"Elway and Chester sittin' in a tree..."

My boss's daughter has a Yorkie she calls Chester. So, when Chester came to town for a short visit, we knew we had to get them together for a play date. As soon as we arrived the two dogs started running around the yard. Elway in the lead as Chester chased her, desperate for a proper "doggie style" introduction. (As Elway was fixed when she was 6 months old, Chester still has all his parts.) Elway, who caught on to Chester's ideas, decided to play hard to get.

Like most men, the less attention Elway paid to Chester, the more he longed for her.

Walk for Life - Cancer Fundraiser

My Aunt Edie has been a cancer survivor for 2 years.

First being diagnosed with a tumor on her lung, which she has fought with aggressive forms of radiation and chemo, and now she has been told she has a tumor on her brain to which she has begun a new round of radiation. Her attitude has remained positive and hopeful. When I went to visit her at the hospital, she told me she was hoping to be well enough to walk in the Walk for Life - Cancer Fundraiser, in the survivors' lap.

It was probably 90 degrees that day, but she braved the heat to show her support and appreciation for the cause and kicked that survivor lap's ass!

I cannot know how she feels through this struggle, but I know she is an inspiration to everyone in our family.

Sue's Birthday Party

Sue is 50!

She admitted to deserving every cruel card that she got, having been the culprit of sending many "Over the Hill" cards to most of her family & friends in the past.

(Those incredible looking cakes were made by my cousin Jamie's wife, Jenny.)

The Puringtons sing "Happy Birthday" in a way that makes visitors wonder if we might be the "special" family. It started when we all tried to sing "Happy Birthday" and started at different times. The song transitioned from it's traditional, and might I say; very boring, way of being sung, to a mixture of tones, pitches, words and noise, which has become the standard style for this "special" family.

My husband, the drummer.

Tom finally has drums! He's wanted them since he was 9. And like all musicians, if a few is good, lots is lots better. So, can you see all the cymbals? There are more of them than drums. Apparently, getting drums was like introducing him to a new drug. Although he's had no formal training, he still rocks out!

Good morning!

I love getting up before Tom and Elway on weekend mornings. My mind races in the potential of the day with all the things I'd like to do; workout either on the treadmill while watching a Kathy Griffin or Eddie Izzard comedy stand-up tape, or take Elway down to the levy for a walk, read one of the two books I've started, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov or 1984 by George Orwell, write a story I felt I had to start for some kind of theraputic purpose but, as usual fell short of developing a full plot, (maybe someday) cook my usual weekend zuchini-mushroom scramble, etc. However, if I get to one of these things I consider it a day not wasted.
Somehow, Wal-mart, Costco, or Rosauers usually take over my Sundays. Costco and Rosauers are not that bad, but Wal-mart... Where do these people come from? They are the people you don't see out in the rest of the town. They only seem to crawl out from their rock to come to Wal-mart. We always see the guy who wears his faded black Dale Earnhart Sr. pajama bottoms with the red number 3 all over them not covering the top 2 or 3 inches of his butt crack and the white t-shirt barely covering his enormous stomach. And of course, he has a mulet, which Tom says, "was combed with a porkchop." This man or his relatives are there every time we go to Wal-mart. I don't see them anywhere else in town. Only there.

The backyard...

It started out as a dried up, dirt patch and after we (and our faithful neighbor, Ron) pulled up and hauled off the old lawn, Tom laid the new, green, lush lawn. He has added river rock in many places with flowers and plants and an occasional (mini basalt column). Whatever could be lifted by the two of us, in the dark, off the ground of "somewhere" by Potlach... Anyway, it's coming around. Now if only we had a solid fence to drown out the noise and view of the neighborhood.

More backyard pictures...

This our back yard all lush and green... a Tom Nibler creation.