in memory of

I can never remember their exact birthdays, but I know it's at the end of this month. In celebration of my grandmas. I would go back in time, I'd spend the night with my grandma as a little girl, with our mugs, mine of hot chocolate hers of Folger’s coffee. We'd watch Saturday morning cartoons. When we finished we'd bleach the mugs in her wash tub. She would make biscuits, with ham and eggs, or we would go out to Jim’s Coffee Shop. She’d chain smoke, and I wouldn’t mind. She’d show me how to wash the white clothes in hot water, with Tide detergent and bleach. We’d hang her white Keds, tennis shoes on the clothes line.

I’d play secretary at her desk by looking through her cool stationary and junk mail magazines. She'd have a candy dish full of butterscotches. In the bathroom I’d see all her tubes of lipstick. Right before we left she’d show me how to apply lipstick and smack my lips together to set the color. Maybe we’d go shopping and she’d buy me pretend make-up. Or we could even go to the beauty parlor on Wed and I’d wait for her while her long grey hair would get washed and combed into her trademark bun, (in real life she never wanted me to see her with her hair undone).

With my great grandma I'd paint her fingernails. I’d have plenty of colors to choose from. I’d admire her princess pink bathroom with the vanity and infinite bottles of perfume and make-up. I'd look at her pretty hair combs and fancy broaches. We’d play a game of cards. She’d drink her glass of red wine. She’d make her infamous deviled eggs (which I wouldn’t touch). I would however, eat her apples baked in her old fashioned white oven coated in cinnamon and sugar.

She’d tell me how she’s afraid that the ceiling fan above us will fall on her head. I’d assure she’s safe. I’d see her stack of tabloid trashazines on the table and shake my head. She’d tell me they had more truth in them than the local newspaper. Then she’d show me her garden in the back yard to show me what she had planted.

I still wear that necklace she gave me.

Projekt Revolution concert

Saturday we went to the best concert in Texas so far! We saw 9 bands. The show lasted from 2pm til 11pm. Armor for Sleep, Hawthorne Heights, 10 Years, Atreyu, Street Drum Corps, ASHES diVIDE, The Bravery, Chris Cornell, and Linkin Park.

Today we both got our Texas temporary driver's licenses. John had to take the eye test 3 times before he passed. I guess it's official now. I don't feel like a Texan (yee-haw).

Yesterday we ate at an all vegan restaurant which was actually good. Last night at 10 pm our doorbell rang twice. The guy noticed J's left his truck door open and the light was on. I'm telling ya, people are nice here. I bet where we used to live they just would have laughed, (cause that's what I did). No, they probably would be in bed by 10 pm.

Hope everybody had a great first day of school (Ha!)

Rainbows on My Wall

I look up and see these beautiful round dots of light from the sun coming through the window. They are mostly white, but some are lilac, lavender, pale green, yellow green, bright pink, periwinkle, sea foam,and coral. All in a circular pattern. I think they are from my mosaic plate on my coffee table. It makes me want more colored glass or at least glass cut in a way that would show rainbows.


I remember when I was younger I wanted clouds on my ceiling and rainbows on my walls. I wanted sunsets, beaches, palm trees, and starry skies. An adult joked about Hendrix on my bed. Nah! I just want to play the guitar like him.

I imagined murals and pictures evolving and changing. So I wouldn’t be stuck looking at the same thing all the time. Now I'd add mountains and leaves that change colors.

dirt

Every time we go to the beach, the sand gets everywhere Even in a hotel, it's messy! If we ever move near a beach, we'll have to come up with a cleaning system.
While I'm thinking of dirty floors: let me say, I don't think I like carpet. It's a pain to clean. I miss my hardwood floors! In my new house they're only in my kitchen (sigh). So since our yard is a big dirt pile, and it rains here all the time. The dirt gets all over the sidewalks and driveway. Then we drag the mud tracks all over the carpet, (nice eh?).

Welcome to Paradise!

spoiled

“What’s that?“

“A present...”

“What is it?”

He throws the bag to me. He said, “I was feeling peaceful.”

“Huh?”

He was only supposed to be picking up pizza. Apparently this store was right next door. I didn't know they made peace purses. I guess this means peace stuff is trendy now, (gag).
Well, I like what I like. I'm not going to stop liking it just because it's trendy. Remind me again, why does it have to be trendy?



So he surprised me.
He knows what I like too.




Can you see all of those peace earrings? It was pretty cheap too.

“You’d have loved it.”


“That’s cause I have the taste of a teenager.”

Padre Island

We were listening to The Beatles White Album. I hear the song While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Martha My Dear.
…Martha my dear hold your head up, you silly girl. Look what you’ve done. When you find yourself in the thick of it. Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you, silly girl…

Wise words from my favorite band.
I guess I needed to hear them. I’m trying, though.

The beach looks and feels different on Padre Island than Corpus Christi. Someone’s flying a kite. There seems to be more space. It’s calming. Until the girls in bikinis park close and the boys act like idiots, shot down and obvious.

He came to me
Helped me
Dug me
Dug into the mud

I felt weak
I could barely dig
He jumped into the water
He swam in the ocean



The mud was like lava flowing
Milk chocolate pudding
Or chocolate frosting

And then I heard the song Blackbird.

For My Aunt

Today is a special day.
It is a day to celebrate another year in someone’s life.








A life that is not taken for granted.













“She… is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous… full of beauty and forever beautiful loving and caring and truly amazing.”
-Deanna Beisser

Seeing the Sun Rise and Sunset

I asked him “I wish we could see the sunrise and sunset better from our house.”
He said “I can see the sunrise when I get up in the morning.”

I said, “I can’t. We can barely see the sunset because all those houses are in the way. “

“Don’t worry we’ll be able to see it.”
(cause I was thinking we used to could see the sunset in our old backyard, the way our patio faced. And we could see the sunrise over the mountains).
“Well it’s not out here, in the evening. Is it cause our house is facing the opposite direction?”







“Yes.”

Staying Strong

At the beach shop buying my sand toys.

The cashier asked to see John’s ID.

She said, “Utah? What are you doing here?”
“We came to see the beach. We used to live in Utah, but we live in Texas now.”

She said, “I’m going home to my country soon. I’ve been waiting for months. How do you like Texas?”

I said, "He likes it. I’m homesick, but I like the beach.”


As we were leaving she called out “STAY STRONG!”

This is part of a palm tree.


We also got to swim with jelly fish.

Dolphin Encounter

In Corpus Christi we went on a dolphin encounter. No, it wasn't swimming with the dolphins.
Which I still plan to do some day, like my cousin Cass.
 This was all in honor of her.

My guy is kissing Shadow in photo.

 Shadow was the oldest dolphin. I think he was age 16. Shadow had the most calm temperment, and was the first dolphin the trainers get to know and learn. He was darkest in color, and he weighed about 450 lbs.

I'm explaining the hand cue for talking,
to the lady, at the dolphin show.

We learned so much about the dolphins: hand cues, training signals, and adolescent male dolphins.
 Each of the three dolphins had their own personality, like kids. They love praise and cheering.

DJ was Shadow's half brother, and the youngest dolphin at age 12. He was the watcher and imitator. His spots were scars similar to acne. DJ was the second dolphin the trainers got to know.

Each dolphin had certain tricks they excelled at. 

They get treats as rewards after the whistle blows, and they perform each trick. The rewards they get are: fish, ice, touch, praise, or playing with their toys.

Kai was age 13, and the lightest dolphin in color. I called him the flirt, cause he was the most free spirited.

Did you know that it's illegal to swim with wild dolphins? Dolphins in captivity have to be bred or found sick. They tend to live longer than wild dolphins because they receive medical treatment.

When dolphins are asleep half of their brains are still awake and functioning, or they'd drown. They can also move their eyes independently of each other. One eye can be looking at you and one eye can be looking at something below.

I talked to the trainer about how she got the job. She said you need a bachelor's in science of some kind, more experience with domestic or other animals, and luck. She had been working with dolphins for 6 years.
There were about 7 total trainers at the aquarium.

They only do the dolphin encounter once a day because this is like work for the dolphins and they get tired. They make sure they get enough rest and play.

There were two groups of 4 people each. They can have up to 5 people. So one group goes with one trainer and dolphin. The other group goes with another trainer and dolphin. The third trainer plays with the dolphin, and the dolphins can rotate, and get breaks.

That's DJ on the left with spots,
and Kai on the right.The encounter lasts an hour.
We got to feed them ice, (DJ's favorite), have them throw a ball, spiral in circles, kiss the dolphin, rub their bellies, and fins, get splashed, and strut their stuff.

I'm so glad we went, and did it.

My Bro's Birthday

I think this is the first birthday I haven't been there for. Aren't you feeling lucky? My meat and potatoes, video game, Star Wars, eclectic music, funny movie, Broncos, Jazz loving brother. Sorry I was such a brat for most of your life, but I always loved you.

So have an extra piece of ice cream cake for me. I know you can beat my behind at Guitar Hero and Texas Hold Em. But remember who can play the real guitar, huh? And John is still the reigning Monopoly king.

Enjoy

your final days of freedom, before fall semester begins. I miss you every time I go to the pharmacy. Because no one else has smiles on the bottles. So, I keep my old bottles, and put new my medicine inside.

So keep dreaming of the ocean and beach, and so will I.

Corpus Christi Beach

I am an ocean junkie.
We walked along the beach at sunset. We stayed until after 10 pm, walking and talking.
The beach is one of those places I feel at peace.
I could just sit there all day watching the waves crash and digging in the sand. I found a fish mold sand toy that someone left behind. There were children screaming, running and jumping into the waves.

When we left, I saw these kids with a shovel, pail, and flashlight. "What are you looking for?" I asked them,
(thinking maybe it was their sand toy I picked up).
"Sand craps. We already caught five!."
"Let me see! Oh, wow! I've never seen sand crabs before."