VACATION

I know I am on vacation most everyday. I don't count days that the laundry has to be done or when dusting, closet cleaning or floor washing are a necessity as vacation days. Days like today when it is 2:10 in the afternoon and I am only half dressed cause I was really busy doing volunteer work which I love and creating brochures which brings out my artistic side I consider vacation days.

But the real vacation is coming in 5 days. Vegas here we come. I can't explain why I love it so much. It is a different world from the one we live in. I love the sound of the music playing while I'm sitting at the slots trying to win my fortune. Listening to the shout of the people striking it rich. At least that's how loud they yell. I love eating at restaurants whenever you want to. I love the lights, the beautiful art of each and every hotel. I pretend I can afford the stuff in those ritzy shops even though I wouldn't buy most of it even if I was as rich as Oprah. Not a glitzy person. I always feel like I am a different person when I'm in Vegas. And most of all I love spending those lazy, happy days with close friends, sharing time with we don't get much of during the rest of the year.

Although I would probably never need the slogan "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" the idea of knowing it's there is exciting.

So here's hoping I strike it greedily rich but knowing if I don't and if God is willing I'll go back next year and try again. If there are no more blogs from me, I'm traveling the world with all the money I won. I'll call instead.

POLITICS

Most people in this country, or at least the people I know have just about gotten the Presidential election and campaign out of their blood. They have stopped watching most of the political news stations on cable and are able to turn on the TV without hearing about the polls or who is ahead or who won the debate last night. They have stopped complaining about how long the campaign is and how much it cost. But not me. As anyone knows from reading my first blog or knowing me personally I was so involved, election day was a wonderful day for me but Nov. 5th was a punch in the stomach. It was over. My life for the last 2 years as I knew it was over. My political conversations were over. My political social life stopped. I had nothing to do. Most were happy, I was lost. Luckily there was the close knit group who worked side by side for 2 years who understood and felt the same way.

But life has begun again. Oh I kept myself busy. Redecorating a bedroom. Joining a neighborhood volunteer group. Catching up with old friends. And watching political news daily. But now it starts all over again. Not quite so big. There is no presidential elections. All local but that's ok. I will be involved. Tuesday was petition day for the 2010 candidates.

My friend who I worked closely with during President Obama's march to the White House has been hired as campaign director for a gentleman running for congress in a district in Chicago and has asked me if I would be willing to help. Of course I said yes. I said yes because I would help him no matter what He is a good guy, my friend, not the politician. I said yes because I loved doing this before and will love being involved again. And I said yes because I love our city, our country and I feel if you are unhappy about the way things are run then you have to do something to change it. I know I can't change a great deal about the way politics are but I can keep trying. And at my age when you learn about new things, it's a good day. And I am learning new things daily.

YOUR MOTHER'S DAUGHTER

A blog written by my niece sent my mind wandering about my mom. The blog was not about moms, it was about napkins. She mentioned how older folks, especially grandmas always seem to have a tissue, paper towel or something on or near by at all times. As my mother got older, more and more there was always a paper towel in her hand or a tissue in her pocket or tucked into the sleeve of her blouse. My siblings and myself would shake our heads when helping her with the laundry cause 9 out of 10 times tissue that was left in a pocket was spread all over the clean clothes. The problem with that is I find myself doing that all the time. I can't sit at the table without a paper towel in my hand. And yes I do stick them in the sleeve of my shirt.

It's amazing what DNA does for you. My mom was of German heritage and dad Italian. We never mentioned or lived the German part. We were Italian in our actions, food and even friends but as I age I can't go a day without someone who knew my mom say "I feel like I'm looking at your mom right now. You look so much like her." And looks are not the only thing.

I think I am the luckiest of my siblings. Not to brag, or maybe I am, but I think I have picked up some of my mom's best traits. When my first child was starting school there was a parent meeting to get to know the teacher. Talking to my mom that day she warned me, "Don't volunteer for anything". "Sit on your hands." You see she was a doer. She was involved in everything we did growing up. I used to get so mad at my friends as a teen cause they loved her and wanted her chaperoning everything we did. Parties, dances, trips to the beach. Not much fun to have your mom around all the time but really I was proud of her. Needless to say before I left that meeting, I was the room mother, craft helper and anything else they needed me to do and I have been volunteering my whole life. I will join.

I am also proud to say I picked up her crafty talents. She did it all and was self taught. I don't ever remember her hiring a decorator, she did it all herself. Someone asked me how much a painter would cost. My reply was "I don't know, never hired one." I just did it. She never had a lesson in her life in any craft but got a job as a craft teacher with the Chicago park district. She taught herself to design and make her own hats. I never went that far, hats for women went out of style, but I was never afraid to try anything. I love art, crafts and decorating and in my next life I will become a famous designer or artist of some kind.

All thanks to you, mom. And still after 15 years I miss you daily and want to pick up the phone and ask you for help on some project I am working on.

DESIGN DILEMA

My project for the week is done except..............

I love the colors, I love the comforter and I love the picture (painted by yours truly). For a very small room it came out bright, crisp, just like a small room should look. I also was pleased that it did not cost much. I pledged I would be frugal in there because 1) it is a spare room and no one sees it often in the back of the house 2) it is small and you can't put too much into it.

So when I decided a chest was needed I went hunting for the bargain. If you know anything about me I do not shop for bargains...I do not shop for anything. The online shopping was no help so I took a walk to this junk store on the next block and struck gold. 2 matching chests, just the right size. I did not need 2 but for $20.00 each I could not pass them up. I struck pay dirt. Got them home and painted the one to match the room. I was excited until..........

As you can see in the picture there is no hardware on this one or the other one. As a unprofessional, in her dreams designer I look for the details. I decided to use copper colored accents. I pulled things from around the house and used my handy copper paint and added accents in copper for no cost. Frugal.

Then I went looking for hardware for the $20.00 chests. Home Depot had the most extraordinary pulls that were copper and peacock blue. The exact match for the bedroom. What a designers dream or nightmare. About $120.00 for drawer pulls for a $20.00 chest. They were perfect, but the cost. I walked up and down that aisle 10 times and then out the door.

No I did not buy them but I did not buy any. I am now going to have to let time go by and leave it alone for awhile cause right now I will not find anything that will work or anything I will like as much.

DISCRIMINATION

In the time of a jobless economy we all know young people who are looking for jobs. Whether it is a summer job to help pay for college expenses come September or an entry level job to march forward as an adult and join the working fools of the world they are out there pounding the pavement.

My 21 year old grandson Nick who has been filling out applications and knocking on doors for months is having no luck. He came to visit Friday and also to use my computer to fill out more online apps. He also brought the good news that my 18 year old granddaughter, recent graduate, Amanda and her friend found a job in a newly opened restaurant. They are both planning on the community college in the fall. I was very excited since Amanda is the girl with 4 brothers, who thinks whatever she does her world is protected by her male siblings. From all accounts she has probably filled out 2 job applications since graduation in May. And she landed the job.
As grandmother I then questioned Nick about why he didn't go there as long as they were hiring. By the time he learned of it they had already hired their quota and the only reason the 2 cute young girls got the job was because the owner, a male, happened to walk in while they were being told, by a woman, that all positions were filled and he looked at them and said to hire them and give them a chance.
Nick was claiming foul play. Just because your cute you get a job. Unfair. I agree with him in my heart but she is my granddaughter and I'm happy for her.
So as a grandmother who believes in the idea that inner beauty is more important then outer beauty, that no matter who you are or what you look like you can achieve anything you set out to do could only come up with this simple advice for Nick.
Narrow your search to women owned companies, put on your irresistible charm and sex appeal and go out and get that job.
I'm only human and they are my grandkids.

MAN
VS.
WOMAN

DO I OR DON'T I ?

This entry may be a paragraph or two of mindless rambling because that is exactly what is going through my mind about this subject. Fortune tellers, card readers, psychics whatever you want to call them I am not a believer. Or am I? Many years ago a lady who read pictures, yes you brought her photos of loved ones, friends, neighbors, whoever and she told you about them and your relationship with these people. On most of those she was right or near right but I'm still waiting for the beautiful house on the water and the tall grey haired gentleman that was suppose to come along soon. I just figured I wasted my money and never tried it again until Sunday.

My daughter Kim had one of those girl parties. Make-up, a lady selling purses, food and a tarot card reader. For $20.00 you could have a stranger tell you your life story. One by one the ladies sat down at her table in my room (the party was held at my house because there was more room) plunked down their cash and spent 30 to 45 minutes having these strange cards spread out in front of them and their past present and future unfolded. I was not planning on wasting my money, I have other things I can waste money on, but as each lady came out from behind the closed door spewing amazement on how she hit the nail on the head each and every time I had to prove that she didn't know everything or everyone. I was sure these ladies only heard the general statements. You're going on a trip, money in your future or the love of your life is just around the corner.

When it was my turn I walked in with the nonbeliever look on my face and walked out with a pit in my stomach and a frown on my face. What she told me did not make me happy but it was so part of my life right now no one could have known that. I don't know how she knew this but she did and I don't know what I'm going to do with the info she gave me. But I do know this. I will never have my future, past or anything else read again because I really don't want to hear what they have to say whether it is true or false. I don't know what I believe anymore but I don't want to believe there is some stranger out there who can look at some cards or lines in my hands or leaves in the bottom of a cup and tell me my most personal secrets.

ITCH

I often wondered when it would come back again. Maybe never, maybe you are getting too old.

My entire adult life I have loved anything creative especially interior design. I even went back to school evenings at the Academy of Interior Design for several years.

From the time I got my own apartment, I always did my own decorating, painting, wall papering, sewing and I even tried tiling a backsplash once. I have refurbished my kitchen cabinets, designed my tile and wood kitchen floor and so on and so on and so on. Of course I have also been commisioned for a flat fee of zero to redo my kids houses again and again. I loved the feeling of pride and satisfaction when a project turned out better then expected. I was never afraid to try anything.

But then something happened. Age. Four years ago, the house needed MAJOR construction so the contractors not only did the construction work, we also had someone do the decorating. I picked out the colors, the tiles, the fixtures but they did all the work and everything came out beautiful. I love the way my house looks. I still had the pride in knowing I chose it all but I didn't do it and couldn't do it. So when the boredom itch came along I volunteered. I got involved deeply in the Obama campaign and after Nov. 4th 2008 I joined a community volunteer group but that is kind of lagging energy at the moment.

And then it happened. The design itch came back in a strange way. My grandson Nick who moved in with me 2 months ago for whatever reason young people do anything he decided to move back out. This really upset me because I did not think this was the right road for him to take, but he is 21 and makes his own choices.

But back to the itch. I knew to keep my mind off my problems, keeping my mind busy is the best way to go. First I started reading again. That helped a little but my mind kept straying to what once again is the spare bedroom. It has been the Michael Jordan room for about 12 years and my heart could not tear the posters from the wall or remove the red Bulls curtains until now.

I am happy to announce the itch struck again and the black and white striped wallpaper is gone. The Bulls border is down. All traces of the Champion Chicago Bulls are gone. I even got rid of my VHS tapes of every playoff and championship game they played in the 90's. My heart broke but I did it.

I ordered new bed linens and curtains. Painting the room will start Monday and I will do it. Every muscle in my body will probably ache for weeks but I suddenly feel creative and productive again. And I'm not quite so mad at Nick.