Before and After

Do you ever look in the mirror and think, "Hey, that's not me!" Maybe you think with horror that you look like your mother or just a freakish version of who you think you are? 

Well, I have to admit that on occasion I have some of these thoughts but then I think through that journey called life, and all of the special people in it, and I just have to smile. 

Isn't life beautifully wonderful with just enough of reality to make it kind of funny! 

I like to think of it as BK and AK (Before Kids and After Kids).

                                                     BEFORE KIDS!

                                                      AFTER KIDS!

You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely. — Ogden Nash

It's the End of the World As We Know It...

I thought this was appropriate in light of all that is happening in the world but prepare yourself for a few moments of sensory overload. While I prefer REM's version to W's, it's still a fun video. If that wasn't enough, we have a 15 year old son who's learning how to drive! He's actually doing very well but I never thought I'd be in the passenger seat of a car yelling at the driver to, "Own the road, own it!!"



In light of all these feelings, the video below might sum up your feelings on world affairs even better - warning: Graphic Langauge.

This is Where I Grew Up...

Let's give a shout out to all the Westsider's in the house!! On March 20, 2009, on the first day of spring, MSN showcased 12 of the most beautiful places to experience spring. Beautiful Skagit County sans tourists was one of the obvious choices.

The Skagit Valley, Washington state: Springtime makes this verdant valley in northwest Washington explode with color, carpeting the land with hundreds of acres of tulips, daffodils and irises. The area is best known for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which runs throughout April and was featured in “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” Display gardens abound throughout the valley for you to visit, but you can also enjoy the living jewels without getting out of your car: Many of the flower fields lie right next to the road. - MSN Online

I will tell you that some of my fondest memories were of the quickly moving clouds casting shadows on my bedroom walls as the sun would shine through.

Waking up with the sun on May 1 and going into the tulip fields next to our house and picking TONS of tulips to leave on the doorstep for my mom (this was before I was old enough to realize that some may consider this theft...).

Spring was also a time when the cows would inevitably get out of the fence meaning that I would have to run through the fields at night with my dad trying to get them back home.

This was also back in the day when my dad could drive our pick-up truck over to Washington Bulb Co. and get a truckload of tulip and daffodil bulbs - FOR FREE - and feed them to our cows. This would fatten them up quickly and ease the transition from winter hay to summer grass.

Can you even imagine how many thousands of dollars they would sell those bulbs for now! You've got to love the marketing genius behind it all, the crew bosses that made it happen, Leo Roozen (this is a current photo of him but he did not look so nice when he was younger!!) in his white pickup that would strike fear in the hearts of children throughout the land, and the slave labor of young elementary school children willing to pick 200 feet of bulbs for $5.00 a row and go home only to blow a pound of dirt out of their noses. I loved the good old days!

What Did You Do at Work Yesterday?

I have to be careful when I ask my husband how his day at work was because I'm never quite sure what his response will be to this question. That is unless, of course, I get a call or see the article before he gets home. My preference is to have him arrive home on time, change his clothes, and tell me personally what a crappy day it was. It is much preferable to being at work, checking the newspaper online, and seeing the following news update. Welcome to the world of being a K-9 officer's wife...

March 17, 2009 - 10:34 AMby Staff Report

HAMILTON — A Hamilton man was robbed at knifepoint early this morning, suffering superficial injury to his face. The 31-year-old victim was walking on Cumberland Street toward Willies Hi-Lead tavern, 456 Maple St., for a cup of coffee just after midnight, said Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt of the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. When he was about a block from the tavern, he was “jumped” by two men, one wielding a knife. The two robbers knocked the victim to the ground and took his wallet, Reichardt said.

The two men then ran west laughing as they fled, and the victim walked to Willies and called 911 at 12:15 a.m. today, Reichardt said. The victim, who deputies described as unsteady on his feet, was taken to United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley where he was treated.
Deputies found the victim’s sweater in the street near the location of the assault, and Deputy Steve Dills with tracking dog Doc followed a path toward California Street, finding the victim’s wallet, Reichardt said.

A “small amount” of cash was missing but his identification remained in the wallet, Reichardt said. The dog was unable to locate the suspects. The victim told deputies that one robber was a roughly 5-foot-10-inch-tall white man in his mid-30s to early 40s. He wore camouflage pants, a sweatshirt and dark-colored beanie-style cap. The second robber was about the same height and age as the first and had dark hair and a “somewhat darker complexion” that the first, deputies said. Deputies ask anyone with information about the incident to call the sheriff’s office at 360-336-9450 or 911.

http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/hamilton_man_robbed_at_knifepoint/

Women vs. Women?

I recently came across an on-line article that describes the challenge many women face. There seems to be a struggle over doing and being the best at everything; parenting, working, being a good and attentive spouse (yeah, right!), and everything else in between.

For myself, I find that when I mention to people that I work part-time AND homeschool our two boys, I get two responses. The first response is from other homeschooling families with a stay-at-home mom who pauses briefly with a questioning raise of the eyebrow and then continues talking because you know that women love to talk. The second response is from public/private school families with or without a stay-at-home mom who pauses briefly with a questioning raise of the other eyebrow and then continues talking...

Well, I'm here to say that compared to the hours I put in as a classroom teacher for other people's children, I can unequivicabely tell you that this is a piece of cake in comparison and I love it. There is no guilt attached for what I do for my family.

So, in support of the choices you make for you and your family read the following article with a grain of salt and know that you only find love here for all that you do - go moms!!

Mom vs. Mom

When I Was a Kid...

When I was a kid I remember corn fields by the river where we crossed over from Mt. Vernon to Burlington. Then in their place they built the dueling malls - the Mt. Vernon Mall and the Skagit Valley Mall.

Then the other day as I was driving through the main thorough fares of Mt. Vernon I realized that they were widening the streets of our old stomping grounds. The very streets where my husband and I used to cruise, race, and drive to work, would be no longer. In the original sense, anyway. The old street signs will be taken down and replaced with the larger and more visible signs seen in the pictures.

Gone is the old Cinema 5, Tri-Cinema, McDonalds, Winchells, Shakey's, Herfy's, the Emporium, Maurices, and many other oldies but goodies. Instead we have the MV police department, Wal-Mart, Office Depot, Big 5, Starbucks, Dollar stores, and other urban blight. 

Gone are the cornfields, the old street signs, and the store where I bought my first pair of Star jeans and I guess the girl who fit in those jeans are gone too...but not forgotten!

Radar Love

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to San Francisco. Our hotel was two blocks from Union Square and one block up from China Town. While strolling through the shops we found a Chinese hat with a fake queue down the back. We immediately thought it would be fun to purchase this, pose my husband in the hat, tweak the photo, and then give it to his dad as a joke.

The reason was that his dad always teases him with the idea that he has a half brother from his dad's stint in the Navy and the reference to having gone to Japan. How does a Chinese hat fit the idea of a Japanese half-brother? It doesn't very well, but, we do happen to live in Sedro Woolley, Washington so I think we're covered. Here's the final product. His dad enjoyed the photo so much that he said he was going to hang it on the wall with his Navy pictures... Now that's love.






















In keeping with the above title and as an ode to my '87 poop-drop brown Celica, here is a salute to the summer of '90, cruising Riverside Drive/College Way, Golden Earring on cassette, and SpongeBob for my boys.

Twist on the Motivational Poster

A picture is worth a thousand words...

My Top Ten Films

With the Oscars coming out next week I thought I'd spend a few minutes thinking about my top 10 movies of all time.
1. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
2. Slumdog Millionare
3. The Matrix
4. The Big Blue
5. American Werewolf in London
6. Highlander
7. Transporter
8. Napoleon Dynamite
9. Dumb and Dumber
10. Scarface

(1) The Passion of Joan of Arc is absolutely amazing. I came across it one morning (I'm talking 4am) when I couldn't sleep and it was on some random channel. They opened the film by explaining that it had been salvaged and later "rediscovered" in storage after surviving a fire. As a result there are portions of it missing but despite this it is truly a powerful and amazing film.

(2) The Slumdog Millionare has been getting a lot of buzz and I hate that. I like to feel ownership of movies and when everyone's raving then it just can't be my discovery. I saw the previews awhile ago and thought that it looked like a good movie, it started getting a lot of attention, as a result I didn't want to see it so much, and only because there was not really anything else playing at the time I decided what the heck. So, I saw it and loved it. I loved the main character, his relationship with his brother, his enduring love for a young girl into adulthood, and above all else, his honesty. I found similarities between it and The Kite Runner movie. I should say that I really loved the book, The Kite Runner but thought the movie was okay. I think of that movie in discussing this one because I loved the relationships in the story and how strong they are from an early time in their life into adulthood. I also loved this movie because I know exactly where in the movie I almost cried, exactly the point where I did cry, and that I was happy in the end. That is the formula for a perfect movie.

(3) The Matrix is one of the psuedo-intellectual films that some people can really over-intellectualize. I'm sure there are philosophy classes centered around the Matrix on college campuses throughout the US. However, I just loved the style found throughout the film. Having had short hair when I first saw this movie I totally identified with the strong and beautiful female character that falls in love with Nemo ;) It had fantastic special effects and was a great story - our reality is an illusion while our illusions are our reality - how cool is that?

(4) This is one of my absolute favorite films based on location. The Greek Islands are gorgeous, the main character is gorgeous, and Enzo is adorable. Despite the fact that Rosanna Arquette was annoying and a terrible actress I loved this movie for it's cineamotography and it's soundtrack. It's also about a misunderstood character who just doesn't quite fit into the world around him but who is able to find his place in the universe in the end.

(5) American Werewolf in London is the very first movie I went to as a teenager, lied about what movie I was going to, and got away with it! The movie is a comedy/horror film with great special effects for the time (1981). It was showing up at the Tri-Cinema and I remember feeling like a terrible liar when I told my dad all about the movie I didn't see. If you haven't seen this film I would encourage you to give it a try. The humor only accentuates the fact that it's a great horror film.

(6) Highlander is a movie I saw at the Lincoln Theater in Mt. Vernon. Christopher Lambert starred in this strange movie the same year I graduated from high school. I think I enjoyed this one so much because I went to see it without a clue what it was about and was totally impressed with a great story. You don't meet a 16th century immortal living in present day New York everyday.

(7) One of my all time guilty pleasures are the Transporter movies with the first one being the best. A great looking guy, driving a great looking car, going incredibly fast, doing incredibly impossible stunts - LOVE IT! Give me a smart-aleck, non-conforming, brutally honest, and butt kicking main character who fights injustice and I will give you my heart!

(8) Napoleon gets one of the top ten spots because it totally caught me by surprise. The boys and I sat down to watch this movie during Christmas break in 2004. We had no clue what it was about and I think we rewound the beginning bus scene like three times because we couldn't believe we were seeing what we were seeing. Was this guy for real? We laughed so hard...

(9) This movie is so dumb and that is the beauty of it's appeal. I actually could not stand this movie the first time I saw it. But I have two boys who loved it and they watched it over and over and after about the 17th time I finally started to enjoy it with them. It is one that we can now watch over and over and laugh as much as we did the first time or in my case the 17th time.

(10) Scarface with Al Pacino when he was in his prime is hard to beat.

Honorable Mentions

300
Repo Man
Breakfast Club
The Snowman
Hamlet (Mel Gibson)
The Punisher
Space Jam :)
Gladiator
This is Spinal Tap (only because I thought it was a real documentary when I first saw it)
Fast and the Furious
The Virgin Springs
Bottle Rocket
Streetwise
To Live and Die in LA (great soundtrack)
The Usual Suspects
All Jane Austen movies including The Jane Austen Book Club

Grace Cathedral in San Francisco

Too Beautiful To Live

No, the title does not directly refer to me but rather to one of my favorite FM talk radio programs that can be heard evenings in the beautiful Northwest. Luke Burbank and gang provide me with laughter and random discussions while I taxi my boys to various activities. Jen is the perfect touch of seasoning to the always entertaining, if not occasionally manic, ravings of Luke.

Calling all Greenlanders -Luke wants you on his map! RAWR!!

I Love My Grandma but...

I know it sounds cruel but she DID vote for Obama. Okay, all kidding aside I have to admit that I am one of the few in the state of Washington who did NOT vote for Obama. In fact, I find a small amount of joy every time I see a "Nobama" bumper sticker and am reminded that I am not alone in the universe. 

Having said this it should come as no surprise that my grandma and I did not see eye to eye on the election. I believe my comments about Obama actually upset her so much that she didn't talk to me for over a week but she did vent to my mom. During one of my last conversations with her on this topic I tried to explain some of my concerns and no, not a single one had to do with the fact that he's black. Despite my efforts in explaining my position to her, our conversation ended with her asking me in her grandmother voice, "Honey, what do you have against Obama?" I wanted to shout, "Didn't you hear me?!" 

The photo below captures Obama on stage during a fund raiser for Sen. Tom Harkin in Iowa with presidential candidates Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton. Many felt this photo showed his lack of respect to the nation during the singing of the National Anthem. It was reported that Obama was angered that the photo was released (and because the reporter erroneously stated the photo was taken during the Pledge of Allegiance rather than the singing of the national anthem, Obama said: "This is the classic dirty trick. This was not the Pledge of Allegiance. The woman was singing the Star Spangled Banner."

As a sign of respect to their nation, many Americans place their hand over their heart when the National Anthem is played as well as when they recite the Pledge. In his case, Obama said "...I was taught by my grandfather that you put your hands over your heart during the Pledge of Allegiance. The Star Spangled Banner, you sing." Only, when you look at the photo, its very clear that neither Obama nor the others on stage are singing. It was, however, the singing of the national anthem.

In striking contrast below I have one of two newspaper photos showing my grandma watching the inauguration. Take special note of the fourth paragraph and you will notice where her hand is and what song is being played...I'm certain she would not like this blog posting...but I still love her anyway.

Skagit Valley Herald

‘Our country has come a long ways’

By CODI HAMBLIN
Staff Writer

Skagit County senior citizens saw a piece of history Tuesday morning that many didn’t think would happen in their lifetimes.

Dressed in red sweaters and munching on red, white and blue sprinkled doughnuts, about a dozen Country Meadow Village residents celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama at the Sedro-Woolley retirement home.

“His speech gave me goosebumps, and it almost made me cry,” said Bernadine Salsman, 88, a Country Meadow Village resident. “History is being made, definitely.” Salsman and her friend, Jessie Miller, 91, another resident, said looking back in history, neither ever imagined seeing a black person become president. “We should be an example for the whole world,” Miller said. “I’m just happy I could live to see this come to pass.” Residents gathered around a flat-screen television wrapped with a blue and white fabric at its base.

As Obama approached the podium to deliver his inaugural address, Salsman raised her arm and waved a hand-held American flag in the air, a smile across her face. The residents clapped with agreement throughout Obama’s inaugural address. Many rose from their seats as “The Star Spangled Banner” was sung. They placed their hands over their hearts and sang along. After the ceremony, Salsman said it was difficult to pinpoint just one thing from the speech that stood out.

Me too Grandma...Unfortunately, what I've found is that when someone has a definite opinion and doesn't want to hear any facts that don't jive with it they refuse to hear you so I recommend you take two aspirins and watch a good movie. 

My recommendation would be Albert Brooks in Looking for Comedy in a Muslim World. Then, to top it off I would suggest a double feature with Defending Your Life. These are hilarious comedies and with Albert Brooks' awkwardness and great sense of timing I would hope that you'd enjoy them as much as me.

Political Blog

Click here to see and read more of interesting government "shtuff" at Doug Ross @ Journal's blog - a great site with insight on the politicos.

Two Dimensional Creativity

Having quit my full-time job teaching at a private school in order to homeschool our two boys did require that I find a part-time job to help with the budget. So, I was blessed in finding just such a job at a brand new library within 10 minutes of home.

I assist the children's librarian in various ways and one of these ways is by creating the bulletin boards. I really enjoy doing this and find that it is a fun way to be creative without too much of a time commitment. I have a lot of flexibility in what I put together and they just seem happy to have something up on the walls so it's a win-win for everyone.

I get ideas from department stores in Seattle (see the "Tie Tree"), magazines, websites, and anywhere else I can possibly borrow and adapt so please feel free to continue to borrow and tweak any ideas that you see here. One of the launching points I use for my ideas are quotes. I love, love, love a great quote.

In addition I really enjoy making the displays as 3-D as possible by using unusual materials. In the books-to-movie display I obtained actual film print from a local theater, ties from the thrift store ($5 for a bag of 100!), plastic deli bowls from a local grocery store created the wheels on the bus, I made all of the tissue flowers in the summer reading display and used a jean-like tablecloth to create a big pocket, and I stuffed the display paper with newspaper to create the umbrella effect, but whatever you use just try it before thinking that it might not work because most of the time it usually does. Above all else, have fun, create, and enjoy!