THE FAMILY BIRTHDAY PARTY

After 21 years of celebrating 8 grandkids birthdays the party becomes routine. Except for the 2 youngest there are no longer hats and balloons at these parties, actually there are no presents either. They don't want clothes you pick out and the toys, all electronics, are too expensive so cash is the way to go.

The party becomes an excuse to get together with your busy family, eat a good dinner and make a fuss over the birthday girl or boy. Pass out the cards which instantly get tossed aside and the cash goes in the pocket.

Yesterday had 2 honorees. Amanda turned 18 on the 26th and Kevin turned 14 on the 29th. So for the last 14 years they have shared a party. Last year after the traditional Happy Birthday Song, Kevin blew out all the candles causing Amanda to squeal "It's My Birthday Too. " This year she perched on the edge of her seat and at the perfect moment as the last note hit the wrong key (most are not singers in this family) she let out one big blow and all the candles were out leaving a bewildered look on Kevin's face and pure delight on Amanda's. Miss Amanda has learned living with 4 brothers you sit in wait, forget nothing and pay back when least expected. That's my girl.

The thought then comes to mind, how important is it to be recognized on your birthday as the one and only honoree? I have never had to share my day with anyone I know. Of course there are many people in the world born on June 10th but in my circle, it's only me. I like it that way. It is only me. What about the twins. Anthony and Nick never knew anything but sharing their day with each other and then when Andrew came along, the youngest grandkid from a different family, one day after the twins it was only practical to combine all 3 with one big dinner, one big cake but Happy Birthday to Anthony, Nick and Andrew. What's that all about? No special day? Or is it the actual day that counts? Not the party day? We all have a right to feel special at least one day a year. Maybe it is up to our loved ones to make sure we get that day, or maybe it is totally up to us. If we can't make ourself feel special no one else can. If you share your day with another, make up a special day in your own mind to be special. no one but you has to know. Maybe.

EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING

Sunday morning has always been my favorite time of the week. Of course now that I am retired most of my mornings can be spent like Sunday watching the Today show, Oprah and the View but something is different.

The Sunday routine slightly changes over the years, like taking the dog out in the freezing snow before coffee or doing the crossword on the computer instead of the newspaper but the basics are still the same. Hot coffee, staying in pjs until noon or after, watching Meet the Press and Chris Matthews and waiting patiently for the winter Bears games and summer Sox first pitch. All routine, all quiet and relaxing. Until last Sunday!!!



It started out like a normal Sunday as described above. I was sitting at the kitchen table, watching the start of Meet the Press. David Gregory is ok but I still miss Tim Russert. Baby chewing on a toy next to me. Norman Rockwell we are not. All of a sudden Baby jumps up, starts howling, barking and running around like a crazed animal. As I looked up, heading toward us from the front room was this huge bird. I was told later it was just a regular sparrow. but coming at you in your own house it looked like an eagle. The dog is out of her mind!!!! I grab her leash while ducking the bird and try to catch her so she doesn't have a heart attack. Once I had her on the leash and I have now lost track of where the eagle has landed, do I call 911. No I will call the great hunters upstairs. Someone please come and get Baby before she loses her mind and someone please come and get this unwanted guest out of my house. The troops head south.



Matthew grabs Baby and heads upstairs and Steve the bird catcher tracks the bird. Of all places to land is in my bathroom. My pride and joy beautiful bathroom. With broom and towel in hand, Steve the bird catcher closes the door behind him and the eagle and now the fun begins.

Just picture a movie with Steve Martin locked in a room with 2 or 3 huge wild tigers. OK now you got it. Crash, bang, squawk, squeal, and that was just Steve. Kim and I standing on the outside of the door, brave as we are, we are lol. The bird would not land. A flying bird could not be caught. Finally success. Wrapped in a towel the little sparrow was escorted out the front door.



When quiet came across the land I headed in to clean up the mess. Nothing broken but everything was knocked over and boy when a bird gets trapped with no place to go they really go and go and go. I was scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing. What a mess!!!



Now you ask yourselves "How did a bird get in her house". Some of you know about the hole in my living room ceiling and some of you don't. The ones who don't may never know. It's just too old a story. Anyway it had to have made it's way from someplace under the eaves or whatever those things are called and headed to the hole in my ceiling. Needless to say the hole is covered so they can't get in my house, I would never be able to sleep again, until the hole in the side of the building is fixed so they can't get in the building.



The memory of last Sunday's wild life escapades makes this Sunday's springtime snowstorm a Hallmark setting. Not. I hate snow.

And thanks to Steve the Bird Catcher and his crew upstairs, they are always there during my Change of Life moments. Whatever they are.

Life with Baby

At my age, that title should never cross my mind again, but let me introduce you to the newest member of my family. Baby is a 3 year old Cairn Terrier, adopted from a rescue foster home in Jan.

Whatever made me do it. I have no idea. The day after Grant Park, I sat here saying now what? Get a dog! Get a dog! kept seeping into my head but I always came up with the excuse that because I don't drive it would be hard to have a dog. How would I get her to the vet, the groomer? Bus drivers frown on animals on their bus. When the subject was voiced out loud the support I got gave me no excuses anymore. Then Andrew, my youngest, was asked what he wanted from Santa and he said in that voice that little boys know how to use to get what they want "I wish he would just bring my dog back"

Ok on the web I go. Took the test to see what was the best breed for me, started visiting shelters, searching, searching, searching and one night there was Baby. It just had to be. "No one puts BABY in the corner" If you checked out my profile, you see Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies and to top things off it said she was from Las Vegas, my favorite city. After a few bumps in the road, filling out an application, having a home visit (I did not know what scrutiny you have to be under to adopt a dog. She had to check the space of the yard to make sure the dog had enough running room. Please! she is just a little dog) she called 2 days later to say Baby was coming here to live. Another change of life.

I tell her on a daily basis she is lucky she is soooo cute or else she would be back in the shelter.

When my kids were little and even my grandkids grew up to know don't mess with her until she has had that first cup of coffee. Baby does not understand life threatening moments. By 7:30 am if she is not out of her cage and in the back yard there is he-- to pay. Forget your coffee. I have been seen by neighbors flying down the street in pink and red flowered flannel pjs and a white furry robe chasing her screaming like my pjs are on fire. Forget your vanity. And forget it is the last 3 minutes of the saddest movie you have ever seen. Is he going to die or is he going to make it. THE DAM_ DOG HAS TO GO OUT NOW!!!

We have had a trainer here because she has issues. Beware if you walk in the house and come right at her to pet her, your shoes and socks may get wet. Remeber to warn all visitors to ignore her and she will ignore you. It's called submissive something or other bla, bla, bla. That cost me good bucks. She now has some kind of virus(I think she ate something off the ground but the vet called it a virus and she now is taking 2 pills twice a day. That cost me big bucks.

As I said it is a good thing she is sooooooooooo cute.

In her defense, she does sit and listen to me whine, she makes no comments about my singing and she is forcing me to at least walk 4 blocks a day. She loves to be out.

SOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE

Why I Started This

At my age anything titled Change of Life would be about menopause, hot flashes, bitchiness and extra pounds, but that is not what the last two plus years of my life have been all about. It turned out to be the most exciting, rewarding and lesson learning time I could ever have experienced. I have often thought about it and regret that I did not keep a journal of that time because it will never come again. I have stories to tell, feelings to think about and share with others and personal moments to be shared but I don't plan on boring everyone with that as much as I want to move forward. I want to share feelings and thoughts with friends and family on going so I won't regret again not sharing the best times of my life.

Of course I will go back 2 years and tell you that my life began to change the day I walked into the Obama volunteer office on Adams and told Jamie "I'm here to help" Politics was so far from my life. I didn't know who a pundit was or how a caucus could change the whole campaign outlook, I didn't even know what a caucus was. Our grassroots effort won this election for President Obama and I was part of that so I would like to share some of those stories. But I will go forward also, sometimes not making much sense and sometimes making sense only to myself but I hope it will keep your attention and make you smile and maybe even laugh out loud.