I Love You California

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Yesterday was Opa's funeral.

His neighbor of 30 years sang the California State Song at Opa's request because, he said, "California was so good to me and my family."

To me, that just about sums up Opa. What an incredible man to have a viewpoint like that when all I do is bemoan the cost of living here.

Here's to you Opa, I only wish I had known you all your life. And I am deeply grateful that Jaden got to know you and love you enough to miss you and your wonderful story-telling.

We love you and will miss you always.





I love You California

Written by F. B. Silverwood
Composed by A. F. Frankenstein

I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all
I love you in the winter, summer, spring, and in the fall.
I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore,
I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore.

chorus:

When the snow crowned Golden Sierras
Keep their watch o'er the valleys bloom.
It is there I would be in our land by the sea,
Ev'ry breeze bearing rich perfume,
It is here nature gives of her rarest,
It is Home Sweet Home to me.
And I know when I die I shall breathe my last sigh
For my sunny California.

I love your redwood forests - love your fields of yellow grain,
I love your summer breezes, and I love your winter rain,
I love you, land of flowers; land of honey, fruit and wine,
I love you, California; you have won this heart of mine.

chorus

I love your old gray Missions - love your vineyards streteching far,
I love you, California, with your Golden Gate ajar,
I love your purple sunsets, love your skies of azure blue,
I love you, California; I just can't help loving you.

chorus

I love you, Catalina - you are very dear to me,
I love you, Tamalpais, and I love Yosemite,
I love you, Land of Sunshine, half your beauties are untold,
I loved you in my childhood, and I'll love you when I'm old.

chorus

Daily Affirmations

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For months now, Jeff and Jaden have been taking the advice of Dr. Cree, our chiropractor, and doing a daily affirmation. Every single morning, they take their vitamins and say out loud to each other, "I love myself. I love my family. And I'm going to have a great day."

Jeff does a really good job with this but no one can top Jaden's pure enthusiasm and zest for life when he says the last part. He practically sings the word "great" at the top of his lungs and that's because he truly means it. When you're three, every day is really great. There are endless possibilities for greatness.

I cannot even bring myself to think these thoughts during my day, much less first thing in the morning. Every time I hear them say their affirmation, I think, "I'm okay. I do love my family. And today is going to be another long, tiring day."

On one of my really "great" days, I think, "Today is a new day."

Armful o' Books

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Inspired by Jamie I went to the library last night to get some books.



I also love the library. If left alone, I can spend hours there and come home with quadruple this amount of books no problem. I usually have Jaden with me which limits my time and "spending." I couldn't find my green Whole Foods bag yesterday so was also limited by my arms. :)

As you can see, I am also focused on money right now. I've read Total Money Makeover before and am eager to re-read it. My big goal to keep me focused is a bigger, better house to live in. I've about had it with the cramped townhouse and tripping over everything and no closet doors and way too high kitchen cupboards.

MIA

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I've been missing in action for awhile. I got sick on Christmas and so there went our holiday break. We missed Jamie's fabulous New Year's party that we had looked forward to for weeks and even Jaden and Jackson were overnight at Jeff's parents. We were scot-free from responsibility and too sick to party. How very sad and pathetic. We dragged ourselves out of bed to see Casino Royale and then dragged ourselves right back home to bed. Although spending the holidays with a double ear infection was not fun, in a way it was the most indulgent illness I've had since Jeff was home from work. I really lucked out. Usually I suffer through my fevers and various symptoms alone all day and in charge of Jaden.

None of us have even recovered and now we've lost Opa. We went up to Auburn on Friday to say goodbye. Jeff had only gone back to work for half a day and we picked him up early. We drove all over the Bay Area: San Jose to Redwood City to Danville to the Sacramento airport and finally to Auburn. Phew.

Now we're home and all still trying to mend. Jaden's almost done with his antibiotics (if only his mother would remember to give it to him) but happily back to school this morning. Jeff has taken a turn for the worse and off to the doctor tomorrow. I am holding steady, the cough has improved, the nose is the same and the hearing is still totally muffled. So I am also going to the doctor tomorrow.

This is a boring post but I had to get back into the swing of things somehow. We'll move the computer back to the office tomorrow and I'll be able to get back into my routines. (It's been in the bedroom so we could watch movies in bed).

A Winter Walk

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Okay technically it's not winter yet, but it sure feels like it.

This past Sunday, we went for a beautiful nature walk in Sanborn County Park, just above Saratoga.

Jackson easily adapted to his new role as a campin' dog. Although initially frightened by creek walking, eventually he got in there and conquered it. Afterwards, he had a hearty struggle with Betty over her pine tree branches. No matter which one she offered him, he wanted the one in her hand. It was hilarious.















A Tough Time of Year

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Dear Moocow,

We know it's a tough time of year for some people. But we were shocked to wake up this morning and discover that you tried to jump.



We are here for you. We won't have prime rib for Christmas dinner this year, we promise. Anything you want, just ask! Just don't jump!

We already had that big scare in September when I left you at Seascape. But they found you and we were joyously reunited. Now we wake up to this unbearable sight today.

We are deeply thankful your foot got stuck in the top drawer and saved you from certain death. Are you sure you're not a cat? Because you seem to have multiple lives.

We love you Moocow.

MOOOO........

Glee

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glee, n. -- open delight or pleasure; exultant joy; exultation

bursting, v. -- to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion: to burst into applause; to burst into tears; to be extremely full, as if ready to break open

Oh my, I am this close to being done with my Christmas shopping. It is so fun. I spent my morning at the fabulous store of containers picking containers that do not obviously indicate their contents. Oh what fun it is to be sneaky! I can hardly wait to give my gifts.

As if that wasn't enough, in four and a half days Jeff will be home for 10 stay-home days! WOOHOO.

I am bursting with glee!

Rudolph for Grownups

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A new twist on Rudolph from webtender.com:

"Watch the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Every time his nose lights up, you have to take a drink.
If the nose is lit for a long time, you take a long drink.

It really is self explanatory."

So I could make this elegant drink for New Year's Eve and be an adult...

Champagne with Pear Liqueur
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

See this recipe on Food TV on Thursday Dec. 28 at 11:30 AM ET/PT.
Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Episode: Dessert Party

3/4 cup (6 tablespoons) pear liqueur (recommended: Poire William)
1 bottle Champagne or sparkling wine (750ml), chilled
1 ripe pear, cored, cut into thin slices

Pour 1 tablespoon of pear liqueur in each of 6 glasses.
Top each glass with Champagne.

Garnish with a pear slice or drop the pear slice gently into the glass.

...and then drink it while watching Rudolph and be a teenager again.

River

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This is basically a musical stream of consciousness which explains how I am enjoying this one particular Joni Mitchell song so much right now.

I was at the bookstore last week and noticed the James Taylor at Christmas cd. Now that is right up my alley, it's "Dad" music along with Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and Joni Mitchell. All of these musicians do something to my soul and it's intricately tied to my memories of my dad.

So I go to iTunes one night this week and download a few of his songs. I'm reading reviews and everyone is raving about his rendition of Joni Mitchell's song "River." And bemoaning that you can't just download that one song, you have to buy the album.

Oh hell, I think, I'll just get the original. I couldnt't remember it off the top of my head but there it is on one of my favorite albums of hers, Blue. I remember it instantly and buy it.

Then I think, I've been meaning to get on here and buy some of Sarah McLachlan's new songs. And lo & behold she has also covered "River" on her new holiday cd Wintersong.

So I have all these songs downloaded. Jaden is napping and I think, ah, now is the perfect time to listen to them properly.

Except for the whining puppy, that is.

But nothing can top these women and their beautiful, soulful voices and they make me feel like me again when lately, I've mostly been feeeling like some evil version of myself, all full of anxiety and anger and frustration. And where did my smile go? Well it's here in my heart and thanks to lovely Joni & Sarah, it's trying to come out again.

Here are the lyrics. Now go to iTunes and hear it for yourself.

River

It's coming on christmas
Theyre cutting down trees
Theyre putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it dont snow here
It stays pretty green
Im going to make a lot of money
Then Im going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
Im so hard to handle
Im selfish and Im sad
Now Ive gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I made my baby say goodbye

It's coming on christmas
Theyre cutting down trees
Theyre putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

Green

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I spent some time today re-reading our SPD (summary plan description) for our FSA for about the tenth time.

But persistence surely pays because for the first time, I noticed this little dandy in Section V, Article 1:

"During the course of the Plan Year, you may submit requests for reimbursement of expenses you have incurred. Expenses are considered "incurred" when the service is performed, not necessarily when it is paid for."

AHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I confirmed this wee little happy sentence with our FSA plan administrator this afternoon!

Finally, Jess catches a break. All this time, I thought I had to incur the expense PLUS pay it within the plan year. Which was not happening as much as you might think since we're always playing catch up with the medical bills.

But Merry Christmas to me because now I can easily, with one fell swoop, max out the remaining $800 in our FSA for this plan year. I just send in one of my jolly Good Sam bills that I won't be paying for a long time and I get to reap the benefits that we've paid for all year. HOORAY.

I'm feeling green like the electrical cords running lights up my oak tree outside, lifting my holiday spirit up to the branches towards the North Pole.

Blue

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I am as blue as the label on my stupid Printshop cd.

I'm as blue as Jaden's tempera paint artwork from school that I recently framed.

Wait a minute. His artwork is all swirly and happy and I am not at all swirly and happy. I am a quintuple knot buried miles into my ball of blue-grey itchy wool yarn.

Let's see if I can do even better.

I'm blue like the ocean in a storm: deep, dark, churning and thrashing with mean whitecaps and I am cold, so cold your bones ache the minute you get near me.

Ah, that's it. That's me.

My Little Therapist

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I actually fell asleep with Jaden today at naptime. I vaguely remember him waking up but I kept sleeping. Then he comes in a long time later and says, "Mama you have to wake up, it's getting dark and you are wasting our time!" It was 3:30 and I was amazed because we fell asleep at 1:15.

Groggily, I told him I had been having a very bad dream. He asked me about it and I told him the story. We were at the beach and a big wave came and swept him away. He was gone. And then I found some brand new soccer shoes that Daddy had just bought him. (They were 4T which makes no sense with shoes but I left out that detail).

My little therapist says to me, "Okay this is what I do when I have a terrible night dream. I stop my mind from thinking on that part and tell a story. Let me tell you a story."

I say, "Okay."

He says, "Once upon a time, there was a big wave that came after me. And I got away!"

I was so surprised that it woke me up completely on the spot. Here I've been having bad dreams my entire childhood and adult life and not once has anyone taught me to rewrite the dream right that instant and get it out of my mind. And now my beautiful boy teaches me how to do just that.

Now who taught him this trick?

When I asked him, he said it was his old grandpa and I said "Papa taught you that?" And he said, no it was my old grandpa from a long time ago.

This is one of those times that Jeff & I wonder if we are dealing with our three-year-old who doesn't understand time yet, or a wise, old, soul who has lived a few lifetimes before this one.

Photojournalist

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My son apparently thinks he is a serious photojournalist.

I learned this tonight when I downloaded our camera and discovered this fascinating series on Buzz Lightyear and his opponent, Robot Man.













Phew, now that is an exhaustive study of these two fine rangers and an equally impressive glimpse into the mind of my three-year-old.

And I thought he was taking pictures of me hanging his beautiful "garlic" (garland).

The Fast Lane

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Yesterday morning Jaden woke up and asked Jeff if we could come visit his work office. He used his cutest, most earnest voice too. Jeff said we were welcome to visit any time. So even though going up to Redwood City after nap, with the puppy, and driving home in traffic around dinner time, is not my idea of a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, we went. I was motivated by the pure love of my son for his father and vice versa.

Of course, we had a lovely visit and had dinner before driving home. I was so thrilled to get on the freeway at 6:30 because the carpool lane was open for another 30 minutes, which should have covered most of our drive back home.

Jeff promptly fell asleep, Jackson too and Jaden was very quiet listening to his Chester the Cricket stories on the car stereo. I was swimming along and loving the fast pace of the carpool lane compared to the hideous commuter traffic in the lanes to my right.

Until. Until suddenly I am hitting my brakes and matching the exact pace of all those lanes of traffic. When they brake, we brake; when they go, we go. "What is going on?" I wonder. There are two cars ahead of me and nothing as far as the eye can see ahead of them. Just a wide open carpool lane.

The lead car, for reasons unbeknownst to mankind or aliens, is driving as if he was in traffic. He (or she, let's be fair, even with glasses there is no way I could see the gender of the driver two cars up) was literally mirroring the speeds of all the non-carpool lanes. We go on like this for miles and miles when suddenly, he starts driving normally. I look to the right and immediately notice we are past the bottleneck point and all the traffic is flowing nicely on the whole freeway.

I could hardly wait for Jeff to wake up so I could tell him this most amazing driving story. It made me realize that there is not a single day that goes by that I don't have some kind of very annoying driving experience or interact with very poor drivers. It seems to be getting worse and worse. But this was the doozy of them all.

What is your pet peeve when driving? Besides people driving in the carpool lane as if they're in the traffic, I'd have to say it's being honked at the NANOSECOND a stoplight turns green. Don't even get me started. At least not tonight.

The "J" List

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Jeff made an Amazon Wishlist a while ago and kept telling me I should make one too. Only I don't want a lot of random stuff from Amazon really. So I decided I would make one here. There are always lots of things I want but of course it's hard to make yourself remember wants vs. needs. But a little daydreaming can't hurt I guess. And hey, Oprah does her favorite things every year, so here is my list.

My new favorite thing is a pedicure from Island Pedicures. My girlfriend gave me this for my birthday and I just used it recently. It was a little slice of Hawaii right here at home. Mmmm. Happiness.

Some of my all-time favorite stores are The Container Store, Scrapbook Island (no website, shocking!), Janeville and Benefit in Los Gatos. Each are special little places that delight me.

Oh and lately I am noticing a lack of normal kitchen items. Like I broke my favorite, beautiful, 9x12 baking dish. It was from Crate & Barrel in another lifetime but it was all mine and ivory with scallopped edges. I doubt I'll ever find anything similar but a little Le Creuset never hurt anyone and a 9x12 dish is a kitchen staple. I could also use a very large mixing bowl. As well as a non-wing whatever you call it wine opener. I read Wine for Dummies recently and they are the worst wine opener as they break the corks all the time. See, it is not that I am clumsy, it is the tool I was using.

Speaking of wine, I have not been misled once by the fine people at The Grapevine here in Willow Glen. Red, red wine, but not "plummy" wines, that's my theme song. And whites only if they are buttery, buttery, buttery. (I am SUCH a sommelier with my sophisticated wine terms).

I am trying to revamp myself into a city slicker career woman instead of the frumpy stay-home mom that I am, so black is back. I would love some black boots that fit me (been looking to no avail), a soft black leather purse and matching wallet. All clean lines, no crazy embellishments or seams or complicated anythings. And I know I just over-indulged and got a beautiful black wool/cashmere coat but would it be so awful if I had one in camel also? Camel is soo cool, so elegant, so sophisticated. Everything I want to be and more.

A haircut would be nice. Seeing how my hair has been so hideous. all. year. long.

Lastly, books. I cut buying books out a long time ago and I do miss it. I indulge with magazines a fair amount but it would be fun to go pick a shiny, new book out once a year.

Now I'm going to switch gears and dream big. There are lots of things in my house that drive me INSANE. Considering this would be a terrible time to try to sell, and the thought of where to go gives me heart palpitations, I must go on living in it for the foreseeable future.

Here is my laundry list of Things That Bug Me At The Moment:

1. No ground cover in the front yard. Dirt, dirt, dirt. And that plus a puppy means no rugs to catch any of this dirt. Which leads to a serious lung-clogging build-up of dust on an almost daily basis. I kid you not. And this is not the Virgo speaking either. It is awful.

2. Truly f*d up electrical issues. Like having to go under my sink to plug & unplug the disposal and dishwasher so I can use both appliances every day. And how about a reliable hall light? Yeah that would be dreamy, to be able to walk down the narrow hallway without tripping. Speaking of tripping, a light in the garage that is attached to the wall switch would save countless anxiety attacks and nipped ankles in the night. And since I'm in electrical land, a light over my dining "area" would be nice. So I Could See My Food. Especially considering I have a lovely pendant lamp just sitting in the ever-dark garage all lonely and wanting to be useful.

3. The kitchen floor. I dream of bashing the living daylights out of the crappy, small, overly colorful tiles the design-challenged previous owner installed.

4. A new kitchen cupboard so I can install (err...have Jeff and his dad install) the microwave/hood combo we have sitting in the garage, also lonely and wanting to be useful.

5. Finish the bathroom: get the part so we can put the shower valve cover back on, get baseboards and new door moulding, seal and install the wood shelves I made, put the pedestal back under our stupid pedestal sink.

Well, well, well. That's a list long enough to scare Santa away to outer space for the rest of my life. Blame it on Jeff, this was his idea.

Shipped

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My business cards and flyers are being shipped today. I am excited. Jeff's got the wheels in motion to get a minimal site up by Friday so I can put the flyers out on Black Friday.

I still have some things to do by Friday like give Jeff the content for the site and I want to keep trying to get an insurance quote. My company doesn't have a classification for an errands service. I got an e-book on starting this business and she lists only two companies that will issue a policy. I got the e-book from the woman who was profiled in my magazine this summer and inspired me to try this venture. She makes $100,000 a year doing errands and selling her e-book and other documents for others who want to start a service.

I've been so anxious to get this going especially during the holidays. So I'm happy I'm one step closer each day.