Friday, July 17, 2009

Life in My World—Bits and Pieces

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This picture puts a whole new meaning to panties-in-a-wad—I’m the one with the hiked up shorts.
Rachel isn’t born yet, but Marcia is missing. I wonder where she is.


1. Disneyland opened 54 years ago today. Disneyland is a happy, sane piece of my childhood. Every Sunday night Walt Disney movies played on Channel 11 at 6:00—Davy Crockett, Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Old Yeller, even the talking coyote movie. Every few years our family went to Disneyland (back when no one wanted to steal kids and you could roam the park alone) and after all my good E coupons (for such rides as the Matterhorn and Pirates of the Caribbean) were gone, I pretended on Tom Sawyer’s island or in the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. I love sitting on the bench at the end of Main Street still. And the frozen pineapple whip right next to the Tiki room is still one of my favorite treats.

2. I need a calendar. Several years ago my calendar was always so heavily loaded that I dreaded looking at it, so I threw it away and haven’t kept a regular once since. I decided I would take each day as it came rather than stress the future and expected my brain to remember the really important dates. I realize it is very irresponsible not to have a calendar and there’s nothing like a $216 non-traffic ticket to remind me of that fact. I forgot to renew our vehicle registration last year. Completely. Never even thought about it. However, the other day I was thinking, “Hey, it’s July. We should be getting our renewal notice soon” and not two days later Ande got pulled over and the officer asked her if she knew our tabs had expired a year ago. Of course she didn’t. I didn’t. But we both know now. When I called to renew our tabs, the very kind and helpful receptionist said, “I think you should just wait two more weeks; if you don’t you’ll have to pay for 2009 AND 2010 and you’ve made it this long . . .” So there you have it, we’re driving scared for another two weeks after driving in ignorant bliss for fifty. I shall mark July 27th on my next calendar as “Tabs are Due Day.” $216 would have bought years of calendars.

3. I love new meetings with fellow bloggers and feeling an immediate friendship; one where you might continue a conversation rather than just begin one. Blogging isn’t for everyone but I have certainly enjoyed it.

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4. The circle journals a group of us started last November are still making the rounds. I have Sonja’s Family Recipes and Anita’s Favorite Vacations that I’m working on today. (Yes, I should only have one but last month kind of got plugged . . .) I have really enjoyed this circle journal project. At Sandy’s guidance and encouragement, twelve of us selected topics and then created a scrapbook/journal with that theme. We have a rotating order and each month we send the book we worked on to the next person on our list. By November, we will all have contributed a page to each person’s book and will get together and swap them. Part of the fun for me is that Susan passes books to me and each book has been accompanied by a generous plate of cookies tied in a pretty ribbon.

I can’t wait to start this circle journal project in my family, too. I have several nieces/daughters who like to scrapbook and I think it would be a great opportunity for all of us to keep in touch and share each other’s lives. I’m not ignorant to the fact that Sandy has been the key to making our circle journals such a success and need to be prepared to carry it like she has before I start a new group. Ummmm, I’m thinking I might be ready by January. Have you ever done circle journals? Any theme suggestions for next year?

12 comments:

Susan said...

My dearest Jane,

First, let me say I'm so sorry for bottlenecking the circle journals! Yes, I'm confessing the fact that I didn't have them done on time. *sigh* At least I'm caught up now.

Second, let me say also, that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Disneyland and can hardly wait to take Tessa there.

Third, let me say AGAIN, that I love the old Disney movies and have recently purchased, for $5 even, the Kurt Russell (Dexter Riley) movies one of which is The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. I would love to have you borrow it. Or better yet, we can watch it all together for an extended family night!

Love,
Susan

melanie said...

I love it that you had such a cute smile back then with your 'panites in a wad'. Too funny, adorable photo!

I haven't done a circle journal but I would love to see one of yours. I fear starting one, not only would it get clogged up at my house, I'm afraid it would get lost and never move on!

Ande said...

Mom, I love that picture. It is so you. I love you.

Julie said...

That picture is the BEST! You were smiley and darling then and now! I loved visiting with you and your family although we didn't get to see Ty as much as we would have liked. I love the circle journal idea and may try it here. Would you send me the Oreo recipe?

michelle said...

HA! I knew right away which one was you in the photo! I have fond memories of those Walt Disney movies on Sunday night as well. Those were good times.

Only you could make not having a calendar so entertaining.

I too love the shortcut to friendship that blogging provides!

I have done a circle journal with my sister and loved it. We didn't have a theme, just wrote about whatever was on our minds, included sketches, clippings, photos, whatever. It was great fun, but it fell by the wayside after she had a new baby. We had to mail ours, since we live far apart, and we would usually include a bit of good mail as well, so it was always a big treat to get that package!

Kim Sue said...

love that picture! And, I can not imagine that you don't have a calendar. If someone would have asked me {not that they would have} I would have described your calendar FULL of birthdays, almanac type entries (plant tomatoes this week), important dates of friends (call Mrs. Harper anniversary of Mr. Harper's death), plans to prepare for the future (make soup with garden veggies for the winter)....I see your calendar as a journal much like your blog writing.

Anonymous said...

Just curious about your picture. Which one is Lila?

Neighbor Jane Payne said...

The cute one ;)

Jill said...

Wow, the panties in a wad look oh so painful, but that's a fun picture to see.

I would love to live in a world where we didn't have to worry about people swiping kids. I think that every time we go to a park, a mall, an amusement park, or any other large, public place.

My car tags are expired and it's not because I didn't write it on my calendar dang it. In Utah, we have to pay for every year, even if we make it a whole year unregistered (I've done that before too) so then we end up paying for 2 years at once!

I think Circle Journals are very fun. We did them for book club last year, but it kind of fizzled out. I'd love try again with long distance friends though.

Rebecca said...

Before I even read your post, I tried to spot you in the picture. And as if your face didn't give it away, your body language did! Chipper and cheerful. And does Libby look like her mother?!

Becky said...

I love the idea of circle journals but I'm always afraid that they'll get stuck somewhere and then never actually get finished...the idea sooo intrigues me though!

That picture at the top is adorable :)

And, thanks for the reminder that one of our cars needs registration renewed this month!

Cali said...

Mom,
I just spent the last minute and a half in a hysterical, uncontrollable laugh just picturing you in that top picture and replaying your caption below over in my head. I haven't even read the post yet. Thanks for the laugh, because I'm missing you terribly at the moment.
Cali