Tag Archives: family

The Saddest Thing

12 Thursday Apr 2012

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/>The scene in our kitchen is pretty shocking. Headless chickens and tailless bunnies. The yellow tulips are wilted, the floor littered with pink, green and purple grass. It’s the day after Easter.
Our Easter Egg Hunt went off with only one hitch. A computer glitch I told everyone but it was a Karen screw up. I was so excited giving out the rules and picking the teams that before I blew the starter horn, I forgot to check the clues. So the green team got the yellow clues and vis versa. When the blue team finished way ahead of others, I was even surprised. They won Big Chicken blowup Oscar award and I kept my mouth shut.
What a treat to have both my girls home for a family event. Has not happened in several years. Nothing gives me that warm feeling of a comfortable home like when everyone is here.
Too much food, (my savory breakfast bread pudding was moist, cheesy and yes, even savory) and the Honey Baked Ham bunny, dressed like the UPS man delivered right on time. Fruit tarts, coffee cake, strawberry butter with sticky buns all washed down with Mimosas. Maybe that explains the “computer glitch”. Can’t wait to open the pool on Memorial Day.

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Hopping’ Down

06 Friday Apr 2012

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Happy Easter and the unofficial gateway to spring. Easter back in Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota (Twin Ports), started with deep prayer.”Please God, don’t let it snow cause I want to wear my new baby blue heels on Sunday”. Snow or not, we dressed up in our sherbet colors like it was 68 degrees and sunny.
I’m noticing this year that Easter seems to be squeezed into maybe a day and a half. Its Thursday and there are no signs of the holiday to be found. Even though I see lots of ads for spiral hams, no mention of Easter. So far, not one “Happy Easter”, as I shop around town. I guess with our melting pot of a nation, and political correctness, everyone is afraid to offend one group or another. It makes me sad. I feel like I’ve lost another piece of my childhood.
Planning my annual Egg Hunt for Sunday. Annual except we haven’t had one for the last 3 years. First due to moving and then the kids were not around. This year we have a full house.
Of course “the kids” are very grown up but are now unruly adults when it comes to all games. It’s surprising that with XBox and video games they still love the heritage egg hunt. It becomes very serious and competitive, with even some high jinks and cheating. My Jewish husband is the worst big kid. Tossing the other teams egg down the hill is not unheard of. The prize is a giant chocolate bunny and bragging rights for the year. Big egos.
This year @ 95448 it will be 68 degrees. My baby blue shoes will be just fine. Happy Easter to believers and kids of all ages. And April Love to everyone. (think Pat Boone)

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The Beat Goes On

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

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With the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop and background noise, I spent a great afternoon eating fresh crab a short drive from home. A beautiful ride thru the winding hills following the river. Then past the vineyards of Dry Creek to the awesome view where just around a bend the Russian River opens up into the Pacific Ocean. It never gets ho hum. Lunch with my daughter Dany doesn’t happen very often and getting her to take an entire afternoon was a real stretch. You know; the kids, the house, school, dinners, husband, shopping, blah, blah, blah. The beat goes on. Sometimes if I whine a lot it helps.
Northern California is so stunning. Even in the rain which came today by the buckets. Next week the cherry trees will bloom, the hummingbirds will return, the vines will bud, and the barbeque will get pulled out again. And the beat goes on. Spring 2012.

She’s Stylin’

21 Wednesday Mar 2012

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My youngest daughter graduated college and moved back to Northern California recently. Moving into her first post college apartment on a tight budget, she found this bed set at Target and a clearance toss pillow at Bed Bath and Beyond. I absolutely adore High-Low design, but here’s to Low-and-Low decorating as well. “She’s going to make it after all.”(Mary Tyler Moore)

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Comfy Simplicity in 95448

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

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Not a really fun day. I spent most of it struggling with this blog. Getting all this technology linked, the iPhone, iPad, and my iMac all to talk to each other is harder then dealing with 12 year old girls.
I promise I won’t bore you with my exercise accomplishments, what I’m making for dinner, or my personal horoscope.

So short and sweet today, I just got my two new mid-century chairs. I value comfort and simplicity over grand style. These chairs have both well worn comfort and straight forward style. Broken in since the 1960’s, with softened leather and some tall dark stranger’s gentle use. Sliding into one with my book, my imagination and a piece of chocolate.

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Go Green or Go Home

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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Saturday morning 6am. Up and At’em. Our St. Patrick’s Day people’s parade starts at 7 am sharp. I’m in the parade! Well along with several hundred residence. You see it started 18 years ago when 2 old timers sitting at the saloon early on St Patricks Day decided we needed a parade in town. So they became the parade. It swelled to 12 people the following year and so on. Not sanctioned by the town and no permit it’s the closest I will come to an Occupy March. The nearest to the Town Council giving its nod is the fire truck that brings up the rear protecting us from irate drivers. So meeting at the original saloon and around the Plaza and back for Irish Coffee and a deep toned, tear jerking rendition of O’Danny Boy. The parade has a kelly green tulle wearing queen with several sparkling attendants as well as kilts, bag pipes, a self imposed king and best of all the towns people. All ages from bundled up babes to old people who proudly proclaim to be part of the “Original Twelve”. (Sounds like a 60’s protest organization.) Magical fun in 95448.

New this year was the response from the weekend tourists. Having heard the swanky hotel in town was unhappy with our noise at this morning hour, they complained. Needless to say everyone sings and yells loader as we pass by. Maybe because it was a Saturday, several of the guest were out on their balconies cheering the parade on. One guy was so excite that while waving he lost control of his robe. We all got excited too! I need a knap.

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From 95448

17 Saturday Mar 2012

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Yes…I did fall off the face of the earth, however I’m sharpening my nails and clawing my way back onto our messy, troublesome, sometimes unrecognizable but beautiful planet. From Oprah’s Favorite pajamas to self imposed obscurity. A purposeful exile of sorts. Thank heaven I have Mad Men to remind me how far I’ve come.

Moving 2 years ago to Sonoma County, California, (famous for its vineyards and The Bachelor), I’m tending my new olive orchard and taking time figuring out what my 2nd, or 3rd Act is going to be. TICK TOCK.

Starting the Karen Neuburger sleepwear business when I was 40 something, that was actually my 2nd Act. Although I love my olives, my western sunset view and our rural lifestyle, I still want to “do something” implausible again. As I work through my “something” quest here in 95448, (this zip code ships more wine then any other in the US), I’ve decided to think out loud.That usually makes things clearer. In thinking out loud I’ll be writing down the irregular moments off my everyday life.

I’ve lost 12 lbs lately, only because I gained 15 eating my way thru the county’s scrumptious restaurants and farmers markets. I walk / hike almost daily. Do you have to be in the woods to be considered hiking? I shop organic-local and have become the “recycle cop”. What’s the worse sin?
All the extra water I use to rinse containers or throwing them in the garbage bin? One of my biggest challenges is getting any spot out of the laundry and I’m as in love with my Perfect Steam cycle as Richard (husband) is with the big screen TV.

Although I’m in small town USA, Pop Culture still finds me daily. My iPhone and iPad announce the trends that I “need” in my life and I admit I still want. I recently painted my sharpened but short nails Sephora’s Angel Grey, probably influenced by the must-read new novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. Holy crap! Richard, my husband, thought my grey nails came from smashing them in the car door. A pair of peach jeans, some nude shoes, an orange clutch and a new yellow sectional for the living room are now on my spring wish list. So much for the simple life in 95448.