Happy Independence Day!

Image via WikipediaI hope you're all having a wonderful holiday!  We went to a family BBQ early this afternoon & have been at home relaxing for a while.

Well actually, I've been lurking visiting some blogs & commenting on some, too.  Your blogs have inspired me to  post!  (Truthfully, I felt guilty because I looked at my visit page at the bottom & saw how many people stopped by to see if I wrote another post ;)  So, it was a little of both.

Since I was last here, I've been a little busy.  My daughter graduated from high school on June 10th.  She was in National Honor Society, D.E.C.A., played tennis, & wrote for the school paper.  She received a scholarship for almost half of what she will need for the first 4 years of college tuition.  (It will definitely help!)  Last week Wednesday, she went for her orientation, picked out her classes &  starts college on August 31st.  My baby will be living at home because the college is about 10 minutes away.  She has decided she wants to be a forensic pathologist, which means about 12-13 more years of school.  This, of course, includes medical school.  She better make great money when she's through because she will be paying the loans back. (I'd have to be a lunch lady until I'm 200 to try to pay that back...lol...UGH!)

Cover via AmazonAs for this lunch lady, my summer vacation started June 14.  I've been trying to get some reading in.  I finally finished reading "Gone With the Wind" & the sequel (written by a different author years later) called "Scarlett".  My uncle sent a book for Sarah to read called "Stiff:  The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach.  (related to her future career & because we like to read & watch gory, horror stuff)  The book is more documentary with added author humor.  It's a very interesting, but sometimes graphic, read.  The book I'm reading now is "Annie's Ghosts" by Steve Luxenberg.  It's a true story about a family member that no one knew about until his mother died.  His story covers his grandparents coming to Detroit from Russia in the early 1900's until his modern day search for the unmentioned family member.  I like this book because of all the references to the Detroit area.  Living here, I can pretty much picture where & what he is writing about.  I don't usually care much for historical facts but this talks about Poland, the Hitler regime & the holocaust.  Of course, my great-grandparents were already in the U.S. but I'm sure we still had family in Poland during the war. (something I really want to start looking into)
Cover via Amazon
And the noise of fireworks begins...

AHEM!  Sorry for the interruption.  I am going to get this post done if I have to strangle ignore the noise-making people.  I know it's the 4th of July but they've been at it every night for a couple of weeks already & they are ILLEGAL!  Anything that explodes or leaves the ground is illegal in Michigan.  So that leaves the only legal fireworks-SPARKLERS!  Those they can play with every day of the year.

We now return to our post, already in progress...

The next book I will read is the new Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) book called "Does the Noise In My Head Bother You?".  Sarah is getting it for me for my birthday (July 17-no gifts, just send money-please...lol).  I love reading the Rock-N-Roll stories.  I have a Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) memoir-type book & "The Heroin Diaries" written by Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue.  It really makes you wonder how they are still alive (excluding, of course, Kurt Cobain who committed suicide).  I am also waiting for the next book of Charlaine Harris' "Dead" series (also known as the "True Blood" books) to come out in paperback.  I read the first 10 so I am eagerly awaiting the next one.  And, I'm glad that the new season of "True Blood"  has started on HBO! LOVE IT!!!!

Well, I meant to get into some other things but I guess you can see that reading is definitely a passion of mine (& Sarah's, too. Hubby used to read more before he got his laptop & smart phone ;)  I will just have to post sooner & more often. (Yes, I have said that before.  I will try harder because I miss it & all of you)

God Bless You, your families, & our United States of America on this Independence Day 2011! (OK-The World!)
Waving the flag like my babushka,
Collette

A Tale of Two (three) BBQ's

Image by kristiewells via Flickr

Today is the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. We sure have come a long way since then, but still have barely scratched the surface.
I am not going to write about space exploration or alien abduction (not today anyway). I'm just going to tell you about my weekend, I suppose. (OK, stop that yawning back there. Yes, you. I don't think it's THAT boring!) Back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Well, Friday was my 42nd birthday. No point in lying. The voices conscience will get it out anyway. No big deal really. We already went out to dinner to celebrate mine & my dad's birthdays last weekend, so we really had no plans. Until...(cue suspense music) my youngest sister called. The call wasn't only to wish me "haapy birthday". She asked me what we were doing & as I told her we had no plans, she proceeded to the other reason for the call. Apparently, my middle sister was moving out of her fiance's place & could we help move some of the bigger stuff. In shock, but jumping for joy & doing the happy dance, I said "YES!" & got some of the explanation "why".
***Reader's Digest Condensed Version***
My middle sister met her now ex-fiance about 2 years ago after an almost 20 years relationship. She had been married about 5 years when she got divorced. Not too long after, she started dating this guy seriously & moved in with him almost right away. Needless to say, we thought it was a rebound thing & didn't like his arrogant, know-it-all attitude. But, "he" was different, she said. "He" treated her like a queen. They talked about everything. But, my sister lost her job & hasn't been able to do much because of a damaged rotator cuff (that she is having surgery on July 30th). "He" has been getting close to his dad, that he never really had contact with till recently & apparently, according to his dad, women pretty much should be seen, not heard & barefoot & pregnant! SO, things have been escalating. "He" told her to shutup, one day & she finally stood up for herself & told him to never speak to her like that again. Friday, he was in a mood & kicked out his brother & his kids & told my sis that she should just leave, too, And she did! Of course, this "house" is his mother's. She is not very happy & cried that he took everyone away from her. I felt bad for her but hope that she kicks his ass to the curb!
He was not there while we packed up & moved my sister out, so that saved a lot of our voices cuz I, totally, would have ripped him a new you-know-what. We tried telling her but now is not the time for I-told-you-so's. We took everything to my youngest sis' house where sis #2 lived before she moved out. Then my bro-in-law bbq'd some hot dogs & we chilled. Happy birthday to me.
Saturday wasn't too busy. I dropped my dd off at the drivng school for her last day of driving lessons (ARGH!), took my babcia to the beauty shop (92 & she goes every other week-grin), picked dd up from driving school & waited for the Polish owner of the beauty shop to call me & say "She is ready, sweetie", so I can pick her up. We went to the bakery for fresh bread, cakes & halka, which is an egg bread with raisins, & then to Kowalski market for some lunch meat. When we got to my babcia's house, I sat & chatted with her for a little bit, like I do everyday & took her out in the yard to check out her tomatoes, cucumbers & flowers. She was all set so I headed home. Later in the day, we went to my sis' house for another bbq & this time my bro-in-law smoked some ribs & then cooked them. They were awesome (as usual). We didn't stay too late because we had church in the morning. After church, we always go to breakfast with my hubby's mom & brother. At 4 pm Sunday, we were at my cousin's new home, for a housewarming bbq (again...lol), with his fiance, her parents from out of state & more friends & family. This time the bbq was steak for fajitas. Also, for a select few of us, the elite, the shunned, THE SMOKERS...there was a table set to the side with an ashtray. Besides myself & my sisters, there were maybe about 6 more people that smoked out of 40. No throwing things, no bitching, no lecturing. I know it's bad for me & others. I want to quit eventually & I will when I am ready. And the more people tell me to quit & nag me, it makes it worse. Subject closed. End of rant.
Everyone started leaving around 7:30 pm, so we all packed up & headed out, too. It rained for about 3 minutes while we were there but it ended so quickly that it didn't even matter.
That was my weekend. Lots of bbq, food, fun...etc. I am exhausted. And, we have stuff going on every weekend for the next few weeks. Hopefully, we will be taking a vacation this year away from home. Then, it will be time to go back to work & school. Nooooooooooooooo! I am not ready. Don't make me do it! Summer can't go by that quickly! I guess I better enjoy it!
P.S. Do you like my new profile pic? That's my light-up tiara! I wore it Friday for my birthday! Ain't I just the cutest thing? (Do NOT say a word! Just nod your head in agreement! LMAO)

In Search of Birthday Babushkas,
Collette