What's New

Ann reporting.

It's TGIF day!

Elyzabeth mentioned that I had been reading about blogs.  Well, I have,  but it was a work of fiction.  It's amazing what you can learn from fiction providing the author has done the research.  I know all sorts of trivia that is absolutely of no use to anyone but it is still good to know.

At any rate, I learned that what we are is "escribitionist".  That's the term for those people who are so narcissistic that they insist on writing about themselves.  The most noted authorities on writing always advise to "write what you know" so that's exactly what we are doing.  Besides it is a very convenient way to let all our friends and family know what's going on at our house.  It's like all those people who used to write a "here's whats been happening" to enclose in their Christmas cards.  By the way, does anyone send those out anymore????

Still, my daughter is absolutely right about technology.  I, like almost everyone else, carry a cell phone everywhere I go.  I do draw the line at texting - not my thing.  There are three of us in the household and we all have computers.  Sharing doesn't seem to be an option because most of the time we are all on line at the same time.  I am somewhat computer "literate", can use the remote to navigate between the TV, cable box, DVD and stereo.   This is no mean feat for someone who remembers when the television had to be turned on and channels switched with the dial on the set.  We've come a long way, baby!  I now know what "leetspeak" and 'kewl" mean.  Is that worth getting old for or not?

KEEP READING!

Ann

What Does Mum Know About Blogging?

Elyzabeth reporting.

Mum tells me she's been reading about blogging.  I find this a little amusing since she has never actually read a blog.  Aside from this one, of course. 

Not to say that we are old, but personal computers weren't even a gleam in Steve Job's eye when I was born.  The computers of my youth were as big as a house and utilized those old IBM punch cards.  I know we learned all about them in school, but I never did grasp how a giant stack of paper cards with punch holes could add up to a computer.

When we were kids, my brother made a christmas wreath out of punch cards.  I'm pretty sure it was a school art project.  Spray painted silver and sprinkled with glitter it was quite festive.  If you want to see what one looks like, I found a few photos on Flikr.  Just search for computer punch card wreath and you can take a trip down retro lane.

Punch Card Wreath

Arthur C. Clark famously said. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."  Quite honestly, I feel like we are there. 

Regards, Elyzabeth

Sew, What Do You Like To Do?

Elyzabeth reporting.

It's an old fashioned skill, but I really love to sew.  It's not only  a utilitarian process; sewing is actually an art form that rivals painting or sculpting.

Back when I was a teenager, I took up sewing so that I could make things that you couldn't buy.  Occasionally it was clothing or decorator items for my room, but mostly costumes for renaissance festivals and science fiction conventions.  These days you can buy costumes for just about anything, but back in the day there was literally nothing available.

Of course, when I was a youngster, I could not have afforded to buy the sort of things I wanted.  A good quality costume is expensive for the same reason that good quality clothing is.  You get what you pay for and if you want excellent materials and craftsmanship, it's going to cost more.

But these days, you can buy just about anything you could want.  Whether it's fashion, home decor or costuming, there is an endless variety of items available.  A quick search online can turn up things you never could hope to find at your local department store.   But even so, I still find plenty of reason to break out the sewing machine. 

With Halloween coming up next month, I will share with you pictures and stories of costumes past and present.  And my next big sewing project is going to be my future daughter-in-law's wedding dress.  She and my son are getting married next summer and I am sure I will be endlessly blogging about the upcoming event. 

Regards, Elyzabeth

Daughter, BFF, and Totally Awesome Person

Ann reporting.

I promised to write about my daughter today but I am not sure I can do that.  Why?  Because I am too close to her to be objective so anything I say could and should be used against me.

To me, she is a totally awsome person.  She is smart, strong willed ( I wonder where she gets that from), creative, innovative, responsible, loving, caring....and, need I go on?

She is a very creative cook.  Her specially is making totally yummy dishes out of whatever happens to be lurking in the refrigerator and cupboards - Leftover Lurkey-Lurky.  Some of our favorite dishes have been created this way.  Since I also love to cook, believe it or not, we have some of our best times in the kitchen and the neighbors can testify the food is delicious because there is usually way to much for us to eat so they benefit from the largesse.

 

She is a marvelous seamstress.  She is currently creating this year's Halloween Costume.  The Green Fairy is going to be one of her best.  I will post pics when the costume is completed.  Other costumes have included pirates, ladies of the court, (I have one of those), and, of course, a ton of kids costumes.

I could go on and on but.....all in all, she is a very rennaissance type individual.  She has a wide range of interests - works hard, plays hard, in fact, everything she does, she does with total enthusiasm.  I have worn many hats in my life and reinvented myself more times than I care to remember but though it all, I have counted on my daughter to applaud my choices, cheer me through my struggles, and, console me when I fell flat on my face.  She really is my BEST FRIEND FOREVER!

KEEP READING!

Ann

The Mother Of All Blogs.

Elyzabeth reporting.

There is much to say about my fellow blogger, my roommate, my best friend and the woman I call Mum.  That they are all one and the same person is remarkable, but no less remarkable than the woman herself.

She has evolved with the passing of time.  The small town girl back in the 50's, gave way to the young wife and mother in the turbulent 60's.  The 70's saw the start of the iconic career gal and by the 80's she was wielding power suits and punching through the glass ceiling.  The 90's began a most interesting time, where she explored her wilder side and traveled around working at renaissance festivals.  The 00's brought her back to small towns, fresh widowhood and finally retirement.  Now the 10's have her here at my side, enjoying herself and of course blogging with me.

That single paragraph can give you a timeline of her life so far and a general overview of the highlights, but it doesn't even begin to explore all that she has done with her life.  But I won't be telling you the story of her life today.  What I want to do is tell you what she means to me.

How is it that a mother and daughter can be best of friends?  Of course, we do have a shared history, common interests and similar personalities, but then so do many mother and daughters.  Don't they?  Hard for me to say; I really don't spend much time with other mother/daughter pairs.  In group settings, when the conversation is lively, I've often had people say things to me like "I can't believe you just said that in front of your mother".  Since it is typically said after I've made a remark about hot guys, sex or drinking, I'm guessing that most women wouldn't say these things in front of their mother.   But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that most mothers out there have at some point or another looked at hot guys, had sex (with your dad, ewwww!) and if they drink, probably had one too many at least once. 

It's actually rather funny that Mum and I have so many interests and skills in common, because for the most part we didn't learn them from each other.  Over the years we seemed to have gravitated to the same type of activities and developed similar skill sets independent from each other.  So, what do we like to do?  I'm so glad you asked!  Travel, reading, cooking, painting, crafting, sewing and home remodeling, just to name a very few highlights. 

I think I can pinpoint when our relationship started to change from mother/daughter to friends.  It was during the time I was expecting the birth of my son.  When Mum ran off and "joined the circus" as she puts it.


Lady Ann, 1989

At the time Trevor was born, I was living in a shack out at the Arizona Renaissance Festival.  Pretty crazy, right?  Not nearly crazy as my mother.  Like any mother, she wanted to be there for the birth of her first grandchild.  So, she hitched a ride with some buddies who were driving from Denver down to Phoenix.  She arrived at the faire site well after dark and with really no idea where I was to be found, she had her friends drop her off at the first campfire they found.  Now that is one gutsy lady! 

There she was surrounded by people wearing tie dye, looking like she was headed to a golf outing at a resort.  In her designer clothes, her manicure and makeup completely flawless, she couldn't have been more completely out of place.   

Lady Ann, 1990

For over a month she lived in a tent on the renfaire site, out in the middle of the desert.  She coped with the lack of amenities.  She enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.  On weekends she would don the garb and pretend to be a villager, even though the fancy jewelry and tidy haircut gave it all away.  She made friends with the rennies, a mixed bag of hippies, new agers and artisans.  All along, I'm sure she was planning on going back to her normal business executive life once the baby was born, but she didn't.  Somehow the bohemian lifestyle took hold of her and during that month in the desert, she turned into a rennie.

Along the way, she met my step dad, an itinerant construction worker and woodcrafter.  He was a big bear of man with a beard and ponytail, so unlike my very proper mother.  Tusky to his friends, he was always Ted to my mother.  

We didn't see each other much during the renfaire years and as it turned out, I gave it up long before she did.   In the end, I was the one wearing the power suits while she was wearing tie dye.

Thank you, Mum for being there when I needed you most.  I hope you don't mind too much that I busted you out of your suits.

Elyzabeth

I Can't Talk About Them Either!

Ann reporting.

Elyzabeth told you all the things she couldn't write about and obviously I can't either.  I CAN write about what a fortunate person  I am to have survived two husbands (no, it isn't dangerous to be married to me) and have a close knit wonderful family.  I should also tell you a bit about the rest of the family.

In addition to Elyzabeth, I have a wonderful son  (Tom) who has been happily married for over twenty-five years (to the same woman, I might add).  They have one son who is in college studying to be a teacher.  He will have his twenty-first birthday on Thanksgiving Day this year and I plan to be there.  He has requested his Nona to be there for this auspicious occasion.  (More on this later.)

In keeping with the family's reputation for eccentricity....my son lives on a mountain top.  No kidding!  I have to have a four wheel drive vehicle just to get up his drive way.  He has three (count them - three) degrees and has yet to work a day in any of the fields he studied.  Way to go, Tom!!  He is an awesome chef, as is my grandson.  Obviously the entire family is into food in a big way. 

Tom's wife, Shelia, is one of my favorite people.  I also hang out with her parents on occasion which a lot of people think is a little strange.  They used to visit me at my home in Colorado before I moved in with my daughter a couple of years ago.  Sheila always worried that we were going to get into "trouble".  Tell me, what kind of trouble could three senior citizens get into?????  Well, there was that incident in the town of Rico when we were caught transpassing - but that was purely a misunderstanding. 

So, there you have it - the entire family except for pets.  I read that Elyzabeth is going to talk about me tomorrow, so, I think I will return the favor and talk about her.  That's only fair, wouldn't you say?

KEEP READING!

Ann

If I Told You, I'd Have To Kill You...

Elyzabeth reporting.

As I understand it, blogging is all about sharing the interesting (or boring) and intimate (or commonplace) details of your life with random strangers.  So, I thought I might share with you today some of the stuff that I won't be sharing on this blog.

I work in the exciting, fast paced financial services industry.  That's right!  It's exciting!  It's fast paced!  No, really!  So, the part that's going to seem mysterious is that for compliance and regulatory reasons, I can't tell you who I work for or much of anything about my job.  And because my husband also works in the financial services industry, I can't tell you who he works for or much of anything about his job either. 

You're not missing anything really, because my job isn't exactly a thrill ride.  Although it wasn't always that way.  My current position is in the rather dull back-office end of financial services, but once upon a time I did actually work in the exciting, fast paced front line.  I spent my days placing million dollar trades, complex option strategy trades and manually calculating margin requirements that would make or break the average joe's bank account.  Do I miss it?  Of course.  Would I go back to it?  Heck no!

What else is too top secret to share in a blog?  Well, there is what my son does for a living.   My son is an awesome guy.  He's the fruit of my loins, apple of my eye, cherry on top of my sundae and any other produce-related superlatives you care to indulge in.  He joined the Air Force right out of high school was immediately offered a job in the intelligence operations, where he has been totally rocking their world. 

So, what does he do?  Really, I have no idea.  He gets to wear a really cool looking badge and they have spent at least half of the last 3 years training him.   As far as I know, he spends his days dominating information and his nights dominating PC games.  Although I can't say much about what he does for a living, I assure you I will probably blog incessantly about how amazing my son is. 

The really top secret stuff I could have not blogged about were things my dad did.  Dad passed on a few years ago, but he really did do all kinds of things one wasn't allowed to talk about.  Dad was a brilliant engineer, with multiple engineering degrees and a top level security clearance.  When I was in high school, I just told all my friends he was a spy because in all honesty I didn't really know what he was working on.  Then in the 1980's he worked for Rocky Flats, near Denver-Boulder, where he allegedly learned to make nuclear bombs.  I say allegedly because, first off I'm not the only person in this family who occasionally exaggerates, and second, the official word from the Rocky Flats people is that they didn't make nuclear bombs there, they only made "components".   

That's all the confidential stuff I won't be blogging about.  I can assure you that I have many other fascinating topics to cover.  Tune in tomorrow when I plan on blogging about my super-cool Mother, who is already feeling left out because I haven't blogged about her yet, even though she's right here blogging with me and it's only been two days. 

Regards, Elyzabeth

My Turn

Ann reporting.

I am the other half of AnnElyzing.  I am Elyzabeth's mother, Ann.

We are part of the new multi-generational households that are cropping up everywhere due to the current "down" economy - although in our case economy has nothing to do with it.  We CHOSE this lifestyle.  You see, I like my daughter.  We are not only family but she is my best friend.

I also love to cook, read, and create.  I am not nearly as talented as she is but I love to dabble.  I read incessantly, am opinionated as hell, and dispite the age factor, still worry about being a "tad" overwweight.   Our household consists of my daughter, her husband, myself, three dogs and three cats.  They are adorable - more about them later.

I am fortunate that my son-in-law actually LIKES me.  He does, however, like to take advantage of the situation.  Any work done on the house he tells the workman....this is what I want done but it has to be done to my Mother-in law's standards.  It's surprising how well that works.  More on that front later also. 

But, enough for my first effort.    I hope you will enjoy the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Ann and Elyzabeth.

KEEP READING!

Ann

Welcome To My World

Elyzabeth reporting.

Hello Internet!

I'm Elyzabeth and I've decided to start a Blog with my mother, Ann. 

What do I want to blog about?  How does a 20th century (almost) middle aged gal cope with the rapidly changing 21st century?  I seem to have my feet firmly planted in both centuries.

I'm a bit old fashioned; I love to cook, read, sew and do crafty things.  And I'm also a little bit geeky and love to play PC games like Dragon Age and mmorpg's like the late lamented Hellgate London.  I read both classic literature and paranormal romance novels.  On the outside I'm all frumpy business casual and on the inside I'm all goth/newage/cyberpunk.

I hope you enjoy my laughter and tears, triumphs and tragedies and my unique take on the world today.    

Regards, Elyzabeth