Popcorn & Snowflakes

As I was stuffing my face with microwave popcorn today, I realized something. Popped corn kernels are like snowflakes. Each one is unique. Cool. They're are very different. Good thing I'm an equal opportunity popcorn eater.

Does anyone else do this or is it just me? When starting to eat popcorn, I take one or two kernels. Then it's a few. Next is a small handful. Soon I find myself cramming as much as I can into my oral cavity. What's with that? Why does that happen? Everytime. Weird.

Can Peanut Butter Make Your Teeth Hot?

As if you all didn't already know it, Kaisara is a strange (but wonderful) person. I was excited to find reduced fat chunky peanut butter at the store so I bought some. I've only ever seen the reduced fat in creamy, so, I'm in once I found the chunky. I showed Kaisara my proud purchase & he proceeds to tell me he prefers creamy. Okay, no sweat. He didn't throw a fit at the chunky, he just prefers creamy. I'm the same but the other way around. But then he preceeds to tell me WHY he prefers creamy. "Chunky makes my teeth hot." WHAAAAAT!?!?!?!

I Quit

I've decided to quit my "ultra-lame lack of actual patterning class". I've been struggling about it for a while now. Okay, really since about the first half hour of the first class meeting. I'm just not learning. I've been trying to stick it out & not quit. Maybe she'll actually start teaching next time, or next time, or next time. I hate being a quitter. I hate teachers that don't teach even more.

I also didn't want to just throw away the $108 I paid for the class. Mom & Kaisara hit home today though. If I've already thrown away 108 big-ones why throw away my time on top of that? "Cut your losses."

DARN IT! Wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to come out of that stupid class a patterning genius!

Another Birthday Greeting

Happy Birthday Ryan! I'm positive Ryan doesn't read my blog but I'm wishing him well on his day anyhow. And if he is by chance reading, hope your birthday was happy!

Ryan has never ridden a go-cart before. I'm not sure if being from South Africa has anything to do with that. Are there go-carts in South Africa? Hmmm... I'll have to ask him. Anyway, I'm hoping he's coming to the show on Friday cause we're suppose to race.

Belated but Sincere

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELANIE!!! You are a delightful woman of the Lord. He smiles when he looks at you. May your year be filled with laughter & joy! Happy Birthday!

Great Tunes to Race By

All of my loyal readers (all two of you) are invited to go to Boomers in Irvine this Friday. It is their monthly "Family Fun and Fellowship Nights". Four Stories, aka The Daryl Smith Band, aka the band Kaisara plays in, is playing two sets. Check out this site for more information. They got the gig through our friend Charlie, who's band is also playing a couple sets.

Rumor has it that if you don't want to involve yourself in any of the activities there's no charge to get in. But if you do want to play mini-golf, race go-karts, etc., there's a charge. Please note that if you print out the page I linked you save $2 at the door. Even more of noting is the unlimited go-kart racing. Yeah, the music will be great but I'm going for the go-karts!

Cloud Peeping

Did anyone else in Southern California notice the AMAZING clouds this weekend? They were gorgeous! I had to be up & about at o-dark-hundred to drop Kaisara & Dana off at Daryl's Saturday morning. On the way home, the sun was starting to rise.

Let's all just stop right there for a moment & recognize that I was up, awake & functing enough to operate a vehicle before the sun was up. But I digress...

Anyway, as I was driving back home, & let's face it, back to bed, I could see the faintest outline of the clouds. That was so cool. It makes perfect sense, but I guess it never occurred to me that clouds are in the sky when it's dark. It was a very cool thing to see while driving southeast. The faintest outline of storm clouds getting more & more defined as the minutes went by.

On Sunday afternoon I headed back up to Daryl's to pick up my little muscians. The sky was so bright blue & the clouds huge and puffy. I was captivated by them. So beautiful. I've never been big on staring at clouds for shapes but yesterday shapes were just staring at me. First I saw a whale, then a turkey, next a teddy bear doing the backstroke then two teddy bears holding hands on their bellies. Like when parachuters are free falling before pulling their chutes open, laying on their bellies & grasping each others' hands. By the time I was finished looking at that one I noticed my turkey had changed. Gone forever. It was there just long enough for me to notice it & thank my Creator for the beauty of clouds.

On the way home I pointed out a hawk's head to Kaisara. What a great little thing to add to a regular ol' weekend!

Okie-Dokie, Ukiyo-e

We've started fittings on a huge piece this week. It's an Ukiyo-e. There are 20 kids in the piece total. That's 20 little ones (the oldest is in 8th grade) to get dressed, in make-up & in the set, out of the set, out of costume & out of make-up at once. At first, when they're all strangers it's not so bad. It gets hard by the end of summer when they've all become buddies. I better break out my riot gear.

Happy Birthday, Friend!

Today is Cat's birthday. The big 3-0. She's handling it well. I guess it doesn't hurt that we, her friends & family gave her a killer day on Saturday.

I picked her up to go to tea at The Huntington but not before secretly dropping Kaisara off at the Starbucks down the road. While Cat & I were en route to Pasadena, Kaisara's picked up by Cat's friend Shera to go to the house to start decorating for the party with Randy, Cat's hubby.

While getting on the freeway Cat & I are SNOWED upon! Yes, IT SNOWED IN FONTANA!!! That's just freakish. We had a lovely tea at the Huntington (though, I'm totally bummed I did have to rush it due to the other planned events). I handed Cat her "mission" (she's a huge "Alias" fan) that Dani planned & wrote, & sent her to the restroom with her disguise. She comes out & the host of the tea room hands her a HUGE Gerber daisy with her first clue of her mission.

So we drove all over downtown Pasadena picking up clues & running into friends all the while people are arriving at her house for the party. We get to the house & she's in total shock to see her home filled with family, friends, & co-workers. She screamed/cried for minutes. It was AWESOME!

Cat, I hope you enjoyed your day. In the words of my sister, "You've gotta be someone pretty special to have people from 3 different states come to your birthday party!"

I love you friend!

I Blame Melissa

Yep! It's her fault. She's the one who introduced me to the stuff. Oh she acted innocently enough. Years back on a camping trip, she acted sweet, offering to share one of her favorite snacks. "Sure, I'll try some" I said. She knew what she was doing. I'm totally addicted now. And now Costco has joined Melissa's scheme. They had a giant bag of it & of course I bought it. Now I'm trying to make it last through the weekend. Doubt I'll succeed. I've eaten so much of the addictive stuff I've got a canker sore on my tongue. Dang it!

Just don't try Veggie Booty. It tastes like grass.

Tea for Two

My beloved Cat is turning a milestone birthday on Monday. To celebrate with her, I'm taking her to The Huntington for tea. She and Dani treated me to tea there to celebrate my 30th birthday a 1 1/2 years ago. It was lovely. Each person gets their own pot of tea so you each can have your own flavor. Fresh baked scones & jam served at your table & the tea sandwiches, fruit & desserts are all on a buffet in the center of the room. SOOOOO delicious.

When we were there last, the gardens were closing so we only were able to walk around a little. I hear that it's supposed to rain on Saturday so we still may not see much.

Dani will be missed since she moved up to "silly ole' Washington". We three have celebrated our birthdays together for the last couple years. They're so great. They love me. I love them. Nice when that works out, huh? Dani's was the last birthday celebrated together. I guess that's appropriate since she's the one who moved away (stupid Washington). Guess Cat & I will just have to eat her share!

I'm really looking forward to Saturday. I've been bragging to my coworkers about it for a couple weeks now. I don't get to see Cat nearly enough & a good tea never hurts a milestone birthday. See you soon friend!

P.S.: Cat this is the most recent picture I have of the both of us & it's 2 years old. Something must be done.

Goodbye for Now

We got a call late last night that Kaisara's grandma died. We knew that it would be soon. We were all over at Kaisara's parents' house on Sunday & his Dad called her. She couldn't talk but Auntie Filoi turned the speaker phone on so she got to hear all of us,individually, tell her we love her. I'm glad we got to do that. I know it blessed her.

I'm sad for my father-in-law because I know he's hurting. But at the same time I'm so excited for Grandma. She has a brand new body, she doesn't hurt & she's in the presence of her King. Awesome.

I Like Me A VanGogh!

"The Sower" is the second of three VanGogh's we're doing at work this year. I love them. All of his paintings seem to have movement. Even his still lifes (or would it "lives"). We started working on the last one, "First Steps", this week. I'll be sorry to be done with them. They provide challenge but aren't mind bending to build. We do have some beautiful pieces left to build though. I can't believe we're already into March. Yikes!

Small, Medium & Large

Kaisara went to a computer seminar thingy for work today. It was free, breakfast & lunch were provided & he got to go on the clock for work. So he went. He didn't know this until last night but there would be a drawing for a free Ipod Nano at this thingy. Yep, he won it. One of three given away. Now we've got 3 sizes of Ipod technology. Small-my shuffle. Medium-his new Nano. Large-his full size Ipod. Man are we geeked out or what?!