Desert Magnolia

The frost is nearly on the pumpkin, and I am wondering where in the hell the last almost eleven months have gone! I mean, there were the holidays - always a blur,  then the New Year - always a bit of a letdown/gotta keep moving with school adventure,  then there was spring, my birthday (a no biggie one this year as it turns out), then there was summer (kind of a non-summer as summers go, highlighted by a quick visit from kids), now there is fall and oh man...it's almost the holidays again. The kittens have grown to full size kitties, and they are super fun and funny. We love them. The garden was awesome, and we're still getting a few tomatoes...though our days are numbered there. The big tree with all the leaves hasn't yet let go, but that's about to happen..probably next week when the temps dive a little below Indian Summer levels. Between now and setting up the tree? Finishing up midterms (yes another set...honestly, they never seem to end!), pushing through the re...

Realizing the dream of having both of my offspring graduate from college and be on their way to gainful employment and, hopefully, rich lives, has been amazing. I am proud beyond words. I am relieved. I am absolutely certain they will go forth and conquer, and I can't wait to witness their journeys. Son has already begun to carve a path in the academic world, and has weekly stories to tell of the experiences he's having as he's done so. Firmly ensconced in the Middle East, he has managed to rise quickly in the ranks of his university, and appears to be loving his work, though it can be maddening at times. He's whittling down his student loans, and is now considering grad school at some point. Daughter will begin her job right after Labor Day. She'll be working in NYC in a highly respected cancer center, and will be playing a role managing care for her patients. She is excited, a little nervous, and mostly anxious to begin this next big phase of her life. Th...

And I'm not referring to my bra. Come to think of it, well, never mind that. After a long Skype session with my son yesterday afternoon in which we discussed a myriad of topics, and during which I realized how amazing and observant and intelligent and compassionate and awe.some that kid is, again, I felt blessed and delighted and just, happy. And I took that happiness and warmth with me, shared it with Hubby, enjoyed a dinner of grilled rosemary pork chops, a butter lettuce/artichoke hearts/grape tomatoes/red onion/Persian cucumber salad dressed with a sweet lemon vinaigrette and a nice Pinot Noir, and settled in for Thursday night TV. Hubby surfed between baskteball games and our favorite sitcoms, the evening was balmy, the cat was friendly, and the term 'content' kept surfacing in my consciousness. And then about 930 p.m. my brotherinlaw called to ask if he could swing by the house for a sec, to 'drop some stuff off.' To which I replied 'of course!...

Coping with life's huge transitions requires, in my book, the following things (in no particular order, BTW): A good sense of humor A sense of perspective (which, ironically, goes MIA when you need it the most...) Hard workouts Great friends Pretty toes Good wine Awesome kids that 'get' that you're going to miss them a ton, but who refuse to let you simmer in your own juices for long. Beach reading (no heavy stuff now, no sirree!) Beach TV, or Beach HBO, aka TrueBlood A little time...not to steep in self pity, but to process, reflect, and  then consider what color to go with the toesies next. JL- I blame you for the TrueBlood addiction. Netflix, HURRY UP! Hubby - Thank you for stocking our wine rack with lovely sippables Friends - You know who you are Kiddos - 'nuff said. You are what makes me who and what I am, and for that, I thank you. Eternally. Billy Blanks - I hate in you an adoring, appreciative way. You know what I m...

Grandma G invited me to lunch with 'the girls' the other day. The night before the big lunch, of course, because she has no ridiculously tight work schedule that's pretty much full two weeks out and people looking to her for deliverables on a daily basis. My phone rang at 9:45 pm, I was on the hook by 9:47. That's just how she rolls, and she's good at what she does. 'The girls' are a group of women, none under the age of 85, who meet for lunch once a month, outside of their retirement home. They coerce threaten guilt the retirement home politely arrange for a van to deliver them to their restaurant of choice, where they order and savor foods with flavor, something they enjoy immensely given the general lack of spice in all foods presented them by the 'not chefs' of their home. As we sat enjoying perfect crisp-tender snow peas coupled with sweetly spicy beef and onions over rice, salads with sesame ginger dressings and peanuts, and udon delight...