~ A Ya Ya/Pipette Birthday

I consider myself very blessed in the fact that I’m surrounded by a loving family. I also have a strong group of women who I am honored to call friends.

The “Pipettes” were conceived in a bar in Oklahoma City during a NAPF Board meeting. The girls had all had maybe a wee bit more wine than we should have had and sometime during that evening, Debra had an idea. We would soon be going to Hawaii for a NAPF meeting and she thought it would be fabulous if the wives of the board members ‘performed’ at the dinner. Because we had all had too much wine, we were just crazy enough to agree that yes, that’s a fabulous idea. *shakes my head*

I think we were all secretly hoping that this idea was born of too much alcohol and would soon be forgotten. We couldn’t have been more wrong. We chose our songs and we spent months memorizing the lyrics. Hey, even lip-syncing, we still didn’t want to mess up.

Once we got to Hawaii, and with the help of Lynsay, we were ready. Or as ready as we would ever be. We weren’t exactly spring chickens and we certainly couldn’t move nearly as good as Lynsay could. But, the Pipettes had arrived. And let me just say that that night was the most fun the Pipettes have ever had.

As women, our friendships are important to us. The laughter and joy that surrounds us when in the company of our girlfriends is a piece of thread from the fabric of our lives that is irreplaceable. I, for one, would be lost without the women in my life. Through the years, each one has touched my heart and filled a space where memories are stored and brought out often.

Last week was Debra’s birthday. One year after the Pipette’s debut, I found a birthday card from Hallmark, one of those that sings when you open it. When she opened it up, Donna Summer belted out, “I Will Survive”. This was one of the songs the Pipettes performed and it was the most perfect birthday card in the history of birthday cards.

In honor of Debra and the Pipettes, I’ve copied the lyrics to “I will Survive”; I know the girls will get a kick out of this.

Debra, I hope you had the birthday of birthdays. Thank you for being one of the threads in the fabric of my life.

I Will Survive lyrics ~

At first I was afraid

I was petrified

Kept thinking I could never live

without you by my side

But then I spent so many nights

thinking how you did me wrong

And I grew strong

And I learned how to get along

and so you're back

from outer space

I just walked in to find you here

with that sad look upon your face

I should have changed that stupid lock

I should have made you leave your key

If I had known for just one second

you'd be back to bother me

Go on now go walk out the door

just turn around now

'cause you're not welcome anymore

weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye

Did you think I'd crumble

Did you think I'd lay down and die

Oh no, not I

I will survive

Oh as long as I know how to love

I know I will stay alive

I've got all my life to live

I've got all my love to give

and I'll survive

I will survive (hey-hey)

It took all the strength I had

not to fall apart

kept trying hard to mend

the pieces of my broken heart

and I spent oh so many nights

just feeling sorry for myself

I used to cry

But now I hold my head up high

and you see me

somebody new

I'm not that chained up little person

still in love with you

and so you felt like dropping in

and just expect me to be free

and now I'm saving all my loving

for someone who's loving me

Go on now go walk out the door

just turn around now

'cause you're not welcome anymore

weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye

Did you think I'd crumble

Did you think I'd lay down and die

Oh no, not I

I will survive

Oh as long as I know how to love

I know I will stay alive

I've got all my life to live

I've got all my love to give

and I'll survive

I will survive

~ Happy Birthday

I don’t know how it happens that these kids grow up so fast. I have yet to figure out where the years have gone, but gone they have. when did they start to get older? Hell, when did I start to get old?

On Valentine’s Day, the baby girl turned 18. I can’t believe it. yesterday she was pestering Kristin and Lynsay, whining and carrying on that they wouldn’t let her play with them and today she’s 18, graduating from high school in May and will go off to college in the fall. Seriously, how did this happen so fast?

It goes without saying . . . . Happy Birthday, baby girl ~ You are my sunshine . . .

I love you ~

~ Ya Ya Tuesday

For Terry . . . .

~ Firmly On The Ground

It’s the season and that means we’re seeing things that we only see during the season. We’re seeing more hot air balloons drifting lazily across the sky. We’re seeing more and more ‘parade’ cars driving up and down the 111. Parade cars are the cars that the old people drive at a rip roaring speed of 25 mph....instead of the posted 50mph. They go this slow so everyone (and I mean everyone) is sure to get a good look at their car. Just today I passed a red Maserati and yeah, it was toodling along at about 25mph.

Another thing we see more of is this...this contraption in the picture. Motorized Parasailing. I’m here to tell you that not only is there not enough wine in the state of California, but there’s not enough tequila in Mexico to get me on one of these things. We mostly see them on the weekends but we hear them long before we see them.

Seriously, can you picture yourself up in one of these things? God knows how many feet up in the air you are with your feet dangling into nothingness. I try to picture myself doing something brave and daring like this. And then my mind starts to wander and I imagine the engine dying and conking out with my feet dangling in nothingness.

I once again remind myself that no amount of wine or tequila will ever have me being this brave and sometimes being a coward isn't such a bad thing.

My feet will continue to stay firmly on the ground.

~ Happy Super Bowl Weekend

~ Hellooooooo

~ I'm A Nerd

It’s no secret that I’m a nerd. Lynsay tells me all the time, “Mom, you’re a nerd.”

So I think this could have very easily been me as a child. Glasses(if I had worn them back then) perched on my face and my nose stuck in a book, just like it always is now.

Nerds aren’t geeky, we’re sexy, right?

Sighs....nerdy I am.

~ Grins and Giggles

Sometimes my funny stuff has to come from an outside source. This time it’s from Beth . . .

~ My Living Will:

Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'

They got up, unplugged the Computer and threw out my wine.

They are SO on my shit list ...