Ye Olde Blargh

Elaine Jones, Greg’s grandmother and fellow accordion lover, passed away last week and today was her funeral. I honestly didn’t think it would be as emotional for me as it ended up being, but boy I was a-cryin’. She was such a cute lady, with her bright red hair and lips, and her stories from when she was younger that I loved to hear. I ache for her family who is hurting so much at losing her, especially because it was quite unexpected. To see her children, and her grandchildren in such sadness and tears just made me lose it.  I will say though that the amount of love pouring out of these people for this woman was amazing. This was woman loved immensely and was loved immensely by her family, and that was evident by today’s service.

This was actually the first funeral I had ever been to. Everyone was like really? What?! ‘Tis true and I count my blessings every day and thank God for the life of my loved ones and not having to have known such loss yet. I will say seeing such pain and sadness today, I’m most certainly not looking forward to the day I lose my own grandma, or grandpa… or whoever. You know how some people say oh we shouldn’t be sad we should be rejoicing, so and so wouldn’t want us to be sad, etc? How does one NOT feel sadness when losing someone so dear, I’d sure like to know. I’m sure I need to work out my issues about death and whatnot as it does indeed spook me…

Sweet dreams Grandma Jones, you are missed by a multitude of wonderful folks.

Elaine Louise (Peterson) Jones

October 10, 1927 – August 13, 2010

♥ ♥ ♥

… an accordion!

No joke.

So kind of a long story, but the accordion opportunity came my way after talking with Greg’s grandma who mentioned she was about to sell an accordion she used to play whilst entertaining the troops with the USO back during WWII. I didn’t want some stranger to have such a piece of Greg’s family history, and I saw it as my opportunity to finally learn how to plan an instrument I’ve been wanting to learn for a few years now. So Greg my honeylove said he had been wanting to buy me the new iPhone but he’d go ahead and turn that into part of the payment for the accordion. Thanks SO much honey for helping me out!

In the end sadly I did not end up with the history filled accordion I had hoped as it ended up going to another family member, but there was another one she had that I decided to go ahead and keep. I LOVE IT!

It’s a pretty hard instrument to play, you have to do 3 different things at the same time and it’s easy to forget one of them. So far I’ve just played a few tunes I remember from my piano recital days when I was a kid, when I took piano lessons for I think about a year.  I don’t sound so great yet, but I’m going to keep practicing and hopefully teach myself how to play this thing! My goal is to learn how to play Amelie’s Valse from the movie Amelie, I love that movie and its soundtrack!

HAHA! This was sent to me and I thought it was hilarious! I love the diary of the cat!

Excerpt from a dog’s daily diary:

8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm – Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm – Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpt from a cat’s daily diary:

Day 983 of my captivity…

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects..  They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.  In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet.  I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of.  However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am.  The bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight.  I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food.  I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’  I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking.  I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.  The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released – and seems to be more than willing to return.   He is obviously retarded..

Due to furloughs and of course the holiday I’ve had the last 5 days off woo hooooo!! Bit of a struggle to get me out of bed this morning to head back to work

I was able to spend a couple of days with my familia in Phoenix, as they will be heading off for travels and whatnot the entire summer so I’m going to miss them so! My step mum and little sister head to the east coast whilst my papa head to Prague for the summer to teach! Have fun family, can’t wait to come visit when you get back in August!

I swear there is something super therapeutic about going home for a while. It was super short, only like a day and a half of being there, but just breathing in the familiar air, hanging out with my family that I don’t get to see all the time… it just sort of refreshed me and I felt awesome! I will of course be heading back to the PHX this summer to visit all my buds I wasn’t able to see this time around.

Once I got back Greg, Teebo and I were able to head to Fiesta Island on Sunday for some barbecuing and sun soaking!  A great time was had by all, and while I left with some random and patchy sunburns, it was an awesome time. I’m glad I got to see T-money, Diane, and Angelica as well as it had been quite some time since I had! Yay for being done with school!!!

This semester has been a hell of a lot of work, so I’m stoked that it’s almost over! I still have a big paper to finalize, then a couple of assignments to finish up, then I’m freeeeeeeeee for the summer! Well other than work of course. It’s already starting to feel like I have some semblance of a normal life back as yesterday I was able to clean off the dining room table, which I took hostage months ago as my area of study, and I was also able to tidy up my room a bit that has fallen by the wayside because of the busy schedule.

Running has also been put on the back burner, and I definitely haven’t had as much time as I would have liked to devote to training for the 1/2 marathon coming up, but the running and working out I have been able to fit in here and there has definitely help keep my sanity! “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.” HA!

Yay for the semester being almost over!

Mama: “I don’t look like a piruja?”

Me: “What’s a piruja?”

Mama: “Um… a social worker.”

(Piruja is a slang word for prostitute, HAHAHAHAHA!)

I love my mama G! <3

Me and my mamacita!

Time flies that’s for sure. My little Jenna bean would have been 8 years old today, crazy! She’d be like a grown up, kind of hehe. What grade are kids in when they’re 8? 3rd? I remember my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Newell. I didn’t like her very much. But she did introduce us to Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great which ended up being one of my favorite books as a kid, so for that I thank you, Mrs. Newell.

I actually feel surprisingly ok right now. I had a good cry about Jenna a couple of months back, so maybe that’s held me over a bit so today isn’t as hard as usual. I will definitely say time helps lessen the day to day sadness, but when it hits it still hits like the day it happened. I guess that’s how it will be until well, forever, and I’m actually ok with that because I think it’s important for me to remember her and just acknowledge her existence here in this world even if it was for a short time. She meant the world to me and I think it’s ridiculous when people tell me to “move on” and crap like that. Move on from what? I’m not sitting here crying everyday about it, but if there is a day I do what’s the big deal? She was an important part of my life, and I had planned on her still having been here now, so of COURSE there are days when I feel that emptiness and would give my left arm to have her here.

Like I said, most of all I like to take her birthday to acknowledge her having been here on this earth with me. She came and she went way too fast for my liking, but I’m grateful to her for how she made me feel (even literally when she’d kick me, trippy feeling!) and the immense love I already felt for her without even having been formally introduced. I’ll be grateful for her everyday and will always send my love out to her energy in the universe and hope it finds her.

♥ Happy Birthday Jenna!  – March 19, 2002 ♥

Took a little study break this afternoon to stretch the Red Dragon’s legs a little bit as it hadn’t been driven in a while. Man that thing is HUGE, but luckily I returned it safely home unscathed from a joyride around town. I was pretty nervous, it’s the size of Brazil compared to my little Kia snowball, but I think I did pretty awesome for my first time and I’ll admit it was SOOOOO fun to drive! Thanks babe for letting me drive it! <3

How do you get this flingin' flangin' thing in drive?

Even Teebo got in on the Sunday Funday fun

I love it when we're crusin' together

Wow all KINDS of milestones this year! Today, February 22, my awesome grandma Margarita turns 80! She’s the funniest, cutest person ever and I love her so much! Feliz cumpleanos Ama! <3 <3

Sooooo cute my grandma is

Love my grandparents!