Month: August 2013
DREAMS
I had last Friday off and we all headed to our family cabin in the mountains for a weekend filled with work. They call these properties leisure but I beg to differ. Let’s just say there’s a little bit of leisure mixed in with a lot of work. The list was long this weekend, lay down laminate flooring on the bottom half of the cabin, split between 120 to 150 – 30 – 50 pound rounds into firewood and mow the lawn; big lawn. We got all the work done and in between I managed to take an hour or so walk and catch some great pictures. For the first time, I took pictures of other people’s cabin and the whole time I was thinking about dreams. Each cabin to me represents a dream, a dream to raise wild bees, a bed and breakfast dream, a ski dream, a river dream, an extra rental income dream or a retirement dream. Some of the cabins are big, some small and some even smaller; enough room to lay your head down and grab some grub before you head back to the hills. Sweet dreams are made of these, mountain dreams, cabin dreams or just a place to get away from it all and spend your days chasing frogs in the river dream. Everyone needs a place where they can dream, me I’m dreaming of a weekend with no work.
PEBBLES – FRIDAY’S PHLOG FOR AUGUST 22ND, 2013
The other night my husband and I were talking about making it in this world and I reflected that at times “I feel like a small pebble amongst huge rocks all around me.” My husband looked at me and said “maybe so, but all it takes is a small pebble to start an avalanche.”
I like his way of thinking – that’s why I married him!
IS IT POSSIBLE?
I’m not one to read gossip magazines because I think supporting lies and gossip is totally unfair to celebrities, but every now and then I pick up the “People” magazine and read it front to back. Yes the interviews are from the celebrities’ point of view but at least it’s not a fabricated story or nude topless pictures where the photographer has climbed a tree and used a lens that could probably shoot the moon. The other day I got a hold of the People magazine with Kate Gosselin and her children on the front cover. The article was more or less “where are they now”. After all her show is now cancelled, Jon lives in a small cottage down the road and she admits that living without a consistent income is very hard. I’ve never watched a Kate + 8 episode but I did watch a few episodes of Kate and Jon + 8 and to be honest other than the fact that I was amazed they had twins and then sextuplets, I found the show rather boring. So why did I read this article? Truth be known I picked up the magazine to read during a long car ride for something to read because I like to read magazines, not books, when we take long family car rides. Typical article highlighted the many different aspects of Kate’s and the children’s life now. They are all doing well, children are happy, Jon and Kate now communicate but only by text(not really communicating are they?) and how life’s ups and downs have made them prioritize and realize what’s important in life. The children miss the show only because they got to travel all over the place, can’t really blame them there! As you all know Kate has taken tremendous harsh criticism from the public; she’s a drama queen, demanding, only cares about herself, uses her children for personal gain, she’s mean to Jon and she’s had body and face work done. I don’t know about all that because I don’t know the woman and like I said earlier, I’m not really into the gossip and I’m not going to comment on stories that are not necessarily accurate. However, reading the article I felt a bit of annoyance toward a comment Kate made. She was talking about their daily lives now sans nanny, maid or helper and how she is up every morning at 5:25 am to make the whole deal breakfast; eggs, pancakes and a few other things in there I can’t remember. She then goes on to say that each child politely waits at the table until the previous child sits down with their food before getting up to fill their plates! The reporter also mentioned that every child has chores and she has a system of allowance – I think they get $1.00 for every chore and lose a $1.00 for every screw-up. If I’m correct I think she had a list of 52 chores and the children apparently happily sing, laugh and dance while they complete all their chores without one bit of complaint. Are you gagging yet?
Kate talked about being up at 5:25 am and still trying to beat the clock to get the kids out for school. I do know what she’s talking about because I’m always trying to beat the clock. In the last few years, every now and then, I”ve put on my super duper mom shirt and rose with the sun(actually it was still dark) and made the full deal breakfast, dragged the boys out of bed and sat and ate a beautiful breakfast with them only to realize I lost track of time and ended up swearing and yelling at everyone to help me pack the #$#@@ lunches so I can get out the door to work and the boys to school. I don’t have that super duper mom shirt anymore, if I’m going to be up before the sun, cook breakfast and still chase the clock – might as well just stay in bed, get some sleep and everyone can grab their own breakfast and I’ll catch that bloody clock and throw it against the wall. The boys do get allowance for chores and I’ve yet to hear them sing, dance and laugh while doing their chores. The boys are usually whining and complaining how they don’t want to do their chores until I remind them that they will lose their money – they want the money so they complete the chores – nothing to do with happiness . I have no list, I expect the boys to remember their chores just like my boss expects me to remember my job. The blurb about everyone politely waits to fill their plate until the previous person is sitting down – in my house it’s more like one person pushes the other person aside so they can get their food and I politely tell them to behave like humans not animals!
Between Kate, Jon + 8 and Kate + 8 there were 139 episodes starting in 2007 at I believe $25,000.00 per episode. Do the math and that equals $3,475000.00. For those of you (like me) who never see that big of a number – that’s three million four hundred and seventy five thousand. That seems like a lot of money but throw in 8 kids, mortgage, divorce, splitting of assets, wining and dining new girlfriends, boyfriends(that may be gossip), possible cosmetic surgery – that’s not really a lot of money. Are they stupid? I would rather say that they made mistakes like most of North America, like you and me! Kate looks great, Jon seems happy and the children are adorable. I have no desire to comment on their parenting skills, I feel no hatred, nor do I really have an opinion on their lives. But the 5:25 am breakfast thing and the kids running through the house doing their chores like they are in a happy play? I only have one thing to say about that; Kate if by chance you stop by my blog and read this article – come on girl fess up – the kids are really rambunctious little monsters running through the house and you’re chasing after them screaming like a banshee!
FAMILY FUN
Our family just completed a month long camping adventure. We started down the Oregon coast to Beverly Beach and then a trip to Summerland, BC. The Oregon Coast trip was the trip to get away from everyone and everything. Goodbye to computers, computer games, telephones, Facebook, WordPress, Netflix and TV, hello to camp fires, roasting marshmallows, making s’mores, boys playing cards with their grandmother, walking, bike riding, talking, eating outside everyday and exploring different haunts. The boys were in a hockey camp in Summerland, BC. Goodbye boys for us, hello wine tours and swimming in the lake, hello hard work and exhaustion for the boys and goodbye to life as they know it! My husband and I definitely got the better deal in Summerland. I’m not lying, both boys wanted to participate in the hockey camp so I have no guilt what-so-ever. Enjoy the pictures below starting with the Oregon Coast..
Beverly Beach Collage
Coastal and Newport, Oregon Collage
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon Collage
Summerland, BC – Collage
A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER
Eighty-eight years ago,
you came into this world,
full of life,
wanting to live to the fullest,
at seventeen you enlisted in war,
and travelled the seas,
saw death and found love
on another continent,
found love again as a husband
and a father,
took chances and lost,
but you still loved and wanted to be loved,
gone before some of that
love could be fulfilled,
so many unspoken words
and secrets,
your grandchildren would of loved
you as I know you love them,
now you’re the watchman,
watching and listening for danger,
keeping your grandchildren safe in your hands,
and holding them close to your heart,
you and I will catch up on unspoken words
and secrets,
when we meet again.
by….momwhearingloss
MOMWHEARINGLOSS 