conversation

My cousin, Lorinda (you know the cousin of which I speak, right?), and I make Christmas cards every year. Every year I try to take a sabbatical like my friend Tami does sometimes. Lorinda, however, doesn't let me. Let me tell you right now that NO cards have been made to date. Uh, what day is it? Whatever let's not think about it. So, Lorinda and I have a date for tomorrow while the kids are at school and we WILL be making cards.

Today, I thought I would share our email exchange this morning, which so defines who we are as cousins and friends.

Here goes:

From: Jerrie
To: Lorinda
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:50 AM
Subject: tomorrow


Hey girl. Are we still making cards tomorrow? I have started receiving some...Uh OH!!!!

Let me know. I am up for it. My house is seriously a disaster...I know I say that all the time, but seriously just finding the counter right now is a feat in engineering.

I am working all day (teaching...GASP). Email me back or text me. Between 9:45 and 10:45 I am free to text!!!!


Love ya.

j

(should we invite your sister?)

From: Lorinda
To: Jerrie
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:59:27 AM
Subject: re: tomorrow

Hey!

If we don't make shit loads of cards tomorrow, I am not going to get them done in time. Work is crazy. School, appointments.................My only real chance will be at your house. I am coming out!

We should invite her that would be nice.

You want me to bring food? I cant wait to see you!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you!
l


From: Jerrie
To: Lorinda
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 7:52:42 AM
Subject: tomorrow

Oh...ya shit loads tomorrow. No time for lack of inspiration. Even if I am sending complete crap I am getting them finished!!!!

Um...YES bring food. Archer & I went to Starbucks this morning for breakfast. NOT (only) because we love it, but because we have NO food, no bread, no muffins, no cereal, no no no nothing. It is so sad. And I have to work a full day today so no shopping!!!! I DO have coffee, cocoa, tea...no lack of beverages! I even have the gingerbread syrup from Starbucks. YES I DO!!!

Do you want to ask your sister or should I? Let me know. I don't think I have her number, will you send it my way?

I will clear off the table and counter (which means load all the SHIT into a basket and put it in the laundry room) and we will be set. Then you can come back another day and see the clean, merry house.

So, it sounds like your week is spiraling out of control with mine. Does it seem like it is either all or nothing? Really there are days/weeks/maybe even a month (haha) where there is NOTHING then WHAM BAM it hits like a (insert bad word/s here)...

See you tomorrow. 9:30ish. I will make sure Troy doesn't come walking out all naked! hehe

LOVE YA.

Jodi, Jodi, Jodi!

Yesterday Lorinda, Cheryl & I went to Seattle to see Jodi Picoult . Jodi is by far one of my favorite authors. I have written about her/her books a few times on this blog. Two years ago Jodi was inBellingham for my birthday (nice of her huh?) and this year we went to Seattle on a birthday outing to see Jodi again. I highly recommend her books. Read them! Just do it! Jodi, me, Cheryl and Lorinda...

Lorinda & I before the signing
Lorinda on the 'red' floor. What a fabulous floor.
The Seattle Public Library. Very cool indeed.

We began the day with a trip to Trader Joes in the University district. I loaded up on pomegranate juices, however they were out of dried mangos for Cheryl! So sad! The warehouse was out...they are waiting for a shipment from Thailand...man oh man she needed those mangos!

After the signing we headed to University Village. I love U Village and am happy to be the one to introduce it to Lorinda & Cheryl. It was a long, yet fun filled day!

what we keep

So far this year has been very contemplative for me. Soul searching. A reminder of what is important. Who is important. The new year, mixed with high emotions from the end of last year and the hospitalization and death of my grandma have put me in an almost peaceful content mood (most of the time at least).After my grandma died her house needed to be gone through, of course. What a job. Emotional, exhaustive. How does one decide what to keep, what to toss, what to donate? Because it was only my aunt, uncle, and one cousin (the lovely Lorinda) we had to make decisions for the rest of the family. I believe we made good ones.

Of course most of the things in my grandparent's home are sentimental to us. But, what to keep? Obviously the person isn't their objects, objects not the person who owned them. However, there are certain items that can help bring us that feeling of a person. Remind us of them.
So, what did I keep? More than I expected to. A few things that are just things - a great, old Tupperware caddy and a vase that I don't ever remember seeing. A little metal figurine of a man in a barrel that I assume was my grandpa's. A necklace of my grandma's. However, those things aren't the things that stirred up my emotions.

So, what made my heart sing? What did I feel like I HAD to have?

Well...for starters Mark Twain up there. He always sat on a coffee table next to the shot glass stage coach. My grandpa had a collection of items from the McCormick Distilling Company. What is great is that Mark Twain's head comes off...he originally came full of bourbon.

And the toaster salt and pepper shakers (picture above). My grandma had a vast collection of salt and pepper shakers. Some were quite remarkable. When I was about 7 or 8 I bought her the toaster ones at an antique shop. If you lift the handle the toast pops up. I love them. Always have. Now they sit above my stove, not to be used, but to be loved. I also grabbed the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox shakers that I bought her on a trip to Minnesota with my other grandpa.

She also wanted me to have her knitting needles. In the hospital I told her I was learning to knit. Even though she said I "have a long way to go" she was excited and insisted I take them. I will never have to buy knitting needles. I guess this means I need to continue with this hobby - at least long enough to knit purple scarves for me and my cousin! :)

There are a few other items I picked up, however the one I will treasure, that both Lorinda and I cradled in fear it may be damaged is the cookie jar. It would figure I would have a love of the cookie jar. When we walked in the house it wasn't sitting on it's spot on the counter. I was confused and I could see concern in Lorinda's eyes. I turned around to talk to my aunt and in seconds Lorinda comes to me cradling the bird and handed it over to me...makes me tear up thinking about it even now. I love the birdie cookie jar - I need to fill it with some oatmeal cookies soon, but most of all I love my grandma, I love my cousin. I love that I have a family so rich in blessings.

Have a great love week all! Enjoy!

Coming to a mail box near you....

Since we are not black Friday shoppers, Lorinda and I decided to get together Friday and get a start on our Christmas cards. Usually we have the three boys with us, however Chip kept the kids at their house and Lorinda came to mine and we drank coffee, ate some chips and dip, and cranked out some cards. So, take a look one of these (or one yet to be made) may be coming to your mailbox...Lorinda and I tend to not make the same card over and over. Often we pick a design we like and stick with it until we want to move onto something else and sometimes they are all completely different! It is such fun...we crack ourselves up. I don't think we laugh as much as when we are making cards together.

These are what we like to call the "Whoville cards." They are a limited edition, as we only made one card each with this paper...so if you are the lucky recipient keep it, it is special! :)

Cuteness!

After going through the CD of pictures Lorinda gave me from Grandma I went through and had to pull these (and a few others) to share. These two pictures are of Lorinda and I. I love them. We have literally been friends forever! Love you Rin!

Take a look at other great pictures of the 70s...It was a blast to go through and say "Wow. Those are some cute kids." The pictures of my brother, John, are wonderful...he really should have been a child model (just like Lorinda says).
http://homepage.mac.com/jkluginbill/PhotoAlbum9.html

Thankful

Once again I am very thankful for the people in my life. I have spent the last few days celebrating my birthday. Yesterday I went to Seattle with friends. (go here to see a detailed description from Cheryl). I was lucky to be able to spend the day with my good friend Cheryl and my cousin/bff Lorinda. We had a ton-o-fun

eating cupcakes....hanging out...

shopping...
and the grand finale...going to see author extraordinaire Jodi Picoult. Her new book Change of Heart is fantastic. Go here to read what we (Cheryl & I) thought of the book and to discuss with us .

The reading/book signing was at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park which is in Katrina's neck of the woods :)...So Katrina met us there and we had a quick visit (quick family catch-ups and lots of book talk! love it!). I don't get to see her often, so I was glad she came! Thanks Katrina! (hugs to the kids)
Lorinda, Cheryl, Katrina, Jerrie and Jodi!

Tonight we went to dinner with my mom, dad, Alex & DeAnne. We ate at the Nuthouse (how fitting) and enjoyed one another's company. We came home for cupcakes (yum) and I received some wonderful new bath towels! Just what I wanted! There are pictures, but I am too tired/lazy to load them right now, so maybe tomorrow!


Thanks to all that wished me a happy day...in person, via mail, email...or just in their thoughts. I feel blessed to know so many wonderful people who I can call friends! The best birthday present of all is the love and friendship from my friends and family. Thanks again!

"You spin me right round, baby
right round like a record, baby
right round round round."
-Dead or Alive

You may remember this girl. She makes it on the blog a lot. My best friend. My cousin. I adore her. We drink coffee, we eat cupcakes, we scrapbook our hearts out.

Well, I might not have mentioned that she makes her living as a personal sadist (as in extreme cruelty). Oh sorry. I mean she is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Much nicer titles than evil, evil, evil torturer which is what I'm calling her today.

See, she has taught "group fitness" classes for a LONG time and I have never taken one. I hear she is hard. Well, today I took my first class. It was a spin class. It was hard. Very hard.

Lorinda (the spin torturer), brother Alex, sister DeAnne, Me, cousin Rob, and Rob's girlfriend Tasha

Some of my family joined me for my first class - I need reinforcements! The picture isn't great...maybe next time! What? Did I say NEXT? Ya, I think I'll go back. I was able to walk up the stairs and out the door and drive my car home. That is good right? And people keep saying that it will get easier...

and Lorinda? I LOVE her. Forever. She's the best (even if she torturers people for a living - someone's got to do it!).

Hope your Monday was great!

weekend recap

Where shall I start? Maybe with a weekend breakdown...

Friday Archer and I began our summer vacation. Quick trip to town, lunch, a new video game (really...what else is there to do in the summer? whatever).
Saturday was DeAnne's graduation party.
Sunday lunch with Troy and a BBQ at my cousin Lorinda's.

Okay. So those are the facts. What really happened?

What about the lessons I learned this weekend? That may be much more fun for you.
Lesson 1 - I am not in the 18 - 22 year old range anymore. Interpret that how you will.
Lesson 2 - umm....Okay. I think one lesson is enough. If you think you want details you may want to think again.
Oh yea - maybe lesson 2 should be make sure battery in camera is charged prior to party...

I got a few shots over the weekend (before the dead battery).

*The Graduate* All decked out like a movie star. Those are some rockin' pants and sunglasses!

Alex who looks like he walked out of Top Gun (which he has never even seen...). Where does one find sunglasses like that? I have to admit he pulls them off pretty well.

One of my favorite things is seeing my big brother with his son. I never thought I would see the day. He is truly a great father and Nick is a wonderful little boy! We bought Nick some "big" books and he spent much time reading...Lovely.

Cousins. I am so grateful that Lorinda's boys are such great friends to Archer. It is precious to have friends that are family. (Caleb, Dawson, Archer)

My cousin Kelly, who wasn't able to join us, sent his kids up for the day with his sister. I haven't seen Kelly in years, however I usually get to see the kids a few times a year. This is Skylar and Alexis. Darling girls.

Kelly's son Ty who is just days older than Nick. Ty is a hard one to get a picture of. I have quite a few of him running away from me. As soon as I would hold up the camera away he would run!

One last one of the graduate. Sweet, smiley girl (don't let the cute fool you! haha)!

Happy Monday. First Monday of summer vacation! Yay!

coffee w/ the cuz!

I had the opportunity to spend an hour (+ some) with my lovely cousin Lorinda today. We met up at Treasury of Memories - cruised the store, bought some stuff - then off to Starbucks for some skinny drinks and conversation.

It is great to just hang out with her. We always have a good time no matter where we go or what we are doing.

I love the "The Way I See It" messages on the Starbucks mugs and took the opportunity to capture a picture today. Go here to see Lorinda enjoying her skinny cinnamon dulce (1/2 syrup) drink.

Card Bonanza

Lorinda came out yesterday and we began our annual Christmas card making bonanza. Here is a sampling of what we did. We had quite an inspired day and produced many cards. It is so fun to see the difference in what we create as we sit together with all the same supplies. What we chose to use and what we don't.

One of my favorite ways to spend a weekend day is with Lorinda making cards or scrapbooking, drinking coffee, eating...
More to come from our weekend later. Have to save some of the excitement - don't want to overwhelm all my readers.

It's only a day away

as in tomorrow, tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning I head to Seattle with "the girls", aka Cheryl and Lorinda, for a fun filled girls day! Our plan is shopping, eating (cupcakes...yay), and seeing Jodi! You may (or may not) recall last year's trip. Luckily at this point everyone is healthy (at least we can all taste which is good) unlike last year when Lorinda was feeling awful, but was a super-trooper!

Today kicked off my birthday season. I like to call it a season because I don't want anyone to feel left out if they don't get to see me on my special day! haha! How does that sound for self-importance?

I got a super-cute mug from Tami and a birthday package filled with Fiesta linens (place mats, napkins, and a table cloth) from my in-laws. I am envisioning a bright table, set with my dishes, with these new linens, and a yummy dinner or dessert of some sort!


Isn't this a cute mug? And the tag? Adorable!!!
I am a lucky girl. Thanks!

“Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods. Certainly to me it is the chief happiness of life. If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I should say, 'Sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends.' I know I am very fortunate in that respect. ” - C.S. Lewis

She's my best friend. She's my cousin. I am so fortunate and thankful to have her in my life. Today is her birthday. While often her day is marked with sadness (our Grandpa died on her b'day, a beloved aunt was buried this day, and normally Rin seems to be sick, sick, sick) I look on this day as a day of celebrating life. She is so dear to me!

Looking forward to spending the day with her tomorrow...celebrating HER!
And here we are. Cousins on the couch. Me, Jen, Jeremy, and Lorinda, the birthday girl, with Snoopy!

Happy Birthday Lorinda, Rin, Rinna, Lorinder....
(there are a few more, however I will leave it at that. haha.)

Love ya my frousin!

*also off to the cemetery to say hi to Papa today. Love ya Papa!

this & that

“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” — Barbara Kingsolver

A little bit of this and that from the past week (or so...):

Thanks to me my baby sister knows how to use jumper cables without blowing anything up. I know how to use them, but don't because I am scared.

I am also scared of the courthouse...weird. I get really anxious when I have to go there (and I do sometimes have to for my cemetery secretary job).

Troy gave me this lovely quilt set for my birthday. All matchy-matchy. Isn't it nice?
(thanks sweetie)

My friend and fellow blogger sent me the most delicious message the other day regarding rhubarb. She knows I love rhubarb and a huge - HUGE - thank you to Farmer Shelly @ this old farm. Thank you Thank you Thank you! We are loving it (and will love more if it you have anymore w/out a home - hehe).


I've begun running. Don't tell anyone. K? Thanks. We're keeping it on the down-low. I'm not fast and don't go far, but I do it and that is what's important right...to just DO it!?! My cousin, personal trainer (yes, HER, Lorinda) and my husband are getting me running. Very important - running shoes (these were my gift to me - saved and saved and were my healthy birthday present). I went to Fairhaven Runners and was properly fitted by a nice guy named Erik. Good shoes make a huge difference. HUGE.

Remember that sister I mentioned above? She adopted a pound puppy from the Humane Society. This sweetheart, Chloe. Chloe has joined DeAnne, Alex and Charli Ann in their home. She is a beautiful four-month-old Boxer-something mix. Full of life - so fun!
What else? I've been scrappin' away with cousin Lorinda, working away at school and the cemetery, basking in the lovely Spring weather that is turing to storm tonight, loving my family, enjoying my friends.

Happy May!

Love it!

On Christmas a few gifts for us were left at my parents house. Today I went by and picked the gifts up.

I received a lot of very nice things this Christmas. I feel very blessed. When I went to my parents and discovered the present from my darling sister DeAnne I was so thrilled! She made a lot of her presents in ceramics this year and I was lucky enough to get this!


Live. Laugh. Life. Love. Thank you DeAnne! I LOVE it!


I had Christmas with Lorinda today as well. We had Pad Thai (yummy!) and cruised the scrapbook store! Had a lot of fun picking out some paper and vinyl words for our homes. She gave me a beautiful Christmas cookbook, my Gooseberry calendar (thank you sooooo much!) and some other goodies from Gooseberry and a very cool potholder (below)! Thanks Lorinda. I had fun today. Let's do it again.

blessed.

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This weekend was the weekend of friends. On Friday, Troy started out having drinks with Tami (aka the lady in the stone house) and her fabulous hubby. Such fun.

Then Saturday night was "girls night out" with a few of my best girls (and my brother and a few of his friends for awhile and an old friend who was in the band we saw...but we still call it girls night).

We started the night at the Chuckanut Brewery to listen to the last performance of my friend Raphael's group The Diamondbacks. I enjoyed the crab cakes, the strong bock, and of course the company of my friends (and brother and band...).

After the band finished we headed up to Poppe's for a few drinks. I hadn't been there in years, however anyone who knows me knows I love a martini...What fun!
Here are my girls - Cheryl, Lisa, Lorinda. Lemon Drops and a Naughty Schoolgirl (our drinks), fun times.
So, now it is Monday and the fun continues. I am off to Seattle with Cheryl and Lorinda for cupcakes, shopping, and seeing Jodi Picoult speak. I'll take it, as tomorrow will be back to "normal" life.

“Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. 
Inhabit your moments. Don't rent them out to tomorrow.” —Jerry Spinelli

One of my favorite ways to unwind and have fun is to spend a day with my cousin Lorinda. We finish each other's sentences, we know when the other needs to eat or have more coffee, if we're shopping we know exactly what the other will love. There is no better thing than a best friend/cousin (frousin!).

Our new shoes. Lovely, lovely. Last week I went to Sole Obsession and went a little nuts. I got the cute little black Merrells and I picked up the green and gold J-41s (now Jambu) because she has been wanting them for a long time. (I also picked up a couple pair of flip-flops...necessary you know).

No day would be complete without a trip to Starbucks. We had too much fun with the self-portraits...there are a few that we have promised never to show another living soul (of course).

And finally. The important stuff. Cake. Lemon-blueberry chiffon. It was heavenly...We ate that piece in less than 8 minutes (how we know this is not important, what is important is that we do know how fast we ate it...).

So very thankful for this girl, my cousin, my best friend.

I love spending time with Lorinda. Celebrating our family, our friendship. She loves me for who I am - my faults, my fears, my idiosyncrasies - and she knows them all...

Life is good.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Autumn!

It seems like the beginning of autumn starts at different times for different people. Cheryl looks at the opening of Bellewood Acres as a signal of the upcoming season. My cousin Lorinda sees September 1st on the calendar and it is autumn in her book - out come the decorations and yummy zucchini bread. Others celebrate the solstice on the 21st or count the 22nd as the first "official day."

Me? The beginning of autumn presents itself at one of my favorite hang-outs. Hmmmm....I wonder where that may be. When I see that sign "Pumpkin Spice is Here" my heart does a little leap for joy and I know without a doubt that autumn is around the corner...Just waiting with mild weather (which we have had plenty of actually), changing leaves, pumpkins, lovely scented candles and a change of decor.


I had my first Pumpkin Spice latte (grande, 2 pumps, non-fat, light whip, a little nutmeg please) with my cousin, Lorinda today. Delightful. (And you know what Pumpkin Spice means right? It means that Gingerbread is right around the corner! Yay!)

So, tell me...I would love to know...What signifies autumn to you? A date on the calendar, a trip to an apple orchard, pumpkin bread? Do you have any beginning of autumn traditions? Anything at all you would like to share at the beginning of this new season? Please share.

Hats off

Last night was the museum's annual fundraiser. It was a "Winter Wonderland" and fun was had by all. I was able to help Troy out by helping him decorate and prepare (and clean up ...sigh) for the big event. My wonderful cousin, Lorinda, came out on Thursday and Friday to give me a little help helping Troy.

We were talked into wearing some grand hats for the evening. Lorinda looked adorable, evidently like the early Alice in Wonderland illustrations...My hat was fun, a little large (I kept running into walls) and I had to take it off to eat and light candles (ostrich feather fire - that would be a disaster).
Troy looked daper, as usual. His event was a hit...the guests were happy and funds were raised!