This morning, as I was getting dressed for work, I had on Fox11 news. Instead of seeing the usual traffic jams and hearing the news of the morning, I was forced to watch a very public apology of a man to his wife, family, friends, the general public and sponsors, for his marital infidelities.

I had to ask myself what kind of society are we need to watch something that is so personal between a man and his wife, that he feels compelled to explain himself, in such a public forum, to those who aren’t in the marriage between he and his wife.

I will agree, Tiger had an issue with keeping his pants zipped up, but what we don’t know is what went on between Tiger and his wife, nor should we care. Society has a way of putting “superstars” of sports, TV and film upon pedestals; this is a recipe for failure. When society forgets that the person they put upon the pedestal is only human like we are, they might be graced with exceptional sports, acting, writing or other abilities, but that doesn’t mean that they cease to be human as well. What makes Tiger different from the average Joe is his abilities to play golf and market himself?

I agree, he did owe his wife an apology, did he owe his sponsors one, well that would only be a yes, if he’s deliberately marketed himself to them as a man as pure as the driven snow and that he’s perfect, without any of the usual human failings. Did he owe the public at large an “I’m sorry for cheating on my wife.” in my opinion NO. Charles Barkley said it clearly and I agree with him, He’s no role model that should be the parents’ job, not the job of someone who is a “Star”

Society needs to remember that Tiger is just as human as the next person, I don’t see every cheating husband or wife hopping on the TV to apologize to the world at large for their indiscretions, if that happened, good god we’d be watching some really boring TV.

I hope that Tiger and his wife do what is best for them without consideration for anyone else but their children.

Best of luck to both!

Kat and the kids

I’m pleased to announce the birth of my newest nephew, Benjamin David. Weighing in at 8 pounds 3 ounces, measuring 21 inches long, he’s a pretty darn big boy. From all reports my Sister and the lil man are doing wonderfully.

What a way to ring in the holiday!

Here is sending all my love.

Auntie Kat

Growing up in our house was wonderful, I can’t remember a time that my Mom wasn’t there to support us, encourage us and cheer us on. From being our campfire girl’s troop leader to accidentally kicking people on the sidelines of our soccer games, as she was cheering for us and got a little to into the game, to holding us when it felt like our world was falling apart.

My Mom will say, she was a professional mother, some moms were secretaries, some were doctors, but my Mom made her career out of raising us girls. I remember as a child I was always quick to volunteer Mom for all sorts of things, from field trips to driving a passel of kids home from school. She loved being the home room mom when I was in grade school and when I went to high school, I volunteered her to chaperone dances along with anything else we needed.

My senior year I got myself in a little over my head, my boyfriend was in Drama and his teacher knew I was taking sewing classes, so he asked me to sew a costume. Mom and her best friend Margie, went with me to the school and helped me make it, complete with a feather boa tacked around the neck. That feather boa saw more miles before it was attached, with both Mom and Margie dancing around singing old show tunes twirling it in the air. We laughed and got the costume done the night before dress rehearsal and had a grand time doing so.

To this day friends whom I grew up with, still stop by and chat with Mom, though we are all older and wiser, they come by for the stories and laughter, as well as advice that she always is ready to hand out. Most children grow up and move on with their lives, we girls have done so in fine fashion, but still keep in daily contact with her, if only to give her a ring and say Hi Mom, I’m on my way home from work how was your day?

I found this poem on a beautiful made picture years ago and gave it to my mom, it sums up what kind of mother she was to us girls.

A Mean Mother

A mean mother never allows candy or sweets to take the place of a well balanced meal.

A mean mother insists on knowing where her children are all times, who their friends are and what they do.

A mean mother breaks child labor laws by making her children work, washing dishes, making beds, learning to cook, and other cruel and unpleasant chores.

A mean mother makes life miserable for her offspring by insisting they always tell the truth.

A mean mother produces teenagers who are wiser and more sensible.

A mean mother can smile with secret delight and pride as she hears her own grandchildren call their mother mean.

What the world needs now are more mean mothers!

My Mom raised the three of us to believe in ourselves, to be confident and secure, to make good choices in life and friends and know that no matter what she will always love us.

So this is for you Mom. Have a wonderful Mothers Day!

Love you always!

Kat

How do you know when you’re dating someone? My girlfriend and I were talking about men and relationships. We are trying to figure out, when does it go from just friends to something more substantial like dating them.

I guess this is a question that plagues most people. As we get older, it becomes more of a blurred line, when does going for coffee, catching a movie and just hanging out with someone become he’s my boyfriend, she’s my girlfriend.

Is it more along the official lines when someone says I love you? Or is the constant presence of the person the defining factor? Is it when you introduce them to your family and children?

These are the questions she and I have been posing to each other all morning long. I suppose there is no easy answer to this question… but it does make for a good discussion over a cup of coffee.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Kat

Last night we as a family were off and running doing one of our favorite Christmas traditions that make the holiday season truly Christmas for us.

Yes it was time for the Annual Trek to see Santa.

Our trip started with a trip to the Seattle Center, where they have a wonderful Christmas train display. My nephew, who is into trains, was nearly beside himself with joy just watching the trains and over the top with excitement getting to drive one, with a $5 donation he also received one mighty cool mini train whistle. Uncle Nate, Michele’s husband, came up with the most ingenious way of getting Andrew to leave the trains by enticing him with a ride on the Monorail. Riding in the front of the car he was able to watch the driver guide us along the downtown corridor to the heart of Downtown Seattle.

Off we went to our appointment to see Santa. My sister Michele surprised both Becky and I by hopping right onto his lap. Most years she fusses but not this year, she climbed aboard his knee and had quite the conversation with him. My mom officially has 40 Santa pictures of her daughters. Starting with me at 4 months old and going through this year.

This is one of the traditions that never seem to die. Several years ago my mom decided we could stop going if we chose, however, we girls planned the trip right around her. It’s taken on a life of its own. No matter where anyone of us girls has resided in or out of state we always manage to make it to see Santa and sit upon his knee.

After our trip downtown we all head down to a local favorite, the Old Spaghetti factory. Down on the Seattle waterfront across from Pier 70, it’s an old warehouse converted to be a warm welcoming restaurant. Anyone who’s ever been inside of one knows they are filled to the brim with antiques, have beds for tables and serve some of the best spaghetti this side of Italy.

It’s Christmas Eve now and tonight we’ll head down to Church for the Christmas Eve Vigil. As always our family enjoys a wonderful program then heads home for a holiday Ham and visiting. After which we all snuggle down in our beds and wait for Santa to arrive.

Tomorrow morning the whole family will descend upon the house bringing Christmas cheer and laugher to our day. Andrew and Megan will be agog at the presents under the tree, baby dolls, trucks and other fun things are waiting in their bright colored packages to be opened and played with. After which we will share a Christmas turkey and all its fixings and more fun times.

Here is wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.

From our house to yours!!!

Kat and the kids

There is nothing more exciting than knowing that the holidays are upon us.  I am sitting here typing to you while listening to KOST 103.5, Southern California’s soft rock station.  Through the holidays they play continual Christmas music, and I must say listening to both traditional and obscure holiday tunes songs that I grew up on is most comforting.  I’m sure all three of the kids are wondering why I’m listening to Christmas music, they will understand when they check their stockings and see that Santa has left them all catnip treats, crinkle balls and fun mice to play with.

I’m pleased to announce that NORAD has begun its official 2007 Santa tracking!  You too can follow along by visiting their site.  There are lots of things to explore in the North Pole and on Christmas Eve following Santa’s flight, just make sure you dive into bed before Santa lands on your roof top.  *Note: You can click the Norad banner above and be whisked away to the North Pole to check out the going ons up there this time of year.*

I am headed home to Seattle for the holidays and am looking forward to the trip.  My nephew Andrew is such a darling.  The other day I called and spoke with him.  He asked me “Auntie Kat… when is your birfday?” I told him “It’s in August baby.”  Then he asked the one of those questions that men should never ask a lady. “Auntie Kat how old will you be?” When I replied “40”, he stated “I’m four”.  He knows that Christmas means we exchange gifts and he has a little trouble with remembering the difference between birthdays and the holidays.  Then the imp asked me.  “Auntie Kat what would you like for your birfday?”  when I said “Well, I’m not sure.”  he stated with great certainty, “You need a new car because your car has a flat tire.”  I had to smile, the things this little man remembers, I mentioned during the thanksgiving holiday that my car had a flat tire and darn if he didn’t remember that.

During my trip home we girls will be embarking upon one of our family traditions of sitting on Santa’s lap.  My mother can chronicle our lives by those photos.  This year she will have her 40^th photo of me on Santa’s lap.  She loves to pull them out and we all enjoy looking at them and remembering when. 

In the beginning it’s just me, then as the years slowly tick by you see the addition of my two sisters.  There are years my mom swears she wonders if we girls had a mother, due to impart the current styles in the late 70s and 80s and into the 90s.  Then we have those years where one of us looked stunning and the other two, well not so much, and on the odd year when all three of us beauties looked just that simply gorgeous. 

I suppose if I ever bring home a fellow for the family to meet, instead of whipping out the obligatory Kat, as a baby naked on the bed, she will show them our life story in the holiday pictures.

I received a wonderful card from my moms God daughter Cheryl.  She and I have been pen pals since I was in 3^rd grade and begged my mom for someone to write to.  She is the woman I shared all my hopes and dreams with throughout the last 30+ years.  She’s shared the trials and tribulations of my life and I hers.  She knew every time I had a boyfriend, a crush, or just needed to vent about life in general.  There is nothing like having a confidant like she was for me.  Since she lived on the east coast and I live out on the west coast, it was to expensive to call however at the time it cost nearly nothing to send a letter in the mail.  I used to wait for her letters and read them over and over.  To this day I have every childhood letter she sent me, they fill an entire box!  I remember the first time I talked to her on the phone, it was right before I married at the ripe old age of 19 and she called me to confirm that my wedding dress was indeed white due to her dream that I was getting married in an ORANGE dress. 

In her note she sent along a picture, her three babies are no longer so little, her oldest is now 17, her middle is 15 and her baby is now 12, its amazing how time flies.  I’ve watched all three grow up through pictures, letters and heard about life on the occasional phone call we have now and again.  She to this day remains the one friend I’ve had the longest, with the one exception of my sister Becky.  I’d like to send her family warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years. *note: I’ll be sending a card snail mail too*

On that note it’s now 11:06pm and I’ve been sitting here singing songs along with KOST’s holiday songs and it’s time for me to retire to bed.

Here is wishing you and yours a very Happy, Safe and Wonderful Holiday Season!

Love Kat and the kids.

Through my travels online, I’ve met some wonderful people. I’ve met some ladies who have gracefully touched my life. Through the wonderment of the internet I maintained my friendship with my oldest friend in the world Dianne, while she was in Africa. She’s a missionary and while in the bush sometimes the only way to contact her or hear from her was through emails, on the rare occasions she did manage to get online. I’ve met and fostered friendships with several women in southern California. Ladies who are all special in their own way, Blondie who I met through an AOL chat years ago. She’s tall, blonde and the epitome of California beautiful, without the stuck up attitude that you might find in a person with her beautiful looks.

Miriam, who is tall, beautiful and Latina, a lovely bright lady who I have been lucky to share a wonderful friendship with; she recently had a darling baby boy, and I wish her luck with her new adventure. Both mother and son are doing well.

Marie, my partner in crime, who has energy and is another beautiful individual; she brings a light to our friendship that I treasure. Not to mention she’s been the steadiest date I’ve had in my lifetime, our running joke is we’ve dated each other longer than we’ve dated most men, I know I can count on her for a movie and dinner date, or just a quickie run to our favorite Chinese buffet for a late night supper.

This doesn’t count the numerous group of women I’ve yet to have the pleasure of meeting but I seem to talk to them every time I’m online. I hope to rectify that at some point when we are able to meet up.

I’ve met and dated a few men over the years. Gentlemen who where comfortable with who they were, but for whatever reasons in their lives didn’t have the time to do the whole bar social scene, but were able to pop on and offline at the same odd hours I have kept.

For you who are wondering, yes I met a wonderful man back in January, he’s touched my life, loves to makes me smile, and yes we are an ocean apart. He’s an Englishman and I have to say there is something to be said for a fellow with a Geordie accent. Every time I hear the song by Brian Adams – I Will Be Right Here Waiting For You, I break out in a smile because it fits the feelings he and I share. So for all my English readers, if you could manage to take yourself up to the Newcastle area, please package him up and send him to California. I will be good and ask Santa for him too, a girl can never be too careful with her wish.

One of the things the internet manages to do is make our world a much smaller place. It’s amazing to me how thoughts and ideas can flit across the globe in microseconds. We can’t travel as fast as our voice can over the cable/dsl wires.

On the lighter side of my ramblings online, I had to chuckle when I heard Brad Paisley’s song. The song called “ONLINE”, has lyrics that take me back to my first days on the net. Back in those days, well over a decade ago, you could be anyone you wanted to be. Wait that’s right you still can, though with the advent of web cams, it does make it a touch harder.

The song starts out with a young man describing himself…

I work down at the Pizza Pit and I drive an old Hyundai. I still live with my mom and dad, I’m 5 foot 3 and overweight, I’m a scifi fanatic, a mild asthmatic, and I’ve never been to second base.

I had to chuckle at just how many people I met online who turned out to match this description. Then he goes onto sing about his ‘Alter Ego’,

‘Cause online I’m out in Hollywood. I’m 6 foot 5 and I look damn good, I drive a Maserati, I’m a black-belt in karate, and I love a good glass of wine. It turns girls on that I’m mysterious; I tell them I don’t want nothing serious, ’cause even on a slow day, I could have a three way. Chat with two women at one time. I’m so much cooler online, so much cooler online.

I think it’s interesting that in our normal lives we can’t hide behind the mask of annominity, we are who we are; we can’t hide our looks from the world. It’s nearly impossible to walk around town with a brown paper sack over your head, however online we can hide behind the mask of being our own creation. The person we wish we could be.

I’ve always felt that people come online for a 3 reasons. 1.) To escape from a life that they are unhappy with so they come online to find a way out of their humdrum lives. 2.) Seeking something that they are unable to find in their everyday lives. It may be something as little as going onto an auction site or something more expressive such as a sexual interest that they are unable or unwilling to explore in their hometown, and the last reason 3.) Because they find more and more the ease of the net allows them do to mundane tasks such as bank, shop and seek daily information.

I do wish that we as a whole could and would be comfortable with whom we are. Take a moment to see the real you through another’s eyes and you might just find that you are a pretty special person without having to throw up walls to block out those whom you would call a friend or loved one.

Kat kisses,

Kat and the kids.

For those of you who are following the Aero Garden story, below are a few pictures of the garden taken today to give you an idea just how it’s going crazy.

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it’s usually more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?,” here’s an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!

Andy Rooney is a really smart guy!!

The Story of St. Valentine

In 270 A.D., marriage had been outlawed by the emperor of Rome, Claudius II. Claudius issued this decree because he thought that married men made bad soldiers since they were reluctant to be torn away from their families in the case of war. Claudius had also outlawed Christianity in this time period because he wished to be praised as the one supreme god, the Emperor of Rome. Valentine was the bishop of Interamna during this period of oppression. Valentine thought that the decrees of Rome were wrong. He believed that people should be free to love God and to marry. Valentine invited the young couples of the area to come to him. When they came, Valentine secretly performed services of matrimony and united the couples.

Valentine was eventually caught and was brought before the emperor. The emperor saw that Valentine had conviction and drive that was unsurpassed among his men. Claudius tried and tried to persuade Valentine to leave Christianity, serve the Roman empire and the Roman gods. In exchange, Claudius would pardon him and make him one of his allies. St. Valentine held to his faith and did not renounce Christ. Because of this, the emperor sentenced him to a three-part execution. First, Valentine would be beaten, then stoned, and then finally, decapitated. Valentine died on February 14th, 270 A.D.

While in prison, waiting for his sentence to be carried out, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, the blind Asterius. During the course of Valentine’s prison stay, a miracle occurred and Asterius regained her sight. Valentine sent her a final farewell note. He signed his last note, “From Your Valentine.” Even today, this message remains as the motto for our Valentine’s Day celebrations.

When I first heard this story, I was in catholic grade school. I have fond memories of passing out valentines to everyone in our class. Now as an adult, hearing my 3 year old nephews excitement about his first ‘real’ valentines to share with his class, my sisters sharing this special day with my brother in laws and my parents, it reminds me to give thanks to all those in my life who I appreciate and care about. We all have those we care about and this is a wonderful day to let them know that they have crossed your thoughts and brought a smile to your face.