February 2, 2011

Grandma is addicted to SKYPE!!!!!

I miss my mommy :(
We had a great visit when she came out from New Jersey for 10 days.  Her annual trip to Alaska...braving the single digits and cat hair on the couch!  The weather was not very co-operative this time.  We hadn't gotten any fresh snow and after a mini-thaw what snow we did have was old and and hard.  Not very conducive to the snow shoeing she was so hoping to be able to do.  But she did take lots of walks and played outside with Lo.  I had to work a few of those days and Mom was happy to hang around the house cleaning(She LOVES this) and dinking with the cats.  And, MAN ALIVE, it was a treat to come home to a super spic-and-span house!
We had a couple days to ourselves while the girls were in school.  It was fun to check out the stores and to show her the 3 galleries in town where I'm showing my work.  After a trip to the make-up counter at Nordstroms(I need to learn me some updated techniques and palates for the fancy-shmance shin-dig Huz and I were going to!)we had a fantastic lunch at a wine bistro called Crush.  Perfect and appropriate portion sizes, great marriage of flavors and I REALLY enjoyed my heady Portuguese Dao.  To DIE.
So, on a slow day I hooked Mom up with Skype, threw the last year's of photos on her laptop and make her around 10 cds worth of killer mixes.  From classical to Fergie.  Now that she's home, my mother is COO-COO for the SKYPE.  Three times a day.  It REALLY is very cool to be able to communicate like this!  The other day she brought her laptop outside to show us all the snow they'd gotten.  Lo loves to grab random toys, pictures, and artwork to show and tell with Grandma.  Mom's looking forward to seeing the girls grow and change with this wacky technology. 
 I'm in the process of loosing my father-too many emotions to wade through....but I feel I'm gaining more of my mother.  And I need that.

Here's a peek at some of the stuff we did with Grandma:



A visit to Lo's classroom


Teaching Mom some healthy recipes...and then indulging with good friends

Lo's swim lesson

Viewing one of my Buddha paintings at Dos Manos Gallery


Hanging at a sports bar to watch the playoffs


Don't you just want to CHOKE eateries that serve 6 year olds a glass that size?!?!?!??!


Introducing Grandma to AVATAR

AND....Twas also time for the annual New York Life Kickoff Dinner!  Froo-froo time!  Grandma and Dea babysat Lo so that Huz and I could stay the night at the hotel where the dinner took place.  This year I went for the risky dress!  I've worked my ass off-both of us have-the last few months and goddamn I went for it!  And I didn't even need SPANX nylons!!!!!!  It may have taken 41 years...but I can honestly say I feel comfortable in my skin...The cool thing is that I started to feel this way when I was 25 pounds heavier.  An acceptance of myself on some level that I've never experienced.  And now that I'm healthier with the weight off...and feeling fit and athletic again, my self confidence is only enhanced.  It's a fekkin AWESOME feeling!  And my sweetie.....lookin' HOT, too!