It is just a number. Age should be about how you feel not the years you have lived. It is the anniversary of the day you were ripped from the last secure, safe, sane and quiet place you will ever be. I am a day after my birthday and feeling out of sorts. I have had a good two days. Day before yesterday went to the movies by myself. It was great! I am one of those people that likes that. I spent yesterday and today with my strange but happy family. We went out and looked at furniture today, bought Van some nice new glasses at BJs ... great price by the way ... but now as I am getting ready to go to a fancy dinner as we are celebrating three birthdays, I am feeling moody. I get sad for all the people I no longer have in my life, whether through death or distance it still makes me sad. Yes it is my fault, but, still I want Kathy Watson from Reno to know she is still missed, I want Robert Owens to know I think of him from time to time, even though I have not spoken either in multiple years I remember them fondly. James 'Sparky J' Sparks, I loved you. you never knew.
I am glad Tracy my best friend from grade school found me. That Evie is as nice as always and Kim Klatt is the friend I hope to always have.

I miss you Mom and Dad, I don't think I am living up to your expectations and I am sorry about so much. I think you would have loved Van and Kate. They have helped me through so much. Alas I am too late as always...
All my love,
Colleen

Savannah

What can I sat about Savannah Georgia?

It won my old heart. I am not sure what captured me about this beautiful city.

The people all seem genuinely friendly and full of hospitality that only the south seems to provide. It is a natural way they have with visitors.I felt welcome, something I had never felt in all my travels as much.

We landed in Atlanta in the hottest heat wave in over 30 years. The heat was wet with humidity. We drove our rented car into the charm of historic Savannah. The cobbled streets and antique mansions from days long past stood warm and welcoming. I felt a strange homecoming even though I had never been.

Exploring River street with the tourist trap styled stores that offered an air conditioned shopping experience made a slight dent in my pocket book.

The river front across the street was filled with huge barges and ships of every size and style. The breath taking views and historic store fronts were a historians heaven, full of bricks and cobbled buildings. We had to drink our weight in sweet tea to replenish the fluids lost in the 103 degree weather. Sweet tea is the liquid staple in the south. Not the sad imitation at your local McDonalds.

We ate, there are fancy restaurants and local eateries all around this tourist town. We ate at a great river front grotto named Luey’s that will forever be remembered for my tea glass never empty and the best fried shrimp poboy I ever had the pleasureto consume. Our happy friendly waiter was a hoot and I thank him for out afternoon fun stop.

We ate another time at the Pink House Inn. Our meal was divine. The dessert was called Pecan Basket. I have never had a better dessert and my mouth is watering just remembering it. Then we completed out visit with a Sunday Brunch at Lady and Sons.We stuffed ourselves yet again on Paula Dean’s Fried chicken and cheddar biscuits, bbq ribs and fried corn…

I think when I visit again, and I surely will, I will rent a vacation house on the gorgeous Tybee Island and live there for a week. With my feet on the ground I know was meant for this California born

Jersey Girl to walk on again and again. I left my Heart in Savannah

This is my 2010 Beading for a Cure project. I had made a hat project before and it garnered some positive attention. I decided that it would be a fun project again. I settled on a straw cowboy hat. One you can be proud to wear anyplace from a Texas BBQ, A rootin Tootin Rodeo or even a stroll down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. I did a peyote band all the way around and an embroidered Crown. The string has a classy crystal tassle with a beautiful glass lampworked bead provided in this year's kit. I hope you all find it as fun as it was to do!

Kate Ball and I went to the Atlantic City Race Course yesterday. It was sunny and gorgeous outside. The wind began to get colder and colder as the day went, but it was a good time! For two ladies...yes I am talking about Kate and I... jeez... Any way.. two ladies that have been spoiled by Keeneland, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Monmouth, the ACRC was a little bit lower class, but it was clean and there were many spectators, the admission was really reasonable...FREE!!! It is a 6 race card that was all run on the turf track. I am sad that this once beautiful track has lost much of it's luster due to severe neglect over time and funding, but they did their best to make it an exciting day at the races. The Picture was taken by Kate Ball, she is an amateur photographer with a professional's eye.

a Good Book

Katie heard about a book I think from a radio show. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill.
She checked it out of the library and had it sitting where I could find it. She told me the guy on the radio said it was a very scary book, one of the scariest he had read, so naturally I said 'YOU are going to read it?' She proceeded to tell me book do not scare her. So I asked if she minded my reading the book...

OK I read the first chapter and decided I would not read it in bed...for some reason just creeped me out, so I read it on my lunch break or in the evenings. It was a VERY good book! I told Katie she had to read it!

Fast forward a week or so later..... I am outside walking the dogs for their last poop break of the day. I come into the house and I hear this voice from Katie's Bedroom...
'I am 55 years old I DO NOT NEED TO READ A BOOK THAT MAKES ME FEEL THIS WAY!'

I walked back pushed open her bedroom door looking at her on her bed and the book tossed out to the middle of the floor away from the bed. okok I admit it, I about pissed myself giggling. Now I am spending a lot of energy trying to get her to finish it. Really is a good book.... promise... if you like creepy Ghost stories.....

Magic has touched my life. I am remembering the magic of music that poured from the radio speakers in my first car… the magic 8-track tape player that made us all smile and bounce along in our cars as we cruised the boulevard trying to look hip and cool.

Then the amazing cassette player. A mini 8 track tape player that you could record straight from your record albums using the nifty microphone on it’s little tripod stand.

Turning up the stereo to get the optimum sounds. These magic plastic containers of the Magical music that carried us near and far.. eject! Flip! For the second side!

More magic … I was riding in a friend’s car and said I could hardly wait for the flip side…He smiled and said he had auto reverse! WHAT??? It automatically plays the other side of a cassette??? I was astounded. WHAT NEXT????


And a few short years later…. The CD. This would never catch on surely… but…here we are a few years later and we have 6 cd changers in our cars…

As I sit on my lunch break reading a good book with 2 tiny earphones attached to a half dollar sized IPOD shuffle….


Magic.