365-3 | Peaches Prattlings

{June 21, 2015} To my dad…Happy Father’s Day

Today is Father’s Day. That means I get to tell you about my amazing dad, wahoo!

Where do I begin? Do I simply tell you he’s a great guy? You know that. Do I simply tell you he’s fun to hang out with? You should, you would love it! Do I simply tell you he’s a good friend? He is. Do I simply tell you he’s the best father and grandfather EVER? Just ask me, GES, MGS and EJS and we will tell you, emphatically and without hesitation, YES, YES and H-E [double hockey sticks] YES!

It all started almost 44 years ago when this little person came into DWS’ life that would change him from being just an all around good guy and out of this world husband, he became a dad. The first, and most important thing he did was to give me a name. I was supposed to be a boy, Joshua Alec, I like it. Tonya, just in case I was a girl, let me just say, ick, nothing personal against Tonya’s, but could you see me as a Tonya? Nope, me neither! JRS, that’s what I would be called! [ooh, you know my initials, you just thought I was plain ‘ole JJ]. And let me tell you, every father’s day, I am sure to thank him for naming me because my name fits me just right.

As soon as I was born, I was a daddy’s girl and things have not changed, for my sister or myself. No matter how old we get or independent or sure of ourselves or whatever else I can think of, we will always be daddy’s girls. I don’t know what all daddy’s are supposed to do, but I’ll tell you about ours.

Daddy’s are there to kiss boo-boos, wipe off scraped knees, teach me how to ride a bike, take to fast food restaurants when mom is not home, share secrets with, share stories with, laugh at the same stuff in movies, practice driving with, stand up to the gym teacher when I’m in fourth grade because he said girls couldn’t play softball, we had to play kickball, guess how long that lasted! Stand up to my kindergarten teacher when she whined about me sitting on my knees in class “Do you let her sit on her knees at home?” “Yes we do!”

At birthday parties, he was the one whipping the snake of kids around the skating rink, yes, I said skating rink, that’s how we celebrated birthdays in the olden days! Now for birthdays, we get amazing works of art, he is so talented! Piano, guitar, mandolin, oils, acrylics, guache, water color, Chinese calligraphy, if there is something new to try with a brush, he’ll do it.

Take me to the art museums in high school to help me with some projects. Go to the art museums today and look at the modern art in the exact same way, with our heads cocked to one side saying “huh” or “that’s an interesting installation” only to find it’s actually ‘insulation’ that they had out because they were doing some repairs! We do have similar style when it comes to museums, look, read a few descriptions, keep moving. We have favorite artists and time periods that we love and I absolutely adore going to museums with him to discuss paintings because his knowledge base is fascinating!

He introduced me to my love of opera, sharing his love and opening up a whole new world to me. Outdoor concerts, both classical and rock-n-roll, everything from the 1950’s has meaning…introducing me to some crazy music and I introduced him to a slew of comedians and now he can’t get enough!

Someone to teach me to play craps and marvel at all he does. Someone who said, when the you-know-what hit the fan, “come home, I’ll take care of you, you don’t have to go through any of this alone”. Someone who was always my champion and strongest defender and biggest shoulder to cry on, who never judges, might ask some questions, but never judges. I bought a truck once, his question, “what color is it?”.

He loves to try out new technology on me, when we’re driving to the same place in separate cars, he calls me to make sure I know where I’m going.

He lifts me up when I’m feeling down, pulls me in close when I need a hug and just listens when he knows I don’t want to talk. He makes me laugh and think about things, he has the best and sometimes twisted sense of humor! When I hear a new joke, he’s the first one I call to tell. Does your dad tell you dirty jokes? Mine does!

Not only is he a good dad to me and my sister and become a father to my brother-in-law, but what an amazing grandfather he is to EJS and MGS. And what an affection LaLa’s grandkids have for him! And all my sister’s friends kids, remember how they all call me Auntie J? He’s Poppa D to everyone, what a title. He always says if he knew grandkids were this much fun he would have done this first!

After my mom was gone, he became one of my best friends, someone I value above all else, his friendship and love I hold sacred because he gives them so freely and fiercely. I talk to my dad every day and I feel weird when I don’t talk to him! Sometimes it’s about something, sometimes nothing, we have become confidants. I talk to my dad every day, not because I have to, but because I want to.

I don’t now where I would be without my dad and I don’t want to.

For those of you celebrating today, I wish you a Happy Father’s Day. To my daddy, DWS, Happy Father’s Day and THANK YOU FOR MY NAME!

“Any man can be a father, it takes a special man to be a daddy” I love you Daddy! XOXO

{June 20, 2015} We have a green belt!

EJS is a green belt!

This past week, EJS tested for the next level in her training towards her black belt. I was there for the yellow belt and the orange belt, such a treat.

She has really excelled in her training, she has great focus and sees the prize at the end, but knows it takes a great deal of commitment, training and determination.

Next week she has a meeting with Instructor T to discuss her future and training as it will get harder, as you can imagine.

Just like her parents, I am so proud of my niece for all she has accomplished so far, I cannot wait to see what is coming next!

Go EJS!

{June 19, 2015} A graduation!

Today marked a big achievement!

MGS graduated from pre-k, next year moving up to kindergarten! Oh my goodness, where did the time go?

It was cute, they had the area between the classrooms set up with chairs for the parents and along the walls there were small chairs for the kids, with their names on them on orange tape. There was also orange tape on the floor so they knew where to stand for their big song.

They all came out and stood in front of the families and when it was time, one of their teachers told us about the song they were going to perform, and then they started. Singing, the hand gestures, it was great! Not to mention the graduation caps they were wearing, made from black construction paper! With red tassel, no less!

After a huge round of applause, the kids went to their assigned seats and were called up one by one by the teachers. After they got their laminated diploma, both teachers knelt down to take a picture with each child, very cute!

After the diplomas, we were treated to a slide show of the kids throughout the year and “There are tissues at the end of each row”, perfect!

After the slide show, it was pictures and hugs with the graduates and a pizza party, well, isn’t that the way you would celebrate?

I got to see my niece get her first diploma! Congrats MGS!

{June 18, 2015} Hap hap happy birthday CKM

Today is a very special birthday!

My friend CKM celebrated her birthday today! This is the first time in a few years we aren’t getting to celebrate together, feels weird…we’ve done some great things on her birthday!

Thirty three, it was a three day celebration, dinners and an outdoor concert. One year we went to Savannah for the weekend and got sunburned on the beach, so worth it! Last year, I was able to fly her to Ann Arbor for the weekend and we had a blast! We went to some new restaurants and some favorites that I had discovered by then, a lot of talking and laughing and just a good time.

CKM is such a fabulous person, we’ve known each other for a long time, almost 9 years, I think, she’s so much better with dates, she always tells me what I’m doing when! I always said that if I hit the big money lottery I would hire her as my event planner and keeper of my calendar, she would be paid very well for that! [Oh, there are a whole slew of people we figured out who I would hire to do what!]

She is a master at event planning, she’s helped coordinate and run a few major festivals in Atlanta, huge successes there, she has had three to four jobs at any given moment and has a really hard time saying no! One of her current jobs is event coordinator [and I’ve probably got the title wrong, but queen bee of everything was taken] at one of Miss A’s schools.

Don’t get me started on her photography, it’s fabulous! She has such an eye for detail, colors, placement and all that other stuff you need to do to be a great photog! I’ve bought some of her stuff and given it as gifts, one had been hanging in a gallery and it went to my dad for Chanukah. I remember when I bought a bunch of her packs of note cards to give as gifts one Christmas/Chanukah and she said “You had better not be giving me my own notecards as a gift!” ha ha…

Speaking of gifts, whenever she gives a gift, it’s a treat, she really thinks about what she’s giving to that person and we have exchanged some awesome gifts, even contributing to my bag obsession, but if they were the gift bag, then it doesn’t count!

We’ve done some amazing things together, taken some fun trips, I’m still waiting to hit the big money, I promised to take her to Italy to see Andre Bocelli! She’s one of the few people who will actually do some fun runs with me, and by fun runs, I mean mud runs! We’ve done the Dirty Girl twice, had a blast! I might still be getting mud out of my clothes! We’ve done The Color Run at Atlanta Motor Speedway, The Electric Run at Atlanta Motor Speedway, that one we got to go on the track! We even did the Anything is Possible! That started at 2am when the clocks changed, so we finished before we started!

She is also a steadfast volunteer, remember when I said she doesn’t know how to say no? We have volunteered together at Race Expos, giving out race bibs or at the start of the Peachtree Road Race with the elite runners. We volunteered for 5 years in a row together, we have the pins to prove it! And we’ve participated in the Peachtree Road Race together six years in a row, this will be the first year we don’t do either together and I’m definitely going to miss it! Especially the shopping! We always spend time walking around the expo buying cute running skirts and dresses and all sorts of stuff, we always have a good time!

Speaking of cute running skirts, she is a fashionista if I ever met one! Everything is coordinated! I like to wake up and show up, not this girl! Even when she’s dressed down, she looks put together, it’s always quite impressive and I would love to shop in her closet some day, of course, even if I did, I wouldn’t come out looking that good! I have solicited her opinion on more than one occasion and now you know why I look so fabulous! sometimes…

CKM is a fantastic daughter! She and her mom will have girls weekends a few times a year, sometimes her mom comes to Atlanta, but most times, she goes to see her mom in NC and those are fun times, they hang out, eat, shop, do girl stuff and mother and daughter stuff. Her mom got remarried a few years ago and it was so much fun listening to the stories of CKM getting to know the new guy in her mom’s life and how quickly they became a family unit. I love seeing the pictures of their weekends, I always wish I could be there!

So, you know she’s a great event planner, volunteer, photographer and daughter, she’s also a great friend. She is someone who is there for you when you need her, no questions asked and will drop everything if you need her. She has sage and sound advice and will ask for advice when she needs it. She’s fun to go to the movies with, or not go! One time she was at a laundr-o-mat and while the loads were in, we sat in my car and watched movies on my iPad!

We’ve had sleep overs, no sleep sleep overs, road trips, mani/pedi days, we are horrible shoppers, we keep buying stuff, but it’s almost always on sale! There are times we could get on the phone and talk for five minutes, but then there are times we talk for five hours! When we would go out, we’d talk and chat and do whatever and then when it was time to get in our cars…talk for another hour, freezing or having to go potty! Never running out of things to say!

Ok, I could go on and on and on…but I want to post this before her birthday is over.

Happy happy happy birthday CKM, many many many more happy returns. You are most loved, by everyone who knows you and mostly, me!

{June 17, 2015} Ramadan Mubarak

“Fasting is, first and foremost, an exercise for identifying and managing adversity in all its forms. With faith, in full conscience, fasting calls women and men to an extra degree of self-awareness.” –Tariq Ramadan

Tonight begins the celebration of Ramadan, the fast for 29-30 days, based on the sightings of the crescent moon. The fast symbolizes the commemoration of the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

This takes an amazing amount of commitment and faith, to fast from sun up to sun down, but it also is a chance to reconnect with your faith, maybe even your beliefs, to center yourself.

I know there are people I have crossed paths with who celebrate Ramadan, but on this project, I have become friends with two people who celebrate, SF and HH. HH and I have become good friends and have learned a lot about each other and from each other.

As Ramadan is starting tonight, we have spoken many times about it, but last night was more in depth, I learned so much from her. We talked about being away from home and family during Ramadan, what it’s like to fast from sun up to sun down, especially when the days are so long. The challenges of having to fast while at work, while everyone else around you is eating, especially when you know there are snacks everywhere. Thank you for sharing that and so much more.

To everyone who is beginning their celebration of Ramadan, I wish you Ramadan Mubarak.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

{June 16, 2015} Girls night in…it’s theraputic!

Thanks.

Today was a little better than yesterday, I am going to admit it, I’m having a wee bit of a pity party, no you are not invited because it’s a party for one, I love this clip from The Muppet Movie, 2011, “Me Party” much happier than I am feeling, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXH3Gnvxpw0, but I digress.

I think everyone is allowed to have a pity party, if something goes wrong, stew for a while and then get over it, move forward and be done with it, I’m not quite there, and I’m ok with it. I do want you to know that I am not letting on, I’ve only told a few people who I confide in and then it will be over, but I’m allowed!

The thank you is to my friends and family who were concerned and asked me what happened and what can they do to help and those who just kept me company, made me laugh and forget all my problems, at least for a moment.

Tonight was great, a lot of things happened after work, but there were some cool things that happened at work…I learned something new, pretty stoked about that, well, two new things, really cool! And later, I got a really nice email thanking me for my hard work, positive attitude and adaptability, it was so unexpected and it made me feel so good, thank you!

After work, I went for a walk around the property with CH, we talked, caught up, let loose, laughed and got things out that we wanted to talk about without fear of reprisal, it feels great to have friends like that you work with!

Then, HH came down to my room and watched a movie! We had been talking about The Breakfast Club earlier today and then I realized I had a copy and left it for her at the front desk. We decided to watch it together, but then I realized, after she got to my room, that I don’t have a blue ray player! Oh no! So what were we to do? Turns out I had a dvd of Mamma Mia! So we watched and promised not to get offended by each other when we sang along! because who doesn’t love ABBA!!! Don’t answer that!

Today was not bad, but turned into pretty good with a Girls Night In! I haven’t been able to do that with my girl friends in a really long time and I miss them, this was so much fun! Thanks HH, when’s the next one!?

{June 15, 2015} Disappointment

Today I had some disappointing news.

Now, I’m not going to tell you what it was, but it was a serious disappointment. The hard part is that there really wasn’t anything I could do about it, I did what I was supposed to, I fixed what I needed to and it still wasn’t enough.

What I’m feeling right now is guilt, that there are so many bigger problems in the world and in my friend’s lives and here I am having a pity party, it won’t last very long, I promise.

In terms of what happened, unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it now, but as I like to say, there’s always a next time. Next time, look out!

{June 14, 2015} Sleepover, no training wheels, swim test, bbq

Another crazy, busy day! So what else is new?

The sleepover continued, it really was a fantastic experience, I got a little choked up a few times, don’t tell EJS! We snuggled down in the bed and lights out about 10:30pm, shhh…don’t tell mommy and daddy!

About 5:45am, I realized that I couldn’t move her to her side of the bed anymore, she was all spread out! So, I got up and went to the couch to watch movies and wait for her to get up, which happened about 6:30 when she realized she kicked me out of bed, apologized and fell back asleep! About 7:00 she got up and asked when breakfast was and what time.

We watched a Disney movie, go figure, and paused it about 7:30 to get some breakfast. In the middle of eating, she realized we could bring food back to the room!? Yup! Away we went to finish our breakfast in the room, on the sofa, watching a movie! This is the life!

After the movie, back to the pool for some fun and frolicking, what a great swimmer she is! After a while, back to the room, no hot water for showers, the boiler was busted. Ok, so manis and pedis anyone? You know it!

Eventually, we headed to the house to see MGS riding her bike without training wheels!!! They said it didn’t take long and she was off! So excited! Then EJS went to softball tryouts and I went with GES and MGS for swim lessons. I was invited because I haven’t seen her swim lesson in a while, she was great! Got all her stickers!

Back to the house to hang out and as there was so much bbq left over, neighbors were invited over, PSM showed up on his bike, and a backyard bbq we had. A great time was had by al!

Then it was goodnight kisses and drive back to the hotel to my furry babies who were waiting to greet me. Well, it’s more like they looked up when I walked in the door!

What a great weekend, my sister was so thrilled by the party and today was great…one great time after another! You should join us some time!

{June 13, 2015} What a day! It started with a party, ended with a sleepover!

What a day, what a day, what a day!

I told you that GES turned 40 this past week and it has been a week of celebrations continuing today! Up early, off to Costco to pick up cake, burgers and beer, yesterday was hotdogs and buns.

Back at the house, finish setting up, blocking off the street and getting ready for the throngs of people to arrive and arrive they did. There were over 100 yes responses and if we didn’t have 100 people, I’d be surprised! There were neighbors and friends, young and old, there to celebrate my fabulous sister! Even one of her college roommates was there with her family! So great to see NM, her two daughters and her beau.

AS was in the kitchen cooking up a storm, she made a food truck, without the truck! Everyone was happier than happy! There were crab salad sandwiches, sausages, chicken and so much more! Everything cooked to order! Outside on the grill, ACS was cooking up dogs and burgers, not to mention veggie burgers for the non meat-eaters in the crowd.

Everyone brought something to share as always. We had great salads, both veggie and fruit and some a mix of both, there were desserts and a cake to share, fabulous! After things died down, we read some toasts to GES, I read my blog, it seemed to be a hit, dad was awesome as always, LaLa and ACS and some others, a fabulous tribute to a fabulous woman!

After the shindig, I got in the car, picked up EJS from a softball game she was watching and we headed to Lexington to meet PSM for dinner at a Chinese restaurant, then back to the hotel, into the pool, back to the room for showers and now we’re sitting in bed on our very first sleepover! EJS asked me this morning if she could come and spend the night with me at the hotel! My very first auntie-niece sleepover! I have been waiting for this for a very long time!

The cats are so happy to see her, Jymy is curled up next to her! I’m so excited she wanted a sleepover, I can’t wait for the next one!!! I hope breakfast is good, she’s been asking me about it all night!

What a day, I am going to fall asleep with a smile on my face, I hope you do too!

{June 12, 2015} A birthday dinner celebration

The celebration continues.

Tonight, we went to dinner to celebrate GES’ birthday. It was a tapas place with a Spanish theme and so much to share, the nice thing about tapas is small plates for everyone to share and unless you have too many plates, nice proportions.

Dad and LaLa got in just before we left, JS and AS were at the house when I got there and PSM met us at the restaurant. I had LaLa, GES and EJS in my rental car. The first thing out of EJS’ mouth, just like MGS was “It’s so clean!” Yup.

We had a nice chat on the way to the restaurant, great conversation, good food and lots of fun toasts honoring the woman of the hour, GES. Everyone made fun toasts or had great anecdotes about GES and tomorrow there will be more. The celebration never ends!

Happy Birthday GES!

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?