Call me (call me) on the line Call me, call me any, anytime Call me (call me) oh my love When you're ready we can share the wine Call me.......Thank you Blondie

This is a story that I started a few years ago. I shelved it due to not being sure what to do with my bad guy. I think I am going to start it again.

The stars were shining bright the first time she felt the wild breeze in her face.  This was a breeze like none other that she had ever felt.  It felt as though there was a message in the wind,  a strange message that she had never heard.  When you are a listener you can often hear a message in any breeze if you listen hard enough.  Sometimes the message is simple as someone saying they love you or that there is something going on that you want to see.  This was a new sound, one Kara had never heard and she really had to listen to hear it all.

This was a message of seasons passing and life going on.  Peoples lives end and that means that their seasons have passed.  Sometimes it is natural other times it isn’t.  This one wasn’t a natural passing this one was evil.  And there were so many things that the breeze was saying it was hard for Kara to tell all of the parts apart.  There were voices of love but also scary voices of nasty things that had happened.  Whenever the breeze took control of her it would be like she was leaving her body and this time was no different.  She was traveling in the breeze.

The first time that Kara breeze traveled it was so frightening but now it was not so bad.  She knew now that this was what she was born to do.  Everyone has their destiny, sometimes we aren't so lucky that we know what it is but Kara knew.  Most of the time she didn't mind but when she was a little girl it was frightening and she couldn't go to school because you never knew when a breeze might come and take her.  Or for how long it might take her away for that matter.  She never physically left it was only her mind that traveled on the breeze.  Thankfully for her the family understood and had home schooled her.  She was afraid to fall in love because she didn't know how to explain the traveling to anyone else and she knew that strangers would think that she was crazy or a witch.  People already did anyway.

This time what she was hearing was different.  She was hearing someone frightened and she felt she needed to get to them desperately.  She needed to help them, but she was held back by the whims of the gentle wind.  Sometimes it traveled fast but today it seemed so slow.  Maybe it was because she felt a real need to reach her destination.  She wasn't quite sure.  She knew that trying to fight the breeze or speed it up was futile.  

Kara decided to focus on the other sounds that she could here maybe she at least maybe she would have an idea of where she was being carried.  This was something she usually didn’t do but this time Kara felt like she really needed to know for reasons she really wasn’t quite sure of.  The main thing she hears was sobbing person, not really sobbing, it sounded almost like someone trying to sob as quietly as they possibly could.  Kara was focusing as hard as she could, but it felt as though the breeze was leaving her.


Traveling in a breeze is very much like body surfing in the ocean, minus the water.  You are at the mercy of the tides in the ocean and the capricious moods of the wind.  Kara was usually happy to wind surf as it were.  Tonight it was different.  As she slowly returned to her body she felt bad because she really wanted to help the sobbing stranger.  She sat at her window look out her open window at the stars trying to remember everything she heard.  All the while urging the breeze to come get her again and let her try and help this person.

The first breeze that took Kara was when she was around five years old and it seemed like a dream and it wasn’t scary somehow.  She figured that it was better that it happened when she was little because your fears really develop more as you get older.  It’s almost like we condition ourselves to be afraid.  Maybe we are even taught what to be afraid of, Kara was lucky her parents had never  instilled the fear of things that were different and face it riding the breeze was not what anyone would call normal.  Kara figured that most people could actually do it if they ever took the time to actually pay attention.  Maybe they thought they were dreaming or maybe they ignored it.  All that she thought was how nice it would be to have a friend her age that understood.

here was something about this place and he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.  It was so cold, he had never felt such a bone chilling cold.  Sure he had been in cold places but this was different.  This was something he felt inside and not physically.   He felt as though he could feel someone looking at him but there was no one around him.  He looked around scanning to see if he had missed someone.  “No, there’s no one there,” Rick thought to himself.

He was a careful person, he had grown up in a decent sized town so he knew not everyone was as nice as they seemed.  He knew he wasn’t.  After all everyone has secrets, the only difference is the size and degree of the story.  Take his secrets for instance, no one would guess how deep his secrets were buried, or how many there were.   Sure he was a nice guy.  The type everybody trusted, a real boy next door.  The type everybody trusted with their secrets.

Now Rick, he didn’t trust anyone enough to tell his secrets, well not at first at least.  Usually it was the last thing he told them, you could even say that it was often the last secret they ever heard.   And he always told them privately like a lover to his lover or a confessor to their Priest as it were.  Isn’t it funny that the person you often trust the most is the person that you fear the  most?  It was that way for him.  He was sure now that he was safe and that no one was watching. 

He walked back to get his latest special friend, this secret was too good to not share.  Maybe this time it would be different, maybe she wouldn’t laugh at him, maybe she would even love him.  He almost giggled at the thought that someone could love him.  It made him giddy and even a little light headed at the thought.  He wasn’t so cold anymore this was definitely where he wanted to bring her.

He always liked his special friends and all the time he spent with them was so nice.  He needed to bring something’s here to make it perfect for her.  He wanted to make sure everything was just right.  It was probably the one of Rick’s favorite parts of making new friends and romances.  He hoped that her hair smelled good when he was closer, maybe he would get special shampoos for her so that he could be sure.  Aesthetics were so important to him, everything had to be just right or her couldn’t enjoy it as much.

He just wished that the darn breeze would stop blowing, he didn’t like the wind and he wasn’t sure why.  It was just one more thing that he didn’t trust and he wasn’t sure why.  The breeze made him nervous and it made good smells go away and bad smells come in.  Smells that made Rick nervous.

“How did I get here?”  Lydia thought to herself.  One minute she was jogging and the next thing she knew se woke up in this dark place.  To begin with Lydia screamed as loud as she could.  There was no one to hear her.  The longer she screamed without anyone hearing the more frightened Lydia became.  Why didn’t anyone hear her?  Now her throat her and all she could manage was a small whimper.

Rick hated to hear anyone scream, it made him both sad and angry.  He didn’t like it when he was angry, Rick became a different person when he was angry.  No one liked him like that.  He could hardly wait until they finally met, the anticipation was building in him.  Rick just knew that she would like him.  Rick almost hummed as he was bringing back the supplies that he needed.  Most of his “girlfriends” liked him at first, they almost seemed glad to meet him.  Why did it have to change.

Lydia was so confused, how did she get to where she was?  Her head hurt and it felt as though she had been sleeping.  She was trying to remember what had happened before she had fallen asleep.  Or was she really asleep?  Or had she been unconscious?  If she had been unconscious how did she come to be that way?  She realized that her wrist were tied and she was working to loosen them.  The more she seemed to wake up the more frightened she became.

So I love to write, and this is a small piece. Drop me a line......

Okay, I have thought it over and I am going to post a small piece of writing. I want input on it please.

The sweat is pouring off of her as she runs. She is sure that she is not running fast enough or quiet enough to get away. She imagines the smile on her tormentors face as they track her. She knows that they are taking great pleasure in her fear. She can smell her own fear. She knows they can. The only question she really has is why her? What made them want to terrorize her? How did she draw their attention?

Truth be told it was nothing she did that got their attention. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was a game for them, a hunt. They enjoyed the rush that they felt in their blood as they chased someone. There was nothing like the thrill of smelling the fear in the sweat of a person. The adrenaline pumped and the high was the best that they had ever felt. Better than any drug or drink they had ever used.

The thoughts running through her head ranged from being afraid and being mad. A part of her wanted to stop and face them down, and the other part of her wanted to be able to get away. She was glad that she could run and knew the area. Maybe she could get away from them. She hoped that she could. Her chest hurt from the stress and the extra exertion from running so all out.

Music makes pictures and often tells stories All of it magic and all of it true And all of the pictures and all of the stories All of the magic, the music is you......Thank you John Denver

So much has happened since the last time we “talked”. I owe you a wordy post, full of brilliant prose and not full of bull. Unfortunately I am sick, this all started as a sore throat and has developed into a cold. It seems to be settling in my chest and I am a big baby when I get a chest cold. Well as a woman I claim this as something we by right can complain about.

There has been so much that has gone on as far as the house. For instance they took down our 1970’s fireplace. Oh boo hoo…. :,( It’s breaking my heart. Not! What was a wood burning fireplace that did not have an ash door to clean it out will now be a gas fireplace. To top that off it will have a remote control! Fun stuff! We actually have purchased a beautiful loves seat that will be in front of the fireplace. The nice thing about that is that it can be moved on fire nights. Sigh.

It had been so many years since we had a fire because at the time of Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 it moved a bit and we just didn’t feel it was safe. My father had contacted the insurance company the same one that has been so great over this whole thing was not so great then. So I am so excited at the thought that even though I am not a big fire fan we will be able to have one. That is on the wall that I picked a great color for. I can hardly wait to show you!

We have lived in that house for so many years that we know our neighbors really well. I grew up having a playful football rivalry with our neighbor Hawk. He was my dad’s best friend. Has been ill, he recently had open heart surgery. I really miss being next door to this great man and look forward to being near him again. His brother George lives there with him, George stood next to our burning garage trying to tear down our front fence to get my mom, Kody and Loren from the backyard. Yes, they are good neighbors.

We have walls now! Real walls! The trim work starts tomorrow, ahead of schedule mind you. Yay! Then next week the painting. We just gave the contractors our paint choices. Some of us took to the last moment to pick our colors while Kody had hers picked out almost from the beginning. I was so busy picking out the colors for the contrasting walls that I almost lost track of the other walls. Thankfully Kody got me back on track.

I picked some different colors than anyone that knows me might expect. The ones I picked for Scotty’s and my bedroom are the real shocker. They are way off my normal color palette, all the more fun. We also have a beautiful new redwood fence. It is built so well it will definitely last for a long time. Tomorrow I will have some pictures for you. Plus I have a question to pose to all of my readers and please answer. I have been trying a few different story ideas and I might like to post some of a story with you if there is an interest. Please let me know.

'Cause I've had the time of my life and I owe it all to you......... Thank you Dirty Dancing.

Do you remember the first time you saw the love of your life? Do you remember how it felt when you realized that you really cared about this person? Did you fall in love first? Or were you wooed? I remember the first time I saw Scotty, he was working at my corner gas station. I was friendly with a coworker of his and she introduced us. He was so cute and so smart. I really enjoyed his company and I had a mad crush almost from the first time we met. I don’t think he even knows that today.

I truly believe that I at least was the first to fall into like. He has always been one of my favorite people to talk with. I couldn’t believe that this absolutely adorable guy was actually interested in spending time with me. Yes, I am older than him and that did present a problem in the fact that I did not think he would ever be interested in me. When he started to visit me at work and talk to me I was falling hard. I can remember him standing in the bowling alley and talking to me holding his motorcycle helmet wearing his leather jacket.

When he kissed me for the first time that was absolutely it! I was sunk, I had fallen so hard it was pitiful. Sigh. This year was the 21^st anniversary of that kiss and 20 years since we go married. You see we got married on the anniversary of our first kiss. He is still the love of my life and my best friend. I love you Honey!!

Walking down memory lane.

Today brought up a lot of memories for me. Memories of events in my life that have meant so much to me. I remember being a little girl and walking around the corner to visit with my grandpa and grandma. We lived in Rancho Cordova, California and we were blessed to have them around the corner. Now mind you I was three years old and I wasn’t supposed to leave the house. But, I was a slick chick. I knew how to time it so that I could sneak out and go around the corner when I knew they would be home from work.

I loved spending time with my grandpa in the kitchen. He was the one that did the majority of the cooking. I had a stool that I would sit in to watch him cook. To me this was my little spot of heaven. My grandparents would always ask me “Does your mom know where you are?” Whether it was true or not I always told them that she knew. Honestly I don’t remember how many times it was really true that I asked. My mom tells me that she would notice I was gone and know exactly where I was.

Holidays were wonderful! The smells in his kitchen were always the best. Grandpa could cook like no one I knew. Ours was the perfect relationship. I would talk his ear off and he was always more than thrilled to let me rattle on. He was a man of few words and was always more than glad to let someone else carry the conversation. Don’t get me wrong, he would talk too. Just not nonsense talk like a small child might. I am not sure how much was nonsense though because I learned a lot of things from Egon Warnke.

He was one of the smartest people you might ever meet. He could do logarithms in his head out to the eighth place in his head. I have a problem doing them on paper and certainly not out to the eighth place. He was a self-educated man, he was forced to leave school in middle school to help support the family as many young men were in those days. He was born in 1908. He never served in a war because he had a glass eye from a mishap with one of his sisters as a youngster.

He worked as a drafter as a young man until you had to have a degree to do the job. He didn’t let that stop him, neither did he let not having a full education stop him. He was a hardworking man from strong stock. His mom, my great grandma was a strong, strong woman. When she married my grandpa's stepfather who wasn’t a citizen of the US she lost her citizenship and her right to vote. She did obtain her citizenship again.

In the days that she was widowed a woman wasn’t allowed to own the title to property so the farm was in her oldest son’s name. Grandma Cerr would get up early in the morning to make breakfast for the farm workers then go to work in the fields. Then she would leave the field to make lunch for them. While they ate she would return to the field to work. She would work as hard as any man. Grandpa learned well what it was like for a woman to be strong. This was something he always worked to instill in my mom and then later in my sister and I.

My grandfather was way ahead of his time. He always believed in equal rights for all. It didn’t matter who you were he believed you were his equal. I know many men born years after him that aren’t as evolved as he was. I am sure that it was because of his mom. He lived until about a month before his 99^th birthday. He saw many things in his rich lifetime. He was a jewel.

You're the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold, You're daddy's little girl to have and to hold. Thank you Michael Buble

Today has been a bittersweet day for me. I had to say goodbye to an important part of our kids’ lives. Especially the girls. In the backyard had been a peach tree that my dad had planted when I was a teenager. This tree was a somewhat miniature tree. It was small enough that our kids at least the girls could climb it. They were 4 and 5 at the time. Loren was only 2 so climbing it didn’t interest him, but he loved sitting in the shade underneath it.

As happens in all great things lives the peach tree had reached its end. It was a dying out, after all it was nearly 20 years old. It had been a faithful tree. My dad decided it was time to get rid of the tree. It was time for a new tree, new life as it were. He explained to the girls that we would plant a new pretty and healthy tree. He used all this wonderful adult logic. Silly man. J

That went over about as well as I am sure you are all guessing. They were so upset. You would expect tears and such but not our girls. No siree! Those little ladies decided that they were going to strike. They were going to fight for what they wanted. Here was 4 year old Kody marching around the tree and yelling “Don’t cut down the tree!” I am sure that it could be heard for miles around.

Where was Kacy you ask? She was in the front room making a picket signs for Kody to march with and making a petition. She was convinced that if she could get signatures she could persuade her beloved Papa to change his mind. She went to every adult in the house asking us to sign her petition including their Papa. She was a girl with a purpose.

Now my dad was a sap for all of his grandkids but especially the three girls. My niece Stephanie, Kacy and Kody could wrap that man around their pinkies. So could the boys my nephew Ryan and Loren but it wasn’t quite the same. Dad wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He wanted to laugh when she asked him but he didn’t want to hurt their feelings.

As with any good strike management had a meeting to see what they might do for the striking worker bees. My dad and Scotty were trying to figure a way around this. My mom and I smartly decided that we weren’t getting in the middle of that argument. They finally decided that my dad would cut down the worst of it and leave the kids the trunk and the Y where they liked to sit.

Now this was a decision that both Papa and the girls could agree too. There was a contract drawn up and all the parties signed it saving that tree. The kids all climbed that tree for years. Until they grew out of that stage and then it was still a favorite place to sit. We never got rid of it because it was a wonderful reminder of the man my dad was.

Today when I saw the backyard I was amazed at our beautiful fence because I had not had a chance to say goodbye to our peach tree. I was ready to cry, I still am. Silly I know, but that tree was a tie to my dad that I lost in May, 2001. I have other ties but it was one more thing that we lost this year. But, above all we have each other. I love you Dad! I am still a daddy’s girl.

If I'd forgotten how to sing before I'd sung this song I'll write it all across the wall before my job is done And I'll even have the courtesy of admitting I was wrong As the final words before I'm dead and gone......Thank you Brendon Urie and Panic! at the Disco.

Daily thoughts from the “Evil Queen” throne….or whatever enters my mind….Bwah hah hah!!

So what thoughts cross my mind in my throne….good question my friends. I can report that my scary writing has jumped rather well. But when my own writing scares me I need to mellow the heck out. Or not. What do people like to read? I personally love a good scary book. Seeing my glowing face in the mirror across the long hall from me in the dark while reading said scary book not quite as fun. But it is darn funny.

When you read a book do you read different characters with different voices? I do with some characters. I have favorite books with characters that I love and have created voices and personalities for them. Does whether you like a character or not affect how you read them? If a character is really a hateful one I hear a sinister voice, a voice that can set your teeth on edge.

If you write do you guide your character or does the character guide your writing. I have been asked by my test readers about characters in my stories about where they are going or what is going to happen with them. My answer is always I don’t know, they haven’t told me. It’s true too. I have an idea of the path that my story will take but when I am writing the characters and actions write themselves as I am going.

The real problem lays with when they stop talking to me. I can be going really good and be distracted for just 30 seconds and it’s all gone. Or worse when we had the fire and I thought I had lost it all on my computer. Thankfully Scotty was checking his email and he realized that I had sent it to him.  I have it again but I lost my train of thought. I lost my characters.

Maybe that is what my attraction to my “throne” is. Maybe I am hoping that I can recapture that fire fly in a jar again. Is this writer’s block? Or was my book not as good as I thought it was? I feel like maybe they are still there, I just need to reconnect with them. Like an old friend you run into after years of being apart. I really hope it is that way me with my book.

I have started writing again though, I started a book that I am not sure where it is going, where it has been, or how old it will get. I am just goofing off……

Goodnight and thank you Huevo She is in every magazine Been photographed, seen, she is known We don't like to rush, but your case has been packed If she's missed anything, you could give her a ring But she won't always answer the phone .....Thank you to the Madonna and Antonio Banderas.

This post had to start with a photo! We needed it! Progress, real progress! We have a roof and the windows are there ready to be installed including the beautiful French door for the back of the house. What a treat to behold. When I do the math I realize that in three short months from today I could be at home! Wow what a concept it boggles the mind.

Now what we have to go into the house makes a difference too. At this point there are 4 beds to go into the house but only two of them have mattresses. We need to get one more bed. My mom is on the fence and all over the charts about her bed. She wants a bed with drawers but she is short and well frankly most beds with drawers are high Captain’s beds. So the hunt goes on.

But, the big news in the furniture department is that I have finally purchased our living room and family room furniture. Not the side tables or accessories but the main pieces. For our living room we picked out a loves seat, a sofa and an easy chair with a matching ottoman. For the family room we bought a sofa, two easy chairs that match and a matching ottoman.

Now, I had held off on going to Scandinavian Designs because I mistakenly believed that they were much more expensive than they are. The best part? The furniture is made right here in California. We ordered it yesterday and they are making it to the specifics that we picked. I love color people so I picked out some really interesting colors you might not expect. But, then again if you know me you know to expect almost anything from me.

Are you ready for my color palette? There is Gecko, Aubergine, Mocha, and Dazzle in my palette. That is the sofas, loveseat, chairs and ottoman. I could be a brat and leave it at that, I honestly was going to do that. But I am better than that. Or am I? J I am going to post pictures of the fabric swatches when I transfer this.

                                               Gecko

                                         Aubergine

Those are the living room colors.

                                               Dazzle

                                                Mocha

Our family room colors.

Now the mean part. :) I am not sharing what pieces are what color.

The kids all picked out their beds. I am pleased to have that part over with. They are like their mom and picky. There was also some exciting furniture bought! And new furniture decided on to order. First what is to be ordered, Loren is in one of the large bedrooms upstairs because he shares his room with the dogs crates. I got to thinking that he might enjoy having a Futon as well as his bed in his room. The girls got chairs for their rooms. But, the best purchase of the day was in fact my evil queen throne. I can just see Maleficent sitting in it.

                                                      My throne

                                                     Kody's chair for her room.
I don't have a picture of Kacy's right now but trust me when I tell you is will fit into her haunted mansion room. Obviously my child. I am going to have a Disney Villain bathroom.

It doesn't seem so daunting to me anymore at least not the furniture side. I had nightmares that moving day would come and we would have nothing. But, now we do.

"we're so sorry, uncle albert, But we haven't done a bloody thing all day. We're so sorry, uncle albert, But the kettle's on the boil And we're so eas'ly called away."....A special thank you to the Beatles!

Who would have ever thought that having too many choices would make things so difficult? I feel like I am on an endless loop and it is not always fun and games. I would love a money value set on what I can spend on the floors and what I can spend on the cabinets. Right now I am getting asked what I want with no way to really choose. My basic answer is always “what can I spend?”

I am gradually changing my answers. I picked out what type of cupboard doors I want and showed Jim. Easy peasy right? I hope so. He is consulting his cabinet maker. I am easy to please. I just want accessible cabinets. I want the cabinets that I was unable to completely use because they were so deep to be usable  Not too much to ask I think.

My doors are simple in design. What will be flashy in my kitchen is my knobs. I found some crystal knobs that I am in love with at World Market. When I know how many cabinets there are I will go get them for the crew to put on. I have asked for so little in the kitchen, just the white cabinets, sand colored granite counters, river rock backsplash, and a double sink.

My appliances are where I am in a quandary. I kind of want black appliances. I think the black would work with everything but the white cabinets. I am not getting white appliances, they will never match. I am not a real fan of the stainless appliances. I have noticed some attractive black and stainless appliances. That will probably be the way I go. I am getting a solid top stove that is my no give at all on thing.

There was a cabinet that I always called the cabinet where things go to die. It seemed to me if there was something no one liked they would hide them in that cabinet. Well, guess what? That cabinet will be gone. It will be my dishwasher. Yes, I am joining the 21^st century and getting a dishwasher. About ding dang time! J We also will have an icemaker in our refrigerator. With the ancient pipes we had before we couldn’t have that. I am so excited. Sigh.

Furniture has been the hardest thing to replace. Seriously. We live in a town that has a population of over 100,000 people and we have like three furniture stores? We have a plethora of mattress stores but not furniture ones. Kody has been the best out of the kids picking out her furniture. She went to a local antique store and found some pieces for her little world.

Kody is a great shopper, she picked out a dresser with a hutch, a desk, and a nightstand for $309.47! All antique beautiful pieces. She is my bargain hunter on those things at least. She wants a bedframe that is a bit on the high end price in my thoughts. It may balance out. Loren isn’t bad at bargains. He picked out a dresser at the antique store that ended up costing me $20 + tax. Have to love bargain hunters.

We have been looking for dressers. Dressers are overpriced and frankly not constructed real well. I happened to luck out at Costco for a few pieces. I went out there and they had dressers and nightstands with cedar lined drawers. Plus an entertainment center for a flat screen TV that my mom had been eying. I got 3 six drawer dressers, 4 nightstands with one drawer and a moveable shelf, and the entertainment center all for $2715 and change. I was thrilled.

Scotty and I had the most uncomfortable mattress ever. So we decided to get our mattress ahead of time. We really wanted a Serta iComfort mattress. I am so glad we got it! My back is amazing now. It has cooling gel in it too. It’s been a pleasure sleeping on it! But, I was thinking that since I was buying a king mattress we were set. It could just get put in the bed frame we had from the insurance company. Not quite so lucky. Sigh. We order the mattress and foundation, they get delivered and guess what? The frame was a California king. So we had to go buy a bedframe. :/

Long time no blog and this is a boring one. Sorry guys! Next time I will have house pictures and an update on that!

Ch-ch-Changes Just gonna have to be a different man Time may change me But I can't trace time....Thank you David Bowie

Have you ever pondered how many different types of kitchen cabinets there are? I was so naïve, I thought I would go to Lowe’s and see maybe a dozen different ones. Silly me! Oh no there are far more. Oh so many more. It is enough to cause a person to dream of the cabinets. They have different colors, different styles, with glass, without glass……it’s enough to turn a girls head.

Then there’s the things that these different cabinets and drawers can come equipped with. Oh my! I have seen drawers that came with slots for your knives. Different trays for in drawers to make it more organized. I can just see how neat my junk drawer could be. There are drawers with the flatware trays built in. I kind of like those.

There are cabinets with sliding shelves. This is an idea which I think is great and convenient. There are my favorite cabinets that are built for corners with lazing Susan style shelves that turn so that nothing gets shoved into the back of the cabinet. We used to have a cabinet that I would only use part of it because I didn't want to climb in and find things. This is a plus.

Have you ever seen the cabinets with the clear glass doors?  Now let me ask you, who among us has our cabinets clean enough at the time to want the world see in to them? In theory it is a great idea but no thank you. Or the cabinets without doors? Oh sure that’s swell! Not for this kid. Then I saw in some magazine where they used some cute fabric curtains instead or doors. Not too sure about that either. Although I do like the idea about being able to throw the cupboard doors in the washer when they’re dirty…..Or changing the curtains when you get tired of the color or print. It is just a bit too bohemian for me.

When I went to Lowe's and looked at the cabinets I brought home brochures from all of the different cabinet companies. Kind of like wish books as it were. That will make the decision easier won't it? Laugh a minute here. I felt like a little kid looking at the Christmas catalog. Oh please Santa I have been a good girl. I want all of the bells and whistles. I want to be able to have all of the new toys. Not really. To tell you the truth I would give anything to wake up tomorrow morning in my bed and this all have been a nightmare. 

Oh the changes.....

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow Shinin' at the end of ev'ry day There's a great big beautiful tomorrow And tomorrow's just a dream away..... Thank you to the Sherman Brothers

Progress! Amazing sweet progress! It’s time to talk the house! I went yesterday and took a tour of our house I took Loren and Kody with me. Because I am trying to do a photo journal of this whole experience. Nothing may ever come of it but it helps me to see how far we have come.

The smell of the new wood is great! It is a fresh clean smell. Something that I noticed yesterday is how small a framed house seems. The rooms all seem so tiny when you have sun and sky for a roof. I can hardly wait until the trusses get there so that have a two story again. I miss seeing the upstairs. That is Scotty and my domain. Soon Loren will be taking over the second room upstairs and we will share our domain.

Because the city inspector came in and changed things the furnace is now put into the crawl space. This kind of thrills me because that gives us a new linen closet downstairs and a bigger shower for us upstairs! It adds about a foot and a half to two feet bigger. To me that’s huge. It’s the little things I keep saying. Now two of the bathrooms and the kitchen are the only rooms I really have decided on. The upstairs bathroom is going to be a Disney Villains bathroom. I will be using the decals on this webpage. http://www.fathead.com/disney/disney-villains/disney-villains-collection/ . For the front bathroom downstairs that my girl’s (not sure if 19 & 20 that girls is the right term) are having a Princess bathroom. Not sure about decals for it because they will have a shower curtain. Blue like Cinderella’s dress for the walls.

My kitchen will be my treasure. I am going to have white cabinets with some sort of kitchy handles. I am hoping to find something resembling sea shells. If anyone sees any let me know. I am going to have sand colored granite counter tops. I picked a back splash that resembles rocks. And the walls will be a light aqua. This is my dream kitchen. I consider Disney but the seashore won out. My flooring in there is where I start to stall a little. I am not sure what I want. This is a great mystery. The rest of the house with the exception of the kitchen and the bathrooms will be a laminate. I want a cherry wood colored laminate.

The outside colors I want are from Kelly Moore. They sell a heat resistant type paint. It is supposed to help to keep your house from getting too hot in the summer. I am leaning towards a tannish beige or even a gray with a Seattle red trim! Plus I want the doors painted Seattle red too. I have also kind of picked the living room and the family room colors. Plus the one for the hallway. But when it comes to Scotty and my bedroom I have no clue. I just stand there in front on the colors and I become overwhelmed. 

Just a few pictures of the house for you. :) Our house is a very fine house.

The old Hatter is gone But the Hat must go on Worn by me, is that understood? So shut up and tow the line, While I redefine How this all will be mine.....Thank you Mad Hatter and Company

Can someone tell me why when I changed the address on two magazines that we have delivered to the house that the Sports Illustrated that Loren has is the one that has attracted all of the new resident mail? Seriously? The other magazine was mine. I feel slighted in this.

Is this not one of the most sexist things you have heard? Frankly this makes me angry. They are sending all of these things to my almost 17 year old son. Yes, I know they don’t realize his age but you know what Home Depot, OSH and Lowe’s I am the one that goes the most often to purchase things from your stores. Or should I say I was. Ace Hardware maybe 15 miles away but they have not slighted me.

Ladies, let me ask you. When your house needs the light bulbs, paint colors picked out. Heck most household needs who is more apt to be the one to go to the store to pick these things up? More often than not it is not the “man” of the house. I am always the one to go to the hardware store. I know where things are better than Scotty or Loren.

I feel the need to stand up to these mail dominated businesses and tell them to shove off. At the OSH where Kacy works the management team is all women. Face it we are not staying in the kitchen anymore. We pick up hammers and nails now. If you want our money you better get used to it.

This is no longer a mail dominated world. Scotty is just as happy having me be the one to go to the hardware store. Heck my grandpa who was born in 1908 got it. He understood. My dad got it and he raised me to be this way. He is the one that taught me that real women go to hardware stores and auto part stores. He taught my sister Kathy and I how to do these things. Thank you Dad for letting us be all we could be!

What is your comfort? Is it a southern comfort? Or just a simple book?

Everyone has their own way with dealing with things. We all have those things that are comforts to them. With me it has always been books that comfort me. I love my books and there are certain books for me that are like a comfortable old shoe. When we had the fire one blessing for me was that my Nook survived. Now I know there are a lot of people that poo poo e-readers, not this kid. I don’t know what I would do without mine.

To me reading is a comfort because that has and will always be that one constant in my life. When I was in the hospital in 2007 I was paralyzed on the right side of my body. Books were hard for me to hold. My hand didn’t move and could not hold books very well. The e-readers would have been perfect for me. My nephew Ryan knew that I loved the Harry Potter books went to Barnes and Noble when THE DEATHLY HALLOWS came out and got it for me. I would lay in bed with it propped against my tray so that I could read it. It was too big for me to hold.

I had Scotty go to Barnes and Noble and buy me Tamora Pierce’s books because although they are considered Young Adult books they are my favorites. I have read her set of series in the Tortall universe more times than I can count. They are my go to books. On April 9^th I restarted reading them. I read all of the Lioness books, today I finished the Immortals series, and I was going to move on. It was time to start reading something else. Well, I did. I am now reading the Protector of the Small series.

Now this series is about my favorite character Keladry. I guess maybe I am not quite ready to be a grown up again. I need to be in this other world where women can be knights and strong characters. This universe where a woman can be who she chooses to be. I like that. For that I am forever grateful to Ms. Pierce for developing this world where a woman can be a Kings Champion, or a wild mage, or a sympathetic Lady Knight, or a spy.

I will end this now with the thought that I hope that you all have your comfort and I am more than willing to share mine. Books are a great way to travel and be someone or someplace else without ever leaving the room.

Our house is a very, very fine house With two cats in the yard Life used to be so hard Now everything is easy 'Cause of you....Thank you Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young!

I haven’t blogged for so long. I was so sick for a while there with my teeth and it just continued out. I was having a reaction to my antibiotics and didn’t realize it. L Now I am better and get ready for a blog post and a half!!

They are tearing down the house! Demolition has been started. We went by the other day as is habit and they had torn part of one outside wall off. We were beside ourselves thrilled. I came home and got Scotty and Loren to take them by and at this point they had torn down all of the outside walls!! Progress!! Real progress!!

We spoke for a while with Adrian who I believe is leading the demolition at our house. He told me that they had found someone passed out in the yard last week. I guess that chemical toilet is just too big of a draw. After all the stars for a roof and your own private chemical toilet is a huge draw. Who doesn’t want that kind of glamour?

Today Loren, Kody and I went by. We got a chance to visit with a neighbor and watch them work. They are tearing of the roof!! I could not be more thrilled. This is amazing!! I know that deep down I should maybe sad for all that we lost but I see this as the beginning to our lives being normal again.

I look so forward to being able to be in our own home with the neighbors we have known for years. These are friends that have been a part of our lives for years and frankly they are like family. We have been through great joys like the birth of our children, and the loss of different family members together. I look forward to spending more years as neighbors to them.

Our house….it has a nice ring to it!

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

What’s in a color? Are there foods that make you hungrier than others? Are there colors that encourage you to eat less? I wonder, I am sure there are several different conclusions and studies about this. Are there taboo colors you don’t use on the outside of your house? I mean can you paint a house red? Or purple for that matter? Would it hurt a man’s masculinity to live in a pink or purple house?

We started looking at paint colors almost right from the beginning. I thought it was a good way to get the kids to look for a positive side to the fire. As in why don’t you pick out some paint chips? Kody has been gung ho on this from the beginning. She has picked out so many purple chips we could do a wall in them alone. Plus she will have a chalk board section for doodling or whatever. I love the idea by the way. I am trying to figure an excuse to do it Scotty and my room, no real reasons have come to mind yet.

I immediately started looking towards outdoor paint. I originally wanted to go with a grayish blue with white trim. I wanted to go as far from our bland cream with brown exterior. Every house I have ever loved in has been cream with brown trim, only the shade of brown has changed. Blah, boring, p u, yuck, just plain NO! Well I was out voted by a wide margin. A light gray would work but not a dark one like I wanted. Fine I will give in when I have to, so it was time to pick another color so I gave up easily and went back to my corner to pick a new color scheme without a fight………right? If you think that you don’t know me.

I was set, even if nobody else was. I was going to do it. So there! Then we moved in next door to a tan house with a dark green trim. I would compromise, this was a color scheme I could live with. My only change would be the fact that my front door will be red. The whole feng shui and all of a red door really attracts me. Sounds a bit Christmasy doesn’t it? Kelly I know you love that color palate my Christmas loving friend. But I am more Ebenezer than that. So a decision had to be made. It wasn’t a hard one, the house is now to be tan with red trim, not a Santa red more of a deep red than that. More like a blood red maybe. Are you picturing it?

Then colors for other rooms. Kacy wanted to paint her room BLACK! For this I said no. It is impossible to cover black when it comes time to cover it. I did concede on her painting her closet black and that I can deal with it. Loren has not decided on a color. Scotty and I have bandied about colors no set colors in the wind. J

it's a world of laughter, a world or tears its a world of hopes, its a world of fear theres so much that we share that its time we're aware its a small world after all.....Thank you Walt Disney

Today is D day. D is my new favorite letter. It starts deconstruction. Yes, my friends it is that time. Deconstruction on the house has started. I really hope that it ruins the day for the creeps that have kept going into my home. May they all got rot in a hot place. As my mom used to say when I was a kid “H E double toothpicks!”

I decided that I wanted to go by the old homestead because I wanted to see it. My mom wanted to come and I vetoed it. I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to see the things that we have accumulated over the years in the dumpster. I am not sure just exactly what she can handle. There are things that need to come out of the house like her piano that was made in 1906 that her parents bought her. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight.

My mom questioned me as to whether I could handle it or not. These are just things. Sure there are memories that surround the things but it is the memories that I treasure the most. Now there are things that I am sad about losing don’t get me wrong. But in my heart I know that the lives we have are far more important than our things ever were.

I am sad at the loss of my autographed books. I had books autographed by favorite authors that meant a lot to me. Like the Tamora Pierce novel that I took my girls and my niece Stephanie to go get. That was a fun time. This was one of those experiences that means more than the loss. Kody was picked to introduce her and Kacy kept giggling the whole time. Kody finally told her to shut up. Come to find out Tamora Pierce had been making faces and sticking her tongue out because she knew it was making Kacy giggle. We all 4 got the book. One still exists.

My Janet Evanovich book that I went to Roseville and waited hours at the Barnes and Noble to get a chance to meet her and get an autograph. Stephanie, my sister Kathy and I had a lot of fun that night. I at least have pictures of that book and the night. But I also have fun memories of the night and what fun we had meeting her daughter and that was fun.

I was blessed to have my very prized autographed Dakota Banks books replaced. She saw my tweet on Twitter about the fire and the loss of the books. She very kindly sent me a box full of things from her. Included were her books, pens, a tote bag, magnets, bookmarks and a calculator. Very many thanks to her because that truly made my day when I got that package.

I had “Still Hungry After All These Years” by Richard Simmons that he wrote a personal message to me in it when I met him for the first time. Scotty and I had gone down in 2006 to exercise with him. He is a great man and the salt of the earth. I can get another copy of the book and I am sure he would sign it but it wouldn’t be the same. It was from a personal moment that we shared.

One of the sweetest gifts I have received since the fire is a book that Stephanie gave me. She had a book written by Kim Harrison who is one of my personal favorites. It is an autographed copy she won in a contest when she worked at Barnes and Noble. It is with my Dakota Banks books. I am blessed to have these things and these memories.

Tonight in the Monday night chat with Richard Simmons we had the homework he had given us. We had to tell him three blessings. I had no problem coming up with three blessings, I had problems limiting it to three. My blessings were as follows;

1. I am blessed to be alive. The Lord kept me alive in 2007 when the Drs said I would die.

2. I am blessed that the whole family including dogs survived the fire in April and that we are all together.

3. I am blessed to have a great group of loved ones to share life with.

I stand by these and I don’t offer any apologies. 

We've Got The Right To Choose And there Ain't No Way We'll Lose It this Is Our Life, This Is Our Song we'll Fight The Powers That Be Just don't Pick Our Destiny 'cause you Don't Know Us, You Don't Belong.....Thank you Twisted Sister

Have you ever thought of immersing yourself in local politics? Starting to work on the campaign for another person to affect change? Well I am about to. Our town has always been a town that had a surplus of money and a police department we could be proud of. It used to be one of the best in the nation. Not anymore. I don’t blame the police. In my opinion this lays directly at the doorstep of the city council and the mayor.

It’s time for the city council and mayor to start thinking about the citizens of this once great town. It used to be that you could go anywhere in town and not worry about the neighborhood. Not anymore. I am not sure there is an area of town that is a great neighborhood. The one our home is in has always been a good neighborhood.

When the local park started getting some not desirable teenagers in it hanging out and trying to extort money out of the kids from the neighborhood Scotty took up the fight. The answer was that we didn’t have a gang problem here in our town. Every other town but ours. The local sheriff took a stand and said yes Fairfield has a gang problem and we need to stop it now. It took him to make changes.

Scotty embarrassed the city council, mayor and chief of police by writing letters to the editor of the local paper. It got to the point that the city council started reaching out to Scotty and giving him the direct line to the chief of police. It finally changed and the park was made safe for the neighborhood. The kids and adults alike that have always enjoyed the park.

But, now I see our neighborhood has truly declined. I would not want my kids in that park and I won’t walk in the neighborhood without a big walking stick. My eyes are open. Look at how many times our home has been looted? Look at the times that our home has been used for Lord knows what. I spoke to two of my neighbors in the last few days. The one tells me that he has been calling the police and if they come they cannot help. The other neighbor says that when she walks to the bus stop before 6 am she has noticed strange men following her.

This is not a safe environment. This is a situation that needs to change. I think that in order for things like this to change that we as a people need to stand up and say we are not going to take it anymore. That the bullies are not going to scare us and force us into our homes. We need to stand unified with our police, fire fighters, teachers, etc.. We need to take back our towns and our lives. I am going to start by helping other people to get into office politically. I am not going to stick to party lines I am going to stick with my gut.

I have always tended to vote along political lines but not anymore. I will vote the straight who does Michele trust and believe line. Watch out politicians. I am a voter and I have a voice. I am not afraid to voice my opinions and I am not afraid to tell you all to GTFO. If you don’t know what that means get in touch with the people. Maybe one of them can explain it to you.

So, now as I step down from my milk crate I will say again that I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore. Join me in voting for who you trust not what party they are. It might be fun to see what that might bring about. Vote!!! 

Christmas Eve will find you Where the love light gleams I'll be home for Christmas If only in my dreams.....Thank you Josh Groban

What are the things that send your emotions yo-yoing? With me it can be a commercial and it will send me into a torrential amount of tears or laughing uncontrollably. My emotions are heightened I am sure partly due to everything that has been going on in life. I expect that it will get better with time.

Today we met with Kenny, our contractor and his superintendent Jim. This was great because well we all know what Monday is!! Monday is the beginning of deconstruction. It’s coming down baby!! We are on our way. We might actually be back home for Christmas!! To me that would be the best gift we could all receive.

I don’t know if I mentioned but my mother’s piano that was made in 1906 is a complete loss. They had thought that they could get it out but it wasn’t possible. She has had a couple of rough days because of it. She as cried a couple of times today and I know that is a huge part of it. I understand completely it is all part of the same thing I have been going through. The poor thing. I really feel for her. It will be okay. I have plans for her this weekend. She’ll be okay. We all will be.

Today while going through some things that Scotty brought out of the house that smelled of smoke but miraculously survived I found something I considered a real treasure. I found a postcard from California Adventure. It is an older one. I am not sure when I bought it or why I bought it in the first place but there it was. I am sure it was meant to be mailed but it didn’t happen. I am sure that I had the best intentions in the first place but you know what? I am glad I didn’t mail it. It made me smile. That area has been changed too so that makes it even a little more fun for me. J

Hey! there, Hi! there, Ho! there You're as welcome as can be M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E......Thank you Mickey!!

“M” is a pretty great letter. Right now I will say that it is my favorite letter. Of course that will change as sure as the wind will change directions. Why is “M” your favorite letter Michele you may ask? Well, friends let me tell you……”M” is the first letter in Monday and the third letter in demolition. Can you guess? Monday is Demolition Day!!! Yes, friends they are starting to clear the place out and start tearing it down!!!

What does that mean you ask? That means that reconstruction can begin so that we can go home!!! Yes, my favorite letter “M” is the third letter in home. It is everywhere. It called today when I called the insurance adjuster I told him that everyone was finished going through the house and that we just wanted to get it torn down. It needs to be gone.

Am I sad? It may sound funny but yes in a way I am sad. This is the end of an era. Am I happy? Oh hell yes!!! This is the beginning of a new era. Now it is time to start thinking about new possibilities. And one of the most important things included into our home construction is an alarm system. Are you all noticing all of the “M”s appearing in my words? I sure “M”!! J

I was told by Ken our contractor that maybe for about a week I will want to keep my mom away from the house. Things like her beloved piano that was built in 1906 will be in the trash. My 1965 Mustang is being taken away. I will be kind of glad to see it go even though I want to cry about it right now. I learned to drive in that car, I used to cruise in that car. We had many a good adventure until I bought my first car. Are you ready for it? No “M”s involved here, it was a 1971 Super Beetle. What can I say? It was cheap and in my budget. I paid $900 and had more than my money worth of fun out of it.

Of course there have been a lot of cars that have been fun in my life. Like my dad had this amazing Mazda RX-7. It had a sunroof on it. I can remember many a sunburn Dina and I go riding around to one adventure or another in it. It went to Lake Tahoe and many other places. Great memories! Yes, I have other “M”s in my life like my melted Mickey Mouse antennae ball. I am fond of my “M”s.