EDGY, WHOLESOME
My good friend Robin made these simple and beautiful silver bands for me. Each band is stamped with the initials of the people I love most – my family. I love them so much and wear them all the time.
Robin helped me make some turquoise and silver rings awhile back. She also has some amazing art and jewelry up at RobinWade.com.
Longtime readers may recall that Mr. Bird was purchased as a Mother’s Day gift for yours truly. I’ve fed him and showered him and cleaned out his cage. I’ve let him out to fly and talked to him and sung him songs almost every day since he came home to live with us. And yet, Mr. Senator Bird loves Joe. I’m just the female human that does the essentials. I do not reach his little birdy heart.
He knows when Joe is home from work before I do. He starts whistling and dancing and getting so insistent that SOMETHING REALLY AWESOME IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!!!!! And if he is lucky enough to come out after dinner because Joe has enough patience for it, he flies directly to him and snuggles under his chin and coos.
My feelings would be hurt but it’s so darn cute and I totally understand. I like to cuddle and coo with Joe, too.
~start here~
My alarm goes off and the first thing I think is, aaaaaaaah crap, I have to do this again? This getting up thing? Gaaaaaaah.
I review the reasons my life is so hard including gems like having to use an automatic dishwasher to clean my dishes. Ugh. And having so many clothes, they barely fit in the closet. Boo hoo. And who could forget having to shower in hot water in an inside bathroom? Using pear scented body soap and 9$ a bottle shampoo? Woe is me.
I make the coffee, sit down to check email and Facebook and Flickr and Twitter and express a desire to own cowboy boots. Cute, supple ones. And maybe red.
Finally (sigh) I begin to work and try and make sense of the notes I scribbled sometime between 2:15 and 3:45 am early this morning for the screenplay I’m working on. Wearing my slipper socks (I wish I owned these in a size 10) on my pedicure-neglected feet propped up on the ottoman which is covered with the red and black Navajo designed wall carpet that hung on my dad’s office wall for over 20 years, that I now own because I out-whined a sibling a few years ago, I note the heat turning on and pull my sweater a little closer to my neck.
Staring at the screen, I begin to review the first world problems that I’ve almost allowed to ruin my morning while Iceland is completely falling apart and people are scared, angry and rioting in the streets. And insane government officials try to lie and corrupt. And helpless animals are paying for the very definition of people with too much time on their hands.
And then I remember I live in the USA where we just elected Obama and I feel like I’ve actually received too many presents at Christmas and it’s almost garish and greedy.
I sip my coffee and begin to type.
~fin~
(In case you wanted to check out my pores and sunspots and the luggage under my eyes, I’ve provided this photo:)
We had a great time the night of the United States of Tara premiere party. Diablo brought her fiance, Dan, who might be the nicest guy I’ve ever met.
We had old friends and new friends show up for the taco bar before the pilot aired. Buttery Nipples were the shot of the night. We talked and talked and it was all around good family fun. Also, we smoked mint flavored tobacco in the hookah in the backyard.
My favorite photo of the night is not mine. It was taken by my friend, Susan Myrland. She and her husband Doug drove up from San Diego to be there. Susan caught Diablo hanging my yellow-circle-obsession mobile up to the hook on the ceiling.
This post really has no ending, except maybe something like – have friends over for a dinner and a movie night. It’s fun! I guess I’ll close by saying that Diablo was very sweet to pose for a slew of photos and somehow managed to have a genuine smile and angelic aura around her in each one.
John was kind enough to let me follow him around one day at the end of 2006 in preparation for another interview that was never finished. I even got to meet Grandpa Caleb and get a hug, which I enjoyed very much.
John also has some great hugs to give out on Tuesdays at HugNation.
In November of 2006 I visited Matt Haughey at his home. He was kind enough to do a video interview with me that I planned on putting up as the first segment on the new and improved Leahpeah Interview site. Well, it never got edited and the site never got done. Two years later, I’m admitting that I’m never going to get it done. The photos should be seen, though, so I’m putting them on Flickr for your enjoyment.
Here is the family and backyard set. Here is Matt doing a bike trick. My recommendation is to watch it at the fastest speed the slideshow offers and imagine that it’s going about 3 times as fast.
I opened an Etsy store today. You’ll find hats, rings, watches, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I hope you like them and that they are great for someone on your Christmas list. (or you.)
xo
Find this necklace here.
Find this watch here.
Find this ring here.
Find these earrings here.
Find this bracelet here.
Find this hat here.
Disneyland invited me to come and see the fun Trick-or-Treating they do there on the weekends before Halloween at California Adventure Park. Since our kids were all busy that night, Joe and I took my brother, his wife and their 7-yr-old son, Gideon.
Here’s their family in front of the California Screamin’ ride, which happens to be our young Jedi’s favorite ride. (His Jedi costume was handmade by his mom, Heather.)
The Treat Stops were located every 40 feet or so and they gave you entire handfuls of candy at every stop. The amount of candy we walked out of the park with was almost obscene. And delicious.
This was my first time being in California Adventure Park and it was beautiful at night.
Joe and I had a great time. We tried five times to get a shot with Joe’s eyes open, but then we gave up.
The park had other activities for the kids like coloring masks,
And dancing with the characters in the parade.
Gideon has a season pass and has been to Adventure park many times. He told me not to expect the Halloween decorations next time I go. Thanks for managing my expectations, Gideon.
The next day we went back for some more fun. We attended a reception where some characters were coming to visit with the kids. Gideon got to meet Genie.
He had a snack and decorated a cookie with his own boxed cookie decorating kit.
He and Heather got face/body paint from a very talented artist.
The entire staff at Disneyland and California Adventure park did a wonderful job of creating a fun and magical place for kids to celebrate Halloween in a safe environment. They have the Trick-or-Treat nights on select evenings including Halloween.
Blogher sent me to the RNC to shoot video. I’m having a great time, minus the blisters. I’ve never been to a political convention before and it would be fun to go to the Democratic one sometime and actually get to scream my agreement some of the time.
It was fun to see George the father and his wife.
Tony is officially no longer in 8th grade. Here he is in line to get his diploma. Boxing.
And a closeup:
What a ham.
