Last Sunday, I sat down for breakfast with my Parade magazine as I do every Sunday. I started with the Personality section on the first page. There was an item about Suri Cruise and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and the way they dress. Suri is always turned out in the latest fashions as is her mother, of course. You wonder if that kid ever just slops around in her pajamas or gets dirty playing outside. Whereas Shiloh dresses like a normal kid which suits the lifestyle of her family. If I were a child and could choose which family I’d live with, it certainly wouldn’t be the Cruise family. Not only would I have to dress like a princess and probably act like one, I’d have to become a Scientologist! Very scary!

When Teri and Cindy were little, they dressed very casually as that was our family way. We couldn’t keep up with fashions for tots and didn’t even know there was such a thing. I made most of their clothes and cut their hair. I found this picture of them when they were young but am not quite sure what the story was behind it. They were obviously dressing up. Teri’s bangs were always a disaster. I would start on one side and continue on to the other side. The result was one side was always shorter, so I’d start on the opposite side and go to the other side. They were never straight and usually too short after my many attempts to make them look normal. I don’t know what happened with Cindy’s bangs – her hair was long and messy when she was really little. I think Teri finally decided to grow her bangs out, probably to get away from my styling which didn’t go too well. From the looks of them, I think they’d fit quite well into the Jolie-Pitt family. They’re probably too old for adoption now which is too bad.

I then looked through the Parade and found articles telling of free fairs and festivals throughout the country. That looked promising until I read about a Scottish festival where women are invited to throw a 1-pound frozen haggis while balancing on a half whiskey barrel. I know! There are games for men which I couldn’t understand, and there was a 1-mile kilted run/walk. That should be interesting. I don’t understand the haggis thing. That is a disgusting food made out of sheep lungs, liver, heart, etc. Why would anyone even get near it and balancing on a whisky barrel? I don’t think so. I watch Craig Ferguson religiously every night and he sometimes mentions haggis, but not in a good way – and he’s from Scotland. That whole fair sounded rather disgusting so I didn’t read further.

So I put down the Parade magazine and looked out my window, across my deck at the Willamette River not too far from me. A beautiful view. Then I looked to my left out the window which is right on a street where people walk their dogs to get to the path by the river. Then I watch them come back, always carrying a plastic bag full of poop. After all that, I was ready to start my day.