Meow Mix Meezer, She’s Packed And Ready For Hollywood.
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Zoe has had this week off for fall break. We are planning a fun filled last few days of this vacation. Yesterday we put together our Meow Mix jingle entry for the annual contest. It had to be a 30 sec. or less submission. It had to include the infamous well known jingle. This is what I came up with lol. I hear from Howard that I should have made it an upbeat jingle. I chose to stick within my genre, whatever that is lol. Oh well, too late, I submitted it to Meow Mix. I hate always second guessing my stuff! It is what it is… If they don’t like it, they won’t chose it! Oh well. For what it’ worth, here it is…
Meow Mix Meezer
Zoe was great with Clarice. We had fun working with the cats.Twinkle wanted no part of this. We tried to get her cooperation but she is camera shy!
Zoe was great with Clarice. We had fun working with the cats.Twinkle wanted no part of this. We tried to get her cooperation but she is camera shy!
Clarice was’t into it either. She did however decide to sit still. I like the annoyed look she has on her face! She was herself…a diva!
Entertaining, My Christmas Pleasure!
Today, I’m wearing my Gram hat again. The boys are on fall break. They spent the night with us. Everyone is still sleeping here so I can steal a few minutes to enjoy my coffee and write this post. I’ve been thinking about what I want to focus on next musically. I think that I want to rearrange a few Christmas songs. In my genre…whatever that is. I talked to my Grandkids about working with me on learning a few Christmas songs for us to perform together at our big annual Christmas party. I’m hoping that all 7 can participate in my “Grammy’s choir”. We host a Christmas party for all of our family members and close friends. We decorate the house and yard for weeks lol. Because we live in AZ we are able to set up tables in the yard and eat outside. We have patio heaters and a firepit.
I know it’s early but I’m starting to plan this years “big” event. Everyone contributes something to the buffet table. The whole table is filled with food. I usually make a few hams or some Prime Rib. I make a few side dishes and bake rolls. What I really enjoy doing is the dessert table. I love to bake and make desserts! Last year I made a bunch of the miniature parfaits.
We
We migrate inside and have dessert and coffee in the living room, around the Christmas trees. We enjoy doing the white elephant gift exchange since we have so many. Everyone that wants to play brings a $10.00 gift. My Uncle Ed’s gifts were really fun and funny! He would crack us up! Sadly, he died suddenly last January. None of knew that would be the last time we would ever see him! He will be greatly missed!
I leave you with this, but of course…
The Christmas Song…
The Christmas Song…
GMA Network Philippines,Used My All Of Me Cover Video In A John Legend Segment!
Thank you GMA Network for letting me be a part of your John Legend “All Of Me ” segment. I was very touched to be the only American other than John Legend in the piece lol! I have no idea why they chose my video or, how they found it? It was buried in the ” All Of Me ” sea, at the bottom of the YouTube heap! When they found my video it had all of 5 views. It had been that way for a few months. I assumed nobody was able to view it because it wouldn’t show up in a search it was so buried. I have to say that it was really fun to see what they did with it. It’s a very small part in the segment. If you blink, your liable to miss it lol. The fun part was seeing how they used it while showcasing the many talented Asian artists. They sandwiched my video in between people singing the song in different languages! I really felt included on a global level. Wow, just wow. What fun!
My debut in the Philippines!The John Legend segment my video was used in. Click to view the YouTube link.John Legend Segment
This really made me feel as if the “World” has big ears. It was a cool feeling to know that my music reached people so far from here! The world could be and is listening! Wow, just wow! This made my day!
My cover video… All Of Me. Click on this link if you are interested in viewing the video.My All Of Me (cover video)
Thanks for sharing in my enthusiasm! Have a great day!
Embracing My Gram Title…They Call Me Gram!
Most of this week I spent wearing my “Gram” hat. I had Britt’s kids for two days while she interned at the law firm. We had a terrific time together! I had just the boys on Tuesday. I took them on my walking route to the pond. Then we bought lunch and took it to the pool. I thoroughly wore them out!
On Thursday, I had all four kids. I took them to our little pond where we had a picnic. We feasted on peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, cut apples, string cheese and kettle corn. We took my favorite dog in this world, Coco Rose.
It is still pretty hot here in the afternoon so we went on our adventure rather early.
When we got back we had some quiet time watching G-rated Halloween movies. The big boys are on fall break. They go to a year round school and have two weeks vacation in the fall! This makes it rather hard on the working parents who can’t take the time off! They have to find daycare for the two week vacation period and that can get expensive! My Zoe has this upcoming week off. I will also have the boys again on Tuesday. I suppose I will take all of these kids to a movie and then to the pool.
Thanks for letting me bore you with my life!
Warning, In Your Face Beyond Sad, A Reality Story. Read With Caution.
It was this time last year that changed my daughter forever I fear. My daughter Lexie has a three year old daughter named, Alissa. Lex and her husband were elated to find out that they were expecting twins. Lexie was thrilled to share her news with everyone! She suffered from extreme morning sickness and wound up at the hospital receiving IV fluids. Prompting an ultrasound and the discovery of the twins.
When she went to her next prenatal appointment at around 11 weeks, they told her some sad news… They suspected that one of the twins might be experiencing the effects of twin to twin syndrome. A complication that can occur in twin pregnancies. Of course Lexie was at first in shock and denial. They set her up with a neo natalogist to oversee the complication. The process was slow. Lexie was going to this Dr. weekly for ultrasounds.
Around week 14, I got a frantic call from Lex. ” Mom baby A isn’t doing so well. They tell me that the intestines and the bladder are growing on the outside.” ” Baby B was fine. Everything was normal with Baby B.
This was alarming and disturbing news. I did a lot of research about what we thought the problem could be. I became extremely encouraged that surgery could be the answer for baby A after birth.
This was alarming and disturbing news. I did a lot of research about what we thought the problem could be. I became extremely encouraged that surgery could be the answer for baby A after birth.
A few more agonizing weeks went by. I felt so bad for my daughter having the stress of knowing something was going so wrong. Baby B continued to do well! Around week 17 things took a turn. Baby B was still doing well. Lex found out that both babies were girls. She had names picked out for them so they were no longer baby A and B. Baby A became Serenity and baby B’s name, Haley. They determined that Serenity had a condition called Limb and Body Wall Complex. It was a devastating diagnosis. It was determined that she would either die in utero or soon after delivery. My poor daughter had to mourn the inevitable loss of one of her twins while continuing with her pregnancy. It took a few weeks for Lexie to come to terms with this.
Lexie saw a different specialist and it was determined that she needed to have a surgery. At one point they had her on standby to be flown to Texas for a very specialized surgery. This went on for weeks. With all of us wondering and waiting to hear when Lexie would be going to Texas. I was on stand by to watch my granddaughter Alissa. The tension and grief was mounting by the day. I would sit for hours and wonder how my daughter was actually faring through all of this rather gruesome occurence. They wanted to perform a procedure that would cut off the blood supply to the effected baby. She would then carry to term and deliver both babies. They feared that should the afflicted baby die in utero the placenta would shut down and kill the other unaffected baby.
The insurance company wouldn’t ok this surgery so it was determined they would do a different procedure in a local Phoenix hospital. By this time Lexie was nearly 22 weeks along. She was very devestated to actually authorize and have a surgery that would end the life of her twin Serenity. She was ripped and torn up about it. Tears and misery for weeks at the thought of this. The medical professionals were insisting that this was the only way to ensure the safe delivery of the other twin, Haley.
I met Lexie at the hospital for the surgery. I sat with her as they prepped her for the procedure. I was there when the Dr. spent over an hour reviewing the ultrasounds. He was very unsure how to proceed. This really put my daughter on edge. He was so unsure of himself and calling around to other Dr.s to ask advice about how to do the procedure. It became clear to us that this was something he had never done nor was he comfortable or familiar with this.
I met Lexie at the hospital for the surgery. I sat with her as they prepped her for the procedure. I was there when the Dr. spent over an hour reviewing the ultrasounds. He was very unsure how to proceed. This really put my daughter on edge. He was so unsure of himself and calling around to other Dr.s to ask advice about how to do the procedure. It became clear to us that this was something he had never done nor was he comfortable or familiar with this.
The nursing staff would come in periodically to reassure my daughter that she was doing the right thing to safely bring her healthy twin into this world. I held my daughters hand and cried with her over the impending loss of her baby Serenity. I felt so horrible that my daughter had to make a decision like this! We were told that the procedure would take about 45 min. Lexie would be mildly sedated not completely under. I sat with Alissa and Lexie’s husband Isaiah. His mother was also at the hospital. We all shared some tears but remained hopeful that this would bring a solution and a beautiful healthy baby in the remaining weeks.
We sat there for what seemed like forever. Two hours later we still had no word. I had to leave with my granddaughter Alissa to pick up my youngest daughter from school. No one was available to pick her up. I felt horrible leaving the hospital without knowing how my daughter was doing… Hours later I was updated that she was in recovery. The procedure had not gone as planned and it took several hours for baby Serenity to pass away. They monitored that heartbeat for hours… Which was agony for my Lexie… Just awful! She had to just lie there in wait for that baby to pass away. Heart wrenching!
They kept Lexie in the hospital overnight. In the morning, Lexie became ill and was having pain… She called me hysterical around 10 am to tell me that her healthy twin Haley was also passing away. I couldn’t fathom all of this morbidity. I heard the devastation and the raw emotion in her voice. They decided it best for Lexie to naturally deliver the stillborn twins..She had to endure hours of labor for a empty result. She got to hold her babies. The hospital staff were sensitive to allowing them hours to be with the babies and grieve. Because she was so far along ,the babies had death certificates with their names. They were cremated.
I had Lexie’s three year old, Alissa during this three day hospital stay. I had to keep it together for her. Secretly, I just wanted to scream and cry and shake my fist at whoever, whatever God allowed this to happen! I was so angry. So frustrated and so scared for my daughter. All these many weeks I worried about how my daughter was going to be able to withstand all of this. The morbidity, the long drawn out stress of not knowing how this pregnancy would resolve. It was awful, torturous in fact. Morbid, macabre in ever sense and, a tragic loss for my daughter! I know her, shes my kid and I feared that this would create a downward spiral for her. To leave the hospital empty handed with such a horrific experience to dwell on…it would test any one and, it did.
The surgery that claimed both twins came in October, this month of last year. Right around Halloween. In this past year, my daughter has seen and felt even more pain and suffering. Her husband was unfaithful, she is under medical treatment to overcome a pain pill addiction. Such a horrific year for her and her family. At times I’ve been wondering if I would end up raising my Granddaughter. It’s been a heck of a year for them! I sense that things are really starting to improve and stabilize for them. All of them. I’m grateful! Lexie gave me permission to tell this story. She told me that it helps her recovery to have her story told. I’m sure many others have suffered in the same way! Limb and body wall complex is devestating!
I do think that things are getting better for Lex. I hear very encouraging things. Even though this was never about me, not my tragedy…it hurt me like hell too. Omg. Even when your kids grow up, they are still your babies… You hurt for and with them! This story I will never understand or be able to really wrap my head around. It was just …. wow, OMG! This song helped me a little I guess, if anything could in some of these moments…I shared it with Lexie, she claimed it was helpful. Said she listened to it many times.
* Some things here on earth don’t make sense and will never I guess. Sure makes you question everything when you encounter such harsh realities.
I wrote the following as I was reflecting on this event right after it occured. This was my state of mind. Writing helps, I guess?
I wrote the following as I was reflecting on this event right after it occured. This was my state of mind. Writing helps, I guess?
So many things are beyond our control. Sometimes you have to just let them go. Not every lesson is for you. The hardest thing to do is to just watch and see what happens next. Remind them they matter to you. Love them all you can. A sympathetic ear, some shared wisdom, advice here and there and comfort in dark times. What else can you do? Some things in life seem so horrific it makes you wonder how they/you, will get through them. Until one day you realize that they did, you did too.
Wishing that I had what so many people do. I genuine affiliation with a structured belief. Most people have a real sense of meaningful spirituality. They have in their head a detailed in depth set of beliefs that can be applied to every aspect of life. It is all encompassing and gives them great comfort and security within themselves.
They don’t fear as much nor do they question their existence or mortality. They have so much trust. They feel as if a path has been laid out for them to follow. They feel as if a higher power is watching over them and governing the circumstances in which they find themselves. They believe with all certainty that things will never get too bad because they have a connection, an “in” so to speak with whomever they call “God”.
They don’t fear as much nor do they question their existence or mortality. They have so much trust. They feel as if a path has been laid out for them to follow. They feel as if a higher power is watching over them and governing the circumstances in which they find themselves. They believe with all certainty that things will never get too bad because they have a connection, an “in” so to speak with whomever they call “God”.
So when did I become this person? I started off with the same thinking. Even without having a structured, organized belief system imposed upon my soul. I had a sense, a hope of whom “God” is to me. Others would tell me to take off my rose colored glasses… So when did I become so full of doubt the older I get? So much of life has happened that I guess I lost my “in” with God? I’ve seen and experienced so much awful that I came to feel like no one heard me or cared. I so wanted to believe in the after world. I wanted to believe that somehow we still have a connection to, and they ability to communicate with the ones we love after this life is over. Sadly, I have seen no evidence of this. I’ve tried to study ways in which to open the door for communication and all that I have found is deafening silence! Loneliness and abandonment come to mind at times. What becomes more evident to me is the finality when this life ends. I’m not sure what is beyond this. The science of our physical bodies suggests complete closure and an end. If more exists for each one of us, it has not been shown to me. I’ve searched, I have held an open heart and mind and I will continue to do so.
What is curious to me is where we came from? We with our intricate minds and ability to fashion so much complexity! So much diversity and individualism! So very intensely intricate in every way. Infinite and infinitesimal thinking and the ability to collectively alter our way of life. Ever changing , each generation evolving into more intelligent scientific beings with endless, vast creativity and abilities. Very interesting and an awesome time to be here on planet earth. With the sharing of information so readily available the possibilities are endless. What an awesome way to expand our minds, capability and progression!
Truly confused but wanting to find hope. I think this is what I read into this…
Yet another PhD in life experience story! I’m hoping that now that I have blogged about this experience, I can put it to rest. Lexie is doing better now. I wish I could fix the world, but I can’t. I can love, be of hope and be a sounding board…thats it!
Yet another PhD in life experience story! I’m hoping that now that I have blogged about this experience, I can put it to rest. Lexie is doing better now. I wish I could fix the world, but I can’t. I can love, be of hope and be a sounding board…thats it!
*This is a pic of Alissa that I took during her 4 day stay with me while Lex was in the hospital.
B-Day Parties And Centerpieces, Life Is For Celebrating!
Looking through the pics on my iPad and I realize that I have really enjoyed celebrating people, occasions and life. I love to get creative and make get togethers and parties pretty! These are some of the pics that I ran across…
I used to really have fun with Zoe’s parties. We would pick a theme and I would decorate around that. Sadly, my youngest has outgrown theme parties…
I would make centerpieces from things that we have and misc. flowers and vases from the dollar store lol.
My friends tell me that I should become a professional party planner. I think they are just being sweet. I don’t know that I could handle the stress of bridezillas and divas lol.
Tablescapes. I love to decorate a table!
Before you know it, the holidays will be upon us again. Today,I hope to come up with some charming backyard Halloween decor. Life should be celebrated, honor those you love and cherish! My aim is to always leave a place better than I found it. Also, to hopefully help warm the hearts of the people I know and love.
I leave you with a song…
Life is hard and full of judgement! Where you live shouldn’t be!
Have a terrific day all!
Have a terrific day all!
Rubbing The Belly For Good Fortune…
As you can see, we happen to like budda. Zoe and I hung out with him and rubbed his belly for good luck. We went to a local Asian market at Mekong Plaza. I should have taken pictures. This market is huge and full of wonderful spices, meats, teas, inscense, fish. It is a beautiful place. We enjoyed dinner at the Mekong Center last Friday.
Yesterday was quiet so I took the opportunity to record a few songs on SoundCloud. Lost In The Game
Something More Than Nothing
Yesterday was quiet so I took the opportunity to record a few songs on SoundCloud. Lost In The Game
Something More Than Nothing
We had a busy weekend! I was glad that I had a chance to spend some time with daughter Delcee and her little family! I watched the kids for Delcee so that she and hubby Sam, could have an evening out together.
I made bread pudding for dessert. Korbin and Kadee are sweet little characters! Korbin told me that bread pudding reminds him of pumpkin pie. He liked it!
Today, I am hanging out with these two charming guys, Tom and Nate
Mom is interning at the law firm and these boys are on fall break. So Gram is going to hang with them today! The weather is cooling off a little so I think McDonalds and the park are on the agenda for today! Yesterday was Nate’s B-Day so I think icecream at Dairy Queen might be fun too!
Have a great day, whatever you do!
