The most amazing, superfine, awesome day!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my life?  Probably not because I am such a slacker blogger, but I am here now to tell you I SO LOVE MY LIFE!  Two and almost a half years ago everything was a struggle. I worked 40 hours a week, made very little money, felt like (just being honest here) CRAP and even getting out of bed was an incredible struggle.  I was sad and sick and tired and sick and tired if you know what I mean.  Then everything changed.  A friend told me about the products I have been using since 1-1-11 and everything about my life has transformed!  Anyway, the reason I am telling you this is because I am now living each day to the fullest and enjoying every moment.  Yesterday, was NO exception!

My son and I decided to take the day off and we drove to the Colorado Springs area for the day.  We toured the Garden of the Gods and he took a plethora of awesome photos!

Moi!  

As you can see, it is a gorgeous place and one I highly recommend seeing!  After we finished our walk, we went to Manitou Springs for lunch!  We found an amazing little place called Adam's Mountain Cafe! It's right by a the creek and the food is not only healthy and organic, it is AMAZING!  I had the daily soup special which was turkey chipotle vegetable, a wonderful spring salad with chicken, cashews and balsamic vinaigrette dressing and it was all to die for!

All in all it was a most beautiful and fun filled day!  I hope you are enjoying every minute of this amazing season we call spring!  Live life to the fullest!  Go out and SEIZE the day!

My Most Amazing Blessing in Life; Happy Birthday Son

Thirty years ago today I received the most amazing blessing in life; my son Wolf was born.  He was and still is the light of my life.  He is my very best friend in the universe and I can't imagine life without him.  He still tells me he loves me in front of ALL of his friends and actually enjoys going places with me.  He is giving, loving, kind and protective of all of the people in his life.  I am the luckiest mom in the world!

He lives in Denver, which is a good day's drive from me, but we still spend quite a bit of time together.  Last month, his dad was working road construction and was his by a pickup.  As a result, he lost his leg above the knee.  Wolf, who hadn't seen his dad in a long time, rushed to his side and offered him great comfort.  Since I am my own boss, I was able to join them.  We spent 4 days with his dad and half sister, Abby.  Since there were many valid reasons why Wolf had chosen not to see his dad, I was extremely proud of him for making the decision to go to him.  During their visit, his dad apologized for his behavior many years ago, and now they once again have a relationship and I am very thankful for that.

The month before that I was able to spend 5 days with him in Denver.  Two of our kid cousins went with me and SO MUCH FUN WAS HAD!  We shopped, enjoyed a few very nice meals out, I cooked a bunch, and we barbecued and had Wolf's amazing friends over.  Wolf, the kids and I went to the IMAX and watched "Rock of Ages" and had an incredible time!  I laughed so hard I snorted a dozen times or more and the kids had an absolute blast.

I often wonder where I would be today if I hadn't had my son.  I had been told I wouldn't be able to have a child, so when he came he was an even more incredible blessing.  I'd like to think I would still be OK, but I am not all that sure of that.  He is the best of me.  He brings out the best in me.  He is the love and light of my life and I would like to wish him a very happy 30th birthday and thank him for all of the love he has brought into my life.  I love you son.

It takes many colors to make a rainbow...

As most of you know, I'm the proud mother of a wonderful gay man.

On my recent trip to visit him, I was lucky enough to be able to attend PrideFest 2008. It was an incredible gathering of incredible people who were there to celebrate diversity.

I could NOT have had a better time. I was loud and I was proud!

The photos that follow were taken at the parade held on Sunday, June 22 in beautiful downtown Denver.



































































I cried a dozen times during the 10 hours we were in downtown Denver, hanging out with my son and his friends.

I cried for joy at the beauty I saw, the hands of the young lovers entwined...the parents marching in support of their gay children...the children marching in support of their gay parents...the mothers and grandmothers arm in arm...all of those things made me cry.

Other things made me cry too, but not for joy: the words of my son's roommate who said Pride weekend was the one weekend of the year that he could hold hands with his lover in public without fear of being mocked...the people holding rude signs and chanting "repent sinners" as the parade passed by their "church", and most of all, I cried when I thought of all the young gay men and women who had to move from states like Montana and Wyoming to find a modicum of acceptance in the big city.

I wish I was a poet, or even a writer...I'd have profound words to say...words that would make a difference, but I'm not and I don't and I can't.

Next year Pridefest will be held on June 27th and June 28th in downtown Denver and I'm going to be there. Once again I'm going to be loud and proud.

Just say no!!

Note to self: don't throw sheets on the chaise after washing...

How on earth has life gotten so busy? Between running to see dad in Columbus, babysitting the kid-cousins in Billings, going to convention in Bozeman for a week and now trying to catch up my work, I haven't had enough spare time to take my Canon camera out of its case. The photo (such as it is) above was taken with my cell phone. How has my life come down to cell phone photos and 2 hour catnaps?

I guess part of my problem is that I can't say no.

At convention our state employee organization elected new officers. When my name was offered for nomination as the new secretary I didn't think anyone in their right mind would vote for me, after all, I am always silly and usually giggle my way through the meetings.

In fact, I was one of the three people who brought alcohol to this evening meeting. My co-worker Bobbi and I both brought gigantic Margarita's in and while everyone else was politely sipping water, she and I were passing goofy notes back and forth to each other, slugging down tequila.

Maybe they figured I'd settle down if they gave me an office because sure enough...I'm the new secretary of the Montana Association of Conservation District's Employee's organization. Gads! Why didn't I say no? Better yet NO! Even better yet...HELL NO!!!

We returned from Bozeman Friday evening and I have been putting together the district newsletter and getting ready for a board meeting which will be held right after Thanksgiving. I worked pretty much non-stop throughout the weekend, taking only a few hours off to sleep and go to The Bee Movie with friends. It's hilarious, by the way, and I enjoyed every minute. I'll bee thinking about a few lines of that movie for a long while...

Anyway, life has been crazy lately and I'm about to go mad (not really...I usually just get really silly when I'm overworked and overtired-but I might drive those around me mad heh-heh), so I'm working hard to get everything done so I can...drum roll please...GO TO DENVER TO SEE MY SON!!!!!!!! Yes, folks, I'm gonna do it. Come h*ck or high water, I'm leaving Tuesday for Colorado!

So if I don't see you before then (and I do hope to get to all of your blogs sometime in the next 24 hours--I'll sleep when I'm dead don't ya know), have a happy, fantastic Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful time and are able to enjoy time with your family and loved ones. I love you all!

A quarter of a century old today...

Wolf, my son and best friend in the universe was born on July 24, 1982 at 10:47 am. He arrived several weeks early, weighing nearly 6 pounds. He could hold his head up from the very start and he rarely cried. He was an even tempered, snuggly baby who was nearly always content and happy. He smiled at an early age and was talking in full sentences by the time he was a year old.


He could read long before he went to kindergarten and had (and still has) the best memory of anyone I know.


As a child he was kind to everyone, most especially animals. He saved birds that had fallen from their nests and took in every stray he could find. All of our pets had been rescued in one way or another and we always had a house full of critters. Fish, however, trembled at the sight of him.


He was usually very helpful around the house, although every time I'd ask him to clean his room he'd say "maybe amorrow". As you can see here, he was always a snappy dresser (I am in so much trouble for posting this photo--but it could be worse, Wolf, it could be the bathtub picture).


He volunteered during and after school and on weekends. He spent many an hour at the Beartooth Nature Center in Red Lodge, building and cleaning pens and doting on the animals. In his junior year a fire threatened the compound and he stayed there for several nights, making sure the animals were alright and preparing to transport them if the fire switched directions.


Wolf always loved the great outdoors. We camped and hiked throughout most of his formative years. Those were some of the best times of my life and I'd like to think some of the best of his youth as well. We'd gather up two or three of his friends and head to the mountains or the lake for days on end. No matter what time of year or how lousy the weather, if he wasn't in school and I wasn't at work, we were camping.

Fast forward many years. Wolf's father and I had long since divorced and he had remarried Kristine, a very nice woman who had a son from a previous marriage. Together they had one daughter, Abigail. After several years, Kristine became ill with cancer and after a time, passed on from the disease. Jess, her firstborn, went to live with his biological father in New York City but after a short time, it was obvious that Jess was miserably unhappy.


Wolf (then age 16) decided we should ask him to live with us, which we did. The two boys shared a room until we could find a bigger house to accommodate us. That Wolf would be so kind as to share all he had with someone less fortunate, is so like him.


Wolf's senior prom was a night to remember. His fondest wish was to have his 11 year old half sister there, so we drove to Gillette and picked her up. We bought her a beautiful dress and had her hair done. When Wolf was crowned Prom King, his first dance wasn't with the Queen, it was with his little sister. It was so beautiful that nearly everyone in the room cried. I wish I had that picture, but it's at my dad's house. The photo above is her senior picture.


When Dale was in the hospital, Wolf spent countless hours visiting with him, picking up things that he needed, comforting him when he was nervous and entertaining him when he was bored and frustrated. Despite his intense dislike of hospitals and all things medical, he put someone else's needs ahead of his own. How like him to do that. When Dale needed him most, he was there for him. When Dale passed on it was Wolf that went to the hospital to collect his things so that Cousin Dan didn't have to make arrangements to have them sent home.


I could go on and on and on about what a wonderful person my son is (oh wait, I have), but I don't want to lose my audience (all two of you). Ha! Suffice it to say, my son is a big sweetie and I am very proud of him. He's the best person I know and I'm a better person for knowing him.

I love you son. Happy 25th Birthday!

Element(ary), My Dear Watson

As some of you may remember, Christmas 2006 was quite bleak for me. A snowstorm of biblical proportions hit Denver just as my son was preparing to fly out to join us for Christmas. He was unable to come home so we postponed our holiday. Others of you may recall that our family was finally able to get together in late January. That celebration, while belated, was the best holiday celebration our family has had since mom passed away in 2001.

Wonderful things happened during that time. My son, Wolf, flew home and when he arrived at the airport, my brother and I surprised him with a new sunset orange pearl Honda Element. We proceeded to Absarokee to spend a long weekend with my dad, Uncle John and Neighbor Lois. Wonderful presents were given and received, but the most precious gift of all was the time we spent together.

After our days with Dad and Mike, Wolf and I drove to Billings to spend the last night with Cousin Kay and her nieces and nephews. Wolf, took the lead in his Element (gee, I wonder why?), and I followed behind in what my brother and son call the boat car (Pontiac Bonneville, so not cool when compared to a Honda Element).

During the hour long drive we talked to each other via cell phone. The main topic of our conversation was what to put on the license plate for his new vehicle. We thought about using the periodic symbol for copper, Cu, but I remembered seeing the plate already in use, and besides, according to Wolf, it wasn’t cool enough.

We quit talking on the phone as we neared the city. I was concentrating on the traffic (such as it is in a city of around 100,000) and staying right on Wolf’s tail so as not to get lost (I know the thought of me getting lost boggles your mind). We were almost to the hotel when it came to me. I knew exactly what to put on the plate and after a brief phone conversation (where I was berated for calling in traffic--by the way, who's the parent here?), Wolf agreed that my idea was perfect.

So now, 3 months later, the state of Montana has finally issued my son’s new plate.

Some of his friend's "got" it and others didn't. How about you?

Techno-Dinosaurs

My son’s first word was “Moon”, closely followed by “Man in Moon”. I just thought you’d like to know that.

The photo (above) was taken from the back deck of my dad's house. I’ve come to spend another weekend with my dad and brother. As some of you know, I have attempted to post from Absarokee in the past, but was hamstrung by slow dial-up internet and a shared computer. All of that is a thing of the past now because we have…drum roll please...WIRELESS HIGH SPEED INTERNET!! Yes folks, we are out of the dark ages and into the light! No more painting the kitchen (as if) while the page downloads. No more driving to the store, doing the weekly shopping and returning only to find that the picture you are posting is still, for lack of a better word, posting. Yup, we’ve stepped it up a notch here in the big city and we are very happy and excited about it. As a matter of fact, my brother is right this very minute Yahoo messaging me blog links from two rooms away. Aint technology grand?

Anyway, the whole purpose of this post (yes there is one, so pthhhhh) is to say a great big THANK YOU to tech support (my son) for hooking us up.

You RAWK son!

The First of the Super Secret Christmas Surprises

The plane was a bit early and we had just gotten to the airport as my son was coming down the escalator.

Here we are leaving the airport terminal. My son said he felt like a movie star because I was taking so many pictures.

We had planned to look for a new car for my son during our Christmas break. His dream vehicle was a sunset orange Honda Element. The plan was to go to the dealership and try to make a deal. The photo above was taken at the moment he figured out that the Element in the parking lot was his.

Happy boy, happy mom

Life IS good