I'm not afraid of flying monkeys, but the freeway is a different story.

Who doesn't wish there was some place where there isn't any trouble? Since I was very young I have had an Oz-session. I was there in front of the black and white television loving The Wizard of Oz - even when I didn't know there was color as soon as Dorothy stepped out of the house into Munchkin Land. I watched it every year without fail, often missing school activities because I preferred the movie to real life. I am not sure when I started collecting the "stuff" - but I believe I was already an adult. Now I have the movie on DVD and VHS - probably more than one of each and even so, if I see it on television when I am scanning the channels I will watch it again.

I love the characters. I can't choose a favorite because there is something in each of them that I can relate to. Much like Dorothy, I have a tendency to want to run away from trouble and in the process, find myself helping others with their own problems. I am also like the scarecrow, not giving myself credit for my intelligence. In fact, when I was working at the Herald you could hear me singing "If I only had a brain" at least once a week. My daughter once awarded me a little pin with the cowardly lion on it - just because I had conquered a fear and driven to Bellingham to see her. Yes, I am cowardly at times, especially on the freeway. Now for the tin man. Well, he does have a heart and so do I and I agree with the wizard that I wish hearts could be made unbreakable. I guess we all have to learn that having our heart broken a time or two really does build character.

Speaking of character - I love to get in character, which is why I have always loved Halloween. Any time I can be someone other than myself it is a good day, especially when that someone is larger than life. I have been Dorothy and I have been Glinda.  When my daughter was little I made her a Dorothy costume too. I still want to be the wicked witch - but only if I can have the real costume, green face and all! The only hard part is that Darrell just doesn't want to be anyone from my favorite movie. Believe me, I have tried to convince him that being the wizard might be fun.
I always find it difficult to understand when people tell me they are afraid of the flying monkeys, the winkie guards or the witch. I have never been afraid of anything Oz! To me they are all like old friends who never change and are always there just waiting for me.
I love predictability.

Toyland

Yesterday was little William's second birthday. We took him stacking/nesting blocks, a wooden puzzle, some clothes and a little See'n Say.
I've been thinking about toys.
Often I think about my own toys, and I can almost hear them calling to me from the storage unit. They must miss me as much as I miss them. Yes, Mrs. Beasley is there. She is in the box with Baba Looey and Lamb Chop, my paper dolls, Little Kiddles and my Effanbee baby dolls.

 Someday when I have that elusive bigger house they will all come back to live with me again. Just spending time with them always makes me happy - like going home.
I found someone who can fix Mrs. Beasley's voice and give her a new pair of glasses! I would love to hear her voice again - I can still hear it in my head and I remember most of what she can say.
"Speak a little louder dear, so Mrs. Beasley can hear you."
"Long ago I was a little girl just like you."
"Would you like to play jump rope?"
"If you were a little smaller I could rock you to sleep."
I think a lot about how toys have changed from when I was a little smaller! It was a big deal when dolls could talk, walk, wet their diapers and grow their hair. I remember when posable Barbies were so exciting! Now toys are all electronic and kids don't play the same way.
I search hard for William's presents' and as much as toys have changed, the classics are still around if you look for them. For Christmas William is getting a Fisher Price piano and a giant coloring book with the BIG color crayons. I can't wait!

Me and my own Baba Looey

I still love to wear hats!

Playing cat and mouse.

For several days last week Thomas was very intent upon getting behind the entertainment center. We looked under it with a flashlight but there is no space between it and the floor to see, or to even put something under it. 

Nevertheless, Thomas did not give up. 

Around the same time, I was looking at all the movies stacked on the bottom shelf of same entertainment center and decided they were an eyesore. I luckily found 2 perfectly sized baskets for 50% off clearance and proceeded to clean it up. 

While I had it empty Thomas was again trying to paw his way under. I was thinking maybe there was a real mouse  he was after. He has actually only found 2 real mice in the 2 years that he has lived here, but it was a possibility.

Darrell took the bottom glass shelf off to see underneath and this is what we found! 

There were eighteen toy mice and someone was VERY excited to have them. It took great dexterity to get them under there in the first place, but this is Thomas the wonder-cat we are talking about. Although he looks serene in the pictures, let me tell you, there were mice flying through the air as he tossed and chased them about for the entire evening. Eventually we had to put some of them away - you know, protecting him from sensory overload!

It got me thinking about cats and mice, which led me to thinking about playing cat-and-mouse. 

Cat and Mouse:

... is an English-language idiom dating back to 1675 that means "a contrived action involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes." The "cat" is unable to secure a definitive victory over the "mouse", who despite not being able to defeat the cat, is able to avoid capture. In extreme cases, the idiom may imply that the contest is never-ending. The term is derived from the hunting behavior of domestic cats which often appear to "play" with prey by releasing it after capture. This behavior is due to an instinctive imperative to ensure that the prey is weak enough to be killed without endangering the cat.

Here is a picture of two of the most famous players of the game!

My daughter reminded me in a comment that I had forgotten another famous duo. They happen to be a favorite of hers and she has also shared the beauty of them with me....
Anna - and George Herriman, this is for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krazy_Kat

Brooks Brothers and chocolate.

My friend Heather recommended this book to me - "Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put On My Pajamas & Found Happiness" by Dominique Browning.
http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Love-Pajamas-Found-Happiness/dp/1934633313
She had me at pajamas.
Like the author, I love pajamas, always have. There is just something so comforting about them. I don't buy them as often as I'd like because I can't seem to justify the purchase. For awhile I was obsessed with the Nick & Nora pajamas, not the spendy ones, but the ones at Target. I have several pair, some with cherries, some with cats and some with little Cowboys and Indians on them. I also have my Eddie Bauer holiday flannel jammies, as well as some from LLBean with Christmas trees.
The author and I do have a lot in common, one of them being a love of Lanz of Salzburg nightgowns. I admit to only owning one, but I am determined to get another soon. They are all about lace and gathers and prints and remind me of the nighties I used to get each Winter when I was little. I just found this pair  of Nick and Nora's  - now I'm in trouble! :-)

So, I lost my job almost 6 months ago. Like Dominique Browning, I have also struggled with figuring out what I want to do next. She was a powerful editor of Home & Garden magazine, while I was a layout person and manager at a local newspaper. I also let my job define me. I've always loved words, sentence structure, proper grammar, oh, and don't forget spelling. I was a 3 time winner of the Lauritzen Spelling Bee in my hometown of Wilbur, WA. Few things make me happier than proofing a story or an ad before publication and finding errors that can be FIXED! It is like being a hero for a moment, even though it means very little to the others around you most of the time. I also love writing something and knowing it is good, there is so much satisfaction in seeing your own words published. I generally write stories in my head before ever putting them down on paper. That way when I am finished I have already proofed and edited in my head so many times that I really resent when someone else changes it. Even better, to be acknowledged for your work. I won an award. It was one of my proudest moments in all of my 21 years at the newspaper. I'm not sure I will ever feel that way again.
In the book, and in real life, the author went through the stages I am going through. I'm not finished reading the book so I don't know how her life has turned out. She wrote a book and people are buying it, so I'm guessing she is now a successful author.

All I know is I am rooting for her and she has made me root for myself a little as well. I feel somehow better about staying in my jammies until noon, gaining 10 pounds and not knowing what day it is. They are all the same. I no longer feel the excitement of TGIF.
This will pass, but not before I consume a lot more chocolate and for some reason, I now have a yearning for Brooks Brothers pajamas, the striped ones for men. Apparently they are very comfy and simple. I will have to check that out.

The color of trees.

When I was a kid and did a lot of coloring, my trees were always green and conical. (also a little comical as I recall) I am glad that trees are not only green. Today I ventured out for a bit and drove down Kennewick Avenue - a tree lined street here in town. I saw a little house with a For Sale sign in the yard. The house was tiny and rather unkempt - however, in the front yard was the brightest red tree. If you lived in that house and were giving directions to your house you could say "the one with the red tree in front." Of course, only in the Fall, at just the right time, when the tree is red. Oh yeah, there were other trees that were different variations of red. There were orangey ones, burgundy ones, burnt umber, you know - those other color crayons that didn't get quite as much use. This tree though, this tree was the most beautiful red tree I have ever seen. Luckily, you can't see the house for the tree. :-)
If I decide to color again I will make my trees with all different colors.....

I didn't take a picture of the tree - but I found one close.