Who Says You Can't Go Home

Jon Bon Jovi got it right when he sang Who Says You Can't Go Home.  My husband and I left California seven years ago for a lower cost of living.  True, we now have a nice house, good jobs and an easy commute, but we've come to learn that those aren't the things that really matter in life.  We are thinking about quitting our jobs, selling the house we love and heading back to the Golden State.  For him, it's to be closer to his parents.  For me, it's just home and where I feel like I belong.  In California we'll have a horrible commute, a smaller more expensive house and who knows what kinds of jobs (if any) given the state of the California economy, but it's what we want. 

I don't think we are alone in this thinking either.  Right now two of my acquaintances are driving across the country with all their belongings and dogs in a truck to go back home.  One couple is going from California back to Tennessee and another couple is going from Minnesota to California.  Both just want to be home.  This just goes to show that no state is better than another, it's home that matters.

My Favorite Men

Wheel of Torture

My mom loved watching Wheel of Fortune.  My brothers and I affectionately called it Wheel of Torture...I'm not sure why since I liked the show.  I remember the days where they had to use the money they won to buy horribly over priced prizes like the games for $50 or the giraffe statue for $250 since they had to use up all the money.  Luckily now they get to keep the money.  I just watched an episode and decided this is a game show that I could actually do so I signed up to be a contestant on their web site!  Haha!!!!  I can't imagine anything will come of this, but it was fun to do on a whim.

Mouse Ears

We used to go to Disneyland about once or twice a year when I was a kid.  My parents rarely bought us souvenirs, but one time I did get a pair of mouse ears with my name embroidered on the back.  I was so excited!

My nieces recently spent four days at Disneyland while visiting Grandpa. I love how the two older girls want to be all cute and pretty and the little one has a chipmunk hat...that totally fits her personality!

They Grow Up So Fast!

My beautiful nieces!

Puppies!!!

My brother's dog Coco is a mom again! 10 puppies!!! I can't help but be nervous with what happened last time. I will get to go visit the puppies when they area about six weeks old. Way to go Coco!

Coco's puppies - scroll down to the "SNOW" litter.

Not My Turn...Yet

My brother turned 40 today and it makes me feel old! I am the "baby" in the family so I haven't hit it yet, but I can't help thinking it's just around the corner!!!

The Visit

All went well with my dad's visit from California. The weather here couldn't have been worse though! It was raining and about 40 degrees the entire time he was here. This is really not normal for Virginia this time of the year. Good thing there were lots of good sporting events on TV as that kept us occupied for a while. It was nice having the giant plasma on the wall for everyone to watch. The highlight of the trip was once again the wine tour. We hired a driver and went to 4 wineries about an hour from here where it's really scenic. The biggest surprise though was that one of them had 3 inches of snow!!! Not good for the grapes at all...but we kind of laughed about it because that particular winery was very rude to us and we left before even tasting. They kept making us wait for no good reason and not serving us...so after about 15 minutes, we just left. The next place we went to couldn't have been nicer so we made the right decision. Our house was an absolute mess up until the day dad arrived since we had been working on the family room. I was up late every night since I got back from Vegas working on it and even forgot to eat some meals...something I never do! My dad left this morning and now I'm more relaxed with my normal life back. Oh...and of course it was a bright sunny day today...

Please Don't Go

I haven't given up again...I have so much to say, but no time to write it! Vegas was awesome, work is crazy, my dad is coming to visit on Friday and the house is still in the middle of a home improvement project gone nuts. I've been up late working on the house since getting back from Vegas and am exhausted. Dad is here until Monday and then I will have lots to post. My goal after all this is to get back to working on the dog treats. I just need a chunk of time to focus on it.

Rebel Van Tanglefoot

Two nights ago I started reading the book Rescuing Sprite about a family's experience with their dogs. I'm sure the dog will die and it will be sad, just like Marley & Me. What's interesting so far is that it takes place in my neighborhood! I know the pet store they got the dog at because I often walk by same window they did and look at the puppies. All this got me thinking about the dog I had as a kid. Rebel Van Tanglefoot was his name. He came from a line of show dogs, but genetics went wrong with him and his colors were all wrong so he was not show worthy. My mom really didn't want a dog, but this was her friend's dog and it turned out someone in their family was allergic so Rebel came to live with us when he was nine months old. I was only 5 at the time and was frightened of dogs. I was even scared to wear my Morris the cat shirt around him. My dad taught me to hold out my hand and let Rebel smell it before petting him. I quickly lost my fear of him and he was a great family dog...once he got past the chewing phase. He seemed to think anything left out was fair game for him to chew. Shoes were his favorite. Rebel made everyone feel special. To me, he was my protector since I was the smallest in the house. He would be really friendly to anyone who came to the door, unless I was home alone and then he'd bark his really mean bark (I wasn't allowed to open the door when I was home alone). One night when my parents were out and my two brothers and I were playing hide and seek in the house in the dark I got tagged and screamed...and when the lights were turned on, Rebel's jaw was around my brother's arm, even though he adored my brother. He wasn't hurt though. Rebel also had a way of knowing when I was upset. I had a hard time socially in high school for a while and when I was sad, Rebel would just sit next to me and be there for me like he understood. Rebel was great fun to play with. We had a back yard big enough to throw the ball for him and he loved to chase it and bring it back. Sometimes we'd pretend the throw it one direction and really throw it the other way and he'd get so confused. He also had the ability to hold two balls in his mouth at once. Rebel eventually became old and sick and a night I will never forget is the night he died. He was in my room and I knew something was wrong. He didn't sleep and just had a blank stare on his face. I eventually went to my parents' room and my mom told my dad to get the dog out of my room so he carried Rebel downstairs. A little while later I heard my dad say, "Oh no..." and I knew it was over.

Coco's Litter

My brother's dog, Coco, gave birth to five puppies on September 15th. Three boys and two girls. Unfortunately, the puppies all died about five days later. Rest in peace little puppies. Coco was a good mom and kept looking for them after they were gone. I wish I could give her a big hug. The only pictures I have of the puppies are on this web site.

DC Thru 8 Year Old Eyes

Ahhh to be young and carefree. When my niece visited last week she had no interest in the sights of DC. She just wanted to do cart wheels on the grass and eat ice cream under a cherry tree.

Stress...What Stress?

To say I'm stressed right now is a bit of an understatement. I have a busy week at work, my family is coming to visit on Saturday and my house is a mess because of the kitchen remodel. When this is all done and the visitors are gone, my husband and I need to do something fun and relaxing. Until then...I will continue to stress...because I'm pretty good at it.

Back East

When I was a kid we went to visit my mom's side of the family a few times "back east" in North Dakota and Minnesota. I know these are not really the east coast, but to us in California it was "back east". We went three times and it was such a big deal to me to go "back east". Now my dad is planning a trip to go "back east"... to visit ME!!!! I realize I live on the east coast and moved far away from my family, but I never though of it as "back east".

Family Photos

A few months ago I asked my dad to scan and email me a few pictures for the post I wrote about our family vacation to a dude ranch. He said he would send me all the pictures because that would be easier. A box arrived today..29 pounds per the UPS slip and it's ALL my family's pictures. I haven't gotten thru all of them yet, but it also includes pictures I have never seen, like pictures from my grandparents' wedding. I have mixed emotions about all this. I like looking at the pictures, but wonder why my dad doesn't want any of them anymore.

Dinner!

I have a very sweet dad. He sent me some chocolate covered strawberries today so it was the majority of my dinner while I waited for the HVAC guy...who never showed up.

My Mom

My mom passed away on August 6, 1994. This Wednesday it will be 14 years. I think about her everyday, but with the anniversary coming up, I've been thinking about her all the time. So the next few days worth of posts are dedicated to her.