Category — Random

Today is Sloane’s birthday. She is my baby sister by 5 1/2 years. I may have mentioned before that all four of us siblings are adopted. I vividly remember the day we brought her home.

I had an older brother and a younger brother but I wanted… no, I Needed… a baby sister! I was so proud and excited to be getting a baby girl, of my very own! As you can see in the picture above with us standing in front of the Catholic Social Services building, I was all business and raring to get her home. I can’t tell what all I’m holding there, but it looks as though I’m taking the responsibility designated to me, quite seriously!

Before Sloane turned one, we had new puppies too!

There’s nothing better than a new baby and new puppies!

At least, not when you’re the six year old big sister! Pictured L to R: Dennis age 7 1/2, Andy age 2 1/2, Linda age 6, and Sloane age 6 months.

I love you, Sloane!

Then, now, and forever!

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I haven’t been cooking much lately.

Connor is at school. Dave has been working until all hours of the night.

Tax season ended Monday but now I’m working these first few nights of this week.

On Thursday, we’ll be taking my dad to Durant’s, a Phoenix institution, for his 82nd birthday dinner.

Maybe I’ll cook again on Friday.

Until then, I want to share something with you. Something I think is very profound for us women. Something to make you rethink the way you think about yourself.

Please take 3 minutes to watch THIS VIDEO. Then, please share how it made you feel.

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continued from yesterday….

When we arrived in Chicago, I went to the gate and found that our connecting flight to Detroit was delayed from 2:15 to 3:40 pm.

I noticed that there was another flight to Detroit that had been delayed for several hours and it was about to begin boarding. I got in the long line at the counter and was able to get us both on the stand-by list. We hung around the gate, waiting and wishing that our names would be called.

After they had called several other stand-by passengers, I was about to give up, but then they called Bill’s name! I went up to the counter and said that there were two of us. The agent said that this was the last seat available.

So I had to say, “Thanks anyway, but give it to the next person.”
She said, “That’s you.” I smiled and said, “Well, I guess I meant the next person after me.”

She called out another name and it belonged to a young man, of maybe 30 years old, standing right next to me.

He said, “I’m sorry you couldn’t take it, but I’m grateful to get the last seat. My best friend is dying of cancer and I really need to get there before it’s too late.”

I touched his arm and said, “I’ll pray that you make it in time.” And off he ran to the gate.

See, things work out exactly as they are supposed to.

I wheeled Bill off to get lunch. He wanted a hamburger and vanilla shake from McDonald’s. As he was eating, a Southwest pilot walked by and commented on his tasty looking lunch. I told Bill that the gentleman was a pilot. Bill is a WWII vet. He was a Navy fighter pilot and loves to talk to other pilots or veterans. They had a nice little conversation.

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I learned a lot about myself and about humanity on Wednesday when I escorted/transported, Bill, my mother’s 90-year-old husband, to Detroit via Southwest Airlines.

If you didn’t know I did this or why, please read THIS before proceeding.

Since I taught children to cook for the last 18 years, many people incorrectly assume that I have an abundance of patience.

I Do Not.

As a matter of fact, I am a most impatient person. All who truly know me will confirm this. What I do have is fierce determination. I am very strong-willed – in the typical Irish Redhead sort of way! I also know that I am blessed with deep empathy.

Sometimes all this serves me well, other times… not so much.

On Wednesday, strong-will, determination, and empathy are just a part of what got me through a long, exhausting, and difficult day.

It also took the true patience, empathy, understanding, and the kindness of strangers to get me through it.

Here is the story…

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First of all, THANK YOU for all your kind, thoughtful, generous, and loving emails, direct Facebook messages, voice-mails, text messages, and especially comments left here. I feel the love and I could not appreciate each and every one of you more! Thank you for your Kindness.

All I can say about the day is that I let God know, and I believe he confirmed back to me, that those hours yesterday have been counted and tallied as double time and a half against my penance for past and future sins!

Love these words of wisdom too!!!

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Since we moved our Mom and her 90 year old husband, Bill, into assisted-living, things have been swiftly going downhill for Bill. I’ve had him in the ER and Sloane receives dozens of phone calls a day from him, as he repeats the same concerns, problems, and fears over and over again.

Sloane stops by to check on them every single day after work (and sometimes before). Every Day! On her way home from a full day’s work! She’s been doing this for months! I know… she is amazing and I try to tell her so!

Anyhow, Bill is extremely unhappy, completely confused, very anxious, and his health is rapidly declining before our very eyes. It was decided last week (when I had him in the ER) that he would go back to Michigan to be with his family, at least for the time being.

Sloane has a demanding full time job and since I do not, I volunteered to be the one to get him there.

As a result I shall do my best to repeat the Dalai Lama’s wise words to myself for the next 20 hours! You will understand why when you see my itinerary for today:

Arrive at my sister’s home at 5:30 AM. Leave my car there. Sloane and I pick up Bill and she’ll drive us to Sky Harbor International Airport.

Bill and I depart Phoenix on Southwest Airlines at 7:40 AM
Arrive in Chicago Midway at 1:00 PM

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For years there was a terrible Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant not far from our home on Cactus Road. I scoffed at it each time I drove by, wondering how such an awful place could stay in business for such a long time.

Then one day, last month, I drove by and if by glorious magic, it was gone! In its place stood a new intriguing looking eatery called Salty Sow, with the subtitle Swine+Wine+Beer.

Sounds like a kingdom of bacon, count me in!

Before I got around to making a reservation, our neighborhood Birthday Girls Group scheduled lunch there for Amy’s birthday. Yay!

Yay, because birthday lunches are fun…

…and yay, excited to go to a new place…

… with good friends!

I didn’t take photos of all the food, that would be tacky… just of mine, Amy’s and Robyne’s, who were sitting next to and across from me. Very discrete!

The Birthday Girl had the the Pig Panini, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Robyne had Open Faced BLT with Egg.

I had the Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad – delicious!

Connor and I ordered take out from the Salty Sow on Saturday night.

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Yesterday was once again the third Thursday of the month, which means that I made my monthly pilgrimage to Sweet Salvage.

The March theme is “Backroads & Blooms” – absolutely perfect for the first week of spring. But of course it is, those Sweet Salvage women never disappoint!

Along with this basket full of little silver and glass trinkets, I purchased a super cool vintage industrial parts drawer chest.

The metal chest of drawers can be seen on the table top above, it is right there behind the glass pedestal dessert dome. And that’s all I bought. It may be a new record for the least amount of stuff I’ve hauled out of there at one time. Which makes me think I should make a return visit before the weekend is over!

I loved this other industrial find, a set of gym locker cubbies, but it’s just too big, I’d have nowhere to put such a thing.

I absolutely adore this idea of using a clock as the base plate for a tall cloche. I’ll be stealing this look for sure!

The awesomeness of Sweet Salvage has not gone unnoticed. As I mentioned a couple months back, my favorite lifestyle blogger and magazine editor, Heather Bullard, made the trip from California for a visit.

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Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.  ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Springtime is the land awakening.  The March winds are the morning yawn.  ~ Lewis Grizzard

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer.  ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.  ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

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