Trick or Treat in DOHA?

BOO!

My idea of a "good for you" treat, probably turned out to be a trick on me cause we ran out in about an hour. Pebbles and Bam Bam were a hit at the party they went to I'm sure.

Where has time gone?

I am feeling homesick for my long lost three college kids. It has finally hit me that time passes sometimes faster than we know. The world turns constantly and sometimes we forget to stop and concentrate on the moment we are in, the present...

Now I have realised I did not do it enough in the past. Heck, I was busy raising 4 kids!

So Today I am looking back, which a lot of us do... Remembering "The Way It Was"... (Sounds like a movie...) I have started longing for the times when I worked for weeks on Halloween costumes, making a black widow spider that was never worn cause it looked stupid once finished. Or the all time favorite "Gorilla carrying a boy in a cage", (First place of course...) I spent all afternoon yesterday trying to find a Pebbles and Bam Bam costume for Ash and Josh who are too old for trick or treating but hate to grow up... I hate it too. I hate it more today now that I am feeling this way.

The sun rises every morning, and sets every night. We must pause... from the book, or carpool, or email, or cooking long enough to realize this day we can never get back. This dinner will never happen again while you are holding hands and praying together, you never step in a river twice even at the same spot, because it is always flowing.

Change is eternity ~ everlasting ~ ongoing.

It is obvious by looking at the pictures below.

Where are my four little babies?

Where is my young family?

What happened?

All I know is I can't wait until we are all six in the same room together again.

Miss you all terribly...

LOVE MOM

MOSES and VOLLEYBALL

I never thought I would use those two words together to describe anything.

But I have just returned from Amman Jordan for the 2008 EMAC Volleyball Tournament for ASD. Ashlynn and team were strong first place all the way up til the end, but just didn't come out on top. We took a hard second. But the boys DOMINATED all the way to First. We are proud of both teams and coaches... The parents were out in numbers, the most anyone has seen at an EMAC tournament, that is something to be proud of too. I am blessed to have been there.

I managed to take a side trip early one morning and the first to arrive out to Mt. Nebo where Moses saw the Promise Land. Can't really describe the feeling of being there, a place that is really in the bible. WOW. As I sat down alone in a small chapel to pray, I heard this shuffling from a small closet in the corner covered by a curtain, then out comes a precious 99 year old priest with a feather plume dusting off the benches and opening the windows. He was ignoring me when I asked if I could take his picture. Can you believe that?


Jordan was a very friendly place and the countryside reminded me of the south of Italy kinda Mediterranean looking. Dotted with olive trees, tall skinny cypress, rolling hills, and a wonderful cool breeze. Except it was very desolate. Almost like it still looked exactly like it was 2000 years ago. (All except the Gucci billboard on the main road to Amman.)

A city called Jeresh was an old Roman city that was better preserved than anything I have ever seen even in Rome. I had fun making the Artful Images from there.

Here is the menu we had at lunch.

YUMMMMM! I'll have the Scrotum Super Sized! (just kidding!)
Now back to Doha to get busy with Senior, Family and Christmas shoots.

Latest Greatest Groovey Cool Stuff

Mr. Jr. GQ

FUNNY

I walk the dog in the compound at 7AM without a shower or even brushing my teeth some mornings. There is this crazy friend that also is equally not fixed "up", especially in the bra department. So we see eachother at our not-so-best, should I say. I made a comment to her husband recently about seeing her walk her dog, and her puppies every morning. (I thought I was being funny.) Until one day he stayed home from work and walked with her and guess who was walking puppies, ME!

Yesterday I received a Birthday card from my sweet friend in Switzerland and I had to modify it a tad to come up with this and sent it to my friend at the Embassy. I am sure she got a good laugh.

I'm not being quiet anymore. Wasn't very good at it anyway.

Morning Silence...

Some days words aren't necessary. I have learned that living with a quiet husband. I wished I could be quiet, but it is not in my make up. Although very often I have to try and remind myself to "resist the urge to speak". Which for me is merely impossible. I wished I were better at it. Quiet people seem to have a sence of calmness I long for at times. I admire that.

Today I am going to try and listen more, speak less. I'll let you know if it works or if anybody notices...

Sixteen year old Scarecrow still hanging out!

It's that time of year again... The air has turned a bit cooler, (less than 100) and the sun sets a bit earlier. Life is still busy but for some reason there is a calming air around. Things just seem to turn one knotch slower. Autumn/Fall it is a time of reflection a time for leaves to turn, wither and flitter down and time tends to wait... Animals even seem to know. Although we don't have trees with leaves or animals, so it is hard to know when it is fall around here.

I have had this scarecrow for 16 years. YEP DEB DID IT!!! Actually I have 3, but only brought one with me. This fellow is very lucky he made the cut. He brings back thoughts of times when I had 4 little kids, living in Atascocita and really went all out on the pumpkin decor in the yard. Not so much now... I have 2 plastic pumpkins, this scarecrow and 3 mums I just bought, (that will probably last 2 more days). But hey, it is something.

I love Fall. I love this celebration of the end to summer and the excitment of Winter and the holidays on the horizon. This means I get to see my three missing children again... It can't get here soon enough... I miss them... I wish for everyone a notch slower paced lifestyle this season so we can slow down just enough to have some reflection on where we have been.

Gather a nice bowl of pears and linger around the pumpkin patch this year. You can make lots of lovely dishes with pumpkins. I am anxious to find one here.

If you can't find pumpkins, buy an orange bra at the grocery store.

That will get you in the spirit...

Happy Fall Ya'll.

Sher

Important Health Advice for Women

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Chardonnay can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Chardonnay almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had.

Stop hiding and start living, with Chardonnay.

Chardonnay may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Chardonnay. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it. Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you are whispering whenyou are not.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to tell your friends over andover again that you love them.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to think you can sing.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may lead you to believe that ex-lovers arereally dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

* The consumption of Chardonnay may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

Now Just Imagine What You Could Achieve With a Good Dry Red!!!

Practice Random Kindness & Senseless Acts of Beauty.

SMILES, Sher

Weekend Retreat

I am blessed with a wonderful handful of great friends. We call ourselves the Magnolia Jr. League. There are 6 of us. It was formed late in 2000 on the beach in Cancun Mexico, sort of... That was the summer of "Moms gone Wild", now it is more like Moms gone MILD!!!

We do alot of laughing and praying and mainly sharing our hearts with eachother, it is a very special group. Together we have 19 children, none of us has ever been divorced and we all love our husbands which these days and times is pretty amazing.

This summer we were lucky enough to share an evening in a terrific girl bonding B&B in Carmine Texas http://www.diddebdoit.blogspot.com/ at an art bodega, with my artful crazy earthy doesn't shave her pits friend Deb... With wine, women, lasagna, laughter, and maybe a little pee pee...in our pajamas no doubt... Did I mention wine? Oh and the albums were turning yes, I said albums, Take us back to the 60's, 70's and 80's - we had a DJ. This was a high class art evening... Complete with personality glasses and years of stories told and moments shared and new memories made.

Our project we were working on, was to add a bit of personality to each person's stuffed fabric replica of eachother and we would all have an art doll to take home of ourselves that had been embellished by all 6 of us... Pretty cleaver huh?

It was a great 24 hour slumber party. One of my memorable moments was when I was slightly stumped at what to add to one of them and asked myself "How do I add will do anything for anyone on this doll?"

The results were outrageously creative and a wonderful joy as a keepsake. You can't help but smile when you make one or have one. I suggest this for all groups of gals of all ages.

Don't forget your girlfriends. By all means, don't forget your girlfriends...

It's a CeLeBrAtIoN!!!!!

It's a Celebration!!! We have Birthdays and more Birthdays to "celebrate..." First of all Chris on the 29th turned, well younger than me!!! Then 2 days later my precious cute Momma turned, well 33 years older than me, then a day later Nicholas turned 24! WOW... And somewhere in the middle I think I am a year older too. The picture of Nicholas as a baby is my all time favorite, he was a beautiful baby, precious boy and handsome young man. I have carted this picture of him with the lemon, which we grew in our back yard in California with me through all our moves and it has been a part of my kitchen since I took it 22 years ago... It is sad I am so far away from him and can't make him a cake, cook him dinner, or spank him... I remember so well the day I got to hold him for the first time. His hair was parted like a little man, my mother was in the room yelling at the nurse who was trying to teach me how to hold him "Just give her the baby!"... as I was lying there with my arms streatched out and tears running down my face. My first born and only son, I celebrate you today... and always...

Happy Birthday Ya'll!!!