Recent Random Moments

Celebrated Mother's Day and Mother-to-be-Day.  Awesome Kids! Awesome Day!

 Chelsea's 19th Birthday at Wanda Sykes Concert
 (my jaw ached from laughing)

 My nephew Garth at his Mountain Bike Race in 95 degree weather.  Kudos for riding in that heat!

 My niece Bethany got engaged at Disneyland, so this is the impromtu "engagement" cake

 I put together.

Teri, the baby of the family turned 40, oh my and there was a party.......

and last but not least,

Chelsea sang the National Anthem at the Relay for Life Cancer Walk

and just last Saturday night opened for Nashville's hottest new band

"The Farm"

WHEW.

Now we are just on BABY WATCH.

Any time now. Any moment now, or so the Doctor says....

Stand by.

And then there was one.

One Bee Gee left.

Where there had been Three.

My favorite band, next to the Beatles ~ of all time.

Robin Gibb passed away Sunday.

I can't even comprehend.

This is the 3rd son, that Mrs. Gibb has layed to rest.

No parent, should ever have to bury a child, leave alone three.

Heartthrob, Andy Gibb was her youngest.

Then, Robin's twin, Maurice just a few year ago.

Her oldest Barry is her only surviving son.

I got to see the Bee Gees in the early seventies at Dodger Stadium.

I still have the t-shirt from that day.

I still have my "Saturday Night Fever" album.

And my disco dance moves.

God Bless you, Robin. 

May you join your brothers above and harmonize with them once again.

Mum

Me and My Mum

There is nothing like the bond between a mother and a child.

Here on earth and after.

You are always connected

Always.

Now that I have children of my own, I understand the depth of that connection between a mother and child.

The joy, the heartache and the inbetween

and the simple moments you never forget.

~  these are a few of mine ~

when I was very young,  I asked my mom, how will I know when I meet the "right one"

and her answer was "you will just know".  It can't be explained, she said.

"you will just know"

~

 sitting together at the air conditioned lunch counter of Newberry's department store in Arizona

sharing her favorite egg salad sandwhich on rye,

washing it down with an ice cold rootbeer after shopping for our "bargains"

~

 coming home from school in the sixth grade

to find she had laid out a dress for me on my bed

to wear to my first dance that night...

complete with a pearl necklace.

~

 pretending to be asleep when she laid my Christmas stocking

at the foot of my bed every Christmas eve

and listening to her footsteps as she crept out of my room

~

 watching her pack home made fried chicken, potato salad, and date nut bars

 to fill the Coleman cooler and pile in the station wagon for a Sunday picnic

at the Verde river.

and her scent.  Every now and then, it fills the air

and I just smile.  I know Mom, I know.

and I thank you for letting me know you are ok.

and now in just a few short weeks, I will be a grandmother and my daughter

will begin to fill her new daughter's life with these sweet moments too

and that just makes my heart swell.

XOXO

Happy Mother's Day!

Hugs,

Trace



We Got the Beat......

It's been a week of  B E A T S...got to listen to  Scarlett's sweet little heart beat...only 38 more days, but who's counting

and then tonight, it was the Go-Go's concert.

Shower Time

Just a few days from now, we'll be having a Baby-Q in honor of Carla and baby Scarlett.

We may need umbrellas, as showers are forecast....

Been busy designing a diaper cake centerpiece among other fun shower goodies.

Soooo excited to be a Grandma or as my kids call me T-Ma.

Amazing Grace -

Happy Easter.
May God bless.

Stronger

Has it really been a month since my last post? Yikes.

Those who know me, know when I don't post....things are not going well :(

Sometimes things are too painful, or too personal to talk about and I just need to be still....until the storm passes. Well the rainbow has appeared, in fact, an absolutely breathtaking double rainbow and the 'ol me is back now.

Stronger than ever.

They say "that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" , well I must have buns of steel by now.

Winds of change. Stayed tuned. Exciting things on the horizon.

P.S. and thanks for all your support. You know who you are!

Really, I'm fine.

Really, I'm fine.

Just navigating thru life at the moment. Sending out resumes into cyberspace. Enjoying daily rejection letters and pointless interviews.

On my last interview, I was asked....and they were serious I might add......

"what if Brad Pitt calls you and needs an assistant?"

My reply ~

.

"Ummm, if Brad Pitt called, you wouldn't be the only man I would be leaving......

Needless to say I didn't get the job.

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day celebrating with everyone that you love.

You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~ Dr. Seuss

Wishing you love in your life today and always.

Smooches,

Trace xo

Quiet Time

Today is one of those melancholy days. I need my quiet time to be still and alone in my thoughts. Chatting with God about stuff. Lots of stuff. But he has time, he always does, to listen.

Three years ago today, I lost my mom. Suddenly ~ gone.

Thinking of the times – more specifically, life - when things were different. Easier, less hurt in the heart. When I could just pick up the phone and talk to my mom or take her shopping on a whim.

I miss my mom so much. Often I suppress back the tears that seem to well up in my eyes at the oddest of times. A song on the radio will spark a memory. Sometimes a happy one, sometimes not.
Life has changed so much. In soooo many directions.

Today is a day for reflection. That’s all. I know many of you are walking with me in this journey. Others not. It’s hard to explain how I feel. I 'm lucky to feel my mom's spirit. I now live in her home and she is here with me and that makes me smile.

"All souls last forever...so we need not fear goodbye.
A kiss when I must go.

No tears....in time we'll say hello"

P I N K

Scarlett Marie

Castillo

will make her debut the first week of June!

This grandma is gonna be in so much trouble..... pink, frilly, lacey, girly.....oh my.

Really?

Upon returning to work from my orthodontist appointment last Tuesday, cause someone had to have her braces put back on.....

I was informed -

that my position was being

~ GASP ~ eliminated.

Poof! Gone!

REALLY?

You're kidding right?

I've just been laid off? Again? Twice in one year?

Really?

Yep. Really.

Happy New Year to me.

Excuse me while I go dust off that resume.....

Happy New Year!

Time to wash another year away..... and thank goodness! That was not one of my finer moments.

Time for a clean slate and new beginnings.

Santa gave me the gift that keeps on giving on Christmas Eve ...... the stomach flu. Ugh! And then because I am such a giver, I gave it to Mr. Moto on Christmas. Merry Christmas Darlin'. Scratch that holiday!

So now that I've got my sea legs back, I'm ready for a brand new adventure, and some C H A N G E S, because this a year filled with HOPE and I'm following my bliss. .... bout time!

Wishing you a wonderful and prosperous twenty twelve, filled with everything your heart might desire.

Love ya all ~ Trace

Merry Christmas!

I Wanna Go Glampin'

Someday, in this lifetime, I want to find me a little vintage trailer to call my own. Just a tiny one, maybe from the year I was born, and fix it up my way and go glampin'.Oh the possibilities are endless. I even have the color scheme and theme picked out. You all know how much I love to decorate. I would take it to Yosemite, and down country roads and camp next to rivers and the Sea. We'd go to flea markets together and vintage trailer gatherings. Just me and my gal. She'd be a she, of course cause there'd be curtains involved.

Hmmm, what would we name her? Any suggestions?

Wednesday Wisdom

My Christmas List

Share the Simple Things

Love

Hugs

Time

You

Poppa Jerry

Heavy heart today. "Grampa Jerry", my former father-in-law and Chelsea's grandpa, passed suddenly this week.

It's our memories that sustain us during times like these and over our 2 decades together, we made some great ones! He teased me relentlessly and we had some gut bustin' laughs that once made tears run down my legs. Did you really eat that Pizza with gravel in it, Poppa? And those awesome beans......thanks for finally sharing that recipe with me after years of begging! From our travels to NYC and Rice Camp, we had some damn good times. Whenever I have a Margarita, enjoy a tri-tip or ride in a golf cart, I'll think of you Poppa.

Raising my marg glass to you Sir ~ Salute!

Happy Trails Poppa!

Always,

Sparrow Ass

I Brake for Garage Sales

Ok, Can we talk here? You know, I love me a great garage sale but sometimes just finding them requires NASA's assistance!

I've pretty much got it down to a science between the newspaper ads, my Garage "Saler" AP on my iphone and Craigslist, but I do sometimes rely on your signs ..... and that folks leaves somethin' to be desired.

OK, I'll start with the pretty one, I appreciate the time and the colors you invested, but people, when I'm driving at 35 mph, I cannot read in pastels nor can I get past the dots. Keep them simple, and on hard cardboard, otherwise they bend in the wind making reading difficult unless my head spins like Linda Blair.

A tip...when making your signs, remember the person trying to read them is barely awake and only on their first cup of coffee....if they're lucky.

Always use a THICK, BLACK SHARPIE, for those of us blind as bats who can't even read a dinner menu. Bright colors help too, not to mention ARROWS!!

Next we have the "catchy" ones. What may I ask is a "Sexy" garage sale??? Who is sexy at 6:00 a.m. lugging their crap down the driveway?

And, the BIGGER the BETTER. Think billboards!!


And last but not least, PLEASE take down your signs otherwise, you will end up with a me on your driveway next week at 7 AM knocking on your door lookin' for the shabby, chippy piece of furniture!