Every accomplishment begins with a (carrot) decision to try!

Speaking of carat diamonds, there’s been another carrot-drama in our life.

You see, Lucas wanted to attend the Warped Tour in Ventura (it sounds like a horrible event to this old broad, but is supposedly awesome if you are sixteen). However, the concert date fell at the same time that our church takes a weeklong water-ski camping trip called Fryathon that he loves to attend. Torn with which event to choose; an all day concert watching over one hundred bands, or, week at the lake with all his peeps, we decided to dangle a big carrot in front of him, and help him decide.

We told him that if he maintained the grades he received at the semester (he did great!), he could go to the Warped Tour that would be traveling through Pomona at the L.A. Fairgrounds, (this city is located pretty much in the bowels of Los Angeles) right before Fryathon starts, thus doing BOTH. The carrot would be handed over if he could meet the goal.

That January day we discussed this, he took some time to think about it. I went into his room as he lay on his bed, asking him what he thought. His eyes welled with tears! He so badly wanted to try but was sure that the second semester of geometry and Spanish might possibly kill him. He wasn’t sure he could meet the challenge. After some discussion and encouragement, he decided he'd push himself, although unsure. Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try, right? So, he started to run like a horsey after that big carrot that dangled in front of him for months.

This last week of school and finals, the Warped Tour/Carrot hung larger than ever. He ran the good fight for Spanish and Geometry, but Chemistry lagged. He had to receive a final grade of an A-  and he was a mere tenths of a percentage away. The final he took today decided that now five-month-old carrots future!

Of course,I wanted him to succeed,  but was leery about spending the night in Pomona with him and two friends. I cajoled Overboard to come along, as I knew this "super senior citizen" could protect us from the crime and violence that thrive in that dodgy dangerous town. Ha!

Really though, Overboard is a Super Grandma and a good sport! Thankfully, Overboard is “on board.”

But, we hadn’t bought the tickets yet because everything hinged on today’s chemistry final. Then, I got “the text” from Lucas late this morning that read, “WE ARE GOIN TO WARPED!! Final grade was 90.1%”

He squeaked out a high enough grade on his final and pushed that B+ up over the hump to an A-. He was estatic, and we are proud of him! So, we are soon off to the bowels of L.A.! Note to self: the Pomona crime rate is higher than the California average crime rate and is higher than the national average crime rate!
 

Through these last months of chasing the carrot Lucas learned that he is capable of much. His wish of going to Fryathon and Warped Tour will come true, while the thought of this makes me wish I carried a handgun. This is one carrot sure to leave an aftertaste of extreme caution and anxiety. Stay tuned.

Don't you love when THAT happens?

Sometimes you can't help but smile because

 life unfolds just the right way.

Today was our first beach day of the summer and it fell on the
 THE hottest, most beautiful day of the week.

 Don't you love when THAT happens?

Keep Calm and Daddy on

Father's Day is this Sunday!

Miss Piggy, Cutie-Pie and I are blessed with the most
 playful, hard-working and reliable Dad on the planet. 

Don't you love when THAT happens?



Our pullets (AKA: three-month-old chickens) are growing. When I see the two Golden Polish chicks, I can't help but think of Phyllis Diller.
Internally, I chuckle ... 
 

even when not around "Phyllis 1 and Phyllis 2."

 I love that all-three-of-them happened!

As Mark Twain said,
 "Humor is mankind's greatest blessing."

Agreed?

Who's who?

Whatever you may look like, marry a man your own age -- as your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.

PHYLLIS DILLER

The last week of fourth grade there was a roller skating party
(Note to self: watch Xanadu from 1980, a roller skating musical
 starring Olivia Newton John, Gene Kelly
 and Music by Electric Light Orchestra).

Thankfully, I decided to use the restroom BEFORE we left for the skating rink. Pulling up my pants, I scratched myself with my wedding ring and looked down.

My diamond was missing!

As in ... GONE, kaput, absent, not in the SIX-prong-mega-tight clamps.
That one-carat was out-of-there, left the building, headed for the border ... VANISHED!
 I panicked.
 (What old bride wouldn't?)

Honestly, after 19 years I have not cared for this beautiful gem like I should have ... No oil change or tune up all those years.

FUN FACT: Did you know that the wedding ring goes on the left finger
  because it is the only finger with a vein that connects to the heart? Cheers to THAT, Clink!

  I immediately started searching that dirty-white-tile-stinky-girls bathroom

 floor at our elementary school.

I found that diamond! PTL!

Don't you love when THAT happens?

My final thought? 

Summer has landed.
I've fastened my seatbelt, as it's going to be full of

good-old-fashioned FUN ... yes, the "F" word, FUN!
 (God willing!)

And?
You guessed it,
I love when THAT happens!

Be a Carrier :)

Is your dog bikini ready?

Obie (before and after)
 Wiener Dude is looking good!

Let me explain why I ask. I love The Weiner Sisters, our daschunds, Sara and Goldie. Our sons have tagged them with other monikers that have stuck this past year. Sara has always been overweight, thus her nicknames are Fatty and Over Chunk (fitting, but sad). Lord only knows why they named Goldie, Pumpkin Seed (kids come up with the strangest things!). When my Cutie Pie sent me a recent article, I thought of our Over Chunk and felt better about her long history of being overweight. No pun intended.

The true story is about a daschund named Obie that is probably the Biggest Loser of any Weiner dog ever! Last September this pooch took on a fitness challenge to slim down his 77-pound bulk!

This has taken him one-step at a time. Literally. Obie flaunted his 40 lbs.-slimmer physique during a Mother's Day hike. He recently has undergone surgery to remove the excess skin between his legs due to his weight loss.  A dog tummy tuck?  It’s good to have health goals and perhaps pets are no exception? Currently weighing in at 42-pounds, Obie still has about 7 lbs. to lose from his 35 lb-frame.

So, again, I ask. Is your dog ready for the upcoming swimsuit season?

Let's Roll, Part 2 (A re-take)

 

Cramming three months in one post (okay, two) is challenging. Remind me to never blog hibernate again ...  I can't help but feel totally out of balance!

 

Hmmm. Where to begin?

Let's start with THE Furlough that is starting next month for my Teckie. Perhaps, in the picture, he is conemplating how he will spend every Friday off for the next three months? I can come up with  creative ways to keep him busy around here. Honey do this, honey do that. I should start my list now because honestly this man moves at the speed of Power Snail.

Another project I have been working on is our Woman's Retreat at chruch. Jan Johnson (www.janjohnson.org) is our speaker and our theme is Abundant Simplicity. K.I.S.S.... keep it simple sister! The retreat is far off, but these things don't organize themselves! This will be my last year planning the retreat as it  falls on our Anniversary every year. Next year is our BIG 2-0! This morning in bed we were talking about (okay, I was doing the talking) where we might go to get away to celebrate.

 He suggested "Furlough Hills." Wrong answer.

Keep it simple sister ;0)

For Mother's Day we gathered at Larryland and the Dads played with the kids while we got some R and R. Benson tried out the Slip N' Slide for the first time. Everything is "new" when you are two!

Hooray for the Dads!

On May 2, my Auntie Linda passed away in the operating room undergoing open-heart surgery. This tough lady has battled cancer for decades. I know she is healed and living in peace, but there are many "down here" that miss her. The saddest part was seeing my Dad ache over losing his only sister and dear friend. After her unexpected death, everyone pitched in to prepare to say good-bye. I created a photo wall that held 74 years of memories. I guess you could say that I've always been the family historian. It was wonderful to have The Clan all together!

My Dad at the memory wall

Good health and togetherness are the best of blessings!

The only good part of a funeral is gathering all the cousins from around
the country and spending time together. Grieving is easier when
we are together! 

Daniel's soccer team did marginal, but he had a blast and the team improved
over the season. He received the
highest award, The Lion's Award, which made us all feel pretty good!

Step away from the donut. I repeat, put the donut down!

This donut (pink-sprinkled-white-cake donuts are my favorite)  on my desk at work, represents that I FINALLY left Family Fitness (AKA Family Fatness)  after nine years and joined a new and much cleaner gym in town. The good news is that I am actually going. The bad part is that there are still donuts on my desk and hips.

My favortie part  of this time of year is hanging Old Glory and flaunting those colors, red, white and blue! I want to find an Uncle Sam costume and ride my unicycle around the hood on July Fourth. Wouldn't that be fun? Or, rather, funny? Or, both?

 

Over the weekend we hosted a going away party for dear friends moving to Missouri (of all the places). It was fun to decorate for a party and Memorial Day.  I "borrowed" tons of patriotic decorations from school and Uncle Sam would have been proud.

 

Last thought? It sure was hard rising this morning after a three day weekend. Only six school days left and I can feel (and hear) the immense energy in fourth grade. The kids are overly ready for summer. Listen to this! I had twelve kids serving time on the curb at recess for talking. Twelve! Thats half of the class!  Apparently, the closer we get to June the ability of these kids to keep their traps shut vanishes. Gone. Kaput.

June 5th can't come soon enough ;0)

 

I'm back and ready to roll!

Memorial Day, 2013! After three months of blog dormancy, today is the day I decided to post. My Teckie and Daniel left early this morning to quad ride in the Hungry Valley, trying out Daniel’s new quad. I lay in bed and prayed for their safety. I hate how dangerous those things are! Lucas slept at a friend’s house last night, so it's just me, the wiener dogs and fourteen chickens holding down the farm. Peaceful.

 

So much has happened in the past months, it’s overwhelming to know where to start. Blanche and I are still cruising the neighborhood, and although I am not training for any distance unicycle races, I find time to hop on and enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather on my single wheeler.

 
There are only seven school days left at my job in fourth grade and although sad to see another bunch of sweet kids move on,  I welcome ten weeks of summer break. Unicycle Rose and Co. have planned an exciting road trip that we're counting down to. In July, we will visit, Phoenix, the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park and Bryce National Park in Utah. White-water rafting, hiking and canyoneering are on the agenda along with spending time with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Matt. It will be a many-miled adventure! And, if all goes right, Lucas will have his driver's liscense and help out on some of the long drives (God help us).

Now, how do I fit in three months of life in one measly post? The best way to capture it may be with pictures? Well, it’s going to have to be, as I am ready to take a unicycle ride and am short on time. Enjoy!

Lucas turned 16 on March 14th! Of, course that's an ice cream cake ;0)

Six baby chickies arrived right before Easter. They lived in our bathtub for weeks and drove the Wiener Sisters crazy!
As I write this, they are so big (in such a short time)
that they are in the big coop outside!

We skipped dying eggs and decorated Easter sugar cookies instead!

We hosted Easter. Too bad the weather wasn't that great. It rained. Wa, wa, wa! 

Goldie went all "Hollywood" on us.  She didn't get the part and moved back home.

Daniel taught Benson how NOT to push him on the swing. Some lessons are learned the hard way.

I chaperoned at Sixth Grade Science Camp and had THE Sweetest six girls in my cabin. Daniel tolerated
having me in his peer space, acknowlging me MOST of the time. He is so "almost 13!"

Just home from The State Finals for Lucas's Drumline Competition in San Bernardino. One day earlier, Lucas
was in the ER with chest pain. Panic! Drama! Thankfully, it was nothing serious! PTL!

I snuck away to Santa Barbara to play with Miss Piggy and Lui! Cheers to sisters everywhere, CLINK!

 

 I talked my Dad into crafting aluminum Crosses in four sizes that I am painitng and selling. It's
been a fun and interesting adventure. This week I am bringing some to a local store to sell on consignment.

 There is so much more to this post, but I managed to delete it. I am so NOT a technical person. Frustrating! Consider this Part 1 and I will re-create Part 2 later. For now, I am ready to roll!

Peace and Keep the Balance!

Fourth Grade Favs

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens ... "

Remember when Julie Andrews sang  "My Favortie Things" in The Sound of Music?  That song played in my head as I reviewed  student worksheets that will eventually end up in their Fourth Grade Memory Books. This latest was about their favorite things and here are some of their nine-year-old responses:

FAVORITE:
 Flower: HIBISCUIT
 Car: Ferrari, GO- CART
 Time of Day: Breakfast, SLEEPING, 2:50 (school dismissal)
 Thing to wear: Clothes, Panda Shirt, Skinny Jeans, CHOCOLATE
 Section of the Newspaper: The top of it
 Holiday: My Birthday

So cute!

One last Fourth Grade story worth sharing:
The class was  reviewing the story of Adam and Eve.

"Adam and Eve lived in the perfect and beautiful Garden of Eden. God told them they could eat anything, except fruit from "The Tree of Knowledge." The snake (devil) slithered along and tempted Eve to eat from the tree. Eve disobeyed and ate the fruit. Suddenly Adam and Eve realized they were naked and hid. God was angry and when he found them he asked Adam if they ate from the tree. Adam immediately blamed the woman."

A fourth grader blurted out "That's what my dad does!"

All of the above Fourthgradeisms are my favortie things ;0)

Alliteration or Tongue Twister? You Decide!

I bought seeds to plant spring flowers. In the past, I have purposely popped in the nursery to  purchase plants ready to plop in patio pots  (Is that alliteration or a tongue twister?). Then, I would sit back and enjoy the process of watching them slowly take off. Not this year. Because of the upcoming (what seems to really-be-happening) Federal Employee Furloughs, we are trimming the fat! Twenty percent of my husband's pay will vanish for the rest of the year ...  if things don't change FAST! Little things like buying seeds and using candles instead of electricity will make all the difference. Just kidding, we are planning on keeping the lights on. Cross your fingers that this whole shebang is just "Obama Drama"    ;0)

We loved that long President's Day weekend. Lucas stayed with Overboard as he had a band commitment and the three of us drove up to Pine Mountain. We shared a cabin with another family that loves to hike and sled all day ... just like us! It was special having Daniel all to ourselves. Being that he is the second kid, he's never known a life without his brother. A highlight was hiking up to a frozen waterfall. It was amazing to see the flowing cascades, stoppped dead-cold (literally) in their tracks. My Teckie returned with poison oak, and I came home rejuvinated. Getting away and frolicking in the snow was a much needed break and blessing.


What an amazing sight!

 

As for Lucas, he drove Overboard all over town for four days in our third car he named Rex (NOT Wrecks). Overboard went Overboard (because that's who she is) with her first grandson. He described his stay "like having room service." He didnt' want to leave and keeps asking when we're going away next. With my Teckie's pay being slashed, sorry to disappoint Lucas, but we are staying put. Unless ... we win the lottery and that could happen. Remember dreams are free! Right? Right.

Daniel's team played their last CYBA game. They won! The have lost one game and that puts them in second place overall and ready to enter the playoffs this Saturday. As for his school team, their final game was Friday night, and although they won, they did not make  the playoffs. The highlight of that game was the cheering section; Overboard, Tarry, Teckie, Cutie-Pie and Benson were all there to boost morale!

Chicken Report: We have six "day-old chicks" (yes, six more birds!) arriving by mail from Mc Murray Hatchery at the end of March. My son and Teckie are excited about the Spring arrival as I still scramble to find creative ways to eat, share and cook forty eggs a week!  As I write this, we are dealing with two hens that are "broody." This sort of thing really happens, where hens (in this case, Spud and Festus) think they must sit on the eggs due to stubborn-motherly instinct. They won't move, eat or drink to protect those unfertilized eggs! It's crazy and if you try to move Spud, she pecks at your hand ... to the point that Daniel wears gloves when he forces her out. Mother Bears, Broody Chickens, and Moms everywhere share a common sense to protect Little Ones; real or imaginary ;0)


Finally, I wonder what God has planned for Unicycle Rose. My writing is tugged in a differnt direction that is new and exciting. This "blogging thing" has been amazing and a great way to keep up with family happenings. The truth that "In Life Balance is Everything!" remains alive, because it's true! I still encourage others "to keep the balance" and learn to ride a unicycle every chance I get!

However, for now, I'll follow my heart (I've always been the overemotional type) and take a pause. It could be for a week, months, or just a day. Really. I don't know. I'm trusting that God is working inside of me, my heart and keyboard. I want to follow His direction.

But before I "take five,"  I MUST prepare and post those perfectly preposterous "Fourthgradeisms" because they're pretty punchy and sure to make your lips purse pleasantly (is that alliteration or a tongue twister?)

Coming soon ;0)

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs



On their way to Magic Mountain on Superbowl Sunday. See my beautiful Peach tree in background? Each pink blossom will be fruit. Cobbler anyone?

Signs of the times surround me. My blossoming peach tree is a sure sign that spring is around the corner. Sitting thru three basketball games a week watching Daniel is a sign that we’re mid-basketball season. AND, his CYBA team still stands undefeated! The Wildcat’s are "in the zone!"

Yes! He made the shot!

His school team, The Lions, won their first game by two measly hard-earned points. It was a relief to not be crushed for the third week in a row. Those Lions were pumped and sure relished the win! Let’s hope this happens again, because the taste of victory is sweet, especially after (so)many sour loses.  

All wins or losses! There's that impossible balance that touches everything, even youth basketball leagues!

 Another seasonal marker? The Birthday Sign.

This sign reminds me of the birthday stretch that runs from January to March for all my 1968 friends and family. This celebration cycle is in full swing.  By pure accident, the sign I made for Uncle Dave in January is getting a full workout. It celebrated friends, Maki and Ayndrea’s birthdays, and on Super bowl Sunday Uncle Lui was honored with this eye-sore-ish, but festive creation. It announced Lui's forty-five years above ground arriving on Febraury 11th! His celebration started after spending the day at Magic Mountain with “the crew” of rollercoaster-crazed peeps. God Bless Aunts and Uncles eveywhere.

Oh! The oven timer just when off and that is a sign that my eight-egg casserole is done. I am going out for Italian food with the Women’s Retreat team, which is a relief because I am up to my unicycle seat with egg dishes. My border-high cholesterol is proof!

Oh, and my washing machine just signaled it’s time to rotate clothes.

Signs from the Superbowl Pool. Lucky Lucas won $100! Overboard was a winner too ;0)

Yes, signs, signs, everywhere signs …

Unicycle Rose's Chicken Update

Seven eggs today! Again, all different sizes and color.  It’s sort of neat how individual these eggs are; sort of like people. All covered differently on the outside but various and softy-like on the inside. I've been picking up our eggs because of the boy’s busy schedules. I feel like the So-Cal-Caroline Ingalls’s putting on my boots and entering the coop with a bucket to collect the gems.  This brood of chickens brings out the Pioneer-ette in me! Really!  And …  it’s not only the eggs, but gathering firewood at night, our peach tree is blossoming and Pa-Teckie strums the gee-tar at night. AWW, Shoot! Life is good ;0)

Benson lov'in on the chicken while Daniel hand-feeds her. Is it just me, or is this picture DANG KEWT?

Daniel and My Teckie visited the feed store this weekend and are planning to get them some baby chicks, just for the sheer joy of raising them! I am neutral on this fowl development. We absolutely don’t need eggs, but the experience is what they are after. Honestly, it seems, "unpretentious pleasures" are what make this often-crazy life matter AND "unpretentious pleasures" keep life effortlessly enjoyable. No? 

Shoot Ya! Keep it simple.  I'll keep you posted on the baby chick progress.

Next on our Chicken Report?

Alas, I announce THE WINNER of the 2012 Quote of the Year:

 “Someone done-stole my shelless egg!” 

 - My Teckie, July 4, 2012, not joking