{Wish} - Saturday Seven

List what you wish for whenever you see a shooting star, blow out birthday candles or drop a coin in a fountain.

Okay, so I {heart} this list prompt, but its actually a hard one for me!  I'm going to backtrack a bit as I know there are many who do no such wishing.  Are you a wisher?  I am!

I'm a wisher, a lover of daydreams, a writer of wish lists (not talking material wish lists here) and yet, I cannot write a list of things I wish for when the opportunities arise.

But, when a wish making moment presents itself, I'm there!

1) Birthday candles (which I did a couple days ago!), for sure.

2) In high school, we were all obsessed with necklace clasps that had fallen to the front being turned to the back and if your hands were on the necklace (regardless of who's necklace it was), you got in on the chance to make a wish.

3) Skipping down memory lane now....another high school (or Junior High?) wishing tradtion that I hopped on was when a digital clock read with all the same numbers across (aka 2:22, 3:33, 5:55, etc.).  Writing that sounds odd.  Oh well, we were taking every opportunity to get our {Wish} on!

4) When I first moved to this neck of the woods over fifteen years ago, I took drives into the country and was absolutely amazed at how many shooting stars I could see and ate up every single one I glimpsed.  I was wishing away at warp speed!

5) Speaking of stars....I still find myself wish I may(ing), wish I might(ing) on the first star I see at night!

6) Disneyland trips with the Four Musketeers had us dropping a coin into the wishing well. We all leaned in, eyes closed, silent (for once!) and wished, wished, wished.

7) And when I had kidlets, my wishing grew by leaps and bounds, as did my heart.  Suddenly, I was wishing, no longer just for myself, but for my own little family.  Can I just tell you how much fun that is?!

So, I eat up the wish opportunities, but what I wish for changes each and every time!  So, I suppose, I'm being a bit of a rule bender here (gasp!), in listing where those chances for wish making come from for me.  But, I think my old Girl Scout friend, Lizz of Am I a Funny Girl? will understand!  Go see what she wishes for, I know I will! :>

Are you a wisher?  What do you wish for?  When do you find yourself wishing away? Do you have a favorite wish locale or tradition?  I'd love to hear it!

A Special Day...Five Years in the Making

Some time ago, at a regularly scheduled Girl Scout meeting.....four teenage girls, bred, born, lived in different cities, states, families, schools and yet, when the four arrived in the same locale, at the same time, the Four Musketeers were born.

Twenty years later, four women are still known by many as the Four Musketeers, who are still the best of friends, Aunties to each others' kidlets, sistersinlaws to the husbands, family to each other, and respond to the Girl Scout camp names Woodstock, Gizmo, Fishey, & Snoopy.

Today is quite a special day...five years in the making. 

The Four Musketeers are all meeting up, together, at the same time, for the first time in almost five years.

One of them lives on the East Coast these days and what was weekly gatherings during their teens years, quarterly visits during the college years, and at least yearly gatherings during the rest of their twenties, has been reduced to gatherings of two or three whenever they were in the same town at the same time...but, not all four women at the same time...until now! 

Post high school, the Four Musketeers have gathered at some choice Southern California universities for sushi, a party, a concert, or some dorm time;  Tahoe for sushi, cozy fires, skiing, or chill time;  Northern California pads for sushi, pool play, BBQ'ing, or chatty time; a Northern California retreat for seafood, sight seeing, cooking,  or game time; and weddings for celebrating, toasting, dancing, brides maid'ing, giggling, chatting, smiling, and pretty sure they managed to work some sushi in there too!

Oh yes, and their favorite locale to gather, where their names are etched into a brick that thousands' feet step upon...the place where every person can feel like a child, no matter what their age...Disneyland.

A favorite tradition Snoopy started was to take a group pic in front of each of the letters of CALIFORNIA...one letter per visit, in order.  Above, the last complete Four Musketeer gathering, late 2005. 

Gizmo (in blue) was pregnant with her last child and so she did her good Mama duties and rode the cement bench while her favorite roller coaster, Space Mountain, whispered fervently in her ear.  And she told the Four Musketeers to live, love, and enjoy that dark, star lit, whirl air whipping past their faces ride.

However, the Four Musketeer never disappoint each other and they went on as many rides as they could, both big and small.  Woodstock & Fishey smile for Snoopy's camera on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train and Gizmo was smiling too because the wee ride in the bugs' big world was one she could climb aboard for.

Gizmo couldn't be too sad though.  With every step down Main Street, through the happiest place on Earth, she remembered so many other fun filled trips to Disneyland when she could ride those roller coasters....like Splash Mountain with Snoopy braving the front of the log with her.  This is the only time Gizmo has ever ridden in the front seat of the Splash's wild log ride.

And of course, there are more letter group moments of the younger years to enjoy.  The letters "I" & "L" have been brought to you by the year 2004.

Its a bit comical that Fishey & Snoopy are on the bottom here, since they are the ones who would usually climb a letter & get their goofy on for a great shot.  But, its the letter L's turn and the Four Musketeers are, as always, Four.

Each Four Musketeer gathering has an abundance of hugs, smiles, laughter, and of course, some sushi.  The girls, technically women...but, on a Friday night, just hours after gathering, with sushi and maybe a cocktail in their bellies, they feel like girls again, chatting and giggling, maybe even laughing until their eyes tear and sides hurt....began as teenage friends who met in a local elementary school library for a Girl Scout meeting, have grown, and weaved lives with many & mighty stories to tell. 

Wonder what threads Snoopy, Woodstock, Gizmo, & Fisheys' looms will weave in the years to come?  More children?  Career highs?  Home successes?  Creative journeys?  Grandchildren?  Gray hair ladies shuffling around Disneyland, living with the joy they have brought each other throughout their years? 

Maybe.  Probably.  Thankfully.

{Part Two} Fantastic Friends make me Smile!

You're back.....Yay!!! :>

Now, what were those other plans that I had for last Saturday?? What would I give up a creative day with friends for?? Well, more friends, of course!!! And specifically, my Four Musketeers! Okay, okay, so there were only three of the four of us (plus one husband)......one of us lives on the other side of the country right now (we miss you Jilly and we took you with us in spirit!!).

My Hubby kindly offered to play with our kidlets and sent me packing to go play with friends! So, I followed the yellow brick road (er, um, multiple highways?!) and headed back to the land of my teen years and to my best friend's home. From there, we, Jenn, Monique, Matt (Monique's hubby), and I zipped off to San Francisco. Well, sort of zipped since it was Chinese New Year and there was a wee bit of traffic at the Bay Bridge toll plaza! That's okay.....I was with great friends!

Guess where they were taking me??? To the new Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio (San Francisco)!! Us Four Musketeers have a long history of Disneyland trips. Jill even got the four of us one of the bricks in the ground between Disneyland and California Adventures back in 2001. And yes, we're known to take pictures with each visit of our beloved Brick!

Oh I'm having a flashback now!!! Here comes some Brick love a la 2003!! (I had forgotten how long your hair was back then, Jenn!) There's our Jill! :>

Wow! Time is flashing by, zipping to 2005! I was preggo with my Princess and we decided to do a foot shot that year........with each of our feet pointing towards our names, of course! We're cheesey, I know. But, traditions with friends is a fantastic thing. :>

And back to last Saturday, 2010!!

The museum (which really is a museum and not a Disney attraction, though with a distinct Disney flavor) was really delightful and educational. We all agreed we could go through it again to read through everything more thoroughly. There is so much information about Walt's family to read and an incredible number of drawings, cartoon cells, telegrams, hand written letters, memorabilia, video footage, and even Walt's old train that he had going around his house to read, see, and take in!

Another big surprise.....parking was free!!! Affordable parking in San Francisco is a really big deal and free is pretty much unheard of! The Presidio is beautiful and we saw one of the most striking views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from inside the museum. I highly recommend crafting your time to visit the museum the next time you are in this great city!

A kind stranger offered to take our pic before we left............me, Jenn, Monique, and Monique's husband, Matt. Monique is the crafty little sprite who introduced me to scrapbooking back in 2000! Thanks Nique!

And as a proper scrapbooker's husband, Matt took a pic of the three out of four Four Musketeers!! A little side note here.......I just love having another scrapbooker in our group! These fab friends are usually at our kidlets' birthdays and when they are, I have a perfect assortment of photos to come back to and scrap!!! And even better, her hubby always jumps in with the camera to help make sure we have those checklist photos that you need at all events from weddings to birthdays to vacations to day trips!! Thanks Matt!

Now, Jenn is creative as well.................but, I have more to share about her craft in another post (because this one is long enough, right?!) when I show you a little something that followed me to my home from hers!

Did you make it to the end????? I know, this was a long one (aren't you glad I broke that post up into two?! :>)....but, I had so much to share about such wonderful friends!! If you're here, still reading, give yourself a pat on the back, an extra cuppa, and a thank you & smile from me!

Don't forget to check out my Birthday Blog Giveaway HERE and comment......comments on all posts from February 6th, through the end of February earn you an entry into the giveaway for a Papertrey Ink gift certificate!!

Creative Log Jam

Tsk, tsk on me. Wag your finger at me, shake your head, cast that look of disappointment my way....go ahead......I can take it......I hope! My own head is shaking and I've rolled eyes at myself so many times that I thought I was on Disney's Tea Cup ride. I have several projects started, many more crashing around in my head, and yet they are not done. I seem to be in a creative log jam of sorts. Finally, I have just told myself that I need to come back and chat with you (are you still here??) and hopefully, I can clear some of those logs out (maybe use some of them to light a fire....or at least some sparks!).

While I have not been nurturing my own creativity directly, I have been indirectly while sitting with my kidlets encouraging their creative spirits. Not having anything ready to share of my own today, I thought I might share some of my youngest's craftiness!

Little hands held their very first glue stick to create this! My Princess loves using my old decorative scissors, cutting away at every drawing and colored page, always leaving behind colorful confetti that has fallen at her cute little toes. She picked some different colored cardstock, cut the shapes out herself (I showed her how to turn the paper as she cut.......her eyes opened wide as a whole new world of crafty cutting shared its secrets), and we sat down together to decide what shapes worked best for what. The only thing I cut was the straight edge of the bottom of the grass. That was also the only thing I glued down as I demonstrated how to use the glue stick. What tickled was watching the wheels in her head turn as she continued to make new discoveries...with the tip of her little tongue stuck out the whole time. I personally cannot stand glue sticks as I don't like the glue on my hands (Elmer's glue, yes...paints and ink, yes....glue sticks, not so much). My son uses Duck adhesive for the same reason. But, oh my, my daughter, my Princess, luuuuuvvvvsssss her glue stick!

You may have to look closely to see these.....lean in (or click the pic). Do you see Disney's Aristocats? Both of my kidlets love to have coloring pages printed out. There are so many free online resources that it is easy to provide a vast variety of different characters and scenes for them to color, cut, and entertain themselves with. Asking me for a 'printout' is pretty much a daily request.

Earlier this month, my Princess (my knickname for her....she tells me that she is my Angel Froggy Princess, but that can get a little long :>) colored an Aristocats printout and then asked me to cut them out for her. She spent the rest of the day playing with them with as much gusto as she would a three dimensional stuffed animal. And just before she had to go to bed, she carefully layed them out on the floor, gingerly placed one of her brothers blankets on top of them, leaving their heads out (they had to breathe, you know), sang them "Part of Your World" in her very best Arial voice and then said, "Night-night!".

The colored kitties were then forgotten for a bit....until glue stick day. After she pieced together her sunny day piece, I told her to go for it, use as much glue as she wanted and make a collage out of all the scraps that remained. And of course, she did! Out of the corner of her eye she spied Berlioz and ran to him, greeting her abandoned friend. Absolutely pleased as a pickle in a vinegar bath with some minced garlic to play with, she promptly searched out the rest of her two dimensional kitties. And each one found a home on her collage. The smile on her face when she was done is one that I am going to treasure for years to come.

Its feels really good to 'chat' with you again. I hope you're still out there and I hope to not disappear again! So I'm off to take another log off of this creative log jam, put it on the fire and see what I might be able to play with tonight. Hope you are in the middle of a wonderful weekend!