OH BABY, BABY
Baby shower for Alexis and Auggie's Baby E today…

SEND ME ON MY WAY
What was it - three years ago - I think… Chrissy and I went an made arrangements for Glo's funeral - per her request. The last few days, we've been on the phone picking readings and songs for today.  Thank goodness for YouTube and speaker phones.  They called yesterday and asked about flowers which I completely forgot about… I mean this is over a month later and there was no viewing so I didn't even think about it. Besides, she actually hated flowers but I remembered that we still had an artificial arrangement from my Mother's funeral (yeah - 22 years ago) tucked away in a closet and it matched the urn. The frame I had for her pic didn't work so in the wee hours of the morn I was running around the house taking pics out to find something that worked.
 
St Edwards got really modern since the last time I was there…

They had this funky statue I want…

It rained the entire way from the church to the cemetery… we got stopped by a bunch of turkeys which I like since Glo always did Thanksgiving back in the day.

It pretty much rained the entire ride to the restaurant too - like major rain… I think it stopped just as we all pulled in. We had a nice lunch at Monte Cello's.

On the way back we stopped for  raffle tickets in Cherry City. I remember my mother always stopping for the car raffle when we would go to Ross Park Mall.

It was a good send off. See you later, Glo.

WHAT A DOLL
I haven't found a place for these ladies yet… I think the pumpkin girls may be talking behind the witch's back.

This is my one and only white pumpkin doll. I bought her at Catan's of all places and she is super beautiful.  I debated on getting her because I have so much stuff but now she is one of my all time favorites.

LOL-ING

I was trying to find some Glo pics and came across this from her 80th birthday. I have no idea what was going on here. If you make it big you can see that literally every person in this photo is cracking up. ;-)

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
I have to work on our normal friday funday so I was off today. Chrissy and I went to a few stores in Tarentum and places out that way. We were coming back and saw this???  I don't know if it was a drill of some sort or a real life helicopter rescue. There was a rope hanging from the helicopter going into the woods.

SWIMMING IN QUICKSAND
I always said that would be the title of my autobiography… it was really based on our whole infertility journey but it rings true now. Alternate title would have to be CONSUMED IN PAPERS.  This is just one stack of  magazines and catalogs I haven't looked at.  Ridic.

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE
Ladies and Gentleman… I am under 50,000 emails!!

I am trying to get this under control but it is taking way longer than I thought. There is just not enough time in the day. I do not know what is going on with my phone. I'm not getting texts. I'm missing emails… I am so not computer savvy. This whole safari thing and the operating system - which one is that?  Are they the same thing? I'm so, so, so confused. Nothing will open… I can't pay my bills… does this mean I need a new computer? I'm an idiot with all of this.
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SWEET SATURDAY
Cara and I went out to order cake and cookies for Glo's funeral.  We passed this place which caught my attention - being a pelo lover and all.

It was a restaurant that closed down but it turns out it was a place we went to many, many years ago. It used to be a crafters gallery with different vendors in it.

We went to the cheesecake factory for lunch after.  I haven't been there in awhile. It wasn't as good as I remember.  I'm not the biggest cheesecake fan but I still forced a couple bites of my usual chocolate mouse cheesecake since it's one of the few I can manage to eat. I really think the best thing there was the iced tea.

CARNIVAL TODAY
These Oriental Trading things are cute and all but they take forever to put together.. We gave up on the ticket booth!

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SHUDDER TO THINK
I was off today so I had to go check some things out for Glo's funeral… I was out in the North Hills mostly and while I was out I swear I saw a ton of these white trucks. Can you imagine being run down by one of them like in Nice, France?

Anyway, I got a lot of stuff accomplished today but it's still really hard to believe that there's a world without Aunt Gloria in it.

WINNER WINNER DEAD HUMMINGBIRD DINNER
My boss and I spent the day selling tickets for the Benevolent Fund at St Margaret's Hospital.

I went into the bathroom and saw they had these foam hand sanitizer things…  We became aware of them when we walked into the hospital at Norfolk and they were on the doors and they sprayed all over us. We ended up buying them and their holder for Dixon House. I totally forgot about them until now. ;-

Side note - I haven't done this in awhile. Remember my fascination with dead things? When we got back to the office we were walking in and came across this dead hummingbird. I haven't looked up the symbolism of that yet. Not sure I want to. Rest in peace little bird. I wanted to pick you up and kiss you but realized that would have been gross so I didn't.

PLAYING IN THE DIRT
I bought a few things for the fairy garden…

A rusty scooter ( I may paint it) and a metal bucket and a red wagon and a rosebud trellis.

I also got a few friends… meet dragonfly, ladybug and, my fave, hedgehog.

Every fairy and pug fairy should have a hedgehog as a pet. It's mandatory.

OUT AND ABOUT
Cara and I went to some church sale yesterday in Greensburg. It must have started during the week because everything was already half off.  I got a dancing Chicken Little and a crewel painting and a butter bell, among other things.

We saw some signs for the Crabtree firework festival so we messed around and did some shopping and were one of the first ones there…all the booths weren't even set up yet.

I love little town festivals. We didn't stay for the fireworks but we did have a funnel cake.

and then found out that the pot of gold is, in fact, located at Target.

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JUST IN CASE
Had to send this to Ted…

TABLE FOR 4

We went to Johnny's tonight. Cousin Roxanne was in from Chicago and she was singing there as she often does when she's in town.

I dream about this chicken…

Pistachio cake… prettier than it tasted. Get the coconut cream pie.

OH, NORFOLK
You know, I realized that I never really talked about Norfolk on here. I need to get to that. I'm starting to forget things.  They may not be important now but one day (if I want to look back) I'll use this as my record. I tried to find a pic that would sum up our time there and it proved to be a little difficult. For now, this will have to do. We will get back to Norfolk memories a little later.

DON'T BE A PRICK
We made these felt cactus plants for a work craft. Aren't they just the cutest?

I added some little faux prickly yarn bits to mine.

We are some crafty girls. Love.
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CARMELLA CAPON

This is my chicken for the time being until I get a real one.

Carmella's wish list.

I THINK ABOUT THAT BOOTH
There was a  house on Florida Avenue in Mt lebanon that we looked at. It was small and I think it had a shared driveway. Honestly, I can't remember too much. It was close to 19 and Rolliers. It was a nice house. I remember it had pocket doors and a booth. I loved that booth. I can't remember the address. I tried to google map it but my efforts failed. I thought I'd might be able to see a sale listing that had a photo of it, though maybe it's been removed or re-done in some way.  I'll have to drive by next time I'm out that way.   I've had dreams of knocking on the door and telling the owners I wanted to buy the house.  Anyway, I know that booth does not look like it does in my mind but I think about that booth all the time.  I think about how I would have decorated it. Right now, I'm thinking all of my (many) Tascha Parkinson pug prints, probably in black IKEA frames, would be all around with a few scattered (other) pug items. I would sit there and make my grocery list and work on projects.

I think about that booth…

…all the time.

C-VILLE BOUND
The Murphy's are in one of my favorite places, Charlottesville, for a wedding. I'm so glad she has a smart phone now… she's been sending me real time pics - I feel like I'm there! I love that she knows that I like the photos that everyone forgets about  - like the reaction from the parents of the bride to the newly married couple's entrance. You go, Chrissy. You have come so far from your little flip (dumb) phone.

DRIVE IN DRIVE OUT
I would go back and forth to Dixon House to get mail and pack things up. I would see a bottle of cabernet sauvignon missing or lip gloss on a wine glass in the dishwasher from time to time.

My old neighbor used to be able to see right into our kitchen from her third floor window. I didn't know this when we were living there but found out some time later. God only knows what she saw all those years!  Anyway, she would tell me when there were visitors - even though I never asked her to.

I remember the first time I got a text message or was it an email from her with a photo of a black SUV… I saw the fire dancer on the window and immediately put the pieces of the puzzle together. Sheri!  I'd hear about a car pulling into the driveway and someone getting out and into another car and my neighbor would laugh at the chivalry of it all - opening doors, etc… I even witnessed a return once - seeing them on their way back from jury duty as I, with mail and some freshly loaded boxes, was headed in the other direction.

It's all kind of sadly funny now.

In honor of the DMB concert I thought I would share this little part of my life.

I had to laugh when I saw this car recently… Certainly not discreet, to say the least. ;-)

ANGELS BE WITH YOU

My boss and I went to see The Angel Ladies at her babysitter's house tonight… I arrived skeptical, mostly because no one came to us at LilyDale. ;-)  I still don't know what to think, though there were things that they just couldn't have known. I questioned whether they had our names beforehand because I am pretty google-able. They did not.

If you aren't familiar with them here is a video from 2009. They came in dressed alike - all in blue - so I guess they always dress the same. I liked them both but I was connected to the one on the right more. I walked in and the first thing she said was there are 2 - no 3 babies. 2 girls and a boy (which is correct) Your grandma is with them. The other one said there was something by my feet  - rose - a dog energy swirling around. Said there's another one here… Whaaaaat? Seriously.

They said there's a mom who said she loves me - said she doesn't understand - said she's grabbing him by the ears - what did he do?  There's another one doing the same thing. Asked if I knew a patrick or a pat - I said no but now that I think about it… pat jameson… dad's pat… chrissy calls michael patty??? I can find the connection somewhere but why that name??  It was all mum coming through the most from the very beginning. I mentioned nothing about a divorce. Said there was a Helen watching me - the ladies asked if I knew a paula??? Said Mum said paula loves me.  Said mum asked about the house said there is something behind the paneling!? Is that Dixon House or Dad's house??

They brought up aunt gloria - said her name - said I led her to the light. She told them I held her hand. I have about 50 pictures of our hands entwined from those last two days that nobody knows about - right up until her last breath. She asked if I had the (christmas) box - the only thing I can relate that to is while her body was still there I packed up all her holiday decorations that were on her window sill while waiting for the undertaker… I'm back posting so none of that was on here before tonight.

I finally told them that my mother was dead… the one then said she didn't know why she wasn't coming through but my mother-in-law was so much…. then, boom, said there she is (figuratively hiding on a cloud) - that was a little fishy… then the other one said that's the grandma - it's not your grandma with the babies it's her and she's with your mother-in-law. Ok - nice thought.

They questioned the railroad - I didn't know what they were talking about with that???

Also talked about a playground or park near a house… not sure about that either.

Said I'm with two girls… chrissy and cara???

Said my mother came through and said my dad is difficult. She's sorry I have to be there. They didn't know I lived with him. Make him take his medicine - he forgets. Any middle age daughter that is living with her dad would probably be taking care of him, right??

When they later found out I was italian the one on the left started talking about the 7 fishes which wasn't that relevant to me current day so I questioned that. Talked about parties. Ok - comes with the territory with a big italian family???

They talked about a Marie and a Frank… I have an aunt and uncle by those names which, in my opinion, may have been there waiting for Glo… that's a possibility.

Talked about 5 sisters on my dad's side - asked if he had 5 sisters???  Started saying names…
Jo
Theresa
Mary
My grandmother's name is Josephine (so is my mother's name) and my grandma had sisters named Theresa, Mary, Philomena, Lucy. How would they know that? Said they said I still have a baby face and look like my dad. Yes.

I don't know about all of this. I'm confused. I was exhausted after it. I don't know how they can do it - if all these people are popping in to visit they have to be exhausted dealing with everyone. I think they definitely work off of your reactions and build the story with what is expected. I do think they are on to something, though. There were things that they just couldn't have known for the four of us that were there.

I don't know…

I don't know.

DON'T STOP BELIEVING
A family member asked if we would take her mom to her church (for possibly the last time.) We gathered some others and went on a field trip…

It was such a pretty church. I felt like I was at The Phantom of The Opera with this chandelier!

We met the resident's family and everyone had a nice day.  We were very welcomed by everyone involved.

THIS OLD HOUSE
I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of the cobblestone on Dixon Ave. I hear it often when I see something or remember something. There are three houses on the street for sale.

There must have been a showing when we went by last night… The blinds were finally straightened and the curtains were open. I loved the curtains open… I miss the light.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…
Someone go get my "dog mom of the year" trophy engraved… Lily had an appointment today for her shots and lyme test. It was late so The Dad came with me for the ride and to stay in the car so I could go in and get baby reubens from Bado's without leaving her in the car herself. Anyway, we pulled up at the vet's office and Lily was her usual self - barking and causing a fuss. I go to pick her up and get her out of the car and her ear is visibly leaking yuck.  I bring her in and the tech gets her and comes out and was like do you know she has a severe ear infection?!?  HOW DID I MISS THIS? The pup sleeps with me/on me every night and I didn't notice this?!  I know I've been distracted but come on.  They had to pack her ear(s) with antibiotic because it was so bad.  I suck.

Shout out to Dr. Mann's truck.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

Happy Fourth of July!

RED, WHITE AND PUG
I'm surprisingly ready for today. Kind of weird with how things have been going.

Table is ready…

I really like my $1.99 eagle I got at Goodwill.

And my $10.00 old plastic Uncle Sam bank I got the other day on our travels.

I don't care if it's hot we are all going outside and having coke floats and smores and liking it.

Did I just say that out loud? ;-)

Oh, Lily Bud. You are just the cutest.

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