Summer of '69

This morning as I was preparing for another day at the bird store, Bryan Adams sang to me about the summer of ’69. Apparently, those were the best days of his life. Really, Bryan?

For some reason, this song, on this morning, sent my poor little sleepy brain into overdrive. Let’s see…in the summer of ’69 I was 8 years old. My siblings and I spent the summer as we always did…outside with the rest of the neighborhood kids. We explored the woods, built forts, played with Barbie dolls, and acted out numerous and strange make believe scenarios. We went inside only for dinner, and afterward met up for several rounds of hide-and-seek, which lasted well into the night. Fun, yes…but the best days of my life? No.

My brain took another path, and I realized in the summer of ’69 my husband was 19 years old. This would make him closer in age to Bryan, and they probably had more in common. Somewhere in that time frame my husband backpacked through Europe with his friend, Ivan. I wonder if, looking back now, my husband considers those the best days of his life. I hope not.

Interestingly, this song came out in 1984…the year we were married. So, it is possible that at that time, both my husband and Bryan did consider the summer of ’69 the best days of their lives. But life brings us many gifts, and the summer of ’69 was a long time ago.

It is my sincere hope that things have gotten better for Bryan.

I’m weird at 7:00 a.m.

Sassy

Sassy Marie Pupalina Dogarina. Sassamundo. Sassarino Jelly-beano (spoken with a bad Italian accent). Sasquatch. Pupcake. And when it's cold outside...Pupsicle.

If Sassy were human, she'd be that beloved kindergarten teacher that greets everyone with smiles and happy guitar music. Sassy is enthusiastic...about everything. Enthusiastic about getting up in the morning and going to bed at night, enthusiastic about going outside, enthusiastic about coming inside, enthusiastic about lawn mowing, and snow, and soccer balls, and tennis balls, and squirrels, and her kitty cats, and doggy dinner, and cat food, and company.

Everyone needs a Sassy.

But Sassy has a dirty little secret...she is also enthusiastic about...


CAT POOP!
Dear Lord, Sassy!

Here We Go

My sister suggested that I start a blog, and to be perfectly honest I've always resisted doing it, because it would be just more thing added to the list of stuff that I need to do. But here we are...so here we go!

In the past 26 years my husband and I have lived in 6 states (3 times in Missouri), owned 7 homes, 8 cars, 5 cats, one dog, 2 hamsters, 2 gerbils and a multitude of fish. I am not an adventurous soul, but over time that is what I have become. I've certainly enjoyed the ride. The one thing I've learned in all this hopping around is that you've got to "bloom where you're planted".

I am a Missouri girl, born and raised. Shortly after marrying the most wonderful man in the world in 1984, we moved to Boulder, Colorado and later to Estes Park, Colorado, where we bought our first house. I love Colorado. The mountains, the intensely blue sky, and the pine-scented air all soothe my soul.

After 5 years we came back to Missouri to be with family, and in 1992 our daughter, Anna, came into our lives. She truly is our sweetheart.

In 1996 we moved to Medford, Oregon. Again with the mountains, but with the added beauty of the wild Rogue River, Crater Lake, and rose bushes with blooms the size of dessert plates.

We took off for Flagstaff, Arizona in 2000. There are so many things to love about Flagstaff.  I would move there again in a heartbeat.

In 2003 we moved to Riverton, Wyoming. Not my favorite place, but still the scenery was lovely, and we had a lot of fun.

While we were in Wyoming, my husband and brother-in-law hatched a plan to start a business, and in 2006 we landed back in Missouri...running a birding business. When the economy took a nosedive, we decided to sell...which still hasn't happened. My husband is working in Georgia, and I'm here manning the store. In 2011 I will join him in Georgia.

Somewhere in the last 26 years I discovered my creative side, so this blog will be a hodge podge of my latest creations, random thoughts, tales of adventure, family updates, and whatever else strikes my fancy.