Cabin Retreat

I went with friends again this summer on a “girl’s weekend” get away. A few of my favorite faces from previous years weren’t able to make it this year and I missed them…a lot. However, there were a couple new faces and I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know them.

I took these pictures with my cell phone in a rare private moment on the patio.

I am still recovering a bit from all the food, wine, chocolate and late nights. I am so glad that I went!!

Starr stayed home with Sammy (the cat). She did manage to feed and water him, but refused to touch the litter box. Not that I blame her. Though it’s just one more reason that he is and will always be MY cat!!

Dan Savage on Marriage

Dan Savage answers the question “Why did you want to get married?”

As one of the Facebook commenters said:

He doesn’t even have to tell me why. The fact is he should be able to choose whether or not to, like anyone else.

It seems so simple.

Check out Dan’s YouTube channel…’tis good stuff! Dan Savage YouTube

Bright Tuesday

I am sorry for being a big whiner yesterday! I try not to give in to those feelings, but some days I just get so flippin’ frustrated!!

Moving on:

Music has always been a big part of my life and I have been sharing some of my finds here for a while. I finally decided to open a blog dedicated to my musical finds and spent a great deal of time this weekend futzing with it. I tried several templates that Starr rejected “that’s nice, but…” and she makes a face. The only one that she would approve is the same one I’m using here…so they are like twins!!

Since I just started it, there isn’t much content yet, but I thought I would go ahead and share the link today:

Bourgeois Blue – A Music Blog

Now, to groceries, laundry, cooking and cleaning…the fun never stops!!

And just for fun, I thought I would share this picture that Skye took of Starr recently. Starr is showing off her “perfect” umbrella and her fun rain boots!
A part of her looks forward to rainy days so that she can use and wear them!!

Not All Fathers Deserve a “Day”

I guess you could say the same thing about some moms, but I don’t have a deadbeat mom to deal with. I have Starr’s dad.

This year Starr and her dad are in the same place they were last year. He hasn’t tried to reconcile with her, he hasn’t caught up on child support–we haven’t received a payment in nearly 3 years, he hasn’t helped with any of the tens of thousands of dollars in expenses from her car accident (most of which were incurred because he failed to keep her medical insurance up to date, which he was legally required to do)…or even help with college for that matter. She needs braces again, because of the accident, to the tune of $3500, but we can’t afford it.

Nope, we didn’t celebrate him as a father yesterday. He is lucky I didn’t send him a hate letter. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow.

He has a new girlfriend. I don’t know about you, but who hooks up with someone who isn’t doing all that he can to do right for his children?? Oh well. Not my problem.

Thank you and much love to all those dads out there who do. Who support. Who love. Who care.

It’s Like Crack

Starr bought the first two seasons of Dawson’s Creek the other day. I guess she would have been about 8 years old when it started. Being the mom that I am, permissive but connected, I let her watch it and watched with her. She was so attached to Pacey, Dawson, Joey and the rest. I think it was the first TV show that she really cared about and wanted to keep watching.

We watched every episode.

It was cute, she was so excited about her purchase and now she has been spending her free time in her room or on the back patio re-watching Dawson’s Creek from the beginning. She said the moment the opening credits started it made her heart swell as all the memories and love that she had for this show came flooding back.

“I have to watch it all. It’s like crack! I’m addicted and can’t stop!”

Dawson’s Creek Opening Credits- Season One
“I Don’t Want to Wait” – Paula Cole

Thankfully this is the kind of addiction that I can just laugh at!

Wednesday Mix

mp3: “Surrounded by Your Friends” – Hooray for Earth
Momo
Hooray for Earth|Facebook

mp3: “The Ghost of the Unkissed Kiss” – Trembling Blue Stars
Alive To Every Smile
Trembling Blue Stars-MySpace

mp3: “Lay Me Down” – Ugly Casanova
From the soundtrack to the documentary 180° South
Brushfire Records: 108° South

mp3: “Training” – What Laura Says
Bloom Cheek
What Laura Says-MySpace

mp3: “Black Hole” – Kenseth Thibideau
Repetition available @ Temporary Residence Ltd.
Kenseth Thibideau-MySpace

mp3: “Zebra” – Beach House
Teen Dream
Beach House-MySpace

I can’t post this Beach House song without including this bit of awesomeness from the kids in the PS22 Chorus!! They rock!:

PS22 Chorus– “ZEBRA” Beach House

Another Word For Love

Starr sent me this message earlier today:

I was looking up synonyms for love and this is what the synonym dictionary gave me . . . just saying.

sleep together, roll in the hay, love, make out, make love, sleep with, get laid, have sex, know, do it, be intimate, have intercourse, have it away, have it off, screw, fuck, jazz, eff, hump, lie with, bed, have a go at it, bang, get it on, bonk

You’d think there would be more than one way to say it in a non sexual way, but I guess not.

Ha ha, but really?!? I immediately went to my usual source Thesaurus.com and found the following:

Main Entry: love

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: adoration; very strong liking

Synonyms: adulation, affection, allegiance, amity, amorousness, amour, appreciation, ardency, ardor, attachment, case*, cherishing, crush, delight, devotedness, devotion, emotion, enchantment, enjoyment, fervor, fidelity, flame, fondness, friendship, hankering, idolatry, inclination, infatuation, involvement, like, lust, mad for, partiality, passion, piety, rapture, regard, relish, respect, sentiment, soft spot, taste, tenderness, weakness, worship, yearning, zeal

Main Entry: love

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: person who is loved by another

Synonyms: Juliet, Romeo, admirer, angel, beau, beloved, boyfriend, courter, darling, dear, dear one, dearest, flame, girlfriend, honey, inamorata, inamorato, loved one, lover, paramour, passion, spark, suitor, swain, sweet, sweetheart, truelove, valentine

Main Entry: love

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: adore, like very much

Synonyms: admire, adulate, be attached to, be captivated by, be crazy about, be enamored of, be enchanted by, be fascinated with, be fond of, be in love with, canonize, care for, cherish, choose, deify, delight in, dote on, esteem, exalt, fall for, fancy, glorify, go for, gone on, have affection for, have it bad, hold dear, hold high, idolize, long for, lose one’s heart to, prefer, prize, put on pedestal, think the world of, thrive with, treasure, venerate, wild for, worship

Main Entry: love

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: have sexual relations

Synonyms: caress, clasp, cling, cosset, court, cuddle, draw close, embrace, feel, fondle, hold, hug, kiss, lick, look tenderly, make love, neck, pet*, press, shine, soothe, stroke, take into one’s arms, tryst, woo

Now that’s better! I thought maybe she was kidding, but I was able to find her original source. I’m not going to link  it, but it does exist…

It’s Friday and I’m Thinking About Food and Drink

1. I don’t know if I will ever make these, but I am curious, very curious:

Peanut Butter Bacon Blondies
posted by Jessica over at How Sweet It Is

2. I did make beer brats and corn on the cob for dinner last night. Yum!

3. Starr just said, “did you know that you can open a bottle of wine with your shoe?” Which prompted a Google search. Armed with a shoe, Starr and I tested it out. We tried it on two different bottles of wine with no luck. I guess I will just have to make double sure that I keep a corkscrew handy!! Though maybe we just weren’t desperate enough? I am thinking that urgency could have a direct impact on the results.

4. Taste of Fort Collins is this weekend. I’m looking forward to it. Maybe I will remember to take a picture or two. Probably not.

5. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Please Don’t Jump

I haven’t made a secret of my love for PostSecret “an ongoing community mail art project, created by Frank Warren, in which people mail their secrets anonymously on a homemade postcard. Select secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret’s books or museum exhibits.” Every Sunday morning Frank posts a collection of secrets, some are funny, some unbelievable, some that resonate with you, many that are moving and some that stop your heart for a second.

This secret was posted last weekend:

And a movement was started in an attempt to let this person know that people care. That suicide isn’t the answer. A Facebook page was created and as of this writing over 35,600 people have become fans and have left messages of support and love. I find it beautiful and moving. I hope that this person is able to connect with the message and I hope that others who are thinking about suicide see it, reconsider and chose life. You are loved.**

Facebook|Please Don’t Jump

A fan video inspired by the movement featuring the song “You’re Not Alone” by Saosin

**Continued love hugs and prayers to Hallie, John and Connor. I am keeping you all very close to my heart…each and every day.

Lazy

This is how Sammy and I spent our Sunday morning last weekend.

It was nice!