Invitations to you

I have always liked to write. To those few who have responded to my Blog, I am greatful. I love responses! I get a kick out of writing something and having old friends, new friends and family moved to laughter, especially.  I will continue to write until it is finished.  I learned today that for $14.95 one can get your complete Blog printed into a book.  A cool thing to leave to the kids.
If you haven't blogged yet, come joined me.  I am happy to help anyone who wants to get started.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Barbara

'FRIENDS' (Fall of 1995)-Barbara Feagan

are you feeling better now
i'll never be the same

are you feeling better now
like the breeze that hits the rain
are you feeling better now
i do not see your pain

are you feeling better now
i hear your laughter waft
are you feeling better now
since thrown fore and aft

are you feeling better now
you look real good to me
are you feeling better now
your joy i plainly see

are you feeling better now
it means a lot to me
i'm sure you're feeling better now
because a friend can see

yes i'm feeling better now
like a diamond in the rough
like a mountain shaped by ice
like a freshly pruned tree
yes i'm feeling better now
and you are a friend to me

"I've Got A Secret" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Oh My, do I have a secret.  And I am not one who doesn't share...but I have to wait a few weeks to make the final announcement..."no", I'm not pregnant.

I am so excited that my heart is fluttering^^^^^^

Let's have a contest.  Please comment to this post and give me your 'guess' as to what you think my secret is.  You have thirty days from today.  The first person to guess the secret (and the secret actually happens) will receive a check for $50.00 from me.

No clues.  Just use your intuition

How can your heart be full........

How can your heart be full
and breaking at the same time?

Answer:  When you have lived, truly lived
and loved deeply and completely
as an imperfect person

"TODO, We're not in Kansas anymore!"

Oh my, it was a good tornado made out of a swirl of grandchildren:  Philip; Timothy; Isabella; Joseph; Martha; Maria; Brian; Brent; Brenden; Nicholas; Matthew; Xavier; Isaac; Malia; Alex; Molly; Patrick; MaryElla; Augustina and Celeste Noel!

It was a 'lovefest', a laughfest' and a 'hugfest'.

If I shall not live past tomorrow, I shall have had all that God blesses us with here on earth!

Cool in Kansas Today

It's almost noon and I have yet to get dressed or see the sun.  Today is 'Theresa Day'.  We will walk the three or four blocks to her home.  We are now at Brians (headquarters).  The neighborhood sits on a hill.  The homes are pretty much all built around the 40s. Really looking forward to spending the day with Theresa's five boys.

Bleak Possibilties

Growing up in Kenmare, North Dakota came with 'bleak possibilties' as far as I was concerned: not enough clothes; not enough money, just 'not enough'.  I wanted to matter, make a difference, be 'in' with the 'in crowd'.  There was a heirarchy in Kenmare:  The biggest farms, the nicest cars, the prettiest houses, the most money; the children of those families were popular. Period.

My mother was sensible and wanted for nothing.  Not because she had it all but she didn't want for anything special.  My dad was extremely hard working; he was a mechanic (the best) and farmed his family's farm on the week-ends.  We went to the Lutheran Church every single Sunday.

I was the second oldest and my older sister Colleen and I would lament:  Why is she having another baby?  Five more came.  Then we moved to California and my world changed: Lot's of friends, dancing, there was no heirarchy that I knew of.  My biggest problem in life was my little brother throwing his toys at my dates!

Now today we are in Kansas.  I think that my husband wants to move here.  The midwest gives me claustrophobia.  My children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren live in CA, NV and AZ.  I'm thinking 'bleak possibilities'.

We're Still In Kansas

So wonderful to be here in Kansas with Frank's six children and their familes.  Everything taken care of:  Transportation; where we shall sleep; eat and drink; plenty of grandchildren to treat and to love.  Weather is good. No snow.  Bright and clear and sunny.  Not missing the Nevada high desert

Connections

I look to connect with my family; those I knew in the small town of my birth and childhood in Kenmare, N. Dakota; people we met in Greenacres when we moved there for a couple of years from Kenmare.   The kids from Fremont/Newark area where I lived out my teen-age years; friends from Electronic firms I worked at in the 60s; the great real estate community of Silicon Valley I worked in in the 70s, 80s, and 90s;
Home Savings of America in the mid 90s; and last but not least The Santa Clara County Public Administrator/Guardian/Conservator's Office where I worked until the end of 2000.

WHY?   I don't know

"Put another leg on the Big Board"-For my California Realty Brothers

California Realty
Blossom Hill Office
San Jose, Ca
1970's

 TO THE TUNE OF  "PUT ANOTHER LOG ON THE FIRE"

Put another leg on the Big Board
Write me up some listings and some sales

Go out to the homes and knock some front doors
Write those deals and keep me out of jails

Come on baby

You can write those deals
And work for 50/50
Then boil me up another sale or two


Now ain't I kinda nice to your good buyers
Don't I take 'em showin' every night

So come here by my feet
Cause I love you when you're beat
And you know that it ain't ethical to fight

So put another leg on the Big Board Babe
And come and tell me why you're leavin' me!

her Daddy lives today

           what really can I say
            her Daddy passed on
            he lives today
         
            at our age
            born in the 40s and 50s
            we pretty much know
            what it is like, for us when a
            a parent passes away

            but what do we feel
            when we have a friend
            who's also a best
            sister-in-law
            and her Daddy passed today

            I want to tell her
            how much I love her
            and how good she's been
            to me

            I want to tell her that
            her love shines brightly
            for all of us to see

            I want to tell her that the love
            she gave to her parents
            was wonderful and free
     
            I want to tell her that although
            his love was quiet and steadfast
            it was no less there
            for her now and in the past
      
            her Daddy was extraordinarily loved
            blessed with a long marriage
            and a long long lfe.

            his children lived near him
            and graced his entire life

           be comforted my dear Linda

           that he was a very blessed man
           because he lived a decent life
           and was surrounded by a
           large and decent family
           and now he joins his wife
          
         
           and because he had his family's prayers
           his entire life
           her Daddy lives today

OMG-Halloween!!!!!!!!!!

I remember two very distinct memories of halloween as a teen-ager:

ONE:  Attending some sort of open house where we were instructed to stick our hands in a bowl, it was very,very dark.  As my hand slid in to the bowl, I felt slimey smallish, round 'thingies'. A MUUUHAHAHAHA voice then annouced that they were EYEBALLS!!!!!

TWO:  There was a Halloween Party at our local teen club in Newark, CA.  We were to all dress up as the Mayor was going to be there to judge our costumes and choose a 'King and Queen'.  It was circa 1959, I probably weighed all of 115 lbs and being of Scandanavian decent (in a Portuguese settlement)I suppose I stood out. I had the requisite long, naturally blond hair and blue eyes.  I wore black tights and I don't know what else but I know I was snapping my fingers because I was a Beatnik! I know that as we paraded around in a circle for the Mayor, he choose me as Queen! He chose David Milstad as King. David had a red convertible and would take 'us girls' cruising.  He was a stone fox!
You would think that would have been enough for me but 'noooooo', I had to invite the entire teen club and the band to my house.  We didn't have a telephone so we just showed up!  My parents and six sibs all disappeared to the back of the house.  I'm sure they must have commented,' What is SHE doing now"?

It was a great party.  I only remember the name of one guy in the band: Lenny Valles and another guy with the last name of Medeiros.  Medeiros was the singer....he was so cute....he did Elvis impersonations and he sang "Three Little Pigs".  Our living room was covered with kids laying on their bellies, legs up and crossed, resting their heads on their elbows!

Food?????   No we didn't need or want food in those days, just dancing, laughing, talking and listening to music.

A Footnote:    I had not really known Lenny Valles back then or remembered him.  Strange as life is, about five years ago (2005), after I married Frank and moved to Nevada, a knock came at the door.  It was Frank's neighbor whom he had known in Newark.  Needless to say Lenny Valles, Frank and I sat around our kitchen table and sang:  "Three Little Pigs"!     That's Halloween for you!

BLUSTERY COLD!!!!!

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!!!!!!

'SCARY' A LOVE STORY

Right now I feel the way I did the day I went to school in a homemade skirt with the hem stiching on the outside; or after the day I was told at a County agency where I worked that after 14 requests I would never be promoted because I showed too much empathy for the 'losers' in the office; or when I sold real estate and I really cared and I was completely forthright and honest...and if the buyer and seller fought over who would pay for a a bad dishwasher, I did........and the other Agents would chide me.

Because I had to, with three little daughters and no child support, I worked seven days a week,   I was 'snarkily' called a 'women's libber' by the men in my office.  ( Oh by the way, I ended up being the #1 salesperson out of 5 real estate offices)

This could go on and on as well as the extraordinary things I've accomplished in my life....but

I should not be afraid to take a stand.  There will be a lot of attacks and criticism once again:

I HEREBY STAND BEHIND OBAMA, MICHAEL MOORE, DEMOCRACY, THE POOR,  THE IMMIGRANTS & THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST.

I HEREBY STAND AGAINST CORPORATE GREED,  WALL STREET AND MOST BANKS, THE OPPRESSION OF THE AGED AND THE POOR AND EVIL ITSELF.

I Love the Movies!

There is something about the big silver screen that envelopes me and carries me away!

We have been so busy here at the homestead and being oh so frugal in preparation for becoming the
'Traveling LeSages' that we didn't even realize we had gotten one of our retirement checks!

Whoopee!  We're going to 'our' theatre in Reno...sits on the Truckee river downtown....the Riverside 6.

We'll see two movies....It's a 124 mile round trip from here.

First, Capitalism with Michael Moore
Next, Bright Star--about the life of Keats with lots of poetry; fashion, love and art

I'll let you know how wonderful it all was~!