Happy New Year!

It's 2009. Brand new year. Fresh, clean, slate.

I feel the winds of change blowing and I think they're sending me in a positive direction. Yes. Finally.

The little dude and I had a great day today. Build-A-Bear, Starbuck's, and painting. He's still pretty excited about seeing The Tale of Despereaux yesterday as well, which is cool. I hope when he's a little older he'll be interested enough to want to read the book - right now it's a little above keeping his interest. The worst part for me was dropping him off. It's too quiet and too clean without him around. Such is life, but I'll look forward to when he's back. :o)

I also took pics today. Going to Build-A-Bear made it pretty easy, but I really need to keep it up for tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. Like I said a couple posts prior, my goal for 2009 is to take a photo, any photo, every day. I'm thinking I'll create a special blog just for that. Details to follow.

Yeah, I know I still need to move the 'thinking out loud' stuff too. I'm working on it. For that one I want to have the domain name first. I have a domain pointing here - www. scrappingviolet.com. You can still get to it via the blogger address, but it's nice that the domain works too. I've had it for a couple of years. Had grandiose designs for it too. Finally gave it up, killed the hosting, and pointed the DNS here. :o)

I keep thinking of an old M.A.S.H. episode that was about NYE - Col. Potter was dressed up like Father Time and giving a toast to the 4077th as they ring in 1952 and hoping 'may she be a damn sight better' than the previous year. Well I have the same sentiment for 2009 and have very high hopes that it's a damn sight better than it's predecessor. For everyone. May you all find your joy in 2009, and if you've found it, may it sustain throughout the coming year and years to come.

Isn't Memorial Weekend Supposed to Kick-Off Summer?

Because I. Am. Freezing.

It's cloudy. It's 52 degrees outside. It's supposed to rain later. I think I got my toes done (and suffered through the whole feet touching thing) for nothing. Well, not nothing. They do look good.

Today I'm hitting at least one street fair. Just to get out of the house. Then it's off to the Annual Dysfunctional Family BBQ. Which won't quite be the same because the weather today isn't exactly conducive to Super Soaker and water balloon fights. Then again, one 4th of July about 10 years back it was also this cold and we had a water fight anyway... and a food fight... I think the guy I was dating at the time is still traumatized, and not to mention mortified, from THAT experience. ;o)

Apparently it's Spring...

Now stop snowing, dammit! Spring means it gets warm. And my tulips start sprouting (which they are!). Grass starts turning green (instead of the disgusting, matted brown it currently is). Leaves sprout. It stops freaking snowing. And I live in flip-flops on a daily basis. Oh. Wait. I live in flip-flops on a daily basis whether it's Spring or not. I forgot.

Now for the record, only one house on my street has green grass. Freakishly green. We're talking this-shit-cannot-be-real green. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that the woman who owns the house is doing a TruGreen ChemLawn dude... She has to be. I've observed him dealing with the lawn, then letting himself in the house bearing a ginormous bunch of roses. Then leave. Then show up later on in his tricked-out car. Which would stay parked there a long long time.

Today was actually a good day for me. Finally had Ethan's birthday party at Build-A-Bear (aka The Teddy Bear Store). Kids were really well behaved at the store itself (shockedy-shock-shock). Pretty much everyone participated, which was cool. I got a beer and wings at Champp's. :o) Important stuff you know. I'll post pics once my lazy self pulls them off the camera.

This evening was capped off by puking child. We're talking projectile. We're talking my next place will not have one fiber of carpet because do you know what a pain in the ass it is to get puke and the puke smell out of carpet???? So needless to say, Easter eggs did not get dyed this evening. I scored a really cool Star Wars kit too. I guess we can dye them tomorrow morning. Nothing says you can't dye Easter eggs actually *on* Easter, right?

So nothing is open tomorrow. Except like Country Buffet. I guess I have run out of reasons to procrastinate and should actually get ready for my trip to Chicago on Monday. You know. Pack and stuff.

Before I forget...

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Don't want to disgrace my Irish ancestors or anything. Unfortunately I won't be out partaking of any green beer (narsty!) or any drunken Irishness. At least not this year. Next year, however, is another story...

Wishing You...

A very...

Feliz Navidad!

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Hmmm...

... I think I forgot just how cold 50 degrees really is at night in the middle of December in Southern California. It's damn cold. Yet my husband is walking around in shorts like it's nothing. Freak. Now where did I put that fleece pullover I bought at Old Navy earlier today...

I feel it in my fingers. I feel it in my toes.

Christmastime is up on us again. Or at least the holiday season. I mean we're nowhere near December 1 just yet. Still I've watched Love, Actually, at least 5 or 6 times already.

It's been a crazy six weeks - as evidenced my my huge lack in posting. So much overwhelming stuff has happened, it's just taken me a while to get my head around everything enough to actually write about it.

Last time I posted I was looking forward to Fall and Halloween and all the great stuff that goes with it. Then four days later I visited my dermatologist to have an ugly-ass mole on my leg looked at and preferably removed. My dermatologist looked at it, agreed it needed to come off, took it off, then sent it off to be picked apart and analyzed.

Two weeks later, just as we were getting home from our Halloweentime Disneyland trip, I received another call to inform me that the mole came back as skin cancer. A superficial melanoma to be exact. The good news (if you can extract any good news from a melanoma diagnosis) was the fact that it was superficial and very thin. The doctor was sure she got it all, but was referring me to a cutaneous oncologist and a dermatological surgeon to be sure. So I spent the next couple days not eating, the subsequent weeks eating not much at all, but also getting all sorts of appointments scheduled to get this thing taken care of ASAP.

In between all this we had Halloween, which was fabulous, and a very much-needed trip to Texas for a scrapbooking retreat. I was also offered a permanent position with one of the companies I had been doing some work for, two days after my diagnosis, which was a very much-needed break. Each of those things were major factors in getting me through the next three weeks until my additional appointments, and resulting wide-area local excision (read: under local anesthesia they took out a larger chunk of my leg to get the tumor out).

My visit with my cutaneous oncologist was reassuring and worrisome at the same time. Reassuring because he feels that everything looks OK from an oncologist's perspective and therefore I have a very good prognosis. Worrisome because it freaks me out that I had to see an oncologist. Plus the fact that he told me all he sees all day long are skin cancer cases. In fact, most of the building I visited to see the doctor were clinics that specialized in treating various forms of cancer. That and there's a higher chance I'll get another one of these damned things.

On my way to the elevator I passed by radiation therapy. Both days I was in the building the waiting area was jam. packed. People waiting to get their radiation treatment. Old people. Young people. Black people. White people. People from all walks of life. It was really scary just how many people are being treated for one form of cancer or another. In fact, that building was HOPPING with people. Sad and scary all at the same time.

The surgery went fine. My dermatological surgeon was AWESOME. Both he, the resident working with him, and the nurse were wonderful. They also were very positive about my case based on everything they had seen - lab results, examination, etc. When it was all said and done, I went home minus a half-dollar sized chunk of my leg, semi-stitched (couldn't totally stitch because the skin in the area is so tight anyway) and with instructions and dressing supplies to start me out. The skin that was removed was marked and sent off to another lab to be sure my ugly little friend didn't invade the area and invite a bunch more of it's ugly little friends to take up residence as well.

In the meantime I had plenty to keep my mind off everything to some extent. Learning the new client that was a big part of the new job. Getting paperwork and such taken care of to start said new job. Continuing to keep my already assigned clients happy. Plus making final arrangements for a trip to the office for a couple days of training, orientation, and getting to know my new co-workers at the main office. While I was there the nurse called with my biopsy results - NORMAL. No further cutting necessary, just follow-up doctor's appointments. THAT I can handle. Of course I celebrated with a fine Gingerbread Latte and a fab Vietnamese dinner.

I know darn well that while I am out of the woods, I am by no means off the hook. Right now I am paranoid to let any sunlight touch me. As if I'm a vampire that will turn to ash should I be touched by the sun's rays. Realistically, I need to be sure I wear sunscreen. And cover up. And try not to be outside when it's the most intense. No more tanning. Just fake ones. I shall be orange and I shall wear that orange like a badge of honor. I now throw hexes at tanning salons for I know my love of those damned tanning beds (paired with my own stupidity) is what got me here.

While my skin is olive and does have the ability to tan, most of the time it's a fair shade of olive. And based on what I've been told about my ancestors on my dad's side of the family, while the vast majority of them hail from Spain, they were very fair skinned, with several redheads thrown into the mix. Pair that with the fact that I'm also about 1/3 Irish... Which translates to my stupid pale ass had little to no business hanging out in a tanning salon, much less even thinking about going to the beach or pool and not being fanatical about sunscreen.

Despite all this, and my becoming the unwitting ambassador for SPF, I have such a huge sense of calm this holiday season.

While many I know eschew the fact that it starts earlier and earlier each year, this year in particular, I am glad that the holidays are upon us. And while I may have grumbled that Macy's had their freaking decorations up a good week before Halloween, I'm glad to see the festive lights and other holiday decor. I'm even listening to Christmas music every now and then. Particularly Feliz Navidad. And my new favorite this year, The Coventry Carol. Very haunting, thanks to the vocal stylings of Alison Moyet, yet so perfect at twilight.

Our local easy-listening station started up sometime last week. I happened to catch it last Wednesday on my way to the airport and listened for a while. Then I found a sister station on my business trip and listened for a bit on my way to the airport on Friday. Apparently XM has had their holiday channels active since November 1, but I just found them on Monday and have listened while working all week.

We also went out on our yearly insanity shopping trip - i.e. hitting whichever store had the one cool thing at like 5am. This year we scored a 52" Vizio LCD HDTV (NOT my idea but whatever). Now I can get that monstrosity called the 55" projection HDTV out of my house. That and the Guitar Hero II bundle w/guitar were the big scores this year. I must say I was rather disappointed in the selection (or lack thereof) this year. We usually spend Friday and Saturday back and forth to Michael's and Jo-Ann because of the coupons and Turkey Bucks, but not this year. This year was the crapola year. God bless the crappy economy.

Now the countdown to my trip home to SoCal begins. We're spending Christmas with my aunt and cousins and I cannot wait. Yes, that means palm trees decked out in twinkle lights, boats all decked out in the harbor, and banners with snowflakes flanking the palm tree-lined streets. I'm cool with that. I don't have to have a white Christmas. I'm cool just singing about it while the waves crash just outside.

While normally I dread the craziness and the feeling that we have to be 10 different places at once, this year I am looking forward to it

Fall Returns!

Ah Fall is in the air. There's that little bite of cool-ish air in the wind mixed in with the still warm breezes. Plus there's the return of my favorite - the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks.

I want to know where the heck August went. I haven't blogged in over a month. That's bad! I've had so many observations and so much to muse about. Like why there's 10+ hubcaps strewn along the left shoulder of a stretch of southbound I-25 near downtown Denver; or why the hell does Scarlett Johansson stare off into the distance during every sketch she's in on SNL; or why is it that the full moon seems to have such a powerful influence over people, causing needless stupidity?

One thing about Fall that I am so looking forward to is the cooler temperatures. It's been a pretty miserable summer. 52+ days of 90 degrees and above. Eeesh. I love Summer just as much as the next person, but I prefer temps around 85 or so. I know I'll be complaining once again when temperatures dip below freezing. Especially when we get the inevitable snow storm while we're away at Disneyland and (of course) will arrive home completely unprepared for the weather.

Of course the greatest joy of Fall for me comes with decorating for the season. Bring out the pumpkins, the colored leaves, the gourds, the dried corn! And with that the ghosts, goblins, bats, and scarecrows. I'll be the first to admit I'm one of those crazy people who's already planning their yard display and dusting off the indoor Halloween decorations. Go ahead. Shake your heads. Laugh. Start inching away. It's ok. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and Fall my favorite season. I'm used to it. It doesn't bother me one bit. I'm too busy enjoying the season.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day.

If you're not a mom, call yours. You'll make her day.

Day Two of Allergy Haze

I'm stuffy. I feel like I'm walking around in a bubble or something. Bleh. Now all I need is for stuff to start echoing. The suckiest part is I had to cancel my dentist appointment. Now I don't get pretty teeth until sometime in June. Ah well. It beats having someone tugging at my teeth and gagging me with x-ray films with an itchy throat and a stuffed-up nose!

The good news is it's another beautiful day. Cool-ish breeze blowing through the window and I can tell it's going to be a warm, sunny day. Perhaps I'll go for a walk once I get that concentration of allergy meds and DayQuil built up. Nothing like a walk in the fresh air to make you feel better.

Springtime in the Rockies has arrived!

And so have my allergies. Ah well. It's worth it to have warm, sunny days and wear lighter clothing. After a few weeks of unseasonably cold and wet/snowy weather, this weekend's sunshine and warmer temperatures have been a welcome change. I spent the weekend in capris and tank tops. I enjoyed my anniversary dinner (4 years!) all the more being able to go in my favorite sleeveless top and light pants. Of course today I felt like absolute crap, but to me it was worth it to enjoy dinner at the Melting Pot!

I'm hoping the weather carries through the week. It's always nice to work with the window next to my desk open and allowing in a nice breeze and fresh air.

Warmer weather also means I can start plotting out my garden. Allergies or none. This year I'm going to stick to my Italian & salsa garden of Anaheim, New Mexico, Big Jim, and Poblano chiles, tomatillo, Early Girl, Roma, and a few heirloom varieties of tomato, and probably some green bell peppers. I'll also have my standard herb garden of rosemary, chives, thyme, mint, oregano, cilantro, basil, tarragon, dill, and maybe I'll try growing garlic again. My chives from last year came back (yay!) as did the oregano. I think the tough winter zapped my rosemary, so I'll have to re-plant. Over the weekend we picked up some chili pepper plants, two rosemary, and a tomatillo plant to start. You really only need one tomatillo. They grow quickly and spread out fast, yielding more tomatillos than you can shake a stick at! I made the silly mistake of planting two a few years back. Boy, did those suckers get big and I had husky-covered, green fruit all over the place because I couldn't keep up with the harvest. The best part will be roasting the chilis on our new grill! Can't wait!

In the meantime, I'm scratchy and sniffly. Well worth it to enjoy nice weather and the return of green!

May the light of the holidays shine upon you!

Although Christmas itself was a few days ago, I still consider myself to be smack in the midst of the holiday season. For me, it doesn't end until the last champagne cork pops and the final bar of Auld Lange Syne has faded into the din of the party.

No, the holidays are still alive and well. Most shops are decorated festively. At least until about this time next week. Maybe sooner. Our tree is still up and lit. Our outdoor lights are as well. The latter because due to the excessive amount of snow we received last week and within the past 24 hours, it's gonna be a while before we're able to dig some of those lights out.



This is what our front yard and lights looked like during the storm.



This is what they looked like after. They melted a bit over the week, but then we got zonked again with Round 2. Not quite as bad, but still annoying.

The brilliant part is how the lights look on the snow.



We had some "Santa's Runway" lights along the south side of the driveway but they are shorter lights and you really can't see them right now. Right before the second storm hit you could see the red and green lights shining under the snow. A couple of the lights were again visible due to melting, but now they're all covered up again. I'll have to remember to snap a few pics when the snow gets back to that point again.

I consider the light of the holidays really to be so much more than outdoor lights, lit Christmas trees (dare I say) the mall decor, or even festive holiday candles. The light of the holidays is the whole spirit of the season and how it makes you feel. Joyous, happy, content, excited, wishful. It can give you a sense of hope. It can make you reflect - both on the current year and years passed. The delight of spending time with friends and family. For me, it's a little of all of the above, mixed in with a little sadness that there are some who I didn't get to spend this holiday with. Partly due to distance and partly due to the fact that they've passed with the years. I've only got a few days left of the holidays really, and I'm going to enjoy every last moment there is. We have a party with friends to attend and I've got all New Year's Day before I even have to think about taking down the tree. Revel in the spirit of the season my friends, for while it seems that Christmas seems to drag on sometimes, it's really only here for a few fleeting moments and glimpses, then it fades away until next year. A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

I'm a Christmas card cop-out.

I had grand ideas (delusions) this year. I was going to make a whole batch of super-cute, hand-made, hand-stamped, holiday cards. Some with pictures, some without. I even had my first run of cards cut and scored, a veritable canvas just waiting for me to go to town. Then I ran out of time and just plain got un-motivated.

Part of it may have to do with the whole saga of getting Ethan's Christmas portraits taken. Took us three tries to get in at Kiddie Kandids, which I'll spare you the gory details. We got the pics, they're uber cute. Nevermind the fact that had I been able to get in when I wanted to, perhaps the custom cards would have materialized.

While we were selecting the prints and other stuff we wanted out of the package, I looked at the pics and the cute borders the photographer was showing me and said, "you know what? These pics rock, the borders are cute, print me up 36 of these and now my whole Christmas card problem is solved." I feel like a total sell-out. I could have spent the weekend inking, stamping, cutting, scoring, folding, and heat embossing. Applying the random brad, ribbon, or other hardware. But I'm not. Instead I will spend this afternoon and probably some time tomorrow addressing cards and adding a little note here and there. Don't ask me why I get this idea (and the associated guilt) to where I think I need to be going to all these elaborate extremes. I know the recipients will enjoy their cards and I need to take comfort in that thought. I *am* spreading joy, just in a different way.

So for your viewing pleasure, here's the two poses I chose for the cards. If you're on my Christmas card list, you might want to stop reading now!





Happy Holidays!

Love,
Slacker Mom

Sights, sounds, and scents of the season

Yesterday evening my son and I took a walk over to the grocery store. I consider myself lucky that I have that option if I only need a few things that can fit in the bottom of the stroller, the weather is nice and I'm not in a huge rush. It's a short, 15-20 minute walk, and great exercise. Armed with my maglite flashlight, iPod, and a sippy for the little guy we set off.

After dark the world is just a little different. Nightfall seems to heighten the senses and little nuances are so much more apparent. Sight, smell, and sound take on a whole new life.

Walking past one neighbor's house, I smell a delicious meal being prepared on their grill;

Walking past another neighbor's house, I can tell they're doing laundry because I can smell the fabric softener wafting through the dryer vents;

We hear dogs bark throughout the neighborhood. Big dogs, little dogs, yappy dogs;

We see two houses already decorated with Christmas lights. One of them had a beautiful display too, with red lights outlining the yard, light-up deer in the yard, icicle lights along the eaves, and a festive wreath on the door;

Rounding the corner of the shopping center, we catch a whiff of Subway and one of the other restaurants;

As we approach the grocery store, we're welcomed with the scent of freshly cut Christmas trees;

On the way back home we could see that even more people had returned home from their day of school, work, or running errands as more homes were aglow from the lights inside.

As the days progress, I fully expect to see more decorations and see and hear more hustle and bustle. I hope to have more opportunities (and a few evenings where it's not freezing cold) in which to take a moment to enjoy the world around me.