Summer in the City

It literally felt like summer. 

It was 80 degrees in Chicago in the middle of March. Crazy!

Isn't it weird how sounds like buses, the "L", and crazy homeless people talking to themselves brings you back to a younger version of yourself living in the city during college trying to find your way home after a night of...
                                                            knitting.

Or how the smells of Garrett's popcorn, hot sewer steam coming up from the grates, and those same homeless people relieving themselves on the "L"can cause a smile to form on my face thinking of all the places I've been in Chicago.

What a great city to walk around and get lost in all day.

Or just watch cool face sculptures.

Or fall in love...

A city is a place where there is no need to wait for next week to get the answer to a question, to taste the food of any country, to find new voices to listen to and familiar ones to listen to again.

 -Margaret Mead

Epiphany

I realized that I am meant to do something bigger than what my current circumstances will allow me to do.

I had no idea I was going to be labeled "disabled" by government standards at age 31.

I had no idea what was going on inside my body when I made the decision to go back to school for a nursing degree.

I had no idea that when I became a nurse, and signed up for the additional long term disability insurance, that in less than a year that would be my only source of income.

I had no idea that my arteries were silently closing, and I was losing blood supply to my brain, kidneys, heart, lungs.  You know that kinda important stuff...

I didn't know I would belong to a rare disease club called vasculitis, and be one of the 2.2 cases out of a million diagnosed in North America.

And with all that said, while out to lunch with my sister and mom this last week guess what my fortune cookie said...

You will make a name for yourself in the medical community.

Mmm...makes me think...

"You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you."

-Brian Tracy

Happy Friday!

I went to visit my family in Chicago.

On my list of things to do besides spend time with family, eat Thai food, and of course deep dish pizza from Giordano's, I wanted to see Marilyn!

It was more awesome in person than I expected.  If you are walking around Chicago, and want to see a very happy lady in a big white dress, then head toward Michigan Avenue.  

Or if it's raining and you forgot your umbrella, Marilyn might be able to help you out!

I knew I belonged to the public and to the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.
-Marilyn Monroe

It's Thursday...

It feels like I've got a case of the Mondays, even though it's really Thursday. 

I had some lovely visitors from Chicago last week!  I'm still trying to recover from all the activities.

My sister Jenny, and her family...

We played two courses of mini-golf, went to the park to see the turtles and ducks.  My brother-in-law bought piping hot corn on the cob from a Mexican with a cart and a bell at the park.  The condiments were a little unusual...mayo, fresh limes, cayenne pepper, what do you expect though?  We live in Southern California, everything has a little Mexican flair!  He loved it, and bought two more!

We picked strawberries in the middle of February.  Well, actually just posed for the picture and pretended.  They had already been picked for the day.  But they were very juicy, and sweet!

It was getting a little harder for the kids to strike a pose.  Maybe they need a little fuel in their tank?

Ahhhh...that's better!
Nothing that In N' Out can't cure.

They thought it was great to be eating outside, and the food wasn't bad either.

This was Uncle's time to shine!  He let them sit in the T-28 at the airport, what a very cool Uncle!

What a cute couple!

They always make each other laugh.

We all had a great time at Disneyland.  On the way back to the car after being there all day long, Jake said why are we leaving so early?  The park doesn't close till midnight!

They are growing up so fast! 

She is imaginative, creative, playful, artistic, 

loves to give hugs, think of new games, 

make up stories,

play dress up,

read books,

can recite the words to almost 

any Disney movie,

loves fairies and butterflies,

loves pasta,

needs a band-aid

no matter how

small the scratch,

and will talk to anyone

about anything that's on her mind.

He is witty, intelligent, tries to figure out

how things work,

imaginative,

loves science, 

has seen every episode 

of Myth Busters,

funny, wants to get a laugh

out of you by telling

jokes, 

loves to read,

thinks of others,

knows about all the sports teams,

often has a hard time shutting 

down his "computer"...(his brain),

teases his sister,

loves pizza,

and is a great story teller.

Thanks for coming to visit!

If only you could stay longer...or live closer. 

If only...

“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.”

 Marion C. Garretty

When You Had a Bad Day

Even though I belong to book clubs, volunteer, go to church, have a couple bible studies to go to, talk to family and friends on the phone, there is nothing like getting invited to a Super Bowl party last minute.
Especially when you are at home thinking nobody likes me, no one invited me to a Super Bowl party this year!

I started to feel a little bit like this...

“I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
― Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

Even though I don't watch sports, or even know who is playing in the Super Bowl, I still want to feel included in on the fun of watching the commercials and eating a lot of good food, that's really bad for you.
And with the hubby gone off to work, I really was going to feel like a loser sitting at home by myself!

Then you say a little prayer, or just happen to stop off at a friend's house, and she invites you to a Super Bowl party starting in a couple of hours.

And then, all of a sudden, instead of feeling like gum on the bottom of someone's shoe, you start to feel like a million bucks!!!

It's not always sunny in California

My parents definitely know how to bring the rain!  This was the second time that their visit from cold, overcast Chicago to sunny soCal during the winter was met with rain, rain, and more rain.   Of course, it's still not as cold as the Midwest, but it really makes you feel like curling up under a blanket and not doing anything.  

And that was not on the list of things to do!

 There's always throwing on a sweatshirt and going out for a birthday breakfast!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

I hope you enjoyed it! We love you!

Since they did come all the way out here, my Dad's birthday wish was to go to the beach.  

So we hopped in the car and started driving west, and lo and behold we found the sun!  

It IS always sunny in California, it just depends on where you are I guess. 

And we found some little friends too.

A man on a beach...

It was still a little windy though.

And we had to stick around for the sunset of course!

What a lovely couple I found! 

Can you believe they've been married for 45 years?

WOW, that's a long way to go hubby, 

we've got 2 down, 

many more to come...

Going...going...

Gone

That it will never come again is what makes life sweet.
-Emily Dickinson

Time for Adventure

The hubby took me on a little Sunset cruise.

We jumped in the two seat Citabria, and away we went. 

I am so thankful to have a wonderful pilot as a husband.

Sweet!

It's amazing how fast the colors change.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.
John Keats