Mayhem Magnets & Chillaxing!

Unglamorous me, trying to snap a pic of Daisy who just came from the doggy salon!   

Some people write super duper informative writing blogs or insightful political rants or even offer up fab cooking tips.  Sad to say, pretty much all I have to offer the blog world is sharing the oddball occurrences of my life.  Alas, since the kids have returned to school, I've noticed a dramatic downturn in all things strange.  Does this mean that after 20 years of me thinking I'm the weird one, turns out I'm actually fine and they're the problem?!  Hubby says YES!!  LOL!!

Actually, two out of three kids visited yesterday and I even got a bonus kid when Terry's new girlfriend popped in to watch a movie with us.  Color me happy!!

But back to my theory about the kids being mayhem-magnets, now that I think about it, Hannah and I did have one thought-provoking encounter yesterday.  The new Tulsa Oilers hockey season is fast approaching and since Hannah's going to be an Ice Girl again, she noticed yesterday that her tummy is fifteen shades lighter than her tan tights.  Off to the tanning salon we went.

Remember the whole "Tanning Mom" scandal?  (Not sure if I'm allowed to post a pic, but if you're unfamiliar with the Patricia Krentcil case, it's all over Google)  Anyway, as Hannah was entering the salon, a woman exited who was darker than dark.  Neither of us had ever seen anyone as dark as her--maybe on TV, but certainly not in Tulsa.

I'm curious about what motivates people to do what they do and as I had a few minutes to sit and ponder, wondered what could be going on in this tanner's life?  I'm guessing she was around my age.  She had a great bod and hair.  Didn't notice if she wore a wedding ring, but she seemed to be in good spirits.  As for motivation, my best guess was that she's from a sunny state and grew up tanning.  Tanning makes her feel youthful and happy.  She's been tanning for so long, that what may read normal-tan to her is beyond-normal to others?  But then who am I to say her "normal" isn't anything other than perfection?

All of that could be a crock and probably is, but it does bring up a theme that's been running through my week--loving yourself just the way you are.

Mom called Monday to tell me a couple of our fave Y & R stars would be on The Talk.  Well, not only were those stars on, but they didn't wear their usual glam hair and make-up--neither did Julie Chen or the show's other hosts or guests.  At first, the shock of seeing these familiar faces "naked" was jarring, but then they became exceedingly lovely--not unapproachable daytime divas, but women I could see hanging out with.  They became "real" in the truest sense of the word.

Yesterday on Facebook, a friend of a friend of a friend (Love FB's new lax privacy policies, don't you?) posted an incredibly powerful piece on self-esteem.  Today, an old high school friend posted a nice bit on not sweating the small stuff.

With the benefit of hindsight, I see "Someone" has been sending me subtle reminders to chill.  It's been a rough week.  My word count has been atrocious.  A person I respect wasn't nice to me.  A certain unnamed insurance company makes me crazy.  I've slipped off my diet.  My bangs need a trim, eyebrows resemble Santa's and I refuse to even talk about the horror of my nails.  But you know what?  NONE OF THAT MATTERS!!!  Taking a step back, how blessed am I to even have time for such petty worries to enter my head?

If you've made it this far into my ramble-a-thon, stop reading now to give yourself a hug!!!  Love yourself--fat, skinny, tan, great hair, bad hair?  Doesn't matter!!!  Love yourself as you are, right now, and keep that love flowing outward to others . . .  :-)   

I'm Banning Myself from Disney!

Since so many sweet friends and readers have been kind enough to ask how I'm feeling, after yesterday's--I hope--final diagnosis, I just had to share.  In the past two weeks, I've been poked, prodded, and sucked by blood-drawing vampires all with no results.  I'm fine, my doctor's nurse kept calling to say.  In the meantime, whenever I strayed so much as five feet from my big green chair I started hurting.

My bestie Margaret is super smart and a tad bossy (in a loving way ), and told me to stop talking to the nurse and make another doctor appointment.  I did.  And we talked and talked and talked about possible causes for this mystery pain.  She carefully palpated my upper right quadrant.  (How's that for fancy med talk?!?!)  It hurt MORE!!!!!

She sat on her rolling stool, crossed her arms and confessed, "Laura, I've got to tell you, I'm stumped."  We talked more and she asked if I've been lifting anything heavy or been hit in that area.  Since I reported the pain started during my California trip, she wanted me to try remembering any kind of bodily trauma I might've suffered . . .

Our entire room's adverse reaction to Friday night's Bananas Foster aside, I did remember an awful lot of motion sickness at Disneyland.

The famous Teacup ride would've sent me to the hospital with nausea!!  LOL!! Brave and fab authors, Margaret Daley, Camy Tang, Danica Favorite, and Caroline A. Godin appointed me official photographer!!

Even with Dramamine, Space Mountain made me want to hurl.  Me and the Matterhorn didn't have such a great time, either.  It's a roller coaster with a fairly violent whipping action.  When we finally--thank you, Jesus--climbed off of this torture device masquerading as fun,  I remember telling Margaret I felt like I broke my back.  The ride HURT.  I took some Advil, more Dramamine and went on with our day.

The dangerous, Matterhorn . . .

Back to yesterday, I described to the doctor how the ride's safety bar hit me right where my pain is.  She shook her head and faintly smiled.  Then tells me she suspects I broke or bruised a rib, and since the tests haven't been looking for anything like that, it never showed up.  She said these kinds of things take a loooong time to heal, but gave me steroids, explaining that if this is what's causing the pain, I should start feeling better very soon.

My favorite ride--It's a Small World!!!

While I'm thrilled for this downright "Goofy" diagnosis--ha ha, get my Disney humor?!--I'm miffed we canceled our trip when odds are I'll be fine by the time we'd have left.  Sigh.

Mini-Vacation--Skinny Butt Required!!

Me and my fab agent, Michelle Grajkowski at the Harlequin party!!

Hate being a Debbie Downer, but ever since returning from RWA I've been sick.  After lots of tests, my doctor suspects a kidney stone(s), but progress in fixing the issue is moving as slow as our horrible Tulsa traffic.  Anyway, I'm not in screaming agony, but I sure don't feel up to doing much of anything.

This wouldn't be any big deal save for the fact that Hubby and I have been planning an amazing trip to Belize since January.  We were to leave in two weeks.  Belize isn't an easy destination.  From Tulsa, takes two days to get there, and pretty much anything you do in the country requires a tiny plane or boat.  We were excited to explore caves, ruins and reefs.  Scuba and zip line.  Considering the fact that lately I need a rest stop every five feet, no Belize for us.  I canceled our international and domestic flights, our romantic luxury hotel and then pouted.  And pouted.  And pouted.

Because of other issues too ghastly to even discuss, it's been a seriously crap few days.  In the midst of our general Altom Crapstorm, my sweet, amazing, handsome hubby took me on a mini-vacation that lifted my spirits.

I was surprised by how small the plane was.

Loving anything vintage, when I saw that a restored DC-3 was on display, I wanted to go!  Now, for hubby, it was all about seeing the plane.  For me, it was about the people who flew on the plane.  I wanted to imagine how elegant air travel used to be.  Even as a kid, I remember my grandmother buying me a new dress to fly in.  The plane we toured is said to have carried only the mega-rich and travelers were dressed just short of Black Tie.  We flipped through photos and the most fun of all were the stewardesses.

Me at the controls!! 

I know, I know, they're now called Flight Attendants, but back when I wanted to be one more than anything in the world, I told everyone I was going to be a stewardess--sounded MUCH more romantic!! Back in the day, there were strict requirements.  From the pics, they were all roughly the same height, had perfect figures and hair and resembled living Barbie Dolls.  From the vintage photos, the glamor factor looks off-the-charts!!

Our tour literally lasted only ten minutes.  Me and my overactive imagination had conjured images of this massive luxury liner complete with a walk-up bar, lounge and huge comfy seats.  I couldn't have been more wrong!  The seats were so narrow, no one on the plane with us even fit in them except for a few little kids!!  Your butt would have to be ridiculously skinny for you to be comfortable!!!  LOL!!  The plane held 21 apparently emaciated passengers, two pilots and a lucky stewardess.

Check out those narrow seats!!! But plenty of leg room . . .

Sweet Hubby bought me a T-shirt and that was my big hour out of the house.  Back home, I was happy for a nap, but at least instead of pouting over our lost trip to Belize, I now had fun dreams of me being a stewardess who only works the routes to Paris and Rome!!

A SEAL's Secret Baby--finally in stores NOW!!!

P.S.  The first book of my new Operation Family SEAL series, A SEAL's Secret Baby debuts this month and should now be in stores nationwide!!  Happy Reading!! :-)     

It's Hard Being Lazy!!!

This year's PJ Party T-shirt selection!!

Tonight, I'll have a big wedding to talk about, but this morning, for once in a very long time I'm looking at a whole day filled with nothing but FUN!!  All manuscripts and proposals are in, AAs and line edits are done.  The house is fairly clean.  Of course, there's still Mt. Laundry to summit, but it'll wait.

So here I sit, contemplating one of the greatest gifts of all--time--and realizing it's actually a little daunting figuring out what to do.  When I'm in deadline peril, I can always think of a gazillion things I'd rather be doing.  Reading someone else's book, crafting, sewing, gardening, watching a movie, playing a video game (Fallout's my current fave!), lunching with family and friends.

While all of that does sound fun, as busy as the past few weeks have been, what sounds best of all is just, plain sitting!!  LOL!!

In other news . . .  The annual Romance Writer's of America (RWA) conference is fast approaching and as usual, I have NOTHING to wear.  I was supposed to have lost 200 lbs by now, but only managed 30.  Bleh.  Better than nothing, but left me in size limbo.

The one item I have found is the above T-shirt for me and my roomies, FAB authors Margaret Daley and Winnie Griggs, to wear to the eHarlequin.com PJ party.  I'm not sure how the tradition even started, but at least ten years ago, Margaret and I decided it might be fun to match.  We used to get actual PJs, but they've gotten REALLY hard to find.  When Winnie started rooming with us, we were gracious enough to include her in our tradition--a very high honor!!  LOL!!

Since I'm getting my nails done for the wedding, maybe I'll do more conference shopping, too?  Or should I take a nap?  Decisions, decisions . . .

What are you doing with your precious Saturday?

My Magic Fork . . .

My magic fork . . .

 Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE my collections.  For me, antique shops, thrift stores, yard sales and even beaches all hold the thrill of the hunt.  I'm always on the lookout for exquisite, long-forgotten needlework, crystal balls, oil paintings and silver.  Oh--and Limoges figurine boxes.  But the day I find a piece of Limoges at a yard sale or thrift store, you'll hear me shrieking all the way from wherever you happen to be!!  LOL!!

I'm in between contracts and using the down time to play--which means FINALLY repainting my office and cleaning closets and sorting the treasures I've spent all year accumulating.  In one of those bottomless flotsam boxes that seem to be junk breeding grounds, I came across the best bag.  On the outside, it wasn't much.  Just your ordinary white plastic grocery sack.  But inside, I found treasure!!

Sand-filled cups from our visit to Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, BVI.  (www.soggydollar.com)
Shells, bits of coral and sponge, sea glass and dried anemones.  Best of all, a heavily tarnished, barnacle-crusted fork.  I LOVE silver--but not just any silver.  It has to be antique--preferably from either romantic bygone-era passenger trains, historic hotels or just, plain real old.  See?  I'm not all that picky!!

How I forgot having that fork, I'll never know, but dropping all other projects, I immediately grabbed my silver cream and went to work.  After an hour scrubbing, I unearthed gorgeous, engraved filigree on the handle. 

Heart racing, I scrubbed and scrubbed, but saltwater had taken a toll.  Remembering an old trick my dad taught me, I drowned the poor thing in ketchup, then went on with my day.   

While driving to Lowe's for unromantic caulk, I daydreamed.  What if my fork turned out to be not just silver, but legit silver--like from shipwreck silver?!  What if it was royal silver and I looked it up online and found not only the pattern, but a reward for its safe return being offered by The British Museum??!!

Sigh . . .  Can you tell I write romantic fiction for a living?  LOL!!

By the time Hannah and I got home from running errands, the ketchup on my fork had turned black--a good sign in silver polishing world.  I scrubbed and scrubbed, beyond excited to find the silver mark.  Just how old would it be?  A hundred years?  Four hundred years?  I scrubbed faster!!
I saw something written on the back, but with my stupid over-forty wacky vision, my glasses had to go.  Tossing my glasses, I held the fork an inch from my eyes . . .

 . . . And then, my heart sank to see in very modern lettering, "Crusader Silver Plate".  Ugh.  So much for me being flown to England to be personally thanked by the Queen.

By this point, most sane people would've thrown the stupid thing away, but not me.  What do I do?  Make a fancy undersea arrangement with my fork at the center.  Why?  Because even though my fork may have been ordinary to the rest of the world, to me, it represented a little bit of magic.  How cool was it, that even for an afternoon, that barnacle-crusted fork held the power to transport me from brown, HOT Oklahoma to the heavenly British Virgin Islands?  And beyond that, Windsor Castle?

I love my fork.  I love my shells and coral.  I love my quirky life and not-quite-normal collections, and the fact that when I dream, I dream BIG!! 

What've you dreamed lately? 
     
     

It's Raining Men--Again!!!!

Haven't had a blog-worthy day like this in a while!!  LOL!!

Daughter's headed off on a romantic weekend, and I'm stuck home weeding, or cleaning baseboards or closets.  In preparation for her trip, we got the oil changed and found free donuts in the dealer waiting room!!  Doesn't get much better than that, right?!

Just wait--our next stop was Hancock fabrics.  In my office I have an ancient piece of furniture leftover from our EARLY days of marriage I fondly call my "grundunza"  It's a truly hideous old-school office credenza I picked up at a used furniture store for like ten bucks.  The fun thing about this piece is that once it's covered in fabric, it's not only cute, but I can hide LOTS of boxes of books under it. 

Since we're in the midst of summer-sprucing, I figured it's time to recover the grundunza.  Hannah and I must have circled Hancocks ten times when we finally stumbled across this truly awesome fabric!!

Architectural Digest wouldn't like it, but I think it's tacky FUN!!

Can you imagine this being perfect in any room other than a romance writer's office??!!  It's not exactly the elegant sophistication I had in mind when we set out, but hey, me and elegant have never really been synonymous . . . :-)

Okay, so even though I know it's hideous in a wonderful way, I bought $50 bucks worth of hunky guy fabric, then, as if angels were applauding my decision, they sent me this:

Seriously?  Is it even fair for a guy to be this HOT??!!

Like the good writer girl I am--stop laughing--I actually wrote quite a bit this morning, and as luck would have it, my new SEAL had a shirtless scene.  Now, lest you think me a full-on creeper, any guy running around like this is just asking to be used in a romance novel.  Lucky for me, I got dibs on him first!!   
 


   

Seether, Bush, Nickleback & BOK Lady

In March we bought tickets to see Seether/Bush/Nickleback in concert and last night it was finally time for the big show!!  After fours hours of singing and dancing, then another hour getting out of the parking garage, I'm one tired puppy--but in a good way!!  Here's a timeline for how the night went down:

5:00--Hubby shouts from video game lair, "You ever check the time on the tickets?"  I assume it's seven or eight like most concerts, so tell him to chill.  He actually gets up to check and crazy ensues!!!!!  Concert starts at six!!!!!

5:04--Looking beyond crappy with nap-hair, no make-up and wearing my faded Tool T-shirt, I hover at the door while miffed daughter throws camera at me.  She wanted to go REAL bad.  We offered to buy her and a friend cheap seats, but I think she was hoping at the last minute either me or her dad would get freakishly sick or suffer an alien abduction, thereby landing a ticket in her hot little hands!!!  LOL!!!  (As if mere aliens could keep me away from Gavin Rossdale??!!)

5:05--We enter the hellish world otherwise known as Tulsa traffic.  During hockey season, we routinely make it to the BOK center in ten minutes--fifteen max.  On this night, we encountered everything from mini-van drivers going thirty mph under the speed limit to construction to too many red lights to count.

5:34--Patted down for weapons and was mortified when told by security lady to, " . . . move all that junk so I can see to the bottom," of my purse.  Relieved "junk" distracted her from finding the AK-47 in the zipped side pocket. 

5:40--Hubby and I fight over whether to get T-shirts, Billy's onion rings or find our seats.

5:41--I win!!  T-shirt line . . .

5:52--Hubby wins--food line . . .

5:59--Charging through crowds at BOK to find our seats!!  Music has already started!!!  OMG, if I miss Bush so Hubby could have onion rings, the night's going to get UGLY!!!

6:03--Reach seats, only to get snapped at by BOK Lady who should be fired--more on her later . . .

6:04--Hubby forgiven when band playing is someone we've never heard of.  I take this opportunity to steal a smooch and half of Hubby's onion rings!!!

6:30-ish:  Seether takes the stage.  Hubby and I were both excited to see them, but sadly, the performance wasn't all that hot.  A blinding light pointing out at the audience pretty much stopped us from ever seeing the band, and the base was so loud my chest ached.  On two side screens flashed bizarro black and white pics of clowns with their mouths sewn shut and offensive dead babies.  I scream in Hubby's ear that they should've used those screens to show close-ups of Shaun.  Because of my love for this band, I assumed lead singer, Shaun Morgan Welgemoe, must've overdone it on the world famous Billy's onion rings, and was under a bit of gastric distress that rendered him temporarily incapable of putting on a good show.  Seether, I still love you, but next time you hit Tulsa, you owe me a better show!!

6:45-ish:  Remember the snippy BOK lady I mentioned earlier?  After barking at me to take my cup off the rail, a crew of four drunk guys stumble into the seats next to us.  Not only are they allowed to rest their eight beers on the rail--no joke, they had two beers each--but there's lot of hugging and flirting with BOK lady.  One of the guys asks her for a wrist band to get on the floor, she gets all blushy and tells him she couldn't possibly give him one.  Ha!!!  More on this later . . .

7:00-ish:  Finally got my first real-live look at Gavin Rossdale and pretty sure my heart stopped.  My second book--it's so old I don't even remember the title--was written with his pic over my keyboard.  Every stroke was lovingly dedicated to him.  I'd loved him for a looooong time even before that.  When "Everything Zen" came out, the twins were two, and they're now college juniors!!!

The screens flanking the stage were finally put to good use when Gavin's beautiful face and trademark man-curls were flashed big and gorgeous just for me.  By the time they played "Everything Zen", pretty sure I cried.  The song doesn't even make sense, but it strikes a chord in me that makes me want to dance and be naughty--with Gavin!!!!  LOL!!!!  Oh--and did I mention how sexy his arms were while wielding his guitar??!! 

Sadly, BOK Lady's drunk friends wander in and out of the seats next to us during Bush's entire performance.  Before this, we got the impression they didn't even have tickets for these seats, but she was doing them a favor by letting them sit there.  They sloshed beer, hugged me--not in a fun way--stepped on my toes, spilled my diet Dr. Pepper, and in general pissed me off.  This was a seriously special moment for me and between them and the five-thousand folks streaming by, I was unable to fully enjoy the show in the way God intended.

"Glycerine"

Midway through Bush's performance, the crowd went NUTS when Gavin leaps off the stage and starts running through the crowd.  We were on the first row of the seated section, so when he ran around the floor, it looked like he was coming straight for us.  He was within ten feet of ME when he veered up into the stands and never came back our way.  Color me still pouting . . .

8:30-ish:  During intermission, really nice lady sits next to me and says, "Do you know if those drunk guys even have tickets to sit on this row?"  I tell her we guessed they do not.  She goes on to say they spilled beer all over her and the floor, and that if we wouldn't mind, they'd like to sit beside us for Nickleback.  BOK Man comes over, and she repeats story to him.  And how BOK Lady seems to be all buddy-buddy with these guys, letting them do pretty much whatever they want, while the rest of our row has to behave.  Much whispering amongst the BOK People ensues.  BOK Lady GLARES in our direction, but then gets flirty with a leather-garbed lady rocker.           

8:35-ish:  Nickleback takes the stage and all I can say is, DAMN, can these boys put on a show!!!!!!  I was initially shocked by Chad Kroeger's short hair, but once he started singing, I forgave him.

Nickleback's stage set was AWESOME!!  Chad's in the center.

Chad with his short hair.  I still love you!!!

Chad with his short hair and eyes open!!  LOL!!  

The pyro show blew my mind!!!

 

"Figure You Out"

Fireworks and lasers accompanied plenty of great tunes and playing with the crowd.  I got my close-up shots when the band climbed into a mini-stage in the arena's center.  At one point, Chad stopped a song to ask a guy if he was actually talking on his cell.  He takes the guy's phone and proceeds to have a conversation with whoever was on the line.  At another point in the show, the band lobbed red Solo cups filled with beer into the crowd.  Once I got past thinking how relieved I was to not have beer in my hair, I had time to note that flying beer + lasers and smoke is/are actually quite pretty!!  LOL!!!

Wonderful, wonderful show!!!!!

Only as we were leaving, guess who we saw stumbling off the floor, proudly wearing neon green floor pass wrist bands??!!  ALL FOUR OBNOXIOUS DRUNK GUYS.  Next concert, I'm flirting with BOK Lady!!!!  

After the show, the haze from the fireworks was so thick, you could hardly see across the arena.

 

Fried Mushrooms and an Accidental Movie!

 Hannah, Granny Sylv and Hubby!

Happy Mother's Day!!

I know it was yesterday, but I had so much fun, I'm still thinking about it today!  We have a long-standing tradition of going to the Muskogee Renaissance Faire, but with Little Terry stuck working, we didn't feel right going without him.  We'd planned on lunching at the restaurant where he works, but it was too crowded to get a table!  Great job security for him, but that meant no Little Terry for me.  Flanked by my other two sweeties, Hannah and Russell--Hubby, too--we accidentally hit an early showing of Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows.  We thought we were seeing The Avengers in Imax, but just as we got to the front of the loooong line for tickets, the Imax guy announced it wasn't showing.  I LOVE Imax, so we stayed and ended up loving it!!  Funny and a little spooky and even had a dash of romance!!

From there, we decided Hideaway Pizza wasn't a traditional Mother's Day hotspot and we were right.  No waiting for a table!  After feasting on fried mushrooms dipped in ranch and delicious sausage and mushroom pizza, we headed to see Hubby's nearly 92 year-old grandmother, Granny Sylv.  She has Alzheimer's, but oddly enough, far from her condition being sad, she's super spry and has mentally reverted back to when she was in her twenties.  She's always been a flirt and now has a new "husband" she introduced us to.  When I asked when she got married, she winked and said, "Oh, he's just the live-in kind.  I like those best."  Hannah and I took that to mean she might be temporarily "living with" Tom, but is keeping her options open in case someone hotter comes along??!!   

From there, I needed a nap before starting the second part of our day.  Earlier in the week, my sweet, gorgeous, funny flight attendant friend, Nancy, and her hubby, Randy, invited us for dinner and a glamorous night out at our performing arts center to see Fiddler on the Roof.  It was SO GOOD!!  Although, it'd been years since I'd seen it--with my friend Robert in the cast--and had forgotten the ending isn't exactly joyous, but kinda deeply thought provoking.  Nancy has been in it two times and softly sang along--she missed her calling!!  Hope Delta appreciates having a Broadway star on their flights!!    

Maybe it's the writer in me, but whenever I'm at a live performance, my mind wanders to the cast.  What are their stories?  How long have they been on the road?  Where are they staying?  Who's fooling around with who?  People watching at the theater is the BEST!!  So many real life characters paraded out for me to see!!

By now, you're probably wondering where this is going, and as I'm still pooped and have a tough day of revisions in front of me, probably nowhere profound.  Just an observation about my Mother's Day gifts.  Best was spending time with my awesome family and friends.  And I always love homemade cards and store bought cards with heartfelt messages and gorgeous flowers.  But as someone who spends her life dreaming up stories that hopefully entertain, sitting back, relaxing and being entertained is a great luxury.  From start to finish, my Mother's Day was perfection!!  What did you do?              

Critters, Babies and Mid-Year Resolutions!!

 Hubby and I at Easter dinner . . . 

In Los Cabos, because Little Terry was working as the waiter!!

What a week!!!  Let's see, in the past seven days we've done taxes, had a super sick kiddo (thank goodness she's now on the mend), discovered a new critter gnawing his or her way into our house, had a prom to find a suit for, celebrated Easter at a Mexican restaurant, got Daisy trimmed for warmer weather, discovered our two-year-old stove is breaking and four-month-old fridge is on the fritz, said some pretty major hellos and goodbyes, toss in a sprinkling of family drama, and in case that wasn't enough, today, on what was supposed to be me and Hubby's fun afternoon casino date, we both left the Osage as big sad losers.

In the midst of all of that, I managed to squeeze in some writing, but not nearly as much as I'd've liked.  Part of being a writer is tackling lots of questions--where do I get my ideas?  How long does it take to write one of "those" books?  Are you rich?  And the one I struggle with the most--how do you summon creativity and romance on demand?

Each New Year's Eve, when I'm trotting out my tried, true and often failed resolutions, along with losing bunches of weight, I always vow that this will be the year I don't let outside issues interfere with my writing time.  Why am I bringing this up now instead of back in January?  Because it's only April and here I am, already sweating the little and not-so-little things that take up valuable space in my mind!!

Meanwhile, poor Tristan needs me to help him come to grips with his ex's remarriage and cross-country move with his son.  Then there's Brynn--feeling thirteen months pregnant while single-handedly raising a sullen six-year-old and dealing with the fallout of her murdered superstar baseball-playing hubby having hidden secrets more devastating than she feels capable to bear.  Their problems make mine seem silly, so why can't I put their issues front and center?  Why does yet another squirrel or raccoon dining our house take center stage in my head when Brynn's baby is due any second??!!  See?  I must learn to set priorities, people!!

Okay, so I'm taking a deep breath and vowing that next week my fictional characters are going to feel far more real than the usual chaos ruling our home.  If an appliance breaks, I'm not going to let it get a rise out of me.  If anyone has drama, they'll need to make an appointment!!  As for all those pounds I'm supposed to be losing, I'm already down twenty . . . should I go for twenty-five? :-)

V-Day Fairy vs. Fixing the Hot Water Heater

Hubby's sweet gift came early with this hot pink Oilers 
jersey from one of my fave players, Jeff Terminesi!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Funny, how over the years the day's meaning and/or events have changed.  When I was a kid, Mom and I couldn't wait for Dad to get home.  He'd always have one or two tin-foil-wrapped gifts for each of us.  For me, sometimes as simple as a teen magazine I'd been wanting and a big candy bar.  In my teens, I usually got a special piece of jewelry--my favorite, a tiny mouse set atop a gold ring.  He even has ruby eyes!  Mom and I were just talking with Dad about how much we looked forward to seeing him, guessing at what surprises he might bring.

As a teen, of course the big day was all about romance!!!  The year I received a bouquet from my boyfriend, one from my parents and another from my ex-boyfriend's mother who I'm pretty sure still wishes we were back together, was a super exciting year!!

In college, the day became less about what I got and more about what I could give.  Back then, the University of Arkansas choir sold singing telegrams for five bucks!  God bless Whitney Houston, as her songs were the best for wooing and landed my hubby!!  Music holds the power to transform all of us into time-travelers and for me, her voice and lyrics transport me to those special college times.

Fast forward a few years and the twins were introduced to the Valentine Fairy!!  I was always Little Terry's Valentine and hubby was Hannah's.  The Valentine Fairy always added a little extra sparkle--a Barbie or Pokemon cards.

Now, Hubby and I are pretty content lounging in our PJs in front of the fire and romantic gifts usually consist of fixing something broken around the house!!  LOL!!

This year, however, Hannah will be doing her Ice Girl thing at tonight's Oilers game, so we'll romance over a shared order of Billy's onion rings at the BOK Center!!  Wish the hot pink jersey we won at auction Saturday night would be ready to wear, but alas, it's still being fumigated!!  (Hockey players might look good, but wow, do they work up a sweaty funk!!  LOL!!)

What phase of Valentine's Day are you all in?  Whichever it is, hope you're surrounded by LOVE!!!    

Happy Birthday to Me--Now Get to Work!!

A very content me last year in St. Thomas.  If possible, Birthday Fairy, I want to go there RIGHT NOW!! :-)

It's my birthday and I'm feeling a smidge philosophical.  I should be cleaning for the arrival of my parents and prepping for Thanksgiving dinner, but what fun is that??!!

It's been a strange year I'm glad is officially over.  If there's been any overriding theme I can't ignore, it's that health has got to take center stage.  I'm putting it out there that by my birthday next year, I WILL lose at least fifty pounds.  Yesterday, I picked up a seventeen pound turkey and nearly couldn't do it.  Not cool, but it is what it is and lord willing, by this time next year I'll be doing laps around Super Wal-Mart with my Honeysuckle White.

Another area of personal housekeeping I vow to work on is organization.  I've given ten bags of clothes and misc. household flotsam to Goodwill in the past couple weeks, and would love to give more.  One of my fave TV shows is Hoarders, because it always inspires me to tidy.  Like if they can clean those huge messes, I can tackle the junk drawer and closets!!

One big goal in regard to my writing is to be more like my amazing friend, Margaret Daley.  And I'm not just saying this because she's taking me to birthday lunch!!  LOL!!  Margaret plans her days down to the minute and gets more done than anyone I know.  In the time it takes me to write one book, she'll write three.  Her secret?  Consistency.  She writes EVERY day.  I think I'll put a pic of her on the wall beside my desk, always reminding me to write by the Margaret Method.

Other small things I must tackle during this, my forty-fourth year:

• Weed our front gardens. 
• Read more.
• Lunch or coffee more with friends.
• Sleep more. 

Whew, that's plenty for now, and even if it weren't I seriously need to get on with Turkey Day prep.  To all my friends I've been been neglecting--I'll be nagging you soon to go play!!  Until then, here's to hoping we all have an extra special Thanksgiving!! 

Seat Stealers--I'm Watching You!!!

Hubby and I with our Hannah.  She's our fave Ice Girl!!!

Tonight is date night as Hubby and I are headed to an Oilers game!!  This is big for me as I actually do my hair and he's charming and attentive and buys me onion rings while lots of hot guys skate within a couple feet of my seat.  Sounds perfect, right?!

It would be if not for a breed of people I will now call the despicable "Seat Stealers".  Some back story--lauramariealtom.com is a corporate sponsor of the Tulsa Oilers.  I figure what better product for a romance writer to sponsor than men.  Along with my sponsorship, I get a pair of REALLY great seats, but they aren't exactly cheap.  Because of the price, during some games, not all of the glass seats are occupied, making way for the Seat Stealers.

Now, not all Seat Stealers are inherently bad.  A couple behind us who also have season tickets send down their little boy who politely cheers on our guys and doesn't litter.  He's cute and well-mannered and doesn't bother me a bit.  Drunks are always welcome, as they up the the night's entertainment factor by setting their beers on the little ledge under the glass.  When players ram into that section, the beer splatters and voila--beer soaked drunk people.  Great fun!!  Especially when they're happy drunks!!

Unfortunately, sweet little Trent is the cream of the crop when it comes to Seat Stealers.  We had a game Sunday and I arrived a little later than usual.  (Hubby was out of town.)  I get to our seats and there are already TEN people in our row.  I think it only holds fifteen and our seats are seven and eight.  First, this crew refused to let me in.  They all just stared like I should climb over them.  Finally through, I set my purse and blanket in seat twelve, politely asking the girl in MY SEASON SEATS if she has tickets.  She says, "No, we got in free."

I say, "That's great, but you're sitting in MY SEASON SEATS."

This girl gives me a death stare I found chilling, then shrugs.

Fuming, I sit in seat twelve, trying to figure my next move.  Then a strange thing happens.  The guy in seat one seems to be the group leader announces they have to move.  So six of them move to the glass seats in section 101 and four stay with me, moving to seats one through four, the whole time glaring like I've done something wrong.

Oh well, at least I've got my seats, right?  Ha!  Next to arrive?  AN ENTIRE PEEWEE HOCKEY TEAM!!!  Well over a dozen rowdy, sticky, spilling, dripping, jumping, horribly behaved kids fill in the rest of the row.  More kids file in behind them.  Where are their parents??!!  These kids were so bad, I moved closer to the original Seat Stealers to attempt getting away. 

During the first period intermission, two of my adult row mates start making out so hard I thought I might need a condom!!!

Some time during the third period, thankfully, the bad kids ran off.  Sweet little Trent appeared and what does he do?  Starts picking up all the trash the other kids left!!

Sadly, most every game, this scenario plays out in some form.  Like I earlier said, if people are polite about it, it's not a big deal, but by far most Seat Stealers lack basic human manners.  Tonight, I plan to speak with the BOK Center usher of our section.  I'm highly doubtful this will accomplish anything, but for my own sanity, I have to try.  We've got a long season ahead of us . . .

Lets go Oilers!!!! :-)             

Hockey is Waaaay More Fun Than Lounging on the Sofa!!

Remember our Romance Road Trip? Gorgeous Louisa and her

super-talented Oilers goalie, Ian, are still an adorable couple!!

After a freakishly hot summer here in Oklahoma, it's cooling down and time for Oilers Hockey!! I've been sick for so long with that *&^%$ mystery tummyache, I was beginning to doubt if I'd even make it to the first few games. Finally, the last test with the last specialist showed a not-so-little problem that landed me in surgery a few days later.

Fast forward a little over a week and while I tire easier than I'd like and still have twinges of surgical pain, the mystery knife pain that's held me prisoner since May is gone. Can I get an Amen?

I'm not just being a drama queen when eluding to pain being the ultimate warden. After a while, I felt caged. Pain pills made me nauseous, which only made me feel worse. Thus, I've spent months on the sofa and it was getting old. Now that I'm sprung, I've been deep cleaning the house that's felt dormant and at least trying to catch up on laundry. Hannah and I went girl-shopping Saturday afternoon and I did lunch with Russell Sunday afternoon.

Another task Hannah and I tackled is buying silverware--more specifically, forks. We were down to three. How does that happen? Where did they go? We now have a nice, new set I'm counting after meals!!

Wish I had some clever moral to this story or a definitive reason for what I went through. I have gained a new respect for anyone suffering from chronic pain. Having had one doctor tell me it was all in my head, don't take that sort of disrespect!! Only you know your body and insist the search for the problem doesn't end until you say!!

Quick shout-out of thanks to my amazing family and friends who've suffered this with me--Big Terry, Little Terry, Hannah & Russell, Mom & Dad, Margaret, Winnie, all of my fab Facebook friends local and far away, and of course Sweet Pea, Cocoa and Daisy--at the worst of this, you all made life worth living.

As for my Oilers, they're doing great!! Yesterday, since Hubby's out of town and Hannah was doing her Ice Girl thing, Louisa and I cheered them on to a HUGE win over Wichita!! Let's Go Oilers!!!

An Ode to the Renaissance Woodbridge--and Two HUGE Complaints!!!!

The wall in this lounge was glitter, people!!!! 

Let me preface this by saying I've been to a lot of hotels.  I LOVE hotels!!!  I write better, my hair looks better, I'm sure I'm thinner, and in general life is sublime.  While this hotel in no way compares to say a fancy schmancy resort hotel, for a conference hotel, I was blown away!!!  Anyone who knows me, knows I'm at heart an interior designer wannabe and the designers of this place should win a MAJOR award!!!  The theme?  Mod chandeliers, traditional chandeliers,crazy Willa Wonka oversized furniture, bowls with floating mums, wild floral motif carpet done in hot pink and red and purple and blue.  Sounds like a hot mess, but it's so right, I can't stop gasping!!! 

Interestingly enough, I mentioned my wonder and joy of the decor to the fab Renee Ryan who also writes for Harlequin and she said she didn't like the decor.  She's from Savannah and found it all a tad too much--you know, how a true Southern belle would say?  She's so stinkin' gorgeous and gracious and talented, I have to love her even though on this issue we disagree.  My roomie Winnie Griggs hasn't shown much opinion at all, other than standing patiently while I take pics to send to daughter Hannah.

Now, on to the complaint section . . . Only one mirror in our room--and that's in the bathroom.  Um, Mr. Marriott, I might wear sweats and have icky hair 341 days  a year, but at conferences, I want to look good!!  Since there wasn't a mirror I could stand next to in order to apply mascara and eye make-up, I had to sit on the commode lid using my powder mirror set up on the vanity!!!  Not very elegant, but it got the job done.

Second complaint . . . Not enough outlets.  Mr. Marriott, I travel in packs of romance writers.  We schlep laptops and cell phones and hair dryers and hot rollers and straighteners and curling irons and netbooks--all of which utilize this amazing thing called ELECTRIC!!!!!!

Okay, rant over, time to go ooh and ahh over more pretty light fixture--oh, and we're giving a workshop today, too!!   

Breaking Up is Hard to Do . . . RHONJ Style!!

 The Real Housedogs of Casa Altom after they'd just shredded something . . .

I'm putting it out there--I'm a Real Housewives fanatic.  Any city, any time--except Miami.  (That one didn't so much much work for me.)  The New Jersey season just wrapped and even the morning after the reunion, I'm sad.


I've watched RHONJ since the first episode and last night was the start of a train wreck of MAMMOTH proportions!!!  I've always been a huge Teresa fan as she's everything I'm not.  Thin, big hair, fun sparkle-fur clothes and never afraid to loudly say what she feels.  I'm a huge Caroline fan because she's most like me.  Not flashy, wears sweats while preparing Christmas dinner and is a lioness when it comes to loving/protecting her children.

These two have been allies against common enemies for years, so to see them last night attacking each other was jarring.  Thank my lucky stars, knock on wood, turn around three times and howl at the moon, but so far I've only experienced the total annihilation of one close friendship and it still makes me sad.  Last night's show brought back those icky feelings I have no wish to revisit.

My plea to the housewives is to play nice!!  Life's too short for this level of animosity!!  Teresa--apologize!!!  Caroline--calm down and don't take yourself so seriously.  Obviously, I don't know these people, most likely will never meet them, yet they enter my home on a regular basis and for whatever odd reason, I care about all of them.  And as much as I love it, I wonder if reality TV is the devil?

Wonder if anyone's done documentaries on these people as to how being part of a reality show has hurt/helped their lives?  Like the lottery winners who think their every dream has come true only to discover winning brought nothing but pain.

Have sooooo much to do today that in no way involves RHONJ, but because I didn't fully believe what I was seeing last night, I watched it again and sure enough, Teresa has been voted off the Jersey "island" due to a couple of lines in her new cookbook.

I also blame her editor/agent/publicist for getting her into this situation.  If I say anything that could remotely be construed as objectionable to anyone my editors have always urged me to reword or delete.  My agent catches things before they even hit any editor's desk.  I'm assuming the lack of editing done in this case was more about the almighty dollar than anyone caring about these families.  Teresa, girlfriend--call me.  I'll hook you up with genuinely caring people who have your back!! 

If there's anything to be taken from this sad situation that I can use in my own daily life, it's that from now on I vow to never write in one of my books that a character is only 1/16th Italian!!!  

A Harley and a Girl Named Gypsy . . .

 

Sweet Pea, who at the ripe old age of 98 dog years is the senior citizen of our family!!

Happy Friday!!

So excited for a mini-road trip to Arkansas I'm taking today with my kiddos and Daisy to meet a new family member--Gypsy!  But before I tell you who Gypsy is, you have to suffer through the back story of how this 9lb baby entered our lives . . .

The last book in my Buckhorn Ranch series, A Baby in His Stocking, is released next month.  UPS brought my author copies yesterday and I got all misty over the dedication.  (I turn in books a good six months or more before they're published, so a lot of times what the dedication is has nothing to do with my current life, but was meaningful to me when the book was turned in.)  We're a dog family, so I dedicated this story to Noodle, my parents' dachshund who lived to the grand, old age of eighteen.

When you think about how much happens in our lives over eighteen years it's mind-boggling.  Our kids grew from infants to college, I think we've had three presidents, MTV stopped playing videos, cell phones are now postage stamps instead of bricks and TVs are flat as stamps!!  Raise your hand if you remember how exciting seeing your first big screen TV was!! 

Noodle the Wonder Wiener was there through it all, most importantly the passing of both of my grandparents and my favorite great-aunt and uncle. . . . Here I go again, making myself all weepy.

Losing Noodle was crazy hard on my mom.  I think if she'd had her way, she'd have gotten a puppy right away, but my parents do a lot of traveling and Dad put the kabash on getting another dog.

Fast forward more than a few months and Dad is out riding his Harley--yes, you read right!!  Mom loathes it, as the helmet musses her hair, but she does have all the latest Harley fashions that she sported for Fayetteville's Bikes, Barbecue & Blues.  (I cannot keep that name straight, so sorry if I got it wrong.)  Anyway, Dad's on his bike and sees this little dog weaving out of the weeds on the side of a country road.

He was in a fairly desolate area, and since it looked like a dachshund, he got off his bike to investigate.  Sure enough, he'd found a starving, dirt-covered wiener!!  Mom reports her being skin and bones, but still wriggling and kissing in true dachshund style.  They asked all over Farmington if anyone had reported losing a dog, then took her to a vet for a check-up and to see if she had an ID chip (those weren't around when Noodle was born, either!).  With no chip and my mother already in love, the vet urged them to give the dog a new home.

Mom called to discuss names and decided the usual Heidi and Pretzel wouldn't do.  Dad refused to stand in the front yard in his robe yelling for Cupcake or Cutie so I suggested they name her something that told the story of how they found her.  A few hours later, Mom called back and made the formal announcement that our new family member shall be christened Gypsy!!

Welcome anyone to your family lately? 

You've Never Tasted RANCH??!!

The morning's view of fog rolling off the Mississippi. 

In the far left corner, you can just see the bridge.

When my dear friend and fellow writer, Winnie Griggs, had no roommate for the ACFW conference in St. Louis and offered me a few free nights at the Hyatt, I was instantly on board!!  Not only do we have kinks to work out on a two-hour workshop we're giving at New Jersey RWA's Put Your Heart in a Book next month, but something about nice hotels makes me write like the wind!!  (Already sent a fun new project to my agent last night!!)

Anyway . . . We got adventurous for dinner last night and walked a few blocks west of the hotel to this place called Calicos.  Anyone who's a fairly close friend of mine knows I have a thing for ranch dressing.  All right, let's call it more of an obsession, but I'll claim it!!  I LOVE RANCH!!! 

We get our menus and what do I see?  Beer-battered Zucchini strips--be still my heart!!  Angels sang!!!  Only one problem--how was the ranch?  Homemade with buttermilk?  Or from a big jug of Great Value Imitation Ranch?  As any respectable ranch lover would, I asked our waitress what kind of ranch they serve.

She got a blank stare, and I swear to you said, "I don't know.  Never had ranch."

WHHHHHAAAATTTTT???????

At this point, I felt a little faint.  She had to be twenty-something.  How had she made it this long in the world without ever learning the joys of a superb buttermilk ranch?  I got a little panicky, thinking it might be time for a ranch intervention!!

My dining companion talked me down, assuring me the ranch would be fine.  Being from Louisiana, though, she felt my apprhension.

My food comes and the zucchini is beyond extraordinary!!  Long, lovely quartered strips with just the right amount of batter.  In the center of the dish is my ranch.  Hands trembling, I go in for the first dunk.  Anticipating the tastes of Tulsa's Hideaway Ranch or Ron's, you can't imagine my displeasure to find it wasn't real ranch!!!  It wasn't just from a jumbo, industrial-sized bottle, but had to have been part glue.  Chef Paula Dean would've died on the spot.  Chef Gordon Ramsay would've told the chef to piss off then shut the whole place down!!!

Sigh.  Waitress appeared, so I asked for an alternate dip.  She brings an imitation of the sauce Outback Steakhouse uses for their Bloomin' Onion.  It was okay, but still not what I wanted.  I managed to eat a little, but I wasn't happy!!!

Making matters worse, twenty minutes later the waitress gave me the stink eye, asking in a snarky tone if I was enjoying the new dip.  NOOOOOO!

Winnie and I salvaged our evening by snagging free Dove Chocolates from one of the publishing house giveaway tables!!

Never tasting ranch . . . Pffft.  Ridiculous.    

 Me and Tulsa City Councilwoman Karen Gilbert!

Last night was a first for me--attending a candidate watch party after an election.  The candidate--Karen Gilbert--has been a friend since our kids were in third grade.  They're sophomores in college now, so you do the math!!  Over the years, we've spent hours together at PTA meetings and school open house nights.  I write about doing things, but Karen is one of those people who actually does things.  Everything!!!  She's a fireball I greatly admire.  Any goal she sets, she doesn't just meet, but exceeds, with grace and integrity and great wardrobe flair.  (Always a plus!)

Throughout the years, for as much as Karen has done for Tulsa Public Schools, I've urged her to go bigger.  She's the kind of woman who inspires and isn't afraid of a challenge.  She tirelessly fights for what she believes is right and is a champion of the underdog.  She launched an anti-bullying campaign for which she was recently awarded by our governor.  Karen worked SO HARD on her campaign for a seat on city council and as is usually the case when she sets her mind on accomplishing something, she got the job done.  My dear friend is now to be addressed as Madame Councilwoman and the whole thing has me more than a little teary.

Why?  Simple answer--I'm drawn to dreamers.  There's nothing more thrilling to me than folks who have big dreams and aren't afraid to go for them.  Karen put herself and family on the line in taking on this campaign.  Sure, had she lost, no one would've died or anything, but it still would've been hard.  Even knowing that, she trusted enough in her resolve to take on the challenge. 

Tying all of this in to writers, or athletes, or anyone working for a job promotion, last night was a reminder that dreams seriously do come true.  My sweet and funny friend is suddenly putting her talents to work on a pretty big stage and I couldn't be more pleased.

About a month before Karen announced her candidacy, I complained of a stomachache.  Months later, after surprise gallbladder surgery and more unpleasant tests than I care to count, I still have a raging stomachache.  Having been sick for months, I'm noticing a trend in myself that's distressing.  I'm forgetting how to dream.  I spend my days on the couch, nurturing this pain the way I used to nurture my family and friends and career.  I despise this new side of myself and want to fix it.  My next specialist appointment isn't until October, but if there's anything last night taught me, it's that I can't just shut down until doctors figure out what's wrong.

Karen's happiness and drive are contagious and fed me a huge dose of resolve to not let this temporary setback in my health beat me.  My goals for today are writing five pages, unloading the dishwasher and cooking Hubby and myself a healthy dinner.  Not much, but it's a start toward regaining normalcy.  Another thing I'm going to do is make a fresh list of dreams.  Some giant, some small, some a little nutty, but all mine and all achievable as long as I give them that initial seed.

What are your dreams?  What are you doing to make them come true?

Still stuck on the couch instead of my big, green chair!!

In the hospital, my toes were the only thing looking good!!

Where to start . . . Right after returning from NYC, I finally went to the doctor about a nagging stomachache that'd been dogging me for a few weeks. My doctor ordered a gazillion tests, most of which came back fine. Meanwhile, my formerly nagging tummy was now screaming!! Weeks and more tests passed and I had surprise gallstone surgery. I was actually pretty pleased about this, as now that I finally knew what was wrong, I could finally get back to living instead of frowning on the couch!! The surgery was a great success and soon I was back on my couch, only with the promise that in a matter of days I'd be mostly back to normal. Hubby was a fantastic nurse and my dogs even managed to stay off the worst of my ouchies!!

Fast forward a week and I'm off pain meds and guess what's back? My original stomachache!! Screaming louder than ever!! Grrr. Meanwhile, Hubby landed an amazing new job, which is great, but the downside is a transition in health insurance. Do we even have it? Once we got documentation proving we're insured, back to the doctor I went, and next week I'm all set up for a flurry of new tests with a new specialist. Yay!!

Daisy pouting when I wouldn't let her sleep on my tummy!

Until then, I'm still on the sofa instead of my big green chair. Seeing friends for a few hours at a baby shower yesterday reminded me how much I'm missing my usual life. Being upright for three hours might as well have been running a marathon. I went straight home to sleep. So far, the only good thing to come of all this is losing a few pounds, but as a diet expert, I know there are far easier ways to diet!! LOL!!

Have any of you had a mystery illness? If so, if you don't mind my asking, did it ever get fixed? I could really use a happy ending about now!!

Happy Birthday to my Twins--Hannah & Terry!!!!

My wonder twins--Hannah & Terry!!

Today, my twins turn nineteen, and I'm feeling a little misty.  They're still in bed, but I've been up for an hour, putting up a few streamers and trying to figure out what to do today.  As the temp in Tulsa is predicted to be hotter than the surface of the sun, the zoo is out.  We've seen all the movies.  Maybe the aquarium--which always leaves me craving a nice, buttery seafood lunch??!!

Hannah and Terry were miracle babies.  It took Hubby and I nearly two years to conceive, then I had trouble from the start.  Horrible nausea led to dangerously high blood pressure and too many incidents of premature labor to count.  I was on bed rest for months and months--only allowed up each day for a brief shower and the potty.  During the delivery, I almost died from a bizarre complication.  Long story, but after an 8:30AM c-section, I didn't get to hold my babies until late that afternoon.

Because it was such a struggle getting them into this world, I've always tended to go overboard on their birthday.  We've had blow-out parties featuring live bands and Jupiter Jumps and Safari Joe with all of his critters.  As much as I complain about some of their not-so-fun teen idiosyncrasies, all-in-all, this mom couldn't be more proud. 

I love my Hannah and Terry more than I thought it was possible to love, which is scary now that they're getting so "old".  I'm struggling with letting go, but Hubby's helping, reminding me that's what we raised them for--to lead happy, fulfilling, independent lives.  The thought of which just starts me crying all over again!!!! 

Anyway . . . Sniff, sniff.  Today, we will no doubt manage to find BIG, high-caloric fun.  Tonight, as of my latest Intel, both kids are hanging with friends.  Which again, is how it's supposed to be.  Hubby and I will share a quiet dinner and reminisce, wondering where the years have gone . . .