Peek at my week

On Wednesday, I was headed to book club when I saw a familiar car: It was Mom, out driving around. We pulled next to each other in the street. "Watcha doin'?" I asked her. She lifted up a KFC bag and grinned: "I went out to get chicken fried steak!" It may sound strange, but that was sweet, sweet music to my ears: Not two months ago I was praying that she could soon enjoy one of her favorite meals.

Book club was a crazy, loud, fun night. It's always good to hang out with the girls:












From left, Suzanne, Chris, hostess Jaime and Denise

I loved our July read, "The Center of Everything" by Kansas author Laura Moriarty. The coming-of-age novel was conversational and breezy, yet had a level of complexity to it that made me remember my awkward tween years. (Honestly: The fact that I read it on vacation in Padre had very little to do with my positive review of the book. It did make the experience of reading it that much better, though!) The plot was set in Kansas (albeit in a fictional town) and mentioned Wichita, KU (Rock Chalk!), Boeing, Topeka and other Sunflower State staples. And I love this excerpt:

"I like living in Kansas, not just because of the wheat, but because it's right in the center. If you look at a map of the world, the United States is usually right in the middle, and Kansas is in the middle of that. So right here where we are, maybe this very stretch of highway we are driving on, is the exact center of the whole world, what everything else spirals out from."

This morning was exceptionally foggy. Brian woke me up to come outside and see how the dew showcased the intricate spiderwebs around our back deck. (Spiderwebs used to freak me out until I learned that spiders eat other bugs I hate more. Now I welcome them in my yard. Thanks, Charlotte! You do good work.)

Anniversaries are golden

One year ago this week, I launched this blog to amuse myself, share my musings on this crazy, wonderful world and keep in touch with family and friends near and far.

It's been cathartic, rewarding and, especially during these past few months, difficult. The 314 posts I've written thus far serve as a digital time capsule of sorts, recording images, feelings, milestones and the changing of the seasons.

And, after one ride around the sun as a blogger, I still believe in the tagline I gave this blog: The treat jar is always half-full. It's often not easy to find the sunny side of things, but, to me, it seems to emerge even when I'm not in the mood to go looking for it. My wish for all of you is that you are blessed with that same experience. Indeed, life is golden, as well as confusing, frustrating, exhilarating, magical and mysterious.

Thank you for reading, commenting and allowing me to share the miracles I have witnessed, big and small.

As forecasted, one crazy shower

Before an absolutely crazy night Saturday in Old Town for Amanda's bachelorette party (don't even ask me about it: I'm sworn to secrecy!), we had her fun shower at Oeno Wine Bar. She scored some great gifts and shared the afternoon with dear family and friends, including several members of Kurtis' family. Kurtis' relatives drove in from southwestern Kansas, and our good friends Monica, Chrissy and Nicki, who have been an important part of our lives since we met them more than 20 years ago when we lived in Iowa, drove in from out of state to celebrate.

While the party guests (including Kurtis' aunt Shelia and mother, Leona) were playing one of my original party games (you use preselected words to write wedding toasts), Amanda commandeered my camera and snapped these pics:






Between the shower and the girls' night out, we gathered in Old Town Plaza for a photo shoot:

From left: Amanda, Nicki, me, Jen and Chrissy

(Chrissy and I used to walk home from Lewis & Clark Elementary School carrying our lunch boxes and holding hands when we were in first grade. She's the friend in my life who's known me from way-back-when. I love her and her siblings, including her brother Jason, like cousins.)


Mom (who got around wonderfully for the festivities), at left, and Chrissy & Nicki's Mom, Monica ("Momica" to my sisters and me), joined in for a photo opp. Amanda wasn't waiting to get the party started ...

Only a week and a half until my baby sis gets hitched!

Padre pics, take two

Images from my beautiful, breathtaking beach vacation keep playing like a slide show in my mind, so I might as well share a few more with you, too. Tony & Nicole took us to their favorite Padre restaurant, Snoopy's Pier. The fresh battered and fried mahi mahi was amazing, and diners applauded as the sun set on the water. Gotta love traditions like that.

A few of my other favorite pics:


On Tuesday afternoon, the waves got bigger and the skies got darker as Dolly moved in. Now it's time to brace for a new storm of sorts: Amanda's wedding shower. I'll keep you posted.

Perfect Padre

Brian & I joined our friends Tony & Nicole for a week in Padre Island. It was fun, relaxing and the perfect antidote to the crazy summer I've had. Fortunately, Dolly kept her distance and the sunshine, SPF 70, adult beverages and fresh seafood were in abundance. We found a spot on the beach, turned up the music, kicked back and sang along to Sheryl Crow's "Soak Up The Sun." Ahhhh. If only you could bottle the feel of sand in your toes, ocean breezes and wide open beaches and schedules. Vacation, indeed.

Jealous yet? At left is the view from my lounge chair, where I read magazines and a chick lit novel and chatted up a storm with Nicole.






We tried out bodyboarding ...


... and found buried treasure:
















And while the girls were enjoying the simpler things in life (including our front-row seats to a little view of heaven, feeding the friendly seagulls and taking advantage of the perfectly timed arrival of the man who sold ice cream novelties out of a cart he pushed up and down the beach), the boys headed out for an all-day deep sea fishing excursion, catching the tastiest snapper I've ever had for dinner. They spotted dolphins in the ocean, too:





Brian & I returned to work today. But I've been secretly relishing the sand I'm still finding in my car and the photos of our getaway. More pictures to come soon!

Laps of luxury

One year ago today, I swam my first mile. That was a difficult day. It took me more than an hour. And I fell asleep the second I collapsed on the couch when I got home afterwards.

Today -- 2,616 laps and more than 72 miles later -- I can thank swimming for helping me shed pounds and inches. I found a swimsuit I love to wear. (That's a rare treat for any woman, right? Mine's made by Dolfin and is unbelievably durable and comfortable.) I can clock in a mile in less than 40 minutes and still be up for whatever the day has in store. Recently, swimming helped me deal with the stress of Mom's hospital stay. It helps me feel strong physically and emotionally.

My next goal: To join the 100-mile club.

Only 1,020 laps to go.

Poor baby

Back in the day when Brian and I were mere high school sweethearts, I gave him a stuffed puppy dog as a gift. We've had the thing for years before just recently letting Lilly play with it. For the past week, she's been carrying "Baby" around the house. She looks for it every morning. She knows when we hide it on top of my dresser.

We returned home from a shopping errand tonight to find a poor, poor headless puppy. As they say, all good things must come to an end. (As I type this, Lilly is curled up on the floor next to me in a sad little ball. Methinks she misses her friend.)


If you look at the expanded image of Brian kicking back with the pups after our July 4th camping trip, you'll notice that Lilly is curled up with pre-beheaded Baby.

'Normal' is good

The past week has been the most "normal" my life has been since late May, which is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Mom has been home from the hospital for a month. She had her eighth and final visit from her physical therapist today. And tonight, she, Janice and I spent two hours at a jewelry party. Mom looked so cute in a new black & white outfit and walked with just her cane. If you would have told me in late May that I would spend time with Mom at a jewelry party in just a couple of months, I would have hugged you and cried tears of joy and relief. Last week, Mom & I hauled her wheelchair out to Kohl's for a shopping trip. It was my first shopping outing with her since our April bargain shopping day. What a blessing.

Janice & I went to quilt guild last week, where she showed the crowed the Christmas quilt I gave her. It completed a set of five generations worth of quilts that she now treasures.

Jen & I have been preparing for Amanda's wedding shower, which is later this month. I've been working on a special project for a special mommy-to-be. Nicole & I got pedicures this weekend.

Brian & I went to the drive-in ("WALL-E" is adorable. "Hancock" is awful.) We attended a dinner and game night at church. (You gotta love Apples to Apples. Great game.) And, thanks to a generous gift from my dad, Brian & I took his parents to our first Wichita Wingnuts game. Unfortunately, the home team lost ... and we didn't get to see an exciting outburst like this one, which attracted nationwide media attention last week.

I must say this: Life is normal. Life is good.

Sweet pets come in small packages

Meow Meow gave Brian & me quite the scolding when we got home Sunday afternoon after our camping trip. She stayed home to hold down the fort, but she was very vocal when we returned home. She was all over our stuff as we unpacked, and she especially liked playing in our picnic basket. I'm sure she'd be happy to hear me admit that there's no place like home.









On Sunday, Brian & I met Amanda & Kurtis' little tiny toy poodle Toby (Meow Meow outweighs him five times over). Seriously, I cannot believe dogs come this small. He's difficult to photograph because he's black, didn't sit still for more than a second and is about the size of an index card. Here are my best attempts:

Mobile Mama

Time for a Mom update: She's doing great and, when I was dodging the scorpions and navigating hiking trails during the long holiday weekend, Mom ventured out for her first public outings since before her hospital stay. She went shopping with Jen & Amanda and found, among other treasures, a couple of new quilting magazines and clothes to wear to baby and wedding events (showers, etc.) in the next month or two.

She has a wheelchair that we can use when she's out and about, and she occasionally sits in it at home (as she is in this picture) because it helps her with her posture and is, in some ways, more comfortable to her than even the cushiest furniture in their house. When I saw her Sunday afternoon, she was dashing around the house without a cane and came outside for a brief period to sit on the front step and watch Kurtis run around the front yard with Toby, their new toy poodle (photo of the two-pound cutie to come soon).

Mom told goofy jokes during dinner and told Kurtis that she must be feeling better because she was putting up with his crap. She looks and acts more like her old self every day.

Happy campers

Brian & I packed up our tent, rounded up the pups and joined our friends Tony & Nicole for a three-day camping trip at Cross Timbers State Park. We couldn't have asked for better weather: warm, but not stifling, with sunny days and cool, clear evenings, which showcased the amazing display of stars.

We weren't exactly roughing it. We did sleep in tents, but the one Brian & I brought had enough room for our full-size air mattress and floor space for Dakota & Lilly. Unlike our last camping trip, when we canoed about 18 miles along the Illinois River near Tahlequah, Okla., we didn't have to fit everything we brought into our canoe! So we toted along many of our creature comforts.

This weekend, we spotted several scorpions around our camping site, which freaked me out. But the few ticks we encountered caused more of a problem than the scorpions. This evening, I did a bit of research and was relieved to learn that the scorpions we saw where the centruroides vittatus species, whose venom is relatively harmless to humans and whose sting usually might feel like a bee or wasp sting.

Hiking was on our agenda, and we checked out the Overlook Trail (our favorite) and the Ancient Trees Trail, pictured here:

We spent plenty of time in Toronto Lake, and Dakota & Lilly were expert swimmers thanks to these spiffy doggy lifejackets that helped them float in the water, allowing them to swim for two to three hours at a time. (Please note that Brian arranged it so that Lilly transported his squirt gun.)

Among the highlights was watching the fireworks at night and seeing one incredible sunset:

It was a great way to spend the Fourth of July holiday. Hope yours was great, too!

When we arrived back to Wichita, we had dinner at my parents' house. Amanda & Kurtis were in town, and Jen & Ryan came over for dinner, too. It was the first time since our February family ski trip that we've all shared a meal together. What a blessing, especially considering all that my family has been through this summer.

Now it's time to get some rest before the week starts. My crew is dog-tired:

It's Miller time ...

... or should I say meower time?

Have a fun, safe and happy 4th of July weekend with your favorite peeps and a case of something you love.

Brian wanted to make sure that I offer the following ridiculous disclaimer: My husband, the beer snob, typically doesn't purchase 30-packs of Miller Lite. Such a rare occurrence happens only in July when it's hot out and he needs some kind of bland watered-down adult beverage to quench his thirst when he's in the middle of yard projects (more on this later).

What's the big fat hairy deal?

Brian is putting our new shears to good use and gave Lilly a buzz cut earlier this week. The little pup danced and bounced and frolicked around the house. It must have felt like shedding a winter coat. We celebrated by talking a nice long walk. We promised her & Kody that this doesn't mean we're sending them off to boot camp.

The name of the game ...

is recovery. I took a few days off work last week to take care of some business that I've been putting off. Not always so much fun, but that's life.

The good thing was that I had a lot of good downtime hanging out with Mom and have seen her take great strides on her recovery. We colored in coloring books (Mom's physical therapist recommended it to work on her eye-hand coordination and motor skills), worked on quilting projects and got hooked on our newest guilty pleasure TV show, "Baby Borrowers." It's completely silly: Teen couples who want to be parents must watch babies, toddlers, preteens, etc. to see whether they -- and their relationship -- have what it takes. It's one of those shows that's fun to watch and add your commentary on what you're seeing all the way through. Here's a preview that ran on TV earlier this month in case you've been out of the loop on this one:

Mom continues to improve. This week alone she walked outside, wore mascara (two firsts since May!), is using her cane (that she's nicknamed Abel) only as needed and had a chicken fried steak dinner at home with her good friend and long-time neighbor Faith. She's also been busy searching online for the perfect mother-of-the-bride dress for her to wear to Amanda's wedding next month. We're all excited for Amanda to come home tomorrow. The last time she saw Mom was when she was in the hospital, so it'll be good for them both to visit at home. (My Mom also reminded me today that tomorrow is the 18th anniversary of my family's move to Wichita. Have I really been a Kansan that long?!)