So… I have been trying to de-junk my house and get rid of unwanted items. I’ve been cleaning out my drawers, I got rid of a bunch of shoes I never wear, I even got Brian to go through the immense amounts of paperback books he collects and get rid of some of them. I need a trip to the thrift store to drop these bags off now that are cluttering my garage. The hardest part has been to go through all my Scrapbooking supplies and get rid of everything I know I’ll never use. I pulled out close to 12″ of just paper that I don’t want. Another couple boxes of embellishments that I know I won’t put to use either. That’s another trip for donation… over to CHOC (Children’s Hospital of Orange County). The kids that are stuck there in the hospital can use the papers and stickers to make things, so that’s good. The more things I pull out and try to organize, it seems the worse things look… at least temporarily. When did I become this person who needed so much stuff!? If I weren’t such a sentimentalist, I swear I think I would throw out everything and start over, but that’s just not the case. So wish me luck with the continued purging of junk I no longer need. Tomorrow’s another day to work on organizing things!
I looked at the calendar today and saw the date. September 22nd. Suddenly it was 12 years ago, just after 6:00 am and the phone was ringing. I got the phone call every child dreads… my Dad was dead. Luckily, if there is such a thing, he died in his sleep. Went to bed and just never got up again… jeez! He was only 67 years young. He suffered from poor health for many years. He was diabetic, had congestive heart failure, and had a 6-way heart bypass, but even with that knowledge it didn’t make the news any easier and I was devastated. He was the heart of my family. The glue that bound us all together and kept some of the crazier members of my family tolerable. He was firm with his opinions. He expected us to comport ourselves properly. I learned well from him, even if some others in my family did not.
He loved to sit next to me on the sofa when I would visit and twist my long hair in his fingers. When I was a kid, this irritated me beyond belief, but I was just a teenager, a stupid teenager. When I got older and his health declined, I realized what joy it brought him, so I would sit there and let him do it. Oh, believe me, I pretended to be a little annoyed, occasionally swatting his hand away and saying “Dad!” in a semi-exasperated tone. I needed to do this, to play this little game, because I knew it made it more fun for him, and I really just wanted him to be happy because I knew deep down he wouldn’t be around for much longer… maybe just a few years… and I was right.
He also loved when I would bake for him. Every time I visited my parents in Vegas, I would break out all the ingredients and make my Dad a batch of chocolate chip cookies. He would get so giddy! They were terrible for him and his diabetes and I knew it, but I also knew it was a special treat and his time was short. Food made my Dad happy… he was very Italian in that regard. After he passed away, I always made a chocolate cake for him for his birthday on January 7th…. of course, whomever was around that day would get to eat it, so it was always a happy occasion!
In 1990, I was able to travel to Italy with just my parents. No other siblings. Just the three of us. We had such a amazing time! I have a hilarious photo of my Dad standing in the doorway of one of the hotel dining rooms where we ate breakfast one morning. It was a simple continental breakfast. Nothing special. But it cost $110 US for the three of us. So on the way back in to the hotel that afternoon, he ran over to the dining room entrance and pulled his pocket inside out and asked me to take his photo. He has the silliest grin on his face! That photo is missing from my album, so I’ll have to reprint the negative.
While we were there, we visited Ostia Antica, just outside of Rome. I climbed on the base of a statue so my Mom could take my photo, but my Dad must have been worried I might topple off it, so he held me up by putting his hand on my butt. It makes me giggle even now. Oh, and the toothpick hanging out of his mouth… he loved to chew on toothpicks! For his birthday one year, we all pitched in and got him a solid gold toothpick! It’s one of my favorite photos from that trip! Here it is and a few others from that same trip:
Me and Daddy
Now this photo is one of my all-time favs. In 1987, my family went to Park City, Utah for the Thanksgiving holiday. While we were there, my parents scheduled a family portrait on the ski slopes. After the compulsory photos of all of us together, I requested a photo with just my Dad and me… no one else. With 3 other siblings in my family, I rarely got time alone with either parent, so I treasure this photo:
On this last day of Summer, the anniversary of my Dad’s passing, I just wanted to write a little something about him so everyone knows I had a great Dad. He was by no means perfect, but he was a very good Dad to me. I still miss him every day. Now, if you’re reading this, go give your parents a hug and if they aren’t within hugging distance, then call them and tell them you love them! I’m calling my Mom right now…
Well, it’s been almost 2 years since I last tended to this blog o’ mine, and I realized today that I really should keep it up. I think I figured no one reads it anyhow and my life is fairly ordinary, so why would anyone want to read it?! To that I say, “who cares?” I think I’ll do it anyhow.
I own a Scrapbook store in Huntington Beach…. The Scrapbook Garden… and it keeps me busy. Very busy. I have inventory to order, check in and get on the shelves, bills to pay, paperwork to keep in order, a website to maintain, a blog to post about new items in the store, a Facebook page, and on and on. It’s no wonder I don’t sleep well. And now I decide that maybe I should start this personal blog up again too… I must be crazy!
So here’s what I’ve done recently. In addition to my wonderful weekly Dog Beach visits with Brian and Toffee, I went to Creative Escape in Arizona at the end of August. It was an amazing 5 days with friends where I learned some cool new techniques and made some very nice projects… most of which I liked (there’s always one or two classes that I just have no interest in). Ly was busy flitting about, so I didn’t see much of her. Wanda and Renee (poor things), both got sick with terrible colds and felt horrible at least half the time we were there. And then there’s me… I got shingles! WTF? That’s what I thought when I got home and figured out what they were. And let me just tell you… they suck! Very painful! And I got a mild case. Here it is, four weeks later, and the skin rash is gone, but I’m left with nerve pain, which really sucks because there’s nothing you can do about it. I need to call the doctor and see if I’m missing something. I’m too damn young for this crap and frankly, I don’t have the time!
I’m really looking forward to next month though. I’m going to Apples B&B in Big Bear with a group of friends (and some of my favorite customers) to Scrapbook all weekend! Maybe I’ll actually finish that Alaska cruise album I’ve been working on for 2 years! I’m thinking positively because I’d really like to move on from that and work on some other things. I’d love to make an album of all the Disney cast member events I’ve done with all my Disney friends! Mostly the Minnie’s Moonlit Madness charity event we do every year. If I go through all my albums I might actually be able to figure out how many years we’ve been doing it! I started working at The Disney Store in 1994 and we started soon after, so I’m going to say it’s been a LONG time!
Well, wish me luck! Who knows… I may not post for another 2 years, but I have the best intentions. And I hear the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If anyone is out there reading… let me know. That way I won’t feel all alone! Goodnight!
Mom and me at Duke's Restaurant!
Isn’t she pretty!? My Mom came for a very short visit the weekend before Thanksgiving last month and Brian and I got her all to ourselves! She flew in from Las Vegas on Saturday morning to attend a Celebration of Life party for Sy Weiner, a friend of her and my Dad’s, who passed away last year. Brian had to work, so my Mom and I went to lunch on Lido Isle and then on to the party. When we got home, Brian made us a delicious steak dinner and afterwards we all relaxed together and got to spend the evening talking before retiring for the evening. Sunday morning, she took us to Duke’s in Huntington Beach for the most wonderful Sunday Brunch! We had a really wonderful time together before I had to take her back to the airport. I’m so fortunate to have such an awesome Mom! I love you Mom!
Our spooky faces!
Zombie Prom King & Queen
Beautiful!Oh so scary!
Now here are Brian with his two best friends. In order from left to right: Brian, Phill, and Jack! That whole Raggedy Ann thing with Phill surprised us both… we were not expecting that! Jack was the grim reaper, but he was wearing a mask and a black cloak most of the night so you don’t see it here since it was the end of the evening….
Brian, Phill, and Jack!
And last, but certainly not least, here’s a picture of our baby girl Toffee! She did very well considering how many people were out on Halloween! We got her groomed at Petco on Wednesday and she came home wearing a cute little Halloween bandana with ghosts all over it! I don’t condone clothing on pets, but I figured a little bandana wouldn’t kill me just this once. Besides, it’s not like I put pants on her or anything! She’s so cute!
Our Toffee Girl!
Toffee!
We sometimes wonder if she’s a cat living in a dog’s body! Toffee likes to be on the back of the couch or on the windowsill looking out like a cat! Silly little girl… no matter where she is, she’s happy, just as long as she’s in the middle of everything! I thought this photo was funny and had to post it because of the way she’s holding on to the sofa as she reclines!
Oh! We went on our walk this morning and she met her first cat up-close! The cat seemed very mellow and just sat there while Toffee went cautiously up to her to check things out. They were a few inches apart and the cat was sitting there, sniffing Toffee, when all of the sudden Toffee got smacked across the face by a little cat paw! No claws, just a smack! Well, you would have thought the world was ending! Toffee ran away from the cat yipe-yipe-yipe and the stupid cat just sat there looking all smug. It was pretty funny! We continued on our walk, but as long as we were on that street, Toffee didn’t want to turn her back on the cat! Hilarious! She met her first kitty cat today and I’ll bet she takes a wide berth on all future cats she comes across in the future!
My first post… what to say, what to say… well, here’s my plan. When I get some Scrapbooking done, my plan is to photograph the layout and post it. When I do something fun, same thing. I have some catching up to do too. Brian, my wonderful hubby, has just completed a major renovation of our patio just in time to enjoy the summer! It’s really beautiful and we sat in our new chairs last night for an hour and a half just enjoying the evening. Tomorrow we plan on finishing the decoration with plants and then I’ll take some photos and post them for you to see. Brian is very industrious indeed… it may take him a while to get things done because of our busy schedules, but when he finishes a project it’s always amazing!
I’m here at my store, The Scrapbook Garden in Huntington Beach, and I have a lot of new product to check in, so for now I’ll sign off, but just wait… this will be fun!
I’m not usually very good at this “all about me” stuff, but here goes… I’m happily married to an amazing man named Brian. We do everything together and life with him is awesome! He’s everything I dreamed about when I dreamed of being married. And he’s cute too, so that doesn’t suck! He works as a meatcutter at a market in Orange, and together we own and operate The Scrapbook Garden in Huntington Beach, California. I love to Scrapbook when I have time, I love all things Disney, and I love my husband and our little puppy, so overall, things are pretty good. Not much to tell other than that, so if you want to know more you will just have to check in here every now and again to read more about me as things come up. See you soon…
Alice was tagged and thought it would be good for me too, so here goes with the questions:
I am: happily married to a wonderful man.
I think: I’m being a little lazy today, but I’m entitled to feel that way sometimes.
I know: I am a good person.
I have: an amazing life that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I wish: I had been able to have a baby with Brian.
I hate: dishonest people, mean people, and traffic.
I miss: my Dad who passed away in 1998 and I still think about him every, single day
I fear: anxiety and I’m afraid of being afraid all the time. It’s something I work at overcoming every day.
I hear: music… I swear my life has a soundtrack!
I smell: far too many nasty things if I don’t keep my windows up while in the car.
I crave: lots of things, but it usually has something to do with a dessert such as ice cream or chocolate.
I search: to educate my self, so I’m constantly reading and looking things up to learn more.
I wonder: what my life will be like when I’m my Mom’s age.
I regret: not being able to find Brian sooner in my life, although I realize that wasn’t something within my control.
I love: my husband, Brian, with everything I have.
I ache: to take a vacation right now…. luckily, I only have to wait until September!
I am not: someone who takes risks… it’s just not a smart thing to do.
I believe: I’ll have another piece of chocolate!
I dance: only when Brian gets a few beers in him at a party… otherwise, I dance alone when no one’s watching!
I sing: constantly. Like I said, my life has a soundtrack and I love music!
I cry: much too often for no good reason.
I fight: anxiety constantly. It’s no fun.
I win: at love… hence the awesome man I married!
I lose: at fights because I hate conflict.
I never: say never or always, or at least I try. I also never turn down the offer of homemade cookies or brownies.
I always: tell my husband I love him several times a day and always before going to sleep.
I confuse: not too many things these days…
I listen: to others very well, however, I’m not so good at listening to myself. (I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.)
I can usually be found: at The Scrapbook Garden… my store, so I need to keep in running!
I am scared: of something happening to Brian and being alone.
I need: the love of my husband.
I am happy about: too many things to list.
I imagine: winning the lottery, then going on, and sending my Mom and some of my friends, an awesome holiday!
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