I have been thinking of how we voice who we are.  Some do that by dress.  It seems important to sport the "in" labels, to some how prove who you are by buy into it.  I figure if it is clean, comfortable and some what matched I am good to go.    Some carry hand bags worth a small fortune.  This some how says I am some one!  Yes, you are!  You are some one that could have donated a whack of money to a local charity but choose to have the bag hanging off your arm.

Now I admire fashion and I have always somehow been involved with fabric and it is a passion to create.   But when I see little ones judging playmates by how they dress it saddens me greatly.  For some of the true gems of people are those that do not fit in.  Funny how the pressure to conform and fit in is even greater now, it even trickles down to your phones and believe me, ... those pre teens are teckno savvy!

Some do it by their ride!  The more status their car has the better they feel!  Well, give me payments that do not break me and my "ride" reflects that! LOL  Oh does it ever!  Houses are status, the ritzier the neighbourhood the better!  The more the furnishings cost the more you are not in your house in order to pay for them. Work, work, work!   The house that is so expensive it great but is it a home?

Who we are is also what we believe.  What I believe is a huge part of my being, my day and how I react to the world.  I feel very free to voice these beliefs, as anyone probably knows who has been round me.  My youth was spent voicing these things loud and clear and I really believe it is everyone's right to do that.  First it allows you to truly understand a person.  You choose then to respect that person or not include them in your circle.  But believes need to be heard and counter points respectfully placed if you so desire.  To allow difference of opinions is to respect that person enough to allow your counter point to be placed.  Second, if you have not learned and benefited from others differences than you have not really listened.   Debating rules must be in effect and hearing is done usually from where you stand!  True!  I have witnessed so many  upsets because the person heard what they thought they heard based on their history and reference points.

We have a chance here, through this medium to be who we are.  I really have trouble doing any thing else so basically what you see is what you get.   Pretending to be what you are not  to me is such a waste of time.  It is the soul that matters, the person desires and wants in life and who they are.  But you have to hear and listen.   If voices are quiet, no one gains.

I love that song!  LOL!!!  Had the records out today.... love Jeff Beck, it has to be loud.  It really does.  And I really don't care if the neighbours believe I am torturing cats!  Yes, I was singing...  at the top of me little lungs!   Silly is me today.... been behaving for so long it just had to come out.  I was wildly dancing about the living room and totally enjoying music!  Music sets the soul free!!!!  Free to move and react and feel!  I am long past caring who the heck thinks what,   however I did momentarily hope that the laughter,  if any one saw me,  would be tempered with some giving grace.

I attended my daughters art show and I marvel at her talent.  She picks up paper and colour and there sits a piece of life!  She is focused right now with art for children.  She has this way of making you look deeper into the picture, to see and spot all the little tiny details.  You know how kiddies say, ah Mom .. it is just because you are my Mom that you    1.   believe I am beautiful    2.  believe I have talent   3.  believe I can do any thing   4.  believe in me.   Yes Baby, I do believe in you.  You are my child and I believe so much in you.  Maybe you have younger kiddies and have not come up against this yet.  But because we are Mom we are believed to be totally tainted towards our offspring.   But to do that would be to not see your child.  To not love them for the rights and wrongs and ups and downs, so I take exception to that.  I see you, I always have and I always will and I love you.  So!!!  That out of the way, LOL, others saw that in her art too which was great to experience.  I was glad I was there to look on at this young woman who I would choose as a friend if she were not my child.

And then there was Lucas!  The one year old!  Haahaahaaa, the best age for he has sweetness and temper, and desire to go his own way and can ask loudly for hugs if he feels like it, who traces the floors and mucks up the walls and widows with his quest for knowledge and who is Lucas !!! He is a power unto himself, an independent spirit that I hope will soar and some day dance with Grandma... just for the sheer joy of it all!

Heeheee so there Janice....  Possession is nine tenths of the law!

I have ... by way of a small miracle.... gained two more kiddies! 

Hubby picked them up at the airport and the world travelers have fit quite nicely into the house hold.   Janice and Steve have however lost their bedroom.  Dog has not gained new playmates and is being extremely limited!!!

What can I say, I need new kiddies, all mine are gone and my goodness these two are so darn cute!  I am quite taken with our dear new girl as she is lovely, articulate and truly charming.  My new boy will be tons of fun when he gets use to the new parental parent units!  One parental unit has a terrible time with finding any thing positive in the political issues of the time and will speak quite freely about it.  He is trying to palm Conrad Black off on them seeing a totally lovely British Lady declined the offer to ship the so and so there! 

Canadian weather has co operated greatly and five unbearable weeks of extreme heat and humidity broke the day they came.  We had a rain storm this morning but the kiddies needed a sleep in and some Canadian Breakfast!  So eggs, Canadian bacon, homefries, tomato and toast! 

Well  !!!!!!!!!!!!  Gotta go!  They are home and we are doing Chicken wings, well over 12 pounds, and new potato french fries!  This is so neat having more kiddies!

Well let me say I am not at all use to being the center of attention, catered to, or spoiled!  But you know.... I really think I could get use to it! LOL!!!  I had the most lovely of days! 

It started with a card on my birthday... interesting!  My son and my beautiful daughter, the one I gained through marriage, gave me the opportunity to choose!  Choose time and place and menu!  Very exciting as my son can cook!  Boy can he!  His lovely wife put herself down in the effort as a sous chef in training!  Oh so interesting!  Before I knew what was happening I had the date, menu and time and they invited others to join also!

I was greeted when we got there by an open door with smiling faces and I was so excited!  Lead smiling face was Lucas and the chance to play is after all,  fore most!  I also was given a corsage, how unexpected and totally lovely!  The smell was heaven as I adore carnations!

The meal was almost ready but they had made appetizers too!  The fried calamari was tender, fresh and the batter was so unusual!  Delicious!  Son had also made small deep fried potato things that was unbelievably good!  So we made short work of the food and Son went on to bar be que the meat on long skewers with onions and mushrooms.  He had made and also cooked on the bar be que pita bread.  He made his own tazaki dip and a wonderful dip for the calamari that was spicy and so good!  His wife had made a dish I had never had before that was cheeses and spinach in a fine flaky crust... very, very yummy!  We had a wonderful Greek meal and it was so enjoyed! 

The talk was good, the company excellent and Lucas provided endless laps through the living room, through the kichen and stopping at the cat's water and food!  Haahaa such fun! I got to read him a book and play and cuddle him up!  It was great fun!  He liked eating some of the offerings and was interested also in trying the cat food which we were fast enough to stop!

The talk went from work to the  travels of some of the family, to the members we were missing from the dinner, to.. of course.. politics and every thing else and we got to see pictures of recent adventures! Just a great time.  Then dessert!  Wow!  Home made blueberry ice cream and orange cake made by dil herself!  They were great so I do believe it is high time she is sous chef extraordinaire!  Instead of in training!

Besides all the dinner and such,  I was given flowers, but it is what dil said... I asked for the florist to make them them bright and interesting, colourful and lively and totally special and unusual... just like you Mom!  That was a gift of true blessing!