Summer Sizzle

Yes, it's been one of those rare days in Oregon. The mercury in the thermometer has crept past 100 AND one of our sports teams has made good. YEAH BEAVERS - College World Series Champions! Oregon teams are notorious for choking at big time events so I'm so pleased to see this great group of athletes come from behind (yesterday - down five runs) to win the best of three series. Well done!

Yesterday was a day filled with cleaning and organizing. The story I wrote a few weeks ago about the Magic Milk Crate had inspired me to try to tackle the desk this weekend. But to do that, I needed to add a bookshelf to the family. Looking to adopt, I scanned the Craigslist adds and thought I had found just what I needed. Good looking, but cheap. Let's just say when you ask someone to rate their merchandise as poor, fair, good or excellent - BE SPECIFIC. The bookcase that was promised to be in "good or better" condition, was actually sporting a number of gouges on the sides. Fortunately, I'm married to the most incredible guy in the world, who willingly loaded said very "FAIR" bookcase in the truck, brought it home, and proceeded to do his magic with soap and water, wood stain and brown magic markers and - voila - in about an hour, that bookcase suddenly WAS in good condition. Once my well loved books and photos and dried arrangement of hydrangeas decorated the shelves, she was an absolute beauty. I could almost see her swaying with pride. This little venere, Dania maple wanabe was part of a family now - a family who would treat her with the respect she deserved as the guardian of one of our most precious treasures.

OK - did I mention that I only got about 4 hours of sleep last night? I think that explains the previous paragraph. The boy has daycamp this week and has to leave the house at 7:15 each morning to make the bus. Ouch - but the little camper was so cute. When I woke him this morning, he was fully dressed under the covers. He said he wanted to be "ready" when I woke him this morning. I assured him that I had planned for time to get dressed in the mornings and I wouldn't let him be late to the bus. Too cute! By the end of the week, I probably won't think it's that cute.

I totally missed Sunday Scribblings. I couldn't decide what to write. I wanted to be so clever and take the top 20 song titles and weave them into a story but I just couldn't get my brain to click in on that idea. Then I thought of telling everyone the mish mash of concerts I've attended in my life. It's like a cosmic joke when you look at the different kinds of artists I've sat, stood, swayed to over the past 24 years. Maybe I'll save that one for another time. My friend Amber's post was wonderful and I'm looking forward to reading more of the entries this week. To find them go here.


Movie Review - Saw "The Lakehouse" and was impressed. Nothing Oscar worthy but definitely a sweet and not too sappy story of these two kids in love with just one little problem - living two years apart. The story manages to suspend your disbelief just enough without it being too "X-file-ish" (don't get me wrong, LOVE the X-files). Some great supporting characters in the movie and well, Sandy and Keanu - they just have something that other onscreen couples don't have. I don't know that I'd really call it chemistry or anything really physically charged. To me, it's more that they seem like a REAL couple more than one that lives in some screenwriter's imagination. I could see him mowing the lawn and her planting her own petunias in the planters in front of their house, firing up the barbeque and throwing steaks on and calling the neighbors over for a beer. Anyway, I'd recommend it - a very safe PG for the younger crowd as well. I promised my daughter she could see it when it comes out on video. Saw trailers for "The Devil Wears Prada", Pirates II and Superman - can't wait to see them all!