A Long Time Ago, In A State Far, Far Away

A few weeks ago, Cadance, a really amazing, fun person and a great blogger, tagged me to share a bit of my past. I was a bit horrified, as I am rather afraid that the pictures will tell just a bit too much about me.



Like when I went to high school.
AAACCCKKKK!
Trust me, lets just say that it was around the time of the pioneers and be done with it.


So, this is the scoop.


1. I am supposed to post a prom picture and let you know who I went with.
2. You comment on how amazing I look! Heh, heh----not really---you are supposed to guess what year it was, but I WILL NOT LET YOU KNOW THAT! I would have to kill you if you knew that information.
3. Tell you if I married the person I went to prom with.
4. If I didn't marry the person, then post a picture of my husbands prom and his date.
5. Tag five people to do the same thing!


So, as a disclaimer, let me say that I was raised in Texas----well, for my wonder years, anyway-----so Prom was a HUGE deal!! (You know, everything in Texas is huge---even the hair!) And may I say that I was also not allowed to date anyone that wasn't a member of my church, so the pickin's were slim, to say the least.

That said, this is my Junior Prom picture----and I can't even remember his name. Obviously, I didn't even hardly know him, nor was he memorable----I asked him to escort me, as I was a "Princess" representing the Lettermen. (The jock types at school)

This is the only picture that I have of my Senior Prom and I was the Prom Queen! Woo-Hoo! Gotta love that huge butterfly behind me----Heh, heh. My date's name was Rick Putnicki, and he didn't go to my church, but I needed an escort and my Dad gave in. He was the nicest guy ever and was one of my good friends. And no, I didn't marry him....

The man I married when I was just 20 is not the man that I am married to---today. I met Bret, my hubby now, when we were both going through our divorces in California. But, unfortunately I couldn't get a prom picture from him----he claims that he doesn't know where it is---yeah, right. He is actually a little over 8 years younger than me, and----funny story----was in high school when I already had two children! So, I am afraid that I can't post his prom picture....


But, I decided to add a little tidbit for you to guess at.

Since I was raised in Texas, and one of the biggest pasttimes in Texas is to have........yep, you guessed it.......beauty pageants, I decided to have a little fun with it.

So, I had to post one of the beauty pageants that I was in. I ended up being 1st runner-up, so that wasn't too shabby! But what I would like you to do is guess which one is me!

Here we are in all our pageant glory---the finalists.
One of my best girlfriends is no. 24, by the way----Judy.
And I still keep in touch with no. 45,-----Dannette.
(So, that takes out two of them!)

So, have fun!

And by the by, I have to tag 5 people---and they BETTER do it!
(Even if it takes them a month,----like some people I know....)

1. Hailey at Haileytracks
2. Kate at The Big Piece Of Cake
3. Carrot at Oinkle Doinkle
4. Jenny at Beehive and Birds Nest
5. Rachel at What is She Thinking?

Fabulous Find For A Friday-----Patriots Day And The Berkshire Museum

I have been pretty busy this week, staying up until 2:30 or 3:00 and sleeping in until 10:00 or 10:30. Yes, you guessed it. It has been Spring Break, and my little guy hasn't had to get up early for school, so I have taken advantage of it! (Last year I was in Ireland---so go on ahead and read a bit about that----or at least my visit to London, because I'm such a loser, I never got around to getting Ireland written about... Sigh...)

The first few days, he spent with his older brother, Clayton, who lives in Boston. Clayton came to stay with us on Sunday, then with Bret, my hubby, he and Aydan got up early on Monday, Patriots Day.

What----you don't have Patriots Day?

Well, its when we celebrate Paul Revere's ride, the Tories huge fight in Lexington with the Patriots---then their march to Concord, MA-----and yes, that is where the Revolutionary War turned. That was the first time that the Patriots were able to push back the British. The shot heard around the world. Ring a bell now? (That was a VERY short history lesson...)

So, they got up at 5:00 a.m. to go see the re-enactment of the first battle in Lexington.

Here you see the Patriots---ready for battle...

....and the advancing Tories.

After the battle, all the Patriots were lying on the ground "dead".

You can see them in the background.

The Tories would normally start their march to Concord, but since they had done that re-inactment on Sat., the REAL Patriots Day, they had time for a Meet and Greet!
So, here is Aydan and Clayton hanging with a Tory. Notice the amazing authenticity of the uniform----they are anal about their clothing---and guns, for that matter!

Well, of course, I wasn't about to get up at the crack of dawn----I just don't do that, no sir-ree, not when I have the day off. And I was so looking forward to being all by myself.

Can you imagine?

"All by myse--elf, just wanna be...all by myself...."

Yes, that was me singing---how did I do?


Well, my perfect plan to pamper myself was all for naught. I ended up getting a migraine on Sunday, and it was a woozey! Then, after getting it a bit under control by Sunday night, I woke up with it on Monday morning----just pounding away. And then as I got through that day, I woke up with it again on Tues. morning. So much for going shopping and just having a few relaxing days! It was the first time that I haven't had to work since February, and I was so looking forward to the days off.

Well, I went down to Boston to pick up Aydan even though my head was the worst that it had been---on Tues., and we went home and planned the next day.

We were both determined that we were going to go to an awesome museum and have a great time!

Now, I need to back track a bit to let you know that when I asked Aydan what he wanted to do for his week off, his first answer was "The Science Museum!" And his next choice? "The Museum of Fine Art!" (Gotta love that boy....)

But, you see, the museums in Boston are VERY expensive. It is one of my pet peeves. I mean, why do they have these amazing experiences that should be for families and then make them so expensive?

Now, my older son, Clayton, can get some half off tickets from his library and since he is a student at UMASS Boston, he can get discount tickets also.

Well, he tried. And, you guessed it. There were no more left. They had all been given out.
Yeah---Spring Break, don'tcha know. Everyone wanted to go.

So, on to Plan 2.


My daughter, Brinna, lives in Western MASS. She had also expressed an interest in spending some time with Aydan over Spring Break, as she only works at night, on the weekends. Yeah, she is the singer in a band. Remember?

So, I called her and asked her if there were any museums out where she lives. She wasn't sure, but said that she would look into it. I kind of wanted to go into the Berkshires area, as I knew that it is an "arty" type place, with lots of shops, and small New England villages.


After her checking, and then my checking on the internet, we decided on "The Berkshire Museum".


And as you will see, it was just the perfect fit!



It was quite a drive to get there, but a beautiful one, as we were going through huge trees and rocky hills. Western Massachusetts is amazingly beautiful, and with the light rain, and spring just erupting around us, it was a delight to behold.

We got there on Wednesday around noon, and walked a few blocks to the Museum. The Berkshire Museum was built in the early 1900's, but had since been renovated in the 1990's, so it is beautifully done on the inside. There are three levels in the Museum, and this is where it was ideal for what we wanted.

On the main floor, the science and natural history museums were housed, and in the basement, there was an aquarium. Then, on the top floor, they had an art museum. Everything----all in one museum!


What a great idea-----and perfect for our day out! And most importantly, Aydan loved it!

Aydan, of course, had to dig for dinosaur bones first.

"What? What's that you say? I'm not really alive...and I'm stuck on a wall?"

"Duh, duh, duh, duh...."

Ok, its quiz time....what type of poop would you say that this belongs to? I expect you to
answer in your comment!! Don't forget to notice what this animal eats----its all there!

I just LOVED this quote by Thomas Edison----I think that it is my new MANTRA!

Brinna and Aydan doing some puzzles in the innovation section.

Aydan and I working on a drawing...while pulling on my ear?

Brinna touching the starfish in the aquarium "touch pool".

I was fascinated by these frogs that float up at the top of the water---then lie on the bottom
as though dead. Frog legs, anyone?

Ok, so I need a great caption for this one. Come on, give me an idea or two----I mean, have
you ever seen a fish sucking on the window like that? Heh, heh.

Whoops! Aydan slipped on the ice in the North Pole!

Of course, we had to do some early American Indian dancing while we were there....

....and I can't seem to figure out who this little guy is with the large....er....fox(?)....on his head.

Cubism, is what I believe they call this modern art.

And though you can't tell from the photo, this painting looked so real---amazing!

Brinna, lounging in the "main salon",-----dahling.

Here I am, meditating in the Sculpture Room. Yes,....I could have lived in this room.

After the museum, we drove to North Hanover, the town of Smith College, and went to a great restaurant, Paradiso, with Brinna. The food was excellent, albeit rather slow on getting it out, but we had a good visit and spent the time laughing and chatting.

"Aydan, look this way."

Brinna, my classic beauty.

Here we are at the restaurant, waiting for our food-----and yes, Aydan made it
so that it looks like the straw is in his nose----silly kid!

That was the end of our adventure to Western Mass.

The next day we decided to go to one of MY favorite places, the Stoneyfield Farm factory, as they have a tour so you can see how they make the yogurt---the best yogurt ever, by the way!
One of Aydans favorite shows on TV is "How Its Made", and he was excited to be able to see how yogurt was made, first hand.

The entrance to Stoneyfields----really, you say, I would have never noticed.

But, as luck would have it, they were doing RENOVATIONS and they weren't doing the tours. So, we sat and ate some samples and watched a DVD of how the yogurt was made.
Aydan decided that it was just like watching his favorite show, but he got treats to eat with it!

Happy with his samples---all the yogurt that he could eat, as he watched his DVD.

And today? Well, we slept in again, and I went to paint the Theatre----more walls to paint---ugh, and Aydan spent the day with his best friend from school. Then, we went to see the movie, "Earth" tonight. It was great, and we enjoyed hanging out with each other, which we always do whenever we can be together, our little family.


All in all, a FABULOUS ending on this Friday.

Memory Monday-----Don't Much Like Sauerkraut

This was back when I got the good stuff---baby food, of course.

When I was young, one of the things that I didn't like about life was taking time to eat. Now don't get me wrong! I loved desserts, which we usually only had on Sundays, and to this day, I absolutely love popcorn, which we had almost every night growing up. (And I will admit it, I still crave popcorn every night.)

But, you see, I always had so many adventures, and in the summer, when it was time to go into the house and eat, I felt hungry, but a bit annoyed. My Mom was a great cook, but liked to try out new foods, so it wasn't always going to be something that we enjoyed eating.

I didn't look like I was suffering from lack of food....

There was one time that my Mom decided that we were going to have something new with our hot dogs. I still remember going into the house---still excited by the play that we had left, but then coming abruptly to a halt, as an unfamiliar smell hit my nose. It was an odor that smelled up the whole house. It had a sharp tangy-ness to it, a bit like vinegar smells, but with a touch of old mixed in.

I remember thinking to myself, "Ohhh no, this smell is just like that awful smell when Mom fixes those nasty brussel sprouts!" Oh, how I hated everything about brussel sprouts. The smell, the look, and especially the texture----like small rubber balls, slightly cooked to cut down on the squeak......dreadful.

So, as I went to the bathroom to dutifully clean my hands and face, I was dragging my heels just a bit. I knew that the second that I sat up to that stool----as we ate at a bar, since there wasn't room for a table----that I was doomed. Doomed to have to partake of something that I wouldn't want or like and would have to spend the rest of the evening trying to choke it down.

Here is the bar area where we ate our meals.

You see, it was the rule in our house that you ate EVERYTHING that was put on your plate or you didn't get down from the table! I can remember many an evening sitting by myself, as I tried to eat peas. or some strange concoction that tasted like what I imagined throw-up would taste like. Awful.

I could sit for hours and even have the dinner for breakfast the next morning, as we often had to do, if we wouldn't eat it. You know, go right to bed and then Mom heated it up the next morning. Uh huh---thats what we did.



But this was the big one.
This was the one that almost broke me.



So, as I sidled up to the table/bar, and glanced at my sister to see if she had noticed that this was going to be a night that was hugely significant in our lives, she didn't even seem to be fazed. She was like that, my perfect sister. She just did as she was told and seemed to go on merrily with her life. I dealt in traumas.

Well, it was worse than I expected. My Mom told us that she was trying something new. She has gotten some sauerkraut to go with our hot dogs, or something like that. I don't really remember what she said. I was too horrified by the smells and the squiggly strange greenish-yellow mass that was occupying the side of my plate.

We said prayers and started to eat.

Ok, so I tried it. Just a bite, about as big as a drip of liquid. I COULDN'T take any more.
My sister told me to plug my nose. I tried. (Whoever came up with that idea is crazy---it doesn't work!)

She suggested that I close my eyes AND plug my nose. I just couldn't do it. It DIDN'T help!

I was doomed. My evening was over. I was NOT going to eat this.


My Mom, Dad and sister ate their food----or in my sisters case----choked down her food.
I was stuck. I wouldn't do it. They could torture me and I wouldn't eat it! (Ok, so how could they torture me any more than they were?)

I tried whining, cajoling, begging, crying----but nothing worked.


I went to bed that night without any food. I got up the next morning and sat in front of my saurkraut for most of the day. I don't know when my Mom decided to finally end the torture. I believe that I ate a small portion of it. Its where my memory stops.

And here I am sitting by myself---probably not wanting to eat!

I blocked it out, huh? Too traumatic, right?


I do remember that there was another can of saurkraut. My mother saw how badly I hated it and decided that it was a good way to keep me in line. You know, "Get your chores done, or I WILL bring out that saurkraut!" "If you leave the yard and don't tell me, I'm going to have to get out the saurkraut." "Why did you make such a mess? Clean it up or I am going to give you some saurkraut."

I was TERRIFIED of that can of saurkraut for years!


I often wonder what happened to it..... In my mind I seem to remember my Mom opening it years later, and it was filled with worms. (Though I can't figure out how worms could get into it.) She had to throw it away. And she never bought another one. Ever.

I secretly think that my parents thought that it was disgusting also, and thats why we never ate it again.


Who knows? After all, I was young and now I'm a bit afraid to ask them.

I don't want to give them any ideas.

Fabulous Find For A Friday-----A Few Of My Favorites

I was watching a TV show a few months ago----"True Beauty"----I think that I may have blogged about the disgusting way that Cheryl Tiegs looked as one of the judges. EWWW! I still have a tremor go over me when I think about those shots of her.... So, read about it here.

But, I digress.

So, on one of the shows, they asked the contestants: "If you were on a deserted island and could only take one thing with you, what would that be?"

Well, this caused me to pause my TIVO for a second and think really deeply.


I mean, being the vain gal that I am, how could I just figure out one thing to take with me?

I used to want to be on Survivor. I thought that it would be a great way to lose weight, get some air time, and get all tan and such. But then I found out that they could only take one thing with them. (well, besides clothes, I'm assuming---but you can bet that I would have smuggled something in each pocket!)

Well, that totally turned me off. Like, what would I take? My deodorant? My lip gloss? My mascara? Some gum? A toothbrush? Scope? My moisturizer? Sunscreen?

Oh, it was just too much for me.

But again, I digress.

So, on this show, "True Beauty", they each decided what to take. One of the girls took a hair dryer. Huh? What? Right, I thought the same thing. And you are going to plug it in where?

One of the contestants----a guy-----was a man after my own heart. He had a man bag.
You know, like a small purse with all his important toiletries in it. He tried to tell them that it was just ONE thing. Yeah, right. They. shut. him. down.

Well, it all was a moot point anyway, because they never had to USE their one thing, which I thought was pretty lame. They just made them camp out over night and told them that they couldn't take anything-----so the girls just kept their makeup on and the boys tried to sleep carefully, so as not to ruin their "dos". (Now, these were high maintenance people, folks!)
It was hardly fair. I mean, I even keep my makeup on over night, if I know that I have some photo opportunities happening the next morning-----early.

Like Christmas Day. Or Mothers Day.

Yeah, I am vain like that.


So, this all brings me to the point of my blog post. (Finally, you were all screaming!!!)

I have several items that are a TRIED AND TRUE part of my.......er.......(cough, cough).......beauty regime.
These are my favorite things that I would have to consider taking with me if I was ever stranded somewhere.

The first one would have to be this:

It is this amazing product, Olay Regenerist Line and Wrinkle Filler, that fills in lines and makes your skin silky smooth and soft before you put on your foundation----I love it! (I even use this instead of moisturizer---especially in the summertime, when you get sweaty---or---er----glow!)

Then.....I used to use this foundation, which they still have on the website, don'tcha know, but you can't purchase it anywhere!!




Yes, this was the one that I posted about before, here.


But now I use this:

Loreal Visible Lift foundation----not as much coverage as the old kind and the texture is more
runny, so it annoys me, but what is a girl to do? I've tried others and this is still my fav.

After I apply that, I ALWAYS have to use this little beauty:

It is an undereye concealer from Loreal---smooth and covers up those nasty dark circles!

I am thinking of trying this, as it is new on the market, and maybe will not get into those annoying creases under my eyes: (another way of saying wrinkles)

It is a Visible Lift undereye concealer by Loreal.

After I apply my cheek blush and do my eyes, which I have already had a blog post about----surely you can't have already forgotten about last Friday? Then I HAVE to set it all with a powder. Again, if you read the former blog that I had about my makeup brands changing products, you will see my frustrations. But, luckily, I had this powder recommended to me by my daughter, and I love it!

It is Cover Girl Compact powder, in TRANSLUCENT color. Make sure that you get the
translucent or you could walk around looking like you got a bit of an orange or pink face!

I usually put the very last touch of my face on at this point-----yes, that is the mascara. Why do all that great color on the eyes if you leave them naked looking in the eyelash area? Ugh.

I have found this MAHVELOUS mascara by Maybelline, and I love it!
It is Define A Lash Volume Mascara---Waterproof, of course, for all those
times when you feel a tantrum and crying session coming on!

Of course, I do lips, but I use a myriad of different brands of lipcolors. But I actually found this really great gloss, though, through another daughter of mine. She didn't want it and I absolutely loved them----just sticky enough, so they don't come off or feel slimey.
I need to get another one, in fact, because I have used mine practically all up!

This lip gloss is by TINte Cosmetics---Painted Lady Flavored Lip Paints
(I also really like the container---thats what caught my eye first!)

Well, at the end of the day, I have to wash everything off, and I usually use several products, but one of my favorites is by a company called Origins. The wash has a bit of granules in it---so it gives you a good scrub, while a bit tingly and it smells so clean!

I love Origins skin care, because they use herbs and natural products and your skin feels and smells so amazing---I have been using them for about 15 years. This is Origins Never A Dull
Moment Scrub with fruit extracts.

Now, the last thing that I use at night time is my ABSOLUTE favorite product of all time!
I found this when I was given a sample at Bath and Body Works. Yeah, I bet you have gotten one also, and never even tried it! You should! It is a skin care line by Patricia Wexler, and this product is supposed to help with rejuvenating your skin.

When I first put it on, I went, "Ewwwww", as it felt like I was putting a waxy substance or something on at first. The consistency is really strange, but don't let that put you off, TRY IT!!
The next morning, I could not BELIEVE how soft my skin felt! I couldn't stop touching it and it felt and looked great! Well, so here it is----put it on before you go to bed and enjoy!!

It is the Skin Regenerating Serum----its a bit pricey, but totally worth it!

Well, I hope that you have all gotten something out of my daily favorites! I tend to stick to something if I find that I like it, otherwise I try out lots of products until I do. So, if you have any recommendations for me, I would LOVE to have them!

I am also thinking about doing a little giveaway of a few of my favorite things, so keep checking back....

Meanwhile, have any of you heard good things about this new product? It, too is a bit pricey, but I found a $25.00 rebate on line, so I am thinking, "What have I got to lose?"

So, I MAY just have to give it a try.

I Wore The Dress, Yes, The Dress!

There are so many things that I need to blog about. I was going to just do a random thoughts blog with several entries, and combine all the things that I need to blog about, but I didn't have time to get a picture scanned that I needed for one of the posts, and well....I just never seem to have extra time to get these things done!

I am so impressed by those bloggers out there that take the time to blog every day....I am definitely not worthy! But I try to do it when I can.


So, today, I am just going to talk a bit about our Easter Sunday, and then post that promised picture of that dress---well---with me wearing it, anyway.

First, here is Aydan showing off one of the eggs that he colored.

And,.......you remember that I was going to use the dress for our anniversary evening out? We actually didn't go out until a few weeks after, and it was bloody cold that weekend-----no way was I going to wear that bright summery dress!

So, I moved onto Plan B. (Don't you just love Plan B?)
Yes,.....you guessed it......the perfect Easter outfit-----a great thing to wear to church on Easter Sunday.

I had already given my hubby a yellow tie for our anniversary----silk, of course,-----and he had a purple dress shirt.
What? Your hubby doesn't have a purple dress shirt? Well, that's HIS loss.

And then, of course, I had purchased a violet dress shirt for my little guy last year, when I had found several colorful shirts on sale----knowing that I would need to use them.
I finally found a tie for him at JCPenneys----that is the only place that carries youth ties in colorful options----and of course, it had to be yellow. (Seriously, have you EVER tried to find color in little boys clothes? They stick to khaki green, navy and a bit of sick mustard color---or the red and blue----its very frustrating!)



So,.................Voila! The final outfit.

I found some purple footless tights, as my legs are less than amazing and it was about 42 degrees on Sunday----Hello....and then of course, because of the cold, I had to top it off
with my purple cardigan----and theres the purple flats.

So, here is the fam. Hubbys mah-velous tie is turned around, of course, but then I couldn't style it, so there you go. And my little guy decided that he didn't want to take pictures. Don't you love the purple tees on the puppies? Ok---too matchy, matchy?

And here I am with my boys again---yep, Clayton had a purple shirt and borrowed another one of Brets ties---he has about 50 or so....

We were lucky to have my son's girlfriend come to Easter dinner, and her family drove up from PA and spent the day with us. They seemed to have a good time, and put up with our crazy antics. Here they all are:

Claytons girlfriend is second from the left---Meg----isn't she a cutie?
(Be sure and visit her blog and comment!)

And then Brinna showed up----a bit late, but still her chipper, stylish self. (Note that she
threw on one of my hats for this pic)

It was a great day and was a good excuse to dress up....which you have all realized by now, is one of my favorite things to do.


Also, as a side note, I wanted to give a shout out to all those bloggers who live in the New England area. I usually do band gigs on the weekends, and travel quite a bit, but
THIS SATURDAY, April 18, the band and I will be rockin' the house at The Yard, in Manchester, NH.
Check out the website to get the address and the times we go on! The show is fun and wild and I sing up a storm! www.ricklarrimore.com

Heres a pic from our latest photo shoot---yep---thats Rick---the Ultimate Rod Stewart!

(And YES, he does sound JUST like him!)

Hope to see some of you there! E-mail me if you are coming and I can put you on the guest list: swaneesinger@gmail.com

And I promise to post all the other ideas as soon as I get it together!