Oh, say! Can you see?

Hello? Is there anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me...

You know, you think I waste my time on the computer, but really, I'm doing important stuff...
7 Wacky Jell-O Molds from Around the World


I had a lot of lovely invitations this weekend, but I declined them all and stayed close to the house. We spent the fourth with my husband's family, just five blocks away. We didn't even pay to go to the swimming pool.We waded all the way down the freezing-cold city creek and sat on our towels reading paperback novels. I people-watched with one eye. A black lady in her red family-reunion-shirt stopped me and respectfully addressed me as "Mama!" Not like, "sexy Mami" but just as one mother to another. I love it. More people should address me as "Mama!"

"Mama, do you want fries with that?"
"Mama, can I make your appointment for Thursday at 3:00?"
"Do you know how fast you were going, Mama?"

My check engine light is on. My TV is playing DVDs really skinny all of a sudden, like XTREME LETTERBOX style, and the switch that turns the computer off and on is broken. My pretty white china butter dish got busted. My car radio is still stolen. My bank account is empty and I am feeling a bit perturbed. OK, really pissed off.

So, I did what anyone would do.

1. I pulled everything out of my living room, cleaned it and rearranged it.

2. I bleached my slipcovers. Twice. Yes, my couch is white. Yes, I have two kids, a cat and a bunny. Yes, I am insane. Watching me wrestle the couch cushions back into the slip covers after washing would have made you pee a little from laughing so hard.

3. I signed the girls up for THREE free summer reading clubs. Borders AND Barnes and Noble give away free books, and the TD Bank gives the kids ten dollars and their very own savings account. If you've got kids, and you are near those chains, check it out! If it is free, it is for everybo-dee!

4. We went to the mall (slowly-check engine light!) with a four dollar gift card and a handful of change. We stretched that out to buy three packs of silly bandz and a big bag of mints from the gourmet candy counter. We rock! I stretch dollar til it screeeeeeeeeams!

5. I dumped out my jewelry boxes on the bed and we culled the necklace herd and tried to reunite the broken earring families. Oh, it felt sooooooooo good. I've been wanting to do that for years. I can't find one wedding earring, though. Wedding earring, come home! We are sorry, whatever we did!

6 .I worked on a business facebook page for my husband's dojo. Here's the catch-you can't friend anyone once you've made the page! So, we have to promote it by hand. By actually SPEAKING to people. How archaic.

7. I went on a bike ride with the girls. This was something new. At 92 degrees in the shade, it was over fast. I did discover some new bike-riding muscles I wasn't aware of, even on such a short jaunt, and I am definitely sure that my pelvis-bone is a different shape than it was last time I was bike riding, 12 years ago.

For the traditional holiday we did traditional holiday stuff. Relatives. Corn on the cob. Pasta salad. We sat in a graveyard so close to the fireworks that ash was falling on me and I was deafened afterwards, just as if I had been to a rock concert. We sat at the foot of the grave of William Mosser. Thanks, man. I hope you don't mind!

I was walking along in the graveyard, dragging a big blanket, yelling at the kids and feeling sorry for myself (like ya do!) and I hear,"Mountain! Hey! Over here!" There was the family who owns the 17 year old dog, all spread out on a blanket on top of the departed. We happily joined them. From our vantage point, we could actually see the firework displays of several little towns going off all at once. We could see plumes of light edging up over South Mountain, and fireworks going off at the amusement park, too. Is that how it always is in the city? I have always been out in the country on the 4th.

Loving my freedom, in theory.
Loving my country forever.

love and light,
your friend,
mountain