Oldie but Goodie

Sorry for this big ol' pile of photos. It's a desperate attempt to rescue my wheezing laptop from photo overload. Does anyone have the phone # to Hoarders Anonymous?

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sadness for Shugy

Our sweet girl, Shugar, came to us 12 years ago...when Kelsey was in 3rd grade. We had been at the pet shop getting food for Kels' turtle, when we saw a sign, "Sweet Border Collie Mix Needs a New Home." Her owners met us on a wintry day in a Home Depot parking lot and Kelsey, afraid that he wouldn't be allowed to have her, kept his coat hood up, shielding his face, until they said we could have her. He quickly whipped off the hood, got a huge smile on his face, and grabbed the leash. Shugy had already been sitting right on my feet and when we got home; she spent all of her time in those early days sitting on our laps. If we left her in the backyard , she'd somehow get out - even with rebar! But, there she'd be, sitting on the front porch when we got home.

Shugy was the first dog I had on my own and Kelsey's first too. When Charlie came along, he tried to take her for walks, but she'd put on the brakes if he tried to go more than a block from the house. She was a loyal one-woman dog.

Everyday, Shugar lived up to her name. The groomers would say "She's just the sweetest," even though we had to carry her in there. After a few times of hauling that 50lb+ girl in there, I decided to buy professional dog clippers and do it myself. It was not a pretty. Shugy was a real trooper though, and thankfully she didn't have a mirror to see my "expertise."

Strangers thought her bark was ferocious - perfect for me as a single mom - but she really just wanted you to endlessly pet her tummy.

Unfortunately, when we relocated to Canada, we couldn't take her with us. After much agonizing and searching, we found an angelic caretaker who gave her a home on her farm - bought her special vitamins and lavished her with TLC, even though Shugy's eyesight and hearing were already failing. As the grande dame, she presided over the menagerie of animals, hung out with her new best friends, a golden retriever named Lori and a husky mix, Elle, and even tolerated the horses.

She died peacefully in her sleep the other day, just a few days after Lori. Shugy - we were so blessed to have you in our lives and we will miss you forever.

Falling into Fall

We've had a spectacularly gorgeous summer here in the Canadian Rockies.

Perhaps we'll get a few days of a last hurrah and but Fall is fast approaching. To everything there is a season.


Lately, I've been exploring a contemplative spiritual side, spurred on by a friend's labyrinth experience. http://www.everydaylabyrinth.wordpress.com/ On Monday, we went to walk a labyrinth here in town- an ancient spiritual diagram designed to bring the participant in communion with the sacred. The experience - a new one for me - is very peaceful, centering, calming, unique. Here we were standing right in the middle of a city of a million people and although we could hear the sounds of city life, we were wonderfully removed. As I trailed behind S on the path, I thought. Isn't this what friends are for? Sometimes to be your guide..sometimes to follow your path... not necessarily to always be on the same 'road', but to share your journey, your ups and downs....sometimes just to BE there.

And that brought me into being in gratitude for all the friends and family with whom we were lucky enought to shared time with over the summer. Pondering at La Pensione Pentland.

Hobnobbing with the Higgins Team.

Lounging with Lindbergs and Lenons at a Pizza Party..(see the Vanishing Vinyls post.)

Delta Gamma Dames.

Fun with Foxy Katie Fox.

Meeting in Marietta. (yes... a meeting - obligatory....)

A gaggle of Garrisons. (My cousins who root religiously for Roger Federer.)

Sassy lasses Stampeding.

Muskingum Mavens aka River Rat Residers.

Ta Ta to Tibet Travelers.


Kelso Klan ...oops Clan... at Whetten Wedding.

Lunching with Large Lady (not Carmela - the statue!)

Half a Dozen on Don's Deck.

Munching at Mercato. Fellow Forty-Somethings. (mostly.)

Hugging Hillary Higgins at Hillhurst.

E's eye's on it!

Hanging with the Holdrens.

Get-together with the Goodricks.

Say? Is that Sam y Senora Smith?

Look! It's the Lucky Lebenslust-ers.

Four Females before the Floor was Finished. (see Don's Deck photo)

Jazzercisers at Jacqui's.

Nine Neighbors noshing...(Notice not that it is actually eight.)

Preparing for the Pirate Party on the Plank. ..Arrrr.
Can more fun be had in Canmore? (ok..that's super silly, eh?)

And....Boyz behaving.

Missed seeing mis tres nietos. See ya soon!

Hope to catch up with more family and friends in the Fall. Come on up, y'all!

Labyrinth

Hi there faithful readers. I've mostly given myself the summer off from blogging, but I wanted to tell you about a blog that I love and I think might appeal to you too.

My soul sister, Shelagh, who you've seen before in this space, is blogging about her year-long journey to connect to the sacred using a labyrinth. (it's not the only way..just one way.) It's best if you read the blog from the earliest post forward, and then check back everyday.

http://everydaylabyrinth.wordpress.com/

- j

Sophmoric Silliness (same as before but different)

Trippin' to Ohio: July 4th Weekend.


First stop on the tour to the Buckeye State: My cohort in-college-cavortin, Wendy's sprawling 1950s farmhouse on secluded acreage in the middle of a city. There are more amenities including those little shampoos and lotion than the Ritz. I'm pretty sure there must be a cabana boy around here...

Here we are in a moment of sobriety propriety with two of our sorority sisters who popped over. This is the tame photo so that they'll still talk to me...and pre-cabana's boy's killer slushes made with that special brown liquid from Kentucky.

While the pool boy was busy servicing elsewhere, (this is a blog for of-age readers..kids..go text or play your X-Box), I decided to make MY favorite adult beverage, mojitos. Of course those of you of legal age may have made mojitos and you know that there are multiple and very crucial steps to making the perfect one. Note to readers: Do not attempt if you have or may have any issues with alcohol as alcohol is an addictive substance and ruins lives. Seriously. Stop reading this kids and go outside and play on the monkey bars. Auntie Jane and her girlfriends behaved like total Ya-Yas but they are 99% of the time fine, upstanding citizens individuals who know never to drink and drive..all things in moderation..usually..most of the time.. nearly all of the time.. yeah... that's it.
Anyway, now that the kids are gone eating popsicles... Mojito making is complex. You have to make simple syrup, slice and juice the limes, muddle the mint, add the ice, put in some..not too much... vodka and I was trying to do ALL this AND keep up amiable bantering. So our bar owner/tennis pro friend, Cathy, said, "I could have had those done an hour ago!" Note to self: Prepare mojitos BEFORE guests arrive and BEFORE slushes.
Here's to Life's challenges. They may not have skipped us but we wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe to have gotten together more frequently. Wendy's youngest and most compliant child, Andrew, did saunter by our locale in the poolhouse... Oh..Andrew!! Another slushy please! I am definitely putting my bid in to retire to her carriage house. I have shamelessly bribed her dogs, so if they have a vote, I'm a shoo-in. Do you think I should advertise now for a pool boy in say, 2030?

Next day, after detox, Wendy and I drove up to the OWU campus. We gave the place quite the beating back in our day but it's still somehow looking mighty fine. This metal thingy was put up by some class with more class than ours.

We even drove by the old Phi Psi house which barely belies all the many forms of debauchery, I mean debonair-ness (the English language can be tricky) that took place within its walls. and of course the DG house where absolutely NO debauchery took place, darn-it. No need for photos - Insert stock footage of any fraternity and sorority from any college campus in the USA and you got it.

And of course the requisite stop to Butsy's, which is now called the Backstretch, in a homage to the Little Brown Jug (you HAVE to google that if you don't know what it is) It's still a very divey bar that would have curled our mothers' hair and had them yanking us out by ours if only they'd known we were hanging there. The regular "Norm!s" get their seats early..as in a.m. (oooh hey..it IS afternoon isn't it?)

Pitchers used to set us back $2, or a toonie for you Canadians, although neither Wendy nor I can remember ever having to pay for one. We invented the game of Quarters here - I'm sure of it. And our schoolgirl rendition of Stevie Nicks' Leather and Lace in 3- part harmony, still echoes from the walls. Might have been the year we were nominated for a Grammy. You can google that too. Aforementioned Regular Bar Stool Ocupant seemed relieved that we didn't reprise our roles.. he was here for the first time around, as what is passing for paint. I do believe my gray hair is a NEW addition, or RBSO might have recognized me.


I would love to share the visit to Wendy's dad's with you but I was so enamored by his wit and charm that I totally forgot to photo-size him or his hot-dog eating cute little rescue wanna-be pit bull pup, Lady..Missy..Bugsy..Sissy..Sassy... something... Ok...had tooo much fun at Wendy's.

Now, drive thee in a southeasterly direction towards the foothills of the Appalachians and the Class Reunion of Marietta High School Class of 1979. The biggest, most athletic, smartest, best all-around class ever. Source: Who's Who in American High Schools.

First stop: The old homestead @ 331 and my mom's resting aka haunting spot. Oh yes..but she's a friendly ghost.


When I hit her beloved brick streets, my heart skips a beat and then a wonderful sense of peace..the kind that comes from being back on familiar turf, descends. ahhhhhh.....


But only a brief time for wallowing in nostalgia. Time to head straight over to Party Central: my homegirl, Holly's, house. Let the Reunioning begin!

Here's the in-crowd..minus Sarah and Lauren. We were the popular ones.. oh yeah..the "it" girls. the co-eds on the go, the hostesses with the mostesses, the prom AND homecoming queens, the girls who can't be caught..that was us...Oh, whatever! That's the great thing about a 30th reunion...no one cares who you 'were'... heck, we didn't care that much back then! Or is it that we can't remember?

This dress-alike decision was extremely last-minute - as in we were nearly walking out the door, and Pam didn't get the call. She did have Black and Pink so we included her..cause we are all nice girls like that. But watch out Pam! Holly Hobensack's hovering hands can NOT be trusted!

See? ... Do not even ask what is going on in this photo. Looks like Hot Hands Holly has her hands on her Hunk. At least it's her own hunk. It, the photo, not the hunk, will self-destruct after viewing.

We are all much more mature now, like maybe 15 minutes more. Yet, it seems that Class Clowns mature a little more slowly perhaps. Kathryn and I are not holding hands with Hot Hands Hobensack. We are holding them down!

And here we are behaving ourselves in the manner befitting our puritanical, white-bread upbringing. Believe it or not, this picture is not alcohol- induced even though the American Legion's drinks are only $2.50. A whopping .50 increase in the last 20 years. Gotta keep those veterans in high spirits! I stuck to good ol' tap H20'cause I am all dignified like that. That, and I had to be sober to have blackmail material at the 35th reunion.

Some of us were able to get ourselves upright the next day and went to hang out at Le Weir de Wesel near the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers.


Meanwhile, one or more of us may have been shocked to see photos from the previous night..

one was sentenced to hard labor:


and one had to hide under a grass hat... oh wait.. I think she's a little young for our class... that's Wendy's 2nd youngest and not very compliant child. (just kidding, Foxy.)


After coralling enough fun to last another 5 years, I saddled up my horse and trotted back to Calgary just in time to join the yeehawing at Stampede!

Had a blast, but it's good to be Home.