Off the Grid; On the Grid and big plans

Well, we survived the biggest blackout in SD history.....yes, one man alone brought down power from Yuma to Rosarito, Mexico to Palm Springs all thru San Diego and into Orange County and towards LA....never underestimate a man!

Having lived in Earthquake territory since 1980 and being evacuated twice for wildfires you would think we would be better prepared...we are usually all over preparedness but giving ourselves a C on this one. Had candles, water and flashlights, but no batteries and no smart phone with data access....I should know better!!! 'Sad News' as Dylan's kindergarten teacher would say...

Every source of communication was out, cell phone towers overwhelmed with calls, both Steve and I have emergency responsibilities at our work and it was one of the hottest days ever....I have to admit, being the week of 911 that crossed my mind as well....and once I heard from Steve and the kids and how proud I was of my kids being responsible I counted my blessings....also, I am grateful for the people that checked in on me and kept me updated to what was happening in the outside world....those people are my rocks....you all know who you are. Thank you Thank you

On the upside, saw stars from the backyard, first time in years as all the city lights were off and it was almost a full moon! None of the sirens I heard all night were for us or our family members...all the txt made me feel reassured and when the lights came on at 3:21 a.m. Steve and I collapsed in bed - a few txt later and up for the 5 a.m. office status call....

So a day of recovery and have to boil our water and throw a few things out of the fridge....communication is delayed but at least there....starting to let my mind drift off to some big plans for these thrift shop treasurers....

...hard to see but a shell of a chandelier.....

A wooden ladies cane....

wait and watch peeps!

Mini Staycation

In the past 26 years Steve and I have always been away on Labor Day....due to his accident and recovery and the dogs recovery we find ourselves at home and a rare Friday off together so we decided we would do a San Diego weekend staycation....we started the day taking the boys to school, taking the Pony in for some work and driving to my favorite area - 'OB' Ocean Beach to spend a bit of time before the crowds rolled in for the 3 day weekend....


This is the view out of one of my favorite restaurants in OB called Shades.....it is right at the base of the pier on Newport Avenue


The beach was pretty empty and the sun was shining and the waves were big....



I ordered my favorite Calamari Sandwich and Sweet Potato Fries


Steve opted for the Ham and Egg breakfast with home fries.....


Then we walked it off a bit by walking on the beach and up and down the shops on Newport Avenue

I have three must stops.....one is 'The Closet'....it is one of those beachwear cheapie places where you can find all kinds of stuff....I got a really cute pink rag sleeved overblouse thing (I am horrible at describing fashion!) for 6 bucks...picked up a few other things....next stop is Newport Antique Mall

I love the way the booths are displayed....each and everyone tells a story about beach life and bygone days...found some great unique gifts in here and got some great project ideas....

There is always this one with all the 1950's and 1960's kitchen stuff....love to look at this, and yes, have owned some of it too!

Wouldn't it be fun to have a Pink or Turquoise kitchen????

Another fave I have written about before - Vignettes - like being in a Paris Thrift Store

I loved all the jewelry and the bride and groom cake toppers....tres chic

Fascinated by the oval, round and carved frames displayed in an old fountain base....

Steve looks a little lost in this room....but I always drool over every chandelier!

After our fresh air and fun we came home, I watched old movies and Steve took a nap.....I could get used to this!!!

Flood of Memories

Since my dad has been gone I have had floods of memories....this post is dedicated to him, my mom, Auntie Gwen and Uncle Fred and my Illinois Cousins and Idaho family. My mom's family all came from Illinois. A short relocation to Phoenix is where my mom and dad met; after WWII my Uncle Jack was part of the GI Homestead Act and received land in Idaho and the family spread on there, which left my Aunt Gwen in Illinois on the first move and my mom in Arizona on the second move.....my mom and Aunt Gwen were so very very close. I loved my Aunt like a second mom. I loved my uncle and all my cousins too and our dads always made sure we had time together sometimes Arizona visits, sometimes Illinois visits and sometimes Idaho visits. Us kids would all get excited on Rt 30 to see the Stinker Station Signs and my dad would always point out this sign....it was part of Stinkers campaign (similar to Burma Shave) and very clever in that by all these rocks shaped like watermelons they put this sign up:



Pretty funny huh? Not only a good laugh but a sign we were close to seeing family. My special cousin Biz in our June visit made an attempt to 'pick' a watermelon but there was too much activity and it is now considered a no-no as it is some kind of historical site (no, I am not THAT old)....however, when I was up in August after Dad passed my sister and I made a run and we had free pickins'....I sent my cousins one (thank you USPS for your 'if you pack it we ship it' program as it weighed 28 lbs) anyway, I digress....so Steve and I drug ours home and I found a garden sign and printed the original sign and made a little watermelon garden in my back yard.



Here is a close up of my sign....

Sometimes I crack myself up!

Mini Makeover - $12.00 well spent!

Chaos is fighting hard to reign me....I keep fighting back.....Steve is a bit better, Rocky a bit better, my dad has been gone almost a month and the paperwork is winding down, work is insane, the audit continues but I have not been hit by a meteor yet and the jury is still out as to if the light at the end of the tunnel is a train......last night was a brief respite in the chaos as Kristen and I got one hour together to run a few errands and eat a fish taco and complete a full sentence in a conversation....to some of you, that may not seem like much but to me it was like a Hawaiian vaca....refreshing....its the little things. While at Home Goods she filled her basket up with loads or treasurers....I loved all the sparkling treasurers but just could not justify bringing anything home....then when I got home I took a look at my little table and it looked so sad, neglected and used (like the way I feel!)

The beaded place mat was losing its beads and had stains on it.......dismal I know.....

So today on a break I made a return trip to Home Goods and picked up a fresh new place mat (on sale marked down to $2.00) with my family room colors in it (green, paprika, gold) and this wise owl ($10.00 worth or adorableness) to contrast and to perk things up - Total $12.00

Even Steve noticed first thing!!! Maybe the tide hasn't fully turned yet; but I am treading water at least....once I get an Addie fix I will be even better!

Have you need a mini makeover lately?

Decisions, Decisions....A or B?

Because I am being 'Nurse Jacque' to these two injured souls (Rocky, soft tissue injury in his leg, paw, shoulder....Steve - torn up from motorcycle accident.....

I am sticking close to home and working on my projects.....so A - I could work on the AUDIT or B I could work on a project for BRODY....in my old days I would always do A (work) before B (pleasure), but today I got all mavericky and chose B

I stitched a new blankie for my boo.....nice chenille blanket with Mickey Mouse (his fave) satin trim.....

Later in the day, Brody and his very handsome big brother came over to show me their new haircuts - aren't they adorable?

So I gave my boo his new blankie....I think he likes it!!

Boo hoo for me....A (Audit) will be first on my tasks tomorrow.....

The fog of August.....

The fog of August 2011 continues to haunt me....my dads passing and the aftermath, caring for my mom keeping her up and going, all the paperwork that needs to be dealt with a 'love letter' (not) from the IRS that requires so much research and now my dog won't use his leg and had to go to the vet $$$ but Thankfully no broken bones....it is August 24th and I feel I have been in a fog since that phone call August 2nd.....I am in a weakened state and life seems surreal....and it seems every day brings yet more challenges....



Yesterday after taking my mom and brother to the airport and before the Tax meeting I drove by my fave Thrift shop then I turned around and thought if I went in to browse maybe I would perk up a bit.....I did score these treasurers:


Some awesome pet steps that retail at $59.99 at Petco and are brand new, two felt blankets to wrap and store some furniture, an adorable Turkey to add to the collection, a Fisher Price Nurses Kit, a talking storage box and the major score of about 1500 pcs of legos for my boys. The other stuff was included in the mix but I have no use for it and will redonate it next pickup. Found all this for $31.00!!!


I scrubbed everyone of those tiny legos in hot water and then air dried them and put them in a plastic tub and took them over to my boys to play with.

Later in the night I got a txt from Kristen that they had fun, played and were happy and even cleaned them up when they were done....that did make me smile...and smiles are few and far between these days!

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.....

Will life ever be the same?

Roy Brown 'PaPa' Augen, 91, a long time resident of Phoenix, Arizona and recently of Nampa, Idaho passed away peacefully August 2, 2011. Roy was born March 1, 1920 in Daylight, Tennessee to Lilly Paris and George Auten. He stayed in Tennessee until he joined and proudly served in the U.S. Army during WWII with tours in Japan, Italy and the Philippines. After the war he met and married the love of his life, Honey Lou Alexander. They made their home in Phoenix, working together in the family store and raising their 3 children. He stayed in the meat industry until his retirement. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, boating and fishing. His Southern charm, wit, humorous storytelling and kind heart were treasured by all who knew him. He was famous for making great malts for his grandkids and savory steaks for all his friends. He loved grocery shopping, card playing as well as an interest in the Stock market. He also loved dancing to Lawrence Welk on TV and to challenge himself to Jeopardy trivia. During Roy's illness he was given wonderful care by Vicky Sosa, Debbie Miles and St. Luke's Hospice which allowed him to be at home. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Honey Lou, loving children Deborah Roetto of Nampa, Jacque Wilson (Steve) of San Diego, Roy Jr of Phoenix, five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, three sister-in-laws and numerous nieces and nephews. Per his request a memorial service will be held at a later date. The family kindly requests that no flowers be sent and that memorials in his name be given to St. Luke's Hospice or your favorite charity.