring of 2011. Way cool. This way, she can graduate with a degree from Chico even if that isn’t where she attends nursing school. What a relief to have a plan to meet the goal. All it took was one meeting with the counselor to figure out the plan.
Blog Comment
April 30, 2009 at 8:00 pm (Blessing) (Blog Comment)
Today was a really long day. Enjoyable… but long. While we were running the last errand and almost ready to go home, I checked my e-mail and found one regarding a comment left on my personal blog. I read the post and it made my day.
Several weeks ago I had written a post on my personal blog about Will deBoard resigning as a reporter for the Modesto Bee. In the post I stated how disappointed I was to be losing Will because I enjoyed his articles on high school sports, but also enjoyed his company on the sidelines. Anyway… he found the post, read it and commented back. I was so glad to hear an update on his career and thrilled that he took the time to comment. Like I’ve said before… I’m continually amazed at the people who follow the blogs and really appreciate the feedback. This one was a total surprise and truly a blessing. Click here to read the post and Will’s comment.
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