…is a joy doubled…or in this case…tripled…sextupled (is that a word?) Anyway…family joys shared…birthdays, baby showers, weddings. All wonderful and especially wonderful when “family” extends beyond “immediate” and beyond “blood”. Our clan has had a busy week of preparations for several special events. We’ve spent the past week cleaning, cooking, baking, mowing, pruning, wrapping, drawing, shopping …whew!

Thursday evening DH and I took a break to meet our good friend Mark and head on down to the Cinemark to see Glenn Beck’s Unelectable ‘08 Tour. I love Glenn…two words...Common Sense ! He cuts through all the politically correct bs which is why if he ever considered running for elected office…he would be…unelectable.

Friday was when everything was supposed to come together…and for the most part it did. First, it was my sister’s birthday. A cake and special “Birthday Girl” pin for her. The Daughter outdid herself…a chocolate/vanilla checkerboard cake for Auntie Em’s birthday. I’m so impressed! I guess it’s true about some things skipping a generation. The Daughter got the cake baking gene seem to be missing.

After all her baking efforts for the partying at home…she had to be absent from the festivities because a group of her best friends were celebrating the impending birth of Crystal’s baby. They are a tight bunch and have great time together. Like right now…the Daughter and Linda are out seeing the new Batman movie…which means Linda is not posting photos from the shower. So…I’ve chosen one from one of their past outings. (For reasons some of you will understand.)

And last, but certainly not least we celebrated a wedding for the newlyweds in the family. Since we couldn’t make it east last week…the celebrants came west…before they headed east…in order to get to their final destination which was…south…(it’s very complicated). Good food (a lil’ wedding cake compliments of The Daughter), good conversation, lots of silliness and just not enough time.

It all went too fast and we are back to the everyday routine…the proof? DH is out right now getting new rotors and brake pads for my car. (Have I ever mentioned how much I hate cars and driving?) But that’s another post for another day.

• My job.  It’s the best job in the building…it’s been better…it’s been *much* worse…I’m grateful to have it.
• Some of my dear ones are beginning a 4 day weekend today.  Enjoy.  Just remember this in 2 weeks when I have 5 days off. 
• Words.  In many forms…books, blogs, letters, emails, poems, backs of cereal boxes…I have collections of quotations.  Periodically I try to organize them…not so much.  There are spiral notebooks, folders in My Documents…and LOTS of lil’ scraps of paper.  Here’s one I found this week…

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”

Marlene Dietrich

…or a better writer.  Ms. Dietrich’s thought is much more eloquent than what I usually think…”Yeah, what she said!”

Have a wonderful Independence Day everyone…fly the flag…thank a Vet.

…as we all know, are not necessarily things.  BUT sometimes they are.

Like my garden shoes.  They started out as a funny looking pair of sneakers.  Ummm….10 years ago.  Wore them to work because I’m on my feet all day and they were comfortable.  They finally got a little too worn for work and graduated to garden/work shoes.  They are the only pair of shoes that have never ever caused my feet even the least little bit of discomfort.  And, of course, they’re discontinued.  The Daughter is horrified every time she sees me in them.  Never mind that when I have them on I’m usually dirty and sweaty and covered in mulch.  The shoes are a disgrace!

So….if you don’t mind…don’t mention to her that I plan on wearing them till they fall apart.

DebbieK claims to be the oldest NeoCon on the Web.  That may be…but one thing’s for sure, *I’m* not getting any younger.  So today, while waging jihad on the weeds in what was the main veggie garden…soon to be grassed in because the veggie garden is being moved closer to the house…. an idea came to me.  All the time I was yanking those noxious intruders out of the ground I was thinking about my apple tree that was just yards away.  It’s not going to be there much longer.  I thought about being a little kid and climbing as high as I could to hide from my brother and sister.  Thought about….all the thinking I did…up in that tree…hidden amongst the branches and leaves and growing apples feeling like the “Queen of Everything” (Mary Engelbreit again.)  And I realized that since that poor old tree’s days are numbered…and my best tree climbing days are behind me…I’d better do what I’d been thinking about all day long…..

I climbed my tree!