ColliesHorsesArtLove

The Day I Was Born

I remember it well. I was in the cafeteria of my junior high with my soon to be new best friend Mary. The juke box was playing songs and we were all sitting around a big round table. I don't know what I was doing, but probably more than likely trying not to be noticed. I was very afraid and painfully shy and caferteria gatherings of any reason were one of the worst parts of the day. Besides gym class, it meant you couldn't hide behind a book or project and most kids were either very mean, or very social or sometimes both. These traits in my co-eds  I thought were just awful things to deal with. So, to be in the cafeteria every day, for morning break, then lunch, then again for an afteroon break, I tried to avoid it at all costs. In fact many times I hid over by the girls gym and ate my lunch alone. This went on all thru jr high and then high school.

This particular morning was the same as the morning before. Lots of flingin' kids, music on the juke box (I listened to Elvis Presley & Tom Jones and couldn't have told you who was popular at the time, that May in 1974.) Mary was sitting next to me and I had no idea what was about to happen next. At the very first piano note of the next song Mary flung herself into the huge flatness of that cafeteria table hugging it with all her might and cried. She SOBBED really. Real big Mary tears. She had thick beautiful wavy brown hair and she was beneath it in a heap. I suddenly loved her. But, really, what was wrong with Mary??? I had never seen this behavior before, and not for much of anything this intense. I wasn't familiar with the song but listened intently. I also watched Mary's every move. She cried, she flung, she exclaimed her love for Elton which I finally understood was singing (Harmony), then she exclaimed even a bigger love for Nigel. "Who's Nigel??" I asked her while she sobbed. She then told me all about Elton and "Yellow Brick Road" and the Hollywood Bowl and his glasses and boas. And Nigel. Nigel is all his seemingly Native American Indian Good Looks. This went on thru the whole song and when it was over, she told me E.J. was coming to the Inglewood Forum (with Nigel of course) that Oct. 6th and did I want to go with her. This was the invite of the century. Since I really had no friends because I was so scared I also had just turned 14 and this was huge. It didn't matter that the last 6 months were spent doing very unkid-like things ~ I was invited to go to a concert with Mary and fling and cry and exclaim my love for someone I would probably never meet (I did) and probably never marry (I didn't). This all sounded like BLISS. Like truly, the beginning of my life. And, Mary was the reason for my birth that day. And Harmony.

Our school year was almost over, so I had a whole summer to listen to Elton's music and be prepared for the frenzy of craziness ahead. For the first time in my life I felt like I was witnessing TRUE PASSION. I wanted to feel like Mary for something as simple as a song, or I think, ultimately, an idea. It was like a religion, but better. Mary glowed. Mary was creative, fun, wild and full of passion. This is how I wanted to live my life. This was my blueprint for passion. This was the day I was born.

I think back on that day so many times and today was no different, but today I wanted to put it into words. Crazy 14 yr olds, but it's a feeling that has gone with me since that day. The passion in relationships, good or bad, the passion for a beautifully bred collie, or riding a 50 miler in the Mountains of My Soul. What a grand life we can all live and it's up to us to feel the passion for our lives. We have a short time here on earth and I think it's up to us to feel excitement for every day and blessed for all that we have and what we can give to others and it might be as simple as a friend showing another friend how to feel. Thanks Mary. I will always love you for that.

Happy Birthday Mom ~ Where Ever You Are ~

My mom would have been 89 years old today. That is so weird to me as she's been gone over 1/2 my life. I know she didn't want to stay around, that she was tired and unhappy with a few things with being on this earth. I just don't think she had the energy to deal with it anymore.

She was so kind and would do anything for anyone. She had a huge heart and great sense of humor. The funny thing about this photo is my dad is goofing off in this. THAT almost never happened in photos (or life). He was a very serious man and everything was serious. I think she had to make up for it by being so lighthearted. I am really laughing too....I loved that dress.

My cousin Karen had just sent me this photo of mom last week. She dressed up like this for Halloween then got in her convertible and drove thru Hollywood to her sister's house (Aunty June) to scare the twins (Karen & Gail). Karen said they didn't know who she was and were quite afraid!! I remember she loved to shock people but her family was on the top of the list to freak out. I think it was some passive-aggressive/raised too sheltered life type of behavior and got over that scenario, but I always enjoyed that about her. She didn't like to hurt people's feelings but at the same time she didn't take stuff personally. She also loved unconditionally.

I took ballet when I was young and at some point we both decided to take tap classes together. So, we went to Capezio's off of Hollywood & Vine to get our tap shoes. Of course they go in the box til you get home right? Not my mom. She wore hers out and tapped down the street singing all the way to the car. But she had to make a detour down Hollywood Blvd before turning around. I was so embarrassed!!!! I was about 16. I do have to say I was unusual for my age as I did think my mom was very cool to hang around and we did a lot of things together. We went to quite a few Elton John concerts (18 for me) and other artists. She was my best friend. I suppose I suspected she was going to die young, so spending time with her was very important. Like Pierre, I had a sense.

Happy Birthday Mom!! I love and miss you so much!!!

Free Hugs In Sondrio, Italy

I love this. Worth it all the way to the end to read the quote.

Thanks for sharing Martha.

Love Diana

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=hN8CKwdosjE

A Romantic Dinner Out In Our Little Town

My honey and I went into Auburn last night for a very nice and romantic dinner at the Bootleggers in Auburn. I've been cooking a lot and any dinners out have been pretty casual. I love this restaurant because you can dress up or go very casual and it all is good. We dressed up. T always looks so handsome when he dresses up. Yummy & smells good. In the restaurant is a piano, so if you're inside you can listen to music that people of our age will remember. Outside next door is a Mexican restaurant and apparently on the weekends they have a live band, so you get to hear their music very loud. A two for one. That is good too. We picked inside.  

Anyway, last night we had a perfect table, right next to a Remington bronze of a cowboy and horse and in front of the piano. The woman who was playing looked like she was someone's Jr. High School music teacher when she was younger. She was probably retired, maybe her husband had passed on. So sweet. Kinda reminded me of my grandma, if my grandma was sweet. (Let me just say my grandma didn't take any crap from anyone.) I took this photo when she was on break because I love the fact that someone saw a spot for a framed painting and put it in that spot. It overlaps part of the window and is smashed into the corner. It's so.....old town......clutzty enough that I love this place. I guess I need to research the history on the building because it's gotta be pretty old and and have a lot of interesting stories. Anyway, if you're ever in Auburn, it's a wonderful place to eat. Great service, food and ambience!!! And pictures hung in creative ways. What isn't to like about that???

I Am SOOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lee DeWyze wins American Idol!!!

LOVE him and I also LOVED Crystal Bowersox, but there was something about him that made me want him to win a smidge more. I loved everything Lee sang, but had to rewind his version of "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen 4 times the night I heard it. It was nothing short of beautiful.

Another season done. Not sure I'll watch next season. The first one I watched was last year ~ just seemed like too much of a television commitment. Then I saw Adam Lambert sing Johnny's Cash's "Ring of Fire" and I was addicted to him and his incredible genius. This year, Lee and Crystal stood out for me from the very beginning, so it seemed a little like a no-brainer that either one should win (but then look who won last year.....).

Anyway, what a great night for a 24 yr. old paint salesman from Chicago. And, I think Crystal will have no trouble in her career either. She is just amazing. I hope she never fixes her teeth ~ it makes her more beautiful and real and says a lot about her individuality. She didn't throw it in your face (or my face) the way some other contestants did. Funna, funna, funna. I guess it's back to reading books on Tues & Weds evenings!

The Roxy Tapes, High Desert Friends & Winds & a Major Reserve....

What a fun trip in a Major RESERVE kind of way........one of my friends thought I was ignoring her at the shows because I hadn't posted her comment yet but she didn't seem to understand I was without a computer for 5 days. In all reality, I didn't think about my Mac that much, but did think about my blog. 

I love driving, and since my two most suited vocations in High School was either being a ballet dancer or truck driver (seriously), being in my car going on a road trip with my dogs is high on my list of most fun things to do. This particular trip was to finally listen to The Roxy Tapes that my Springsteen friend Candy made for me. I wanted to listen to them as uninterrupted as possible because I knew it was going to be a very long event.

I was 18 when I saw Bruce there. I had just seen him (for the umpteenth time) at the Inglewood Forum the night before and my mom woke me up early to let me know tickets were going on sale for him to do a special performance at the Roxy. The Roxy, for anyone who doesn't know how big it is, is about the size of our guest house. I had to get tickets or I would die. My mom dropped me and my little mixed dog "Mischa" off in front of the Roxy on the Sunset Strip that morning in July to wait in line for tickets. (That was a super long sentence!) I befriend Candy and we waited for the ticket window to open up. We were about 25 people back in line and it was a no-brainer that we were going to get in. Well, the window opened up, we moved about 3 1/2 inches and the tickets were sold out. A group of us got together and went to KMET Radio to complain on air about the injustice of our tickets we felt were sold to a bunch of scalpers and not to the real fans standing in line. I was a basket case, emotionally drained and felt my life might end soon. The next day as I lay in bed trying to keep from suffocating myself, KMET called and told my mom they had 2 tickets for me. It was by far the most exciting news I had ever received and off I was with some girl I hardly knew from high school, met up with Candy, and the rest is history. (BTW, I bet that's me standing way off to the right of the top photo.)

In listening to the tapes (that by the way took me nearly to Bakersfield ~ which is about 4 1/2 hours from my house....how long I remember the actual concert) I found myself thrown back 32 years to a time when my mom was still alive and life just revolved around how I was going to marry The Boss. Simple, yet desperate. I choked up sobbing so many times listening to these tapes, remembering ever single last word he said, every note, every song. AND, tragically I was even annoyed with myself as I was the one with the blood curdling scream before and after every song. (Sooorrrrryyyyyyy everyone......) Candy & I were only about one tiny cocktail table away from Bruce and I do remember I got burned with someone's cigarette during the final encore only because I saw the wound the next day. What a blast. Life at 18 and within sweat droplets of Bruce. I was so mezmerized with the tapes I missed my "half-way point" gas stop, (Harris Ranch). I was sure someone leveled the whole exit because I NEVER saw it. Anyway, thank you Candy for the tapes. And thank God there were other gas stations.

Once I got to Los Angeles, I was on to my house to see my bigbabybouncingbrotherbrian and the house & property I love so much.

Here is my house all fixed up. We originally had two huge pine trees in the front that had to come down, so it looks a little bare in the front, but I still love it.

Here is a pine tree Pierre and I planted and watered with our laundry water. Since our well was dry and we had to get our water shipped we used every ounce of water we could. Licky Licky's in the background. Better take a good look because somehow she didn't get photographed on this trip.

Here is part of the backyard. Getting kinda fluffy.....oh, Licky Licky again.

2 of our 3 chicken houses we had. Pierre made them. The lattice work wall to the left was our "nursery" for baby chicks.....aaaawwwwwwhhhhhhhhh.......   

The pellet stove in the house. Brian says it's better than a TV. I agree!!!

Brian and I went to dinner at my most favorite Mexican restaurant in town and then I was off to beddie because the Punkettes and I had to get up at zero-dark-thirty to get to the dog show. I met up with Julie & we caravanned to the show. It was absolutely gorgeous there that morning, though later in the day, the desert winds came up, which lasted thru the next day. I LOVE the desert, but not always love the wind. We don't really have wind where we live now and I gotta say I don't miss it. Soleil's coat was starting to look a little funky after hours of having the moisture sucked out of it.

Soleil & Ty waiting to get groomed.

Aerial view in case you all were interested.  

Fluffy Cory getting fluffed up. 

Handsome Cory....nice ears....did I teach Julie how to do them????

Cory re-doing the groom job.

Another aerial view.....I don't know why this makes me laugh so hard!!     

Ty on the table. What a good boy!

Fluffy Squishyness!

Here's Squishy in the Bred-By class. He did really well for the first specialty in the morning. The judge was Betty Abbott. He kept his ears up most of the time and for the most part didn't mind her going over him. He got third out of 5 boys. Cory got 4th. I don't know what's the matter with my face...

This was about the extent of Squishy's uneasiness. Cory's behind. He's solid as a rock.

At the second specialty the same day, Ty did not want the judge to go over him, so even though he showed pretty well, he had had enough. He still placed 3rd in the class, but was done with judges.

The dog behind Ty is Gayle Kaye's male who finished that day.

Cory

Cory with the judge.

Thanks to Geri & Karen who took these pictures. What would we have done without them???? No good blog post!!!

Here is Soleil's fluffy butt and June Bug's hairless body. She got the Punky gene for coat. I really love all four of these puppies for different reasons. June needs about 3 more years and probably a litter to be ready to win, but I could be wrong. She really reminds me of Kaia in the photo. Same no coat, nice outline and no stop.

Soleil did well over-all at all the shows. She was always being looked at, but no points. Betty Abbott gave her 2nd out of a beautiful Bred-By class of 7. The second specialty was judged by Randall Sheets. He put her in front right away, looking at her blue eye, then at the last second switched her to second. I was told by a friend who spoke with him later that he just loved her but that the standard didn't allow for a blue eye on a sable, so he just couldn't do it. Wimp.

What fluffy cuteness!!!!!

Soleil showed quite well all weekend, though we had moments of barking when she thought she could get away with it (like when the judges were making their final decision for Winners Bitch...). 

On Saturday, I showed her under Bill Shelton who gave her the class right away, the took FOREVER to decide his winners. I walked away with nothing, but then his RWB told me he told her "I really liked that Bred-By bitch also".....good to know......I suppose.....in a I Won Nothing Kind of Way....

Yesterday we showed under Mrs. Kimberly Meredith-Cavanna. She also gave Soleil the Bred-By class quickly, then Soleil ended up with a Major Reserve. (She was Reserve Queen for A Day last year at the same shows at 6 months old.) The judge was a kick because when she went over her she said "Oh 'Crown Royale' I love that!" I said something about I didn't have any foreign substance on her and then laughed. She then mentioned how great the coats feel with it. After I got my purple & white ribbon I waited at ringside for a picture and I could hear her exclaimed how beautiful Soleil was as we stood outside the ring. Later when we were taking pictures I asked her what the defining reason was to get RWB. I rarely ask, but with her, I'm more interested in the blue-eyed situation. I asked her if that was the reason and she said "Oh God no!". So, I'd show Soleil under her again.

Over-all, I was pretty happy with Soleil's competitiveness, because the classes were big and the bitches she got beat by were very, very pretty in different ways than Soleil. So her time will come. I also showed Tirzah at both of the specialties and she didn't do anything. Poor Licky Licky.                 

After the last show and also spending some quality time with my OES friend Marilyn (who won a Group 2 yesterday), I was off to Ross Dress for Less and picked up another VERY PINK show outfit for $19.99. I love that place.

I then went on to Corona to pick up some frozen Green Tripe and stay the night with Jody, her daughter Kaila and new boyfriend Scott.

Here is a picture of them.

Isn't it horrible??? They said I was shaking my hands every time I took a picture. I think because I was laughing so hard every time they said something. It wasn't the margaritas. They were just frickin' hilarious! On the way back to their house, some stuff spewed from my mouth that still has me laughing and I have to say, Scott was laughing so hard still the next morning. He asked me if I wanted to hear his favorite quotes from the night before that I said. Maybe it was the margaritas.....Great time. They're invited to the national. I need a cheering section for when I show Cole & Tirzah in specials. Love you guys!!!! 

The post continues........

WHEN I was almost home, T called me to tell me someone had ripped off my rear wiper and a reflector off of my Saturn. We were both very disturbed by it all. Who would drive up to our house and do such a thing????? Then T noticed horsey shit in our driveway. Someone (Ali'i probably) let everyone (except Aura) out of the 20 acres they live on, to play with my car.

Ok, I can see them playing with this...I mean, not really, but at least it's muzzle height.

But, who reached all the way down here and took off my reflector???? HOW did they do it and WHERE did it go???? Jerks. Sounds like someone needs to go for a REALLY long ride tomorrow!!!  

I got over the trauma to my Saturn when I looked over and saw my honey walking on the property with his pets. How darling is this?? He MISSED me!!!

You can tell Parker isn't a Herding dog...he could care less about them. That doesn't happen with the collies. 

So, I'm back at the ranch til I leave again shortly for the CCA.

Nighty night!!!  

I'm Speechless

America Votes Mediocrity

Adam......

Takes my breath away.........

This Is A No-Brainer....

Adam Lambert is THE AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!

I haven't really watched this show much before, but I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with the talent of the final contestants. And, I really hate sitting in front of the TV, getting all wrapped up in a show when I feel like I should be de-furring my garage, but I know I'm watching history. The guy is a true genius in my book. He's got everything needed to be an American Idol. Good looks, incredible voice with a ton of range, charisma (my long lost Springsteen friend Candy and I have decided he's been fathered by Elvis), innovative in EVERY way, confident and humble. I love what he does with his songs every week and I guess I really didn't start watching the show until I saw him do his version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". I'd see this guy in concert and my concert days have been over for a long time. Even Bruce or Elton can't get me to go again. Adam has true star power. I'd hate to be those other contestants. They probably sit back stage and say "I have to follow Adam tonight..........." It'd be like racing with Secretariat....what's the point? You know you're going to get beat no matter how wonderful you are.