I am in Telluride, Colorado.  I always remember the story that my dad told of how they would announce the city on the train as “to-hell-you-ride” and have to say that last night I felt as though I was in hell.  Thanks to my sister she reminded me it’s not hell, it’s just Babylon.  And thanks to her wise words and encouragement today was good and I feel better prepared for the rest of this trip.  I am thankful for someone who encourages me in God and listens to me cry.

Fergal is one year old today.  He opened his presents last night and his favorite was a book from his great-grandmother Heisler.  It made noise.

His mother’s favorite “gift” was the bag I put the bathtub toys I gave him in.  She said it just seemed like a family portrait.

Next birthday…. Otto.  He will be seven. It’s hard enough to believe Fergal is a year old but seven!  Wow!

monkey wrench

noun
an adjustable wrench with large jaws that has its adjusting screw contained in the handle.

verb ( monkeywrench) [ trans. ] informal
sabotage (something), esp. as a form of protest : [as n. ] ( monkeywrenching) the five defendants who received jail sentences for monkeywrenching.

PHRASES
a monkey wrench in the works (or schedule, plan, etc.) a person or thing that prevents the successful implementation of a plan : even he couldn’t throw a monkey wrench into the works | a cancellation can throw a real monkey wrench into the schedule.

Ever had one of those days where you thought you had it all together and then someone comes along and throws a monkey-wrench right into the middle of your life?

That’s me today.

I was all ready for our trip this weekend.  A company business trip that has always been a quiet event.  Four men and usually a couple of wives, sometimes no wives.  Some years I have gone with my husband and some years I have not.  It has always been a time when I can hide in my room, or find a coffee house to sit in and read.  I was planning on taking my camera and playing with it and had agreed to go skiing one day with my husband.  I was looking forward to the time, and possibly even the cold weather.  Today, just two days before departure, I am told that it has now become a “party” trip.  Party being my descriptive word.  Due to recent management changes it isn’t just the operations team that is going, it is all the other department heads too and all their wives.  Gone is my quiet solitude.  Gone is my private retreat.  Gone is my personal space.

Oh have faith some of you say, it can’t be all bad.

Oh yes it can.

I am not cut out to be an executives wife.  I am a hermit by nature.

Every year my husband is so sweet and gives me roses and sweet mushy cards.  He is a romantic at heart.  I usually reciprocate with a half-hearted joke card.  I’m not the romantic he is.  This year I was very proud of myself.  I resisted the urge to give him a joke card.  It was a simple card I rejected.  On the front cover it says, “In the whole world, each person is assigned one other person to be their special soulmate, their Valentine.”  Inside it says, “Ha-ha!  You got stuck with me!”  Now that’s a me card.  Through and through.  But I resisted and for my romantic husband I got a card that said, “You are hilarious (that’s why I love you).  You are adorable (wait, that’s why I love you).  You are brilliant (hey, that’s why I love you!).  You are always patient with me when i can’t make up my mind…. I love that about you!  Happy Valentine’s Day to someone I love, love, love with all my heart!

A very un-me card, but very a husband appreciated card.

I thought of AmeliaJake today.  I was reading “odd facts” about states with my grandson and found out Raggedy Ann was born in Indianapolis.  Just seemed fitting that Rose’s cousin would be from the same state.

I wonder if Lili has missed Hawaii with all the cold she’s been experiencing.  Of course they might have just made her a nice bed in the microwave too….

For the past two years I have been a member of the Houston Choral Society.  It is a community/professional choir that puts on four concerts each year for the public enjoyment.  I am the community part of the choir.  My daughter Emily would be more the professional part. 

On Saturday night we had a 25th anniversary gala.  A fancy dinner and entertainment.  My husband and I were there.  We put on our fancy duds and spiffed ourselves up to look presentable.  I knew that mother-of-the-bride dress would come in handy for something.

Emily and Art attended

and Hannah and Chris joined us.

We were joined by my friend Clara at our table.  My entire family has decided we need to adopt her.  Clara is quite fun and has a great sense of humor.  I have enjoyed her friendship.

We had a fun time.  A steak dinner and fun entertainment as well as a silent auction filled the evening. 

Emily and her friend Karen were the closing act and it was a hit.  It also was the best performance of the night.  And that’s not just mom talking, everyone thought so.  They performed the song All That Jazz from the musical Chicago.

Emily was quite happy to be “on stage”, even if it was a small one.

It was a really fun night even if I didn’t win any of my silent auction items.  I had bid on a 1962 Mickey Mantle baseball card and various other little items.  Emily and Art were the only winners at our table with an autographed baseball (some Astros player) and a limited edition print from the Metropolitan Opera (a beautiful print).

While I understand the draw and ease of using a Kindle or a Nook to read a book I sigh with sadness at the decline of the traditional book.  I love holding a book in my hands, turning the pages, smelling the ink, feeling the words run past my eyes.  It just isn’t the same feeling with a digital book.  I saw today that Barnes and Noble, the last large book seller in the nation is struggling.  While I don’t frequent their establishment, choosing instead to go to a smaller bookstore that is more intimate and friendly, it is very sad to think it may go the way of the dinosaurs. 

We had a weekend of family parties.  Saturday night we had a birthday party for Art.  Sunday night we had a combined birthday party and super bowl party for Chris.  I usually don’t watch the super bowl, not a big football fan but since the family was all together I joined in and of course we watched the ads to see who did well and who bombed.

The winner hands down for me was the Dodge Paul Harvey ad.  It just made me want to cry thinking of my dad.  And my brother.  And a way of life that I truly love and am not part of. 

Some other favorites were the Audi goes to Prom, the Taco Bell Geriatrics club and the Budweiser Clydesdale growing up spot.  Two humorous, two sentimental.

Gone in the blink of an eye.

0.91666666667 to go.

Before we know it.