Eureka!

I found her... I Finally found her!

Sometime last year I called the local salon to schedule an appointment with my favorite hairdresser, Patricia. Can you imagine my horror when the receptionist said, "Patricia isn't with us anymore." Now, I'm not sure what the protocol is on this sort of thing so I was reluctant to ask where she went... I mean, is it proper etiquette to call a salon and then say something to the effect of, "Well, I was only gracing my presence at your establishment because I like that one stylist... You know, Patricia?... Because she was really excellent and the rest of you I could give a flying fig about." Yeah, No, I'm just not that blunt. So I didn't ask and hung my disheveled locks in despair. I waited until the last possible minute to find a stand-in stylist... Someone who 'might' do the 'do' I adored but nothing compared to the way Patricia did my hair... And you know, it's not so much they way she did my hair but more the way she treated me as a customer. Patricia was the rare breed of stylist who listened, advised without being critical and always valued her customers. One time I arrived a little early for an appointment... Patricia was running a little behind and even though I didn't mind catching up on some light gossip mag reading, she instructed the shampoo girl to treat me to a hand massage while I waited. A hand message I'll never forget, not just because it felt WUN-DER-FUL but because Patricia said, "I value your time and I want to make up for, making you, have to wait on me." I know, Awesome, right?

Anyway, fast forward to about 2 months ago when I read in the paper that a new hair salon was opening in town, in a brand new strip mall, just 3 minutes from my house. I noted that the owners name was Patricia but I wasn't 100% sure it was indeed MY Patricia. So I went to the website Mirror Mirror Salon and checked out the pictures of the staff. Unfortunately, at the time, there was no picture of Patricia. That's okay, I'll just bide my time, I wasn't particularly desperate at that point. Last week however, my daughter informed me that she was simply dying to get her haircut so I checked back at the website and there was Patricia's sweet face. I immediately made an appointment for myself with Patricia for the following week. My daughter didn't really care who cut her hair so she opted not to wait and got it cut that night.

So today, Patricia cut my hair for the first time in over a year. It was so good to see her and remarkable to hear the details of why she left the other salon. She had a baby since I last saw her and opened her own business... A busy girl to be sure. After she finished cutting my hair (remembering all the details of what I like and don't like done with the styling) I stood up from the chair with a big smile and a thank you and she said, "Oh give me a hug... It's so good to see you again!"... Now, if I can only get 'em to treat me like that at WalMart.

Typical Day at The New School

My daughter is absolutely LOVING the new camera she got for her birthday... And thank heaven, I finally have MY camera back, all to myself (whew!)

Yesterday she took several pics of the kids at school and they're such a wonderful representation of the unique school my kids attend, I thought I'd post a couple of them here.

Here's a trio of the younger kids at the school, without even realizing it, demonstrating the strong bonds of friendship formed in such a nurturing environment.

'The Creek' is a popular spot once the weather turns warmer. Rare indeed, is the school where a day or days spent discovering nature or just playing together for hours is encouraged. The students of the school have recently submitted a proposal to the school meeting, to engineer a foot bridge across an area of the creek... However, since the creek is on public property they're facing having to take their proposal to the city. It's just another day at The New School, where the kids decide, through a voting process, whether or not to take on the city council.

Open House

Newest property on the block now available.
Start your nest egg here.
Others will be flocking to this stylishly decorated
1 bedroom abode.
Fly on in and check it out.

This lovely birdhouse, designed, stained and displayed on a very high tree, by my husband and daughter, as their weekend project. We can't wait to get pictures of the new habitants. We'll be sure to post pics once they take up residence.

For Heavens Sake... Wake Up Already!

Yesterday morning as I began to feel the full force of this creeping crud descending on me I called the doctor for an appointment... Not that I really needed the appointment. After all, all the doctor needs do is weigh me (good god!), take my blood pressure (argh!), take my temp (mmmmph!), look in my ears (huh?) and put a stethascope against the front and back of my shirt and ask me to breath deep (in, out, in, out, *hack*cough*hack* in, out, in, out!) This is the scenario every single time I go to the doctor for a respiratory infection, which I get a raging recurrence of, at least a couple of times a year (no really dad, I don't think all those years of inhaling your second hand smoke had anything to do with it!)

Anyway, the only REAL reason I'm at the doctors office (and both she and I know it), is for that precious slip of paper with the prescription for an antibiotic written on it. It's what I know I need and it's what she knows I need, the moment I greet her with my dark circled eyes and croaking voice.... So back to my main point... I call the doctors office yesterday morning only to find they have no openings until Friday morning... FRIDAY MORNING!!! ACK! I'll surely die before then!... But okay, if it's all you got? I'll just lay my pounding head against this table until then... Oh, and the only opening is for 8:15? GREAT! You don't mind if I come in un-showered and half dead do you? Fine, I'll be there at the ass-crack of dawn (I know, that's not early at all to some of you... to me, feeling the need to shower, shampoo & shine before I leave the house... Well, it IS early dammit!)

So, this morning, in my headachy virus induced haze, while I was just on the verge of wakefulness, I sunk into a restless dream... A nightmare of sorts. I dreamed I was at a meeting, it was around noon time and I suddenly came to the realization I'd missed my doctors appointment. In the dream I was also feeling quite miserable and the idea of having to make it through the entire weekend without meds had me scrambling to find my purse so I could phone my doctors office from my cell and see if she could fit me in before the end of the day. Searching desperately for my purse, I at last, notice it upon a very high shelf, which even though I'm quite tall have absolutely no chance of reaching. I begin searching around for a step-stool... I notice several laying around but I can't figure out how to open the contraptions... Growing increasingly frustrated I finally locate one that folds out and allows me to reach up and grab my purse... My purse, which I find turned upside down on the very tall shelf, spilling all it's contents just beyond my grasp... Achieving a tip-toe stance I struggle to grasp all the do's and dad's normally contained in my purse. At last stepping down from the stool I discover my cell phone isn't in my purse at all!... I guess, because I'm at a meeting, all cell phones have been placed in a docking station of sorts on a credenza. I begin searching desperately through every conceivable type of cell phone known to man, for MY cell... The one with the number for my doctor programmed into it... The doctor, that as I stand there fretting, is probably closing her office early on a Friday so she can hit the sale at Macy's.... So that come Monday, she'll have a knew blouse and pair of slacks to wear with her sleek white lab coat... While they're laying me out at the local funeral home (I know, oh the drama!) I guess it was at this point that the stress of the dream became too much for my feverish brain and I awakened to find the clock reading 7:05... Grateful to realize I had indeed, NOT, missed my appointment, I slogged out of bed so I could get showered, shampooed and shined before the doctor would inevitably go through the examination process all so I could get my hands on that blessed slip of paper... Antibiotics... Sweet, sweet, Antibiotics!

Party & A Little Whine With Your Blog?

The party's over... My daughter's 15th birthday luau party that is. It was SO MUCH FUN... We all had a wonderful time and the 30 or so people invited (I sensed) felt the same.

For now though, the party seems to be taking place in my head and my chest... I'd swear there's 76 trombones marching directly across my cranium from my right temple to my left... Parade gawkers are dropping their trash directly into the base of my neck... Rubber band man is dangling off the back of my throat and there's this sumo wrestler stomping madly on my lungs, establishing his superiority I suppose... And lord knows what's got a hold of my lower back, but it's currently twisting it's talons into my left buttock, which in turn sends shooting waves of pain directly down my leg.

I paint a charming picture... don't I?

Wow, nothing more charming than a whiny blog post... Sorry folks, I got nothin!

Birthday's, Birds, Blooms & More...

I know, I know... I'm a terribly lazy blogger. However, just because I haven't posted, doesn't mean I haven't been spending time widening my buttocks checking out all of your interesting activities.

Here's some highlights of what's been taking place in The Paper Treehouse...

My son (my oldest) turned 18 yrs. old...


I'm still waiting for someone to say, "But you don't look old enough to have an 18 yr. old?" Hasn't happened yet, so I guess I probably do.

My daughter (the nature lover) and I have engaged ourselves in setting up a new bird feeder...

photo by, Sarah

Which thwarts the likes of this menace and all of his greedy, seed eating, little friends... Yeah, you just try and get at all our seed now, you little thief!

Photo by, Sarah

We've been photographing and feeling grateful for beautiful sunsets at the end of gorgeous warm spring days...


We've spent time and energy beautifying our little spit of front yard...


With pretty things that will hopefully grow, despite my black thumb... I think my daughter is graced with a lucky green thumb so there's hope!

Photo by, Sarah

And because I just couldn't say no to this lovely promise of summer, I bought a yellow hibiscus to celebrate... And I'm hoping there aren't any more nights of frosty low temps.


My daughter's 15th birthday is this week so I'm busily preparing for a luau style party at the school. I hope to post some pics of that event later in the week.

I should also mention that my new'ish vacuum broke but I'll save that story for another day.

Heart Healer

I spoke with my dad on Friday night... He's out of the hospital and sounds like he has a new lease on life. I guess that's what it takes, facing your own mortality can open your eyes to the reality of cherishing every moment.

We had a nice conversation... And yes, at one point he said, "Yeah, I know I made mistakes with you kids. I guess I was too busy to notice things that were going on, but I can't change the past." I can't say it healed any wounds... That kind of give and take seldom does... However, when we began discussing plans to visit in June and hike the Giant Redwoods together, well, it gave me hope that we might have the opportunity to build on something new and positive.

So my dad is now focusing on eating healthy and taking the prescribed medications and I'm focusing on letting go of the past and looking toward the future... And when I'll have the chance to walk through the redwoods with my dad.

Coming To A Mall Near You?

Yes, I love theater... I feel a bit embarrassed for the performers but c'mon, that's part of the joy I guess, is putting yourself out there for either ridicule or applause.

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

2739.75 miles

I just mapquested the distance between my home and the hospital where my dad is currently staying, following the heart attack he had roughly 30 hours ago. I was informed about this 'situation' (I don't know the word one should use regarding the phone call that tells you someone you love is ill.) this morning, just before breakfast. It was my dad's wife who let me know. I have to admit, I'm grateful she didn't call me yesterday when details were sketchy. I would've worried all day long. It was kind of her to wait until my dad was stabilized and there was a better idea as to his recovery. I'm told he's going to be okay.

I have an odd relationship with my dad. He is a typical male in his mid-60's. The type of guy who doesn't talk about feelings or emotional issues that leave deep scars. He doesn't want to discuss or even spend much time, I guess, thinking about why his family dissolved the way it did, scattering each of it's members like dandelion seeds in the wind. Instead of a discussion which might promote healing, he'll say with a shaking, broken voice, "I know I made mistakes." That's his way of saying, "I'm not comfortable talking about this, just let it be."... And that's what I do. I'm either too much of a child to demand he face the questions that are 'too hard' or just adult enough to understand none of it will make a difference at this point.

The question I asked on the phone this morning was, "Do I need to come out there?" The reply was a polite, yet firm, "No, the doctor says he's going to be fine." I'm told my younger sister has been there to help. This is comforting to know because for several years my dad and my sister had cut off all communication to each other. I guess they worked things out, probably with a short chat in which my dad said, "I know I made mistakes." I haven't spoken to my sister in probably 10 yrs. but I wish I could let her know how much I appreciate that she's there with Dad now... While I bide my time considering 2739.75 miles.