Riding My Bike

Okay, not me, but Starr and Sookie! They went on a bike ride/picnic the other day and had a blast! Here are a couple of Sookie’s photos from the day:

Skye is in Europe this Summer singing opera all over the place with her college opera group. From her Facebook updates, it looks like they are having so much fun! But we kind of miss her around here!!

Back to School Shopping

Starr and I went back-to-school shopping last night. I know that she asks me to join her, just so that she isn’t bored by her self. I know my place! : -) I also know that it’s part of the routine…”mom and I do our back-to-school shopping together!” I like that.

There is always an feeling of excitement in the air when you shop for back-to-school supplies. The new folders, notebooks, paper and pencils represent change, hope and new experiences.

I realized that this might just be my last school shopping trip with her as she is preparing to enter her fourth year of college. I also realized that we have gone through this routine so many times!! I will miss it!

Shopping for college and sorority activities is a little different than when she was younger, there will be no new backpack or lunch box, but we still had fun cruising the office supplies. For some reason, we both have a little love thing for office/school supplies…we can’t explain it!!

The fact that some things are so darn cute doesn’t help!

Rushing

All of a sudden my house is a disaster. And it’s stressing me out.

Starr and I moved the last of her furniture home from her apartment yesterday. She hasn’t lived there since last December, but left the living room furniture so that her roommate and the girl who sub-let Starr’s bedroom would have a place to sit. We had to hire a mover because…stairs…lifting…truck…more stairs. Spending way more than the furniture is worth, but knowing that replacing these items wouldn’t be cheap either. What to do? Anyway, it’s done.

I found out this morning that our hair stylist/colorist is moving to California. Sarah has been our stylist for six years, Starr was her very first official client and she has always done a wonderful job with Starr’s difficult and unique hair. Over the years we tried so many stylists who just didn’t get it, we felt so blessed to have found Sarah. I knew deep down that we couldn’t keep Sarah forever, but I’d hoped. I am seriously bummed!!!

Starr, Sookie and friends are headed to Estes Park for the weekend. They are planning to have tons of fun! Knowing them, I am sure that they will do just that! Sookie’s family owns a cabin in the area, so the kids have gone up for a weekend in the summer for a few years now. This year one of their plans is to go on the ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel. Fun!

My plan is to clean and pick up the house so that it is no longer stressing me out and enjoy the peace and quiet relaxing here at home. A good book. A glass of wine or two. Maybe a home pedicure? In order to achieve my goal of a relaxing weekend, I need to get busy!!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Finally Finished

In addition to the Vera Bradley Wristlet that Starr wanted for her birthday, I decided that I wanted to make her a Zentangle of her name, similar to the one I made for her sister, my mom and my nephew. I kind of enjoy making them, though if I continue to make them, I will need to get new glasses so that I can really see what I am doing!! Blurry vision just wont cut it!

It’s 6 or 7 weeks past her birthday, but I finally finished it. At least it wasn’t a year like another project I made for her!! Oops, I don’t see a post of that finished project. I will have to remedy that!

What’s for Dinner: Butter Burgers

Starr has made a special request for dinner.

Butter Burgers.

They are a guilty pleasure so we don’t have them very often.

For our Butter Burgers, I take compound butter (recipe below) and cut it into smallish chunks (1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces–it won’t really matter in the end!!) and then mix it with the ground beef…you should see chunks of butter pretty evenly distributed throughout the meat. We tried wrapping the meat around and/or sticking a large piece of butter into the center of the burgers, but we like our way better, it spreads the flavor throughout the burger!! Divide into burgers and grill or pan fry until they are done like you like ‘em. Serve on your favorite buns with cheese. I will add mayo because I am weak like that!

Dragonfly’s Compound Butter

1 pound butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 clove garlic minced

fresh ground pepper

Mix the herbs into the butter. Shape the butter into a log and stick it in the freezer. After a little while, I cut it into smaller chunks to make storage easier. It will keep in the freezer for a long time. Use in butter burgers, on top of salmon, chicken, steak or where ever you want. Feel free to play with your favorite herbs and flavors.

Yum!

Stop Freaking Out

Last night I had an ocular migraine. I don’t get them often, maybe 2 to 3 times a year. It’s not painful, but it is unsettling. What I see is similar to the painting below, but the circle was closer to being complete and it was more colorful/prismatic.

I was trying to tell Starr what I was seeing and how it was frustrating me when she interrupted me and said “stop freaking out”…I wasn’t freaking out, I was talking!! Rude. Okay, maybe I was going on about it, but–dude!–I couldn’t see normally!!

*At some point this morning, I had a decent transition/connection planned for these two things, but I lost it! : ) Oh well.*

Now. This morning, Starr woke up with a swollen puffy face. It looks like fluid retention. We’ve both experienced similar before, but it has been happening more and more often lately and she is not happy. Today was the worst it’s been so far, her cheeks, eyes and lips were all puffy. She did not look like herself, she looked sick. Our morning consisted of ice packs, whining and Googling. She has been drinking water, her diet hasn’t changed, she hasn’t been sick. She has increased her workouts.

She asked me to post the problem to the blog (no pictures were allowed!) and see if anyone has any ideas or help for her.

We will keep an eye on it and if it continues I will make sure that she goes to the doctor.

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!!

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!