How do YOU find Lulu's Sandbar?

Some words to find Lulu by......as evidenced by the search words used by my readers...aka, the unauthorized google analytics....

Lobster Bacon - this is a popular phrase. Sometimes it's bacon lobster. (Lulu - always salty, always delicious)

All the Single Ladies Dance - very popular for a while, I can always tell when there's been a televised item about some little kids dancing to Beyonce. ( Lulu, the Dancing Queen)

eTrade Baby - there's an uptick around the time of major sporting events (Dude, that's my Lulu!)

what to wear when traveling to Michigan in October - ummmmm. Yeah. I think this combines all of my posts. (Midwestern Lulu)

Lulu or Sandbar or Bar - well, obvious. I didn't realize how popular 'Lulu' is as a name for sites, and for bars, apparently. (Cocktails for Lulu!)

Oh - and I'm adding a new count to my posts.

Lulu Held Hostage - Day 58. Yes, the bird is still banging.

Apparently, you CAN go home again....

....but only after 30 years. Well, ok, I've only been gone for 7 years, and I've been back back a lot; however, I always spend my visits with family, and rarely get the opportunity to see old friends.

This weekend was graduation partypalooza, with two nephew parties to attend. Added to that was a fundraiser / mini-reunion with about 50 high school classmates...yeah, my voice was left out of my carryon! Actually, there were about 25-30 former classmates with assorted spouses/friends/partners added on.... We were remembering a friend who passed away in November - he was my date for our Homecoming dance :-/ - and raising some funds for his wife and kids.

I had almost a visceral reaction as the plane landed - I was worried about family issues at the graduations and worried about not measuring up, somehow, at the reunion...

But it was good!

We are all a bit wrinkly, with various amounts of pounds, hair and baggage...but it was great to see everyone - no old crap brought up, just memories. No talk about careers, no trying to outdo each other, no judgment....just food and adult beverages and laughter.

Mom.....Mom is another story. For another post. For what I think will be a lot of posts, as we move into a world of making lifestyle adjustments to preserve her independence, but make sure that she's safe and cared for....sigh.

Life transitions. Maybe I'll change my blog title. But - I'll be swimming into a lot of unknowns soon and trying to find purchase on a a sandbar where the tides of life will be shifting.

I have a wedding friend who is NOT graduating!

And that's good, because apparently, I need to get back to my bloggy friends, who I've neglected for so long. You can find her blog here, at Inspirational Laddu. It's a beautiful site...thanks Samm!

So. I also got a lot into that title. Much to catch up!

I'm back from my trip and guess who was here the entire time, to keep Mr. Lulu company? You got it - it's the kamikaze robin. I've had a suggestion to nail up rubber snakes from the window pane, to scare him away.

I know that I can only scare him away because he can't have any more poop to be scared out of him - it's all over my porch furniture.

So all of you Pleasantville neighbors who think my front porch is so so pretty, with all of my 11 pots of flowers and my two gorgeous hanging ferns?

Get ready for snakeyes.

And if that doesn't work, take the kiddies away for the day, because I'm taking out a hit on the bird.

Don't worry, Peta! I'm going to just pop his little feathered butt with an air gun.

Or stun gun.

Just kidding....right?

Also, is it graduation time for all y'all? I have three family high school graduation parties this year - couldn't all those sisters-in-law have planned a bit better and spaced them all out? Sheesh.

Of course, I do get props for flying in for the festivities, and the big events are all conveniently scheduled within one weekend. So I got that going for me.

And Joanna always has good stuff on her blog and she's ahead of me with her graduation post. She's asking about advice on a graduation card for her niece, and she got some solids from her bloggy friends, so I thought I'd post my graduation advice here as well.

Wear sunscreen.
Forgive.
Be relentlessly cheerful when you feel like crap.
French fries do TOO make you feel better when hungover.
Listen.
Be curious.
When you're about to do something dangerous/scary/stupid - think about the look on your parents' faces when they read about it in the newpaper / on a bathroom wall / in Playboy.
Have enough fun to break lots of hearts.
Love enough to get your own heart broken.
Own your actions, your soul, your studies, your love, your body, your life - don't give your power away to anyone else.
Live your own life - all the others are taken.
A morning without coffee is like...sleep.

Oh the places you'll go! Read Dr. Seuss.

That's all I've got, but it's worked pretty well.

Oh - and for guys graduating?

Dude. You'll rock.

Peace out

It's almost time for summer vacation again - may have to post the travel rules soon.

So ummmm. Yeah. Just some thoughts. Friday mind farts, you might say.

Monday Morning

...and although I'm traveling again (short trip, in the U.S.) I resolve to be relentlessly cheerful today.

So beware.

And please check out my etsy store! I have some cute new stuff there - go ahead and buy it and pretend that you made it and gift it to someone! I won't tell....

Happy Day

...to everyone who is a mom, who has a mom, who has been a mom in a previous life, who wants to be a mom, who hates being a mom but still does it well, who wishes their mom was alive this day, who struggles with mom (hang in there) and especially to all of those women - and men - who do the mom job so well, whether or not they have the official title.

You Rock!