First Fragment with a Star

Thank you Traci, from A Star in My Own Universe, for taking over Friday Fragments, a very happy place for us to go weekly to share bits of our lives. We also get to read about the bits of the lives of other friends.  It's always a fun place to go for me, and a great exercise in mental health to express the joys I have been blessed with over the week.

We had the most exquisite rainbow this week in Chicago.  My picture does not come close to the impact I felt as I embraced it.  It was the biggest rainbow I had ever experienced...so big, that I couldn't capture it all in one shot.  I came upon it a few minutes too late to shoot both ends of it, but the part that I was able to capture speaks for itself.  I found a little chuckle in the fact that it either began, or ended behind our local bowling alley.  I have a friend who has won many accolades in the sport, and I have come to respect all who participate.  It's not a wussy sport...it's a skilled sport that must be practiced and performed.  What I love it about bowling is the immediate gratification of accomplishment...for me that would be anything that isn't a gutter ball!  

Thank you for allowing me to share this week.  I look forward to reading and reconnecting with others who visit.

Thank you again Traci, and I wish you the best in this wonderful adventure!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Everything Jenny

Jenny, our friend and partner in crime, cannot be summed up by a mere 26 letters.  However, each week, she throws out the challenge of the Alphabet…one letter at a time…and sits back while we scrunch our noses, scratch our heads and sometimes pen our deepest thoughts, merely for her amusement.  That’s okay.  We love Jenny to pieces and sincerely hope that our finished products bring a smile to her lovely face.  Here are a few “E” words that paint the picture of the Jenny that I so love!

Jenny has such an easygoing nature about her.  Every day is filled with much to be accomplished, but she effortlessly dances through each of them with the grace of Fred and Ginger.   

There are days that can be a little edgy for Jenny, but one would never know it.  She delivers her message with eloquence week after week, and emboldens the craft of writing to the accomplished, as well as, the novice of writers.  

We are empowered by her lessons, and enchanted by her words of support and kindness.  Our lives are enhanced by her lovely phrases as we escape with her to exquisite places of adventure.  I would love to be part of Jenny’s entourage!

Please come out and play with this extraordinary woman who loves life ever-so-fiercely; the educator who fills us with the encouragement to push ourselves to our limits…and then some…until we have exhibited our little piece of literary elegance.  

Evermore, dearest Jenny.

Please stop by Jenny’s house for a visit with her and her ensemble of “E” friends!  Just click here to be entranced by her wonderful world full of letters!

Air-Cooled Leisure!

My DH has been IN LOVE with Volkswagens his entire life!  His first car in high school was a Bug which lasted more than 12 years...baby car seats necessitated a different sort of vehicle for our use!  The West Coast is loaded with vintage Volkswagens and in the last 20 years or so, the fever has spilled over into the Midwest! Like any vehicle, if properly maintained and loved, one can hold on to the carefree days of their youth like a favorite blankie.  This isn't to say that vintage is one way of holding on to the past...just that it shows respect for the old qualities and values. 

We recently traveled to Effingham (yes that is the name of the city) to attend the Mid America Funfest for Air-Cooled VWs which is an annual celebration, bringing together hundreds of VW enthusiasts from around the world. The event includes a kickoff Fun Run, expert seminars, headlining entertainment, awards and much more! It is also a place where some bring their vintage VWs to show off, buy, sell or otherwise just hang out and enjoy the camaraderie of other VW lovers!  Please click on Mid America Motorworks to check out more about their organization and more pictures from the Funfest!

We didn't buy, sell or even show off our little baby, as it is currently in the VW hospital recovering from surgery...maybe next year!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Please visit Unknown Mami of Sundays in My City and the colorful  cast of others who share their cities with us all!    

I'm from Chicago, visiting Effingham, Illinois.  Welcome to my City! 

10th Grade..I Can Still Remember!

Tenth Grade, where I lived, was the beginning of high school.  For me, it was a time to forget all of the stupid things I did in junior high, as well and to look forward to the fresh herd of young boys on which to crush!  I loved all of activities that were offered outside of the classes, especially the dances.  Our winter dance (they really don't have winter in Southern California) was an excuse to "clean up" and wear fancy clothes during the month of December.  This dance was traditionally a "girl-ask-boy" dance, which I loved because it meant that I would not have to sit around waiting for someone to ask me if I wanted to go with them. 

As soon as the dance date was announced, I wasted no time in asking a boy that I had a crush on, and to my amazement, he said "yes."  This boy was very popular, an athlete, and drop-dead gorgeous.  My jaw hit the ground when he accepted.  His name was Greg.  We double-dated with another couple, went to dinner at a fancy beach restaurant, and then danced the night away in my school's gym.  It was a magical night for me, and one of the absolutely perfect experiences of my entire high school career! 

What do you remember about Tenth Grade?  Please stop by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop to share your memories, or to just read some lovely memories of other loyal followers!  Just click here to visit!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!