Victorine

I finished reading Victorine by Catherine Texier and we discussed it at book club last night. We were at a local restaurant.........2 of the gals had a chocolate shake, it looked like a HUGE chocolate sundae. I may have to try one someday! I had the taco buffet. It was OK, fine with me b/c I am not heavy into tacos.....it did have something different-chicken. Since I love chicken I had to try that...not bad.

OK, back to the book: It was an OK book, I am not sure if I felt that way because it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat or because of the story line. Victorine is a young woman in France in the late 1800's. She marries young and has 2 children but she is unhappy. She's a bit 'ahead of her time' in the fact that she's a school teacher. While her children are preteens she leaves her family in the middle of the day, without any explanation to anyone, to move to Indochina with her lover. After nearly 2 years she returns to her home and family. It just seemed odd to me. The writer moves back and forth between the time she is in Indochina and the present time after she's returned home to France. Some of the gals really liked the book, others not so much.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Wordless Wednesday

Tired of all those cute ol' babies????

WEN by Chaz Dean

Have you tried the WEN hair care products by Chaz Dean?


I was watching either HSN or QVC a week or so ago when it was the 'Today's Special'............I tell ya, those people can make you feel like you absolutely need it, you deserve it, and it will never be at this extremely low price again. Since I color my hair quite frequently I was considering it. Red hair fades very quickly and this product helps preserve your hair color. "Other shampoos that lather contain sulfates and detergents, which can strip your hair of natural essential oils". The before and afters were so remarkable. Once again I was not talked into it. Before I buy anything I try to do a little research on the product.

While I was reading reviews online I came across a comment that said Sally Beauty has a product called Hair One which does the same thing, and they have a store very close to where I work....so..... One day, on my lunch hour, I stopped in and found the sample packets on sale for .99.....not a bad deal in my mind. I bought 2 and tried them. Since I have short, fine hair I was able to get more than the 1 washing (as recommended) out of the package. I really didn't notice a difference, but then maybe I should have used more than just those trial packets??? Has anyone tried either of those products? What do you think?

Ava's Book

When one of my grand kids spends some time here I will give them a photo book telling what we did. Instead of using just a little photo book with the pockets this time i decided to make a mini scrapbook. It's 4-1/2" X 7", I used an album cover for the front cover. I like the art on some of them. I used my Zutter Bind It All for the binding. It's nothing elaborate, just photos and a wee bit of journaling.

Ava is a dancer so I hope she likes this cover.

Here are a couple of the pages.....gotta have the 'bling'. She's into art and fashion.

Now to get back to picking up my house before my (almost) 3 year old granddaughter comes for the 4th of July weekend.

Lookin' Good

Nope, I'm not describing myself, home, or yard; just a couple of products that I recently purchased, use, and like. I purchase Tan Towels from HSN about a month ago because I usually use a self tanning lotion and it leaves my legs SO dry and 'polka dotted'. I'm not sure if I have freckles on my legs or what but the lotion intensifies some spots, giving me brown/orange dots on my legs. Since I think tan, fat legs look better than white, fat legs I like to use something. I like the Tan Towels; they are not streaky, dry fast, smell good, and do not leave my legs with dry scales. Bye Bye self tanning lotion............... Another product I like is the Natural Image Hand, Foot, and Body Polish. I use it several times a week on my hands and feet. It really, really works. My hands look nicer and it really helps my cracked heels. I do not like to wear shoes, in fact you will only see me in sandals when I am in public.

I do recommend both products, in fact I will have to buy more tan towels to last me the rest of the summer. My upper body gets enough sun but I still need to use something on my legs. Have you tried any of these products? What is your opinion?

Wheels, Wheels, and more Wheels

After a long, cool, rainy week the sun has appeared. YAY!!!!! Friday night was the classic car cruise along Lake Michigan and it was a nice night. I am not sure how many cars cruise.....a couple hundred for sure. We have a 2006 red Solstice convertible and hubby likes to drive in the cruise, so we did! It is kind of a classic b/c they don't make them anymore. Hubby likes old cars, he used to have several........I use to drive them b/c I am a classic. LOL It's about a 30 minute drive from one city to the next, people line up to watch along the streets and we drive by and wave. I feel kinda stupid (and forgot to employ the royal wave) but it's fun to wave at the kids and if I am lucky enough to see someone I know it's a plus. Usually they park at the beach but this year the HOG rally has that spot and we parked in the downtown, streets closed and all! There is music (the old R&R that I like), food, and cars. I am not into the cars but it is one of the few things hubby and I do. We grabbed a bite to eat and talked to hubby's twin and SIL. I could have stayed longer and had a 2nd beer but hubby is not the type to sit and relax, so we were home before 8:30PM. I could not sleep, went to bed, read, and watched some TV for a bit...but then I was up until about 2 just fooling around on my Nookcolor. Watch me wanna crash early tonight.


The Harley Davidson state rally is here, in my little town! To be honest, I'd rather be in that cruise....I love riding on a motorcycle....is it the wind in my hair, or the snugging up to the guy in front of me???? Anywhere from 1600 -2000 bikes are expected to ride into town via the same route the cars took last night. We are maybe a mile to 1-1/2 mile from downtown so I am sure I will hear the roar of the cycles when they arrive this morning.

Lots to do this sunny weekend: the classic car show, yard work, just being outside when it's not raining, graduation party......YIKES! time to get offline and get busy! Have a great weekend!

The Friday 56

"She's always eager to see her sister's handwriting, with it's long, curly loops. Angelina has been in Indochina for more than 6 months, and Victorine devours every detail of her letters." As a young woman Victorine is very progressive and ahead of her time. She leaves her family to travel to a totally different part of the world with her lover. I don't know how it plays out because I am only about 2/3 of the way through it. I'm not sure if I like it...... It's our book club choice. I'll follow up when I finish this book.

Rainy Day Activities

I know you are tired of hearing about the weather....but it rained again today....as it has all week. The plan for today was to get a couple of hanging baskets from Menard's @ 2 for $7.00. They don't have to remain in the hanging baskets, you know........... I only had to drive about 11 miles, but it took me a couple of hours. I had to stop at the thrift store and a couple of garage sales. 'Lotsa' good 'stuff'. One of the items I got was this bracelet holder, a great idea, but about 12" too short.....I might have to find something a bit longer to use. It would be a great display for sales of skinnier bracelets. Some of my other treasures: Crayola color explosion spinner (for making cool backgrounds), McDonald's play set for play-do, off white eyelet shirt (for use as a cover up in air conditioned restaurants), the turquoise bracelet in the above photo, cute small box for my Red Hat secret sister gift, turquoise (colored) beaded necklace, 2 ceramic flower pots, new 'magic rocks' for one of the grand kids, and I am sure there is more that I can't remember. When it started to rain I hoped it wouldn't last....but no....I still had to get some flowers from Menard's. I got 4 baskets, there wasn't a big selection but I just wanted some color! After I got home and had most of my treasures unpacked I realized that I had forgotten to go to the grocery store to get milk.....the other thing on my list of things to do.....nearly $100 later I walked out.

Guess what? tomorrow I will pass all garage sales and the thrift store on my way to the library and Walgreen's!!! I will, I will, I will!

Have you ever tried the chocolate wine? The other night I had a taste...not bad, not bad at all! I was talking to someone today who said the raspberry chocolate wine is 'delish' too. Just thought I'd throw that in the mix.

Just Plain Gloomy

That not only describes our weather but my daily activities. I've been pretty quiet here and can't think of anything to write about.....I should be enjoying quiet time all alone....I do, but feel there should be something interesting to post about...guess life doesn't always have to be interesting. Like I have said earlier: this is my life.


We have had a lot of rain, cold, and very little sun, it does get to a person. Last weekend was my long weekend :-) Friday I had breakfast with friends and got my hair cut short, it is so easy to take care of now. Saturday I was up early and went shopping for more potting soil and plants and spend the better part of the afternoon planting my tomatoes and flowers. I still need more flowers, as usual. Grandson J was not here Saturday night...making it a very quiet evening.


Sunday morning I was feeling pretty bummed, it is nearly impossible to contact J's dad, so I figured he was mad at me for expressing my opinion about giving J meds. I hate it when people are mad at me. I went to church alone and missed J. Hubby was golfing most of the day on Saturday and Sunday....I am used to that, doesn't really bother me. That afternoon I worked on a mini scrapbook for granddaughter A. I always make a photo book for the grands when they come for a visit. It was upsetting to me b/c neither of hubby's kids called or sent a card for Father's Day. Hubby always says he doesn't care about birthdays and such, but I know differently. Finally his daughter called to talk to me but she wished her dad 'Happy Fathers' Day' too. In the evening SS came over with the 2 grandsons and they had a card for grandpa...I know it meant a lot to him. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I believe in an old fashioned snail mail card or a phone call.

Thanks to all who expressed concerns regarding my last post.......as I keep talking to people 99% of them agree with my opinion. My grandson and his family will remain in my prayers.

I sure hope I have something intersting and upbeat to post soon!!!

Understanding ADHD

This has been on my mind for a week and I haven't mentioned it because I was so angry, confused, sickened, and heartbroken. As you can tell from my photos and blog entries I really do enjoy my grandchildren...so much that maybe I bore you.

Last week 6 year old grandson J (the one who stays over every Saturday night) was diagnosed with ADHD. I was blindsided, he is an excellent student in school and Sunday school and behaves in church. He is NOT easily distracted, does not blurt out things inappropriately, gets along good with others, and is very well liked. I have babysat for him since he was a few months old so have spend a lot of time with him. He LOVES coming over here...........and when he was 3 he'd often hide from mom and cry when she came to pick him up.....making her very unhappy. He improved a lot when he started school, although he still wanted to come here and not go with his other grandma. Now he's 6 and in school all day, mom does not need me to babysit, and he has a baby brother. Mom and dad will not answer their phones when I call (I detest cell phones for that reason-I can't call a house phone and talk to the boys.) Mom makes J call me, unless he is here and she has to talk to me. J does get really upset at times when he doesn't get what he wants-he will just cry and cry, like his dad did when he was that age. I just leave him alone until he gets over it and he is OK. I don't know what his parents do. I do know mom is bipolar and is very controlling and dad has anger issues (has seen a Dr for that). I've seen that J needs a lot of sleep, likes a routine, and enjoys quality time with a person. He is an extremely fussy eater and to get him to try something new causes him great stress.

I was told that mom told the Dr that J doesn't get mad at me because I give him everything he wants.......I do not....and he does get mad here. As a grandma I do spoil each of my grand kids (isn't that what we're for?). But I don't give him nearly as much junk food/snacks as mom does. He doesn't get his way any more than any of the others do when they are here. My other grand kids live further away so I don't see them as often. As you know I love to shop the thrift stores and garage sales and buy lots for the grand kids. My oldest grandchildren are 11 so I don't get much for them anymore...but when they were younger I always had something for them. I used to buy a lot for J too, but find fewer things now. I don't buy for his baby brother anymore either b/c I never get a thanks for anything ,(when he was born I'd bring diapers over at least once a month b/c I'd get a good deal).....I don't need to be gushed over but a polite 'thank you' would be nice once in a while.

anyway, I digress................How can a Dr give meds and diagnose ADHD when there are no symptoms? she won't even talk to him w/o mom there. My SIL and her 6 yr old saw a different Dr and he talked to each separately and gave her what seems to be a very accurate diagnosis and the boy's behavior is improving, with no drugs. So how can J be taking drugs with none of the ADHD symptoms??? I am so afraid for him. In my opinion I think they need family counseling. Dad is not home most evenings because he is at work so mom and the kids are at her parents for supper.

I know he is not my child and I don't have any say in the decisions about his life but I love this child and want the best for him (as I do for all of my grand kids).

Any words of wisdom/advice are appreciated. Thanks!

How Do You Store Your 'Clunky' Jewelry?

I'm not a total slob but I am not a neat-freak either. I'm tall and not model thin so I like to wear bigger, clunkier jewelery and many times it's a bracelet. Most of the time I just toss them on top of my dresser......since I keep adding to my collection I don't know what to do with them. This afternoon I decided I really had to clean the bedroom and I came up with this idea....good or bad???? I have a clear glass flower pot that I don't know what to do with so it has become my catchall for bracelets. It keeps them together in one place and I can see what I have. Smaller, more delicate bracelets fit on hooks or in a jewelry box. This morning as I was reading emails I watched this squirrel on my deck, first he stuffed his face with the fallen black sunflower seeds on the deck (under the bird feeder) then he crawled on top of the fence. It's hard to see but the blur in front of him here is a bird! If it were a male goldfinch it would show up better, but I have no control over who eats and when. :-)

He just sat on the fence by the bird feeder for about 7 minutes, like he was a statue. Was he waiting for another bird??? I had a cardinal too, but he flew away before I could get my camera.

Worst Foot Forward

Or maybe I should say shoe.......
I LOVE my Birkenstock's and can walk in them all day, every day. I don't care what Stacey & Clinton would say, in fact I wouldn't bring mine along for my makevoer.........*sigh*....I don't think I'll have to worry about that, I only dress mildly boring not horribly bad. I have pruchased several pairs of Birki's from QVC (the prices are reasonable and we don't have a store closeby) and didn't realize there was a difference between the different Birkenstock brands (ie: Beta, Birki's, etc). Ive had this pair for maybe 5 years and look how cracked they are :-( I am not sure if it is the 'Birko-Flor upper', this is the Birki's brand. I own several pairs but this is the only one that has such terrible looking straps. I have much older Papillo's and Betula's that are not cracked. My other Birki's are OK, but newer. I hope this pair is just a 'freak' accident.

Has anyone else had this problem?

It's All About the Cupcakes

I've nicknamed my 3 yr old grand-daughter 'cup cake princess' b/c she loves all things cupcake. Her birthday was in May but we visited on Saturday and brought her gift then. Here's the card...I went with the cup cake theme.

Of course, I had to bake cup cakes and finally used the display stand.

She peels the wrapper off so carefully. Mom let her have 3 cupcakes that day!!!

I remembered I had these little cup cake gift holders, her favorite! Had I known that I could have saved a bit of money on her gift. LOL

Mom, big sister, and the birthday girl.

My oldest grandson and another one checking out my Nookcolor........Grandson C really loved it.

Some of the cast members of the short play the kids put on for us.

Experimenting..........drawing styles...and fashion. Guess she often wears 2 different shoes.

Three of the grand kids making 'chalk paint' in the junkiest place in my yard-my potting & compost area. But hey, they enjoyed it.



The 2 grands that stayed overnight enjoyed popcorn, reading, and TV before bed. The next day it looked like they had a popcorn fight...but they did not.

Mom has enough self confidence to let the kids were what they want, providing it is weather appropriate and not risque......but matching shoes must be worn in public.

I had a great weekend with my daughters family on Saturday. Sunday the 2 boys & A played here....Since I was awoken at 5AM it was a long day..........we did have a good day :-)

Birdwatching

Finally, some birds at my feeder. I was so excited the other day when I saw this. We can sit at the table and watch them. The feeder that I hung in the tree is getting a lot of use b/c it's empty all the time. That one you have to kneel on the couch and look out the window to see....so it's not as convenient for bird watching. I am anxious to share the birds with my grandson. There is nothing wrong with simple pleasures, right?

Replies to Your Comments & Questions

......in no particular order.....

Grandson J loved the plane ride and they boys were not afraid, they looked out the windows to see their hometown below. They did say it was loud.

Patrick was pushing Louise's stuff at us.......saying 'you like it? it's yours'. They don't want anything back...just can't let anything else go out b/c someone contracted to sell the household items. No one knew it at the time.

Yes, who does get to make up the cute sayings for cards???? Even if I had that much time on my hands I couldn't think of such funny stuff.

re: Do you lead a double life: I was actually thinking about a young man who writes songs and performs...but many of the words are NOT something I want to hear nor do I think the young children should listen to it. He is talented and thoughtful, I just wish he could be a Good, Christian, Moral example. I also don't think parents should try to be friends with their kids.....you know, hang out, esp partying too much. Some of the younger parents just don't seem like they've grown up they still wanna )*&%? with their friends. In my opinion once you have children it's time to settle down and put your children ahead of your personal partying life. Guess I am just old fashioned and a prude (no, not really). Of course I have done things in the past that I am not proud of and I do believe in telling your kids what mistakes you've make so Maybe, just Mabye they can learn from you. Just another of my opinions....right or wrong.......more to come in the future.

We All Like Free? right?

This week I decided that getting something for free can be bittersweet...not b/c an obligation was connected to it. A couple of weeks ago an elderly neighbor lady passed away. Louise (98) was the sweetest, fun lovin', spunky older lady. Her husband passed away right after we moved here so I had never met him. They did not have any children. Several years ago she fell & broke her hip, things went downhill from there. Up until that day she was driving 100 miles to see relatives and taking care of her house. She was always 'with it' and loved to talk and watch the Brewers (baseball team). Last summer she fell again and has been in a nursing home since........Hubby has been the doing yard work for her. The other day Louise's nephew stopped over and told us to come over and pick something out. Kevin didn't really want to, he doesn't like 'hand outs' and we felt kinda funny taking stuff from her. I picked out this tea set, isn't it pretty? Every time I look at it I will think of her. I also got a little 3 tired side table and a mix master with stand, etc. Patrick also said we could have a dresser for my SS. They also gave us a box of booze....wanted it out of the house when they show it. It's for sale.........the price is low so it should go fast. Her relatives are out of town and some are in CA so they don't want to hang on to it.

Last night Louie's niece emailed us and said that nothing more can be taken out of the house b/c they hired someone to do the estate sale and they took inventory of everything in the house for the sale. Even Patrick was going to take some dishes and they told him 'no'. It's fine that we can't get anything else, we felt funny taking her things anyway. I felt like I should have taken more time to visit with her.

Life goes too fast, take an extra 10 seconds to smile at someone, say Hi or do something nice!

These Cards Made Me Chuckle

I got this card from my Red Hat secret sister on tuesday night, along with some chocolate. :-) Why does everyone think I like chocolate so much???? Another friend sent me this card yesterday. Some days are like that, huh?

Thank God for good friends. You make me smile!!

Do You Lead a Double Life?

I am guessing that my blogger friends do not, especially those of us over 30. I don't think I do............if you know me you know: I seldom swear (might if I am REALLY mad), that I am opinionated and what my opinions are, the things I like to do for fun, who my friends are (and if I could have it my way all of my friends would like each other too), that my life is pretty boring but I like it.

Do you have teenagers? Do they have a Facebook account? Are you one of their many friends? Many teens will add you as a friend, but..................they may have a 2nd account (with a nickname) for their friends where their chatter will be totally different than what you see on the 'family friendly' page. I guess it's understandable for teens who are trying to grow up.

BUT I feel that when you are an adult and feel you have to keep secret certain things from your family members it's not alright. Why are you keeping it a secret? Is your conscience telling you something? Listen to it. Some people do not grow up and mature just because they hit the magical age of 21.

The purpose of this rant is to say: "Don't do it if you don't think it will make your mother or father proud....if you don't want to do it in front of your children". Friends can come and go but you're 'stuck' with your family.

Thanks for letting me get on my soap box once again.

I Told You So

Didn't I tell you it was going to be a great weekend????? I was right, for a change. Saturday I was going to stay home and plant flowers but bff & I decided to attend the garden show at the Green Bay Botanical Garden instead. I am going to put this on my calender for next year too. There were over 100 vendors; showing plants and related materials, food, and some miscellaneous items. I would have loved to stay and look around longer but my back and wallet would not allow it. I picked up the iron plant stand shown below....it doesn't show well in the photo, especially with the sparse plants in it.

I also picked up some Natural Image Dead Sea hand & foot body polish. It contains sea salt and oils that make your hands look and feel so nice. I hope it helps my nails too!

Late Saturday grandson J came over to spend the night, well it was such a nice evening that I invited his cousin and my SIL to come over so the boys could play. Our hubbies were golfing and we didn't know when they'd be home so we didn't have to worry about supper. They got home just before we were gong to walk across the street to the school playground, so we got the men to come along. Hubby is such a good grandpa, he played a lot with the boys while we were there.

My youngest grandson is 9 months old.

Sunday we had planned to take the boys to Thunder On The Lakeshore, we usually go every year. The day was perfect: clear blue skies, warm temps, and a slight breeze. Since my motto is 'be prepared' (to the max) I had a backpack stuffed with blankets, snacks, sweatshirts, my camera, etc. Last year was cold and you never know when the wind will switch and it will be cool. The boys were so good and had a great time, as we walked out I told SIL it had been a perfect day for me. I wish the boys parents could spend this time with the kids, but they are unable to do so.
Grandpa took the boys on board one of the oldest paratrooper planes, they said it was not comfortable.

Grandson J in front of the 'Warthog' fighter plane.

While the boys were waiting in line for their first airplane ride on of the pilots of the 'warthog' came over to talk to them about the plane, let them hold a shell casing, and he signed personalized photos for the boys. The 2 on the left are my grandsons, the boy on the right is our nephew.

Six year old grandson J informed us, as we were walking into the air show, that he wanted to take a helicopter ride. Grandpa had to explain that the helicopter rides are pretty 'pricey' (to quote granddaughter T-that's not a word I use). I was surprised that he wanted to do that, he never wanted to try new things.....especially food :-( and was always kind of a 'scaredy cat'. He has grown so much (emotionally) since he started school. Grandpa and the boys getting on the plane for their first plane ride.

I Was Tagged

If you could be any historical or current character who would you be?
I can't answer this one b/c I don't pay attention to others.......I just wanna be me.

Name an interesting fact about yourself...........
I went para sailing in Cancun in 1984 and am so glad that I did. I went to Montreal 3 times alone.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
I'd be true to myself and not mistake wanting to be loved for love.

Which character traits annoy you?
lying, being 2-faced, negativity

Name one thing that you would change in yourself .
quick temper and talking, I'd keep thoughts to myself.

What do you consider your biggest achievement?my
my kids

the Weekend is Here

And what a nice weekend it should be. The sun is shining and it is warm out, I mean warm :-). We've had so few warm days this spring, I like warm..........do you get it? It is actually warmer outside than inside my house, which often happens this time of year.

My lilacs look so sad this year :-( Between the snow damage and hubby & the neighbor 'trimming' them there's not much left. I love lilacs and will bring in a bouquet today. I have only the white (behind) and the dark purple (my favorite). Hubby left a few minutes ago for a golf tournament (seems like all he does is golf during the summer) so I am home alone all day. Before he left he was so funny, he collected some June bugs and put them in a shallow pan for the birds, I didn't even know he liked birds. Yesterday morning we saw a robin with a June bug or bee in it's beak. (hard to get close enough to see exactly what it was, but it was big!) One morning when I was sitting at my table and checking email a bird flew right into our patio door, poor thing. I've also seen 'my' black squirrel again. Wish he'd pose for a photo! The birds are not coming to my feeders yet.

I like being home alone. I cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms yesterday so today I can get outside and plant my flowers......late, but it's been too chilly here. ....or maybe plan B will materialize.

Tomorrow we are taking the 2 grandsons, who live nearby, to "Thunder on the Lakeshore", it's the local air show. We usually go every year, I could skip it but the boys enjoy it.

Goggle??? Blogger??(^$$#

For over a week I have been having so much trouble trying to comment on other blogs, no matter what I do Google wants me to sign in....I do, but I still can't leave a comment. I can post to my blog but not leave a comment )$@<^)@# I'm visiting your blogs.......but not commenting, sorry. Does anyone else have/had this problem???

The Friday 56 & Follow Friday

It has finally warmed up here so I am spending more time outside, hence less time on my blog...not sure if that is good or bad.

Back into the swing of things for the Friday 56:



I'm reading a free ebook on my Nookcolor: 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I like it; a 17 year old girl gets a package of envelopes, each giving her instructions for a journey of a lifetime.

"She sipped her Guinness to buy herself a second before answering, then tried not to wince or spit."
And not for Java's Follow Friday 40 and Over