Blood is thicker than water

Here I am, sitting in the living room at 4 AM, making a ridiculous amount of international phone calls to get my father, is who is deathly ill, moved from a 3rd world country to a military hospital in Germany.  I struggle through all of the numbers, searching endlessly and tirelessly for the person who might be able to help me out with my daddy.  My daddy. 
We had a falling out in 2007 and hadn't spoken until last year, and even that was a cold and emotionless email.  Then, out of the blue, I get a call from my cousin who says, "your dad is really sick, sorry to tell you that, but he wants to speak to you".  What's a girl to do?
First thing I do is have international calling put on my phone.  Now I am working my tail off, between a newborn, a six year old with a broken leg, a sick husband, a master's program and work, to make sure that I can get my daddy the best care he can get.  Because blood is thicker than water.
Keep him in your thoughts, prayers, mantras, healing energy or whatever it takes.  I don't care if you call on the Goddess, Jesus or Allah, just call.  Although he has had his moments, although we have said some hateful things to one another, he's still my daddy.  And I will take care of him because I love him. 

Unlike a dog, how can a turtle be naked?

Well, I am sitting in class, contemplating this topic, and thinking to myself, wow, I can't believe I am contemplating this. 

Technically, a turtle can be totally naked, but then it would be dead.  I mean, it requires a shell to keep its innards safe, so how could you take that away?  It's not like it moves from shell to shell like a hermit crab.  It's not like he can say, "well, I don't really like the rooms in this shell" or "the view is just not as great as the one from that Tudor style shell".  So, you ask, how can a turtle be naked, unlike a dog... how can a dog really be naked?

Random Question: You've rented a sky-writer to propose to your significant other, but it's completely overcast. What will you do?

You've rented a sky-writer to propose to your significant other, but it's completely overcast. What will you do?

Well, the most sense would be to reschedule...I mean, come on, there has to be an "overcast" clause in there somewhere.  But if the greedy bastards don't want to come off of their money, then I would opt for a colorful colored "smoke".  I mean, they do it at air shows, how hard can it be to get a hold of something like that.  


Of course, being the eccentric and different person that I am, I would have already chosen something more colorful than just white because I would want it to stand out.  I mean, sure, clouds and puffs of smoke in the sky are one thing, but huge "MARRY ME" in purple lettering??  That goes all the way.  

This is so cool, I actually found this on the internet.  That is one lucky Marsha :)

When shopping becomes a chore

I love to shop.  I can shop with the best of them.  I can take down some serious sales without batting an eye.  However, today, I met my match.  Two hours and only two stores, I realized that I don't have it in me anymore.  I took Mini Witch to the mall tonight to buy a dress for her dance on Thursday.  I knew that it would take a bit to find "just the right" dress, but I didn't know that it would take as long as it did.  Of course, I am that parent that believes that you have to try all of it on because I'm not taking it back once you have it.  If it doesn't fit, that's your problem, not mine.  Some how, she managed to not only get a really cute dress out of me, but also tops, pants, skirts, socks (yes, even now, those are considered "attire" instead of just socks) and a lengthy trip to Victoria's Secret.  Needless to say, I was exhausted and wanted to know where the heck $400 went.  Of course, I was mom of the year, the greatest, most awesome-ist mom in the world! (for now, at least).  One thing's for sure... at least she got the dress she needed for Thursday....and I gained an ulcer and a lighter wallet.

Random Question:If you were a cannibal, what would you wear to dinner?

If I were a cannibal, what would I wear to dinner?

First of all, did I invite dinner or was it already served?  I mean, if I invited dinner, of course, I wouldn't want dinner to know that I had invited them to BE dinner.  In that case, I would probably wear something to the tune of a "classy" jumpsuit.  Valor stains too easily, so I guess a good cotton, with enough room to give chase if I needed to.  Black, so no one would recognize the blood.. that is, of course, if I haven't hired me a good cook.

Now, if I already had dinner waiting, I guess, probably my pajamas.  I mean, that's what I wear generally at home, why would dinner be any different?

Way too much thought went into this.

The beach vs. the beach

So, here is our time for a little family vacation and we plan on going down to South Carolina for the Labor Day weekend.  From the beginning, we run into snags, work schedules, letters allowing our foster children to leave the state, prices of hotels/resorts through the roof, etc, etc, etc.... So, my husband and I have a bright idea....why not go somewhere else :)

With that, we quickly devise a new plan...going through options, different states, places that didn't take longer than five hours to get to.  We decide that it's going to be Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH.  Now, I have always wanted to go there and have longed for the opportunity to feel the cool air through my hair, the adrenaline rushing through my veins, the excitement and goosebumps that comes with some of the world's largest roller coasters.  There's beaches, things to do, water...I mean, really!!  My daughter is so excited, I believe she will struggle for the next week to contain it and my son just looks at me and simply says, "I love you, Mom."  I now know what it takes to steal the hearts of children....rides, games and food.

As I prepared our trip today, called the resort and reserved our room, ordered our tickets, got our dog sitter on board and rented our car, I, myself, got excited.  Can this be?  After all this time, am I actually going to go?  I am so stoked.  :)  Yes, I wanted to go to South Carolina, more than anything, but this...this is jackpot!  


So, I called my mother and told her what our plans where.  Her statement.... "I'm glad you didn't go to South Carolina..there's a hurricane coming."  Really??  Not "Hooray, I know you've always wanted to go!" or "I heard that place is the bomb" or "damn, I'm gonna miss you."... just "there's a hurricane coming."  Plain, simple and to the point that, in the end, the idea of going to Myrtle Beach during hurricane season was a bad idea and she knew that all this time.  Mothers. :)

Apparently, the Goddess had other plans for us :)  Either way, Sandusky, here we come!

Initiation into Teenhood

Traditionally, a daughter's initiation into teenhood/womanhood was presented through a menarche ritual, where the cords that attached the daughter to the mother were cut and the girl was presented with her own altar and an opportunity to connect spiritually with the Goddess.  I have never claimed to be a traditional woman.

This weekend, I have realized that my twelve year old traveled down the passage of womanhood, only to do it in such a non traditional way, similar to me.  This weekend, she transformed herself from the little school girl she was into the teenage, blossoming woman that she has been bursting to be.  Aside from cutting and dying her hair, we spent time this weekend together, teaching her to do her hair, picking out "hip" outfits and applying makeup. 

I feel like this was the opportunity she needed to move forward in her life passage, me holding her hand and supporting her decisions.  This was a small decision, and granted these are life altering decisions, but hopefully this is an indication that she will involve me in the other decisions of her life.  I will always support her, even if I don't necessarily agree with her. 

So this weekend, although there wasn't an altar, a circle cast, the elements invoked, candles, incense or robes, there was a rite of passage.  Thanks be to the Goddess for giving us the ability to be flexible, pliable, and most of all, human.  May we all take from the life given to us, the little joys and miracles that are the work of the Gods.

Blessed Be.

Random Question: You moved the pot before the coffee stopped brewing. Do you smell the mountains or the burro?

Well, I certainly wouldn't be smelling the mountains, that's for sure.  It's the smell that spends the whole day hanging out in the kitchen, no matter how much air freshener you use.  The smell of burnt coffee definitely ranks up there with the smell of burnt hair and burnt milk.  But to say that it smells like the burro?  Have you ever gone up and smelt a donkey?  I mean, sure, your hands smell awful after a good trip to the petting zoo, no matter how much you wash your hands.  But, I wouldn't say my kitchen smells like a ass's ass.  I mean, if it did, I am sure it's not just my coffee pot that did it.  I would blame the dog...or my husband.

Red is the color of the season

Yesterday was family haircut day.  We normally only go to Great Clips because it's easier for me to stand in the middle and dictate the cutting of the hair for my daughter, my son and my husband.  Different this time than any other time, each person opted for a completely different hair cut than they have ever had.  My son, who's six, decided he wanted a funky mo-hawk, minus the blue (he's six, the school would have had a fit), my husband decided on a close cut military cut (because he didn't want to be scalped at work...he works in the mental health field) and my daughter decided that it was time she got a trendy-emo cut.  $50 and several inches later, we walked out, looking quite different from when we walked in.

During her hair cutting time, her beautician spoke to her about dying her dirty blonde hair to a color that would be more becoming with the hip new cut she now had.  Going through several colors, of which, blue and purple were included, they decided on either black, red or burgundy.  Because I know her, and she is just like me, I told her that her coloring would come from Wal-Mart because I was not going to pay a large amount of money for the hair color that she may decide in a month wasn't her "type". 

So, following a lengthy trip to Wal-Mart and much deliberation between her and my husband on the right color red, she decided on a color from Loreal called "Auburn-True Red".  Now, I examined the box like the good mother I was, trying to determine if I was out of my mind to let my twelve year old dye her hair.  I was going to be the responsible adult and make the right choice....riiiggghhht.

Soooo, last night I dyed my twelve year old's hair red.  Okay, s,o not like coppery red, but fire engine red.  Now, although I find the color adorable on her, especially with her aqua colored, metal rim glasses, I can't help but think that she looks like Pumuckl.  

Similar in both cut and color, I hope that she never goes to school with green pants and a yellow shirt because I may lose it.