Gypsy.......... early memories of summer times

Yesterday I spent the day with my youngest son, Gabriel. He's my baby. (9 years old ) but I didn't think I could have another one, so he was my surprise. We spent the day doing yard work. I love my home and yard. I have spent the last few weeks working on the inside of my home, and decided I needed to be outside.

My grass had gotten to the point where I felt like dragging the 9 motors out of the garage and hanging them in the tress! Good lord this place has gotten bad! Slowly though, I am making it mine again.




When I was a child, I loved being outdoors. My dad had 5 acres at the time in Lk.Stevens, our home was on a dead end road, and we were always in the woods. We always had chores to. Every August, dad would start preparing for winter. He'd fall the big cedars on the property, the ones that he knew would come down in a good strong storm. We used to help him. Our job was filling the wood shed after dad would fall the tree and cut it up. We were taught how to use all the tools! I loved this. Dad was so good about making sure we knew how to take care of ourselves.

One summer, he was cutting wood, and this was back when the chainsaws had no guards on them. He had put the saw down and it was on idle. He told us kids not to go near it, to pick up the rounds over by the tree. Well..... I was all of 6, I remember that, and you KNOW how 6 year old's are. Looky, rounds by the chain saw. Hmm.. they need picking up to. So off I go to do this, and I trip on the blackberry vines. The fall was in slow motion to me. I can remember on the way down, with my hands out to catch my fall, thinking, blackberry stickers... chainsaw.... blackberry stickers... chainsaw.. well, by the time I had decided the stickers, it was to late, so I hit the chainsaw. Yessss... on the blade. Silly me. Nice little puncture that required a trip to the emergency room, 2 stitches and a trip to Baskin and Robbins. *grin* Now, I have a nice little "race car" scar in the middle of my left palm. This was also back when the stitches were done with black thread, not that disappearing stuff like they have now. So the line from the cut has a line across at both ends, and my skin is puffed where the thread was knotted, so it looks like a race car. I show my boys all the time. Especially when they play with the machete and other knives around here.

Yesterday was a blast. Gabriel was a huge help, except for me taking the sledge hammer from him, and having to keep an eye on him with the machete. I did not look when I set the chain saw down and he was hauling the rounds for me. Just because I figured if I did, or said, "don't" go over there, history would repeat itself.

My lawn mowers are broken, so I weed whacked the whole yard. By the time I got the two stroke and gas mix, and bar oil, it was hitting 630pm and I wanted to finish off the rounds of apple wood I had sitting here from last year. It was a great day, and very satisfying!

So my boy is learing how to be a man, and he loves it. Today we haul rocks out from behind the overgrown blackberry bushes, and finish off my pond.

Gypsy... more of me

I'm going to jump back here to a few of my high school years and my brother Randy. The reason for this is I got to see him last night for the 1st time since last summer, or close to, as far as a visit goes, so more memories popped up, and well, I can do that. It's my blog. SO MANY CIRCLES IN MY LIFE!

So... let's see, I think maybe my sophomore year or junior, not real sure of the time frame. Memories tend to blur as we get older, but their still good ones. As I said, Randy and I were close, and, yea... I guess it had to be my junior year since Randy was 2 years younger than me. I was on the drill team, and flag core. Our drill team captain was a dear friend of mine Kristie, who is still a dear friend. Man was she good with choreography. Plus I had joined the powder puff football team. <<< We had a tradition in Lake Stevens, the junior girls always played the senior girls, and the seniors always won. (not this time, but that is for later) Anywayyyyy... so back to me and Randy.

By my junior year I was getting pretty wild. I still kept my grades up, except for general studies..... kinda let those go by the wayside and always slid by when it came to passing. My good grades were from my arts programs that I had 5 classes a day in. Most of the time though I was busy socializing and having fun. This is also when I threw the towel in for good on staying away from anything I should have. Yea,... I was partying, to say the least, and of course Randy was right there with me.

We always played frizzbie on the commons between the classrooms and the office. Randy, me, Dena, Nicci, Janie, and a whole bunch of others. Invariably we were constantly late to class. (I'm wondering if I should change names here to protect the NOT so innocent... ) nah, my memories, my right. OK, so ya, back to school. Let me state this before ya'll get in a tizzy here. We weren't always causing trouble, or getting into mischief, we were basically good kids, having a bit of fun. I know we started skipping classes every once in awhile, and usually around spring breaks or towards the end of the school year.

So... places, morrows meadows, Lk road, the bridges, 7th heaven... << these were our party spots. For some reason, even though Randy and I didn't have a car, we always found someone with one, and always a fast one. Hot rods! << Remembering D.J's mustang, (another story) but, yea, muscle cars were in, and most of the people Randy and I hung out with were seniors, or already out of school, so we always had rides to the party spots.

My Senior year, my girlfriends dad who owned studio 59 in Everett, sold it, and bought Buzzy's on Broadway and made it a all ages club. At the time he was in competition with Cheetah's in Marysville, ( another circle in my life, and will write about that later) but, opening night, was a school night and I had promised mom and dad that if Randy could go, I would have him home by midnight. (I didn't) as you can guess.. *snicker* but managed to slide by getting into to much trouble over that one.

So, by this time I was running with my daughter's father, and I was in Everett at his house he shared with 5 other people. He was drinking and I decided I was going to drop acid. <<< OMG... yes, I said that, and did it. (a few times) ANYWHOOO... so I had had Buzz's daughter's boyfriend at the time, pick Randy up, and I met them down at the club. By the time I got there, I was peaking, and Buzz's smoke machine went on the blitz, and the club filled up. WOW.. I of course lost Randy. I think I only saw him once. By the time I had hitched a ride home with Dan, another friend of mine, I knew I was in deep doo doo. Ahyup... Mom and dad were up. Shit! I walk in, and go up stairs to my room.. or try to.. *peaks* in living room, sorta waves to mom and dad, and starts to open room door. DAD, "where's your brother?"... sigh.. so I said he has a ride home and will be here. DAD, "he was suppose to be with you".. Dang.. umm.. yup, well see here's the thing dad... Buzz had trouble with the smoke machine, and I kinda sorta lost Randy and got a ride home with someone else...

Yea, that was quite an evening. Randy finally made it home, and not sure what he had done, but he was under the influence to. The dummy comes in and SITS with mom and dad, and I had to go get him out of the living room and send him to bed before he got us totally busted.

Man, those were some times... more to come, that's it for now.

Gypsy

This one is all about me.

I decided to do this, not only for me, but for the people who are in my life now.

I was born in Seattle Washington, on February 1st, 1965. My birth mother named me Veronica. (I am so not a Veronica, it makes me think of the Archie comics, and she was a bitch. I'm not. HA!) << Maybe a little, but always for the greater good.
I was in a foster home for 10 months and then the state closed it down for neglect.

Where my life began, was with my parents, Marjorie and Kenneth Surdyk. They adopted me. I was raised in Lake Stevens Washington.

Having been born an Aquarius, I was always attuned to my surroundings and the people in my life. There were times, my perception and observations were un-canny. I think I have said this, but I'll say it again. I'm loyal, kind and compassionate, I give 110% to everything I do and everyone I come in contact with. I'm mercurial and have a wild streak. I'm strong willed and independent. I'm an artist at heart, and music is in my soul. I thrive on visual and touch. I accept people for who they are and expect the same.... nuff said. You'll just have to get to know me.

Now to my up-bringing. Mom and dad raised us in your typical suburban manner. We lived in a 2 story home that my father built, on acreage. I had 2 brothers who were also adopted, both from different family's. My oldest brother and I were not all that close, still aren't, but that is another blog. My youngest brother was my partner in crime. We played for hours in the woods around our home, rode bikes and built forts. Our home was a block away from the beach and we spent many a day on the docks, just hanging out. We climbed trees, and shot at the neighbors mail box from the top limb of a creaky old cedar. (shhh.... ) but it was fun, and normal. We called that tree our man o war. Not sure where we got the name, but there you have it.

In the summers, my father would take time off and we would travel. I have been in every state except Alaska. My favorite spots were in the west, the ghost towns and the history we got to see and feel. In the winters, it was pretty normal, school and church. Mom also put all three of us in piano. I played for 14 years. We also had swim, dance, ballet, and tap. All private lessons that mom took us to after school. I remember when I was in Sunday school, and my teacher talked to us about being adopted. To me it was no big deal, it was the same as knowing the sky was blue, and god was in my life. It just was. Every Sunday after church, dad would take us to McDonald's and then go for a drive. Later mom would cook a roast for Sunday dinner.

Weekends we'd visit cousins. Most of dads family was in the Snohomish area. We would sneak out from my aunts house and go down the road to Gar Cemetery where my grand parents were buried. We also took my little cousin Gayleen. She was 3 I think, and we would play hide and seek in the graveyard, and then leave Gayleen there. << This makes me laugh, because Gayleen and I were talking about it a few years ago and her mom was sitting there and it was the 1st she knew of it. God, what a memory that was. We also used to scare her on Thanksgiving with the bear rug we had at home. Mom would send one of us down to the fruit cellar, and we'd grab that rug and holler for Gayleen. So... yea, these are events that shaped me. Boy was I an imp. (still am)

As we got older, my younger brother and I became closer and closer. My older brother would watch us. Ha! We would sneak out and take the bikes and ride around the lake. We were always home before mom and dad got home. I don't know if Tim ever knew. One year, Randy got a wild hair and decided to hot wire dads car. We took it up to frontier village and did brody's in the parking lot. He rolled it.. sheesh, we took it home hoping that dad would never find out. Still not sure if he did.

Anyway, as I reached middle school and high school, I got involved in the arts programs more and more. I have certificates in Calligraphy and actually put them to use here a few years ago and taught classes through parks and rec here in Marysville. In middle school, I was shy and sheltered. I was hanging out with the under dog's and we would hang out in the smoking area. I still had not experienced anything, but I sure wanted to. By the time I hit 8th grade, I decided that I wanted to have a bit of fun. One of my friends older brother's had a flat bed,LD we called him, (Larry David) and he would pick us up after school, and sometimes during school, (not often, because my mother worked for the schools and dammit, knew everything I did!) So not cool! Anyway, we would drink home made strawberry wine, and kick it in the sun. (for some reason there is a lot of sun in my memories, so bear with me.)

Now for high school! Hmm... the best years of my life? I think not... but anyway, they sure were fun. My class started at the New high school. We were the 1st class to go all 4 years there. (I wanted to go to the pink palace, but by that time the lines had changed, and within the 1st year of my 9th year they had closed it down) In 9th grade, I pretty much stuck to the curriculum, but I was held up to the teachers by my older brothers standards, and that ticked me off. I was me, not him, but I constantly got, "Oh?" "Your Tim Surdyk's little sister?" Lord I hated that. Another thing that shaped me. Sigh... lol.. anyway, so by 10th grade I had pretty much had enough of that crap and started making a name for myself. Lordy, and did I. Hmm.. ........tell or not to tell. Oh, screw it. So my 1st big "entrance" came at the high school homecoming game. An ambulance was called and I was taken home with a respiration of 8. By all rights I should have been dead, but god was looking out for me.(and my mother, who flashed a flash light in my eyes all night long, and then dragged my ass to church the next day!) A friend of mine got me plowed, and I passed out on the 50 yd line. Funny, but SO not funny at the time, and scared the pants off my parents. Of course they never really knew why I did this, and still don't. They thought I was influenced, and what they never got was I ALWAYS made my own decisions. I think my dad gets me now, in fact I know he does, and I love him all the more for it. Anyway, 10 years after this event, I was at the mall and a couple of girls were in the restroom with me, and they both looked at me and said, "aren't you the chic who???"... yea.. lol.. that was me. Shit.... (for some reason, people always remember me when I am in a bathroom to. Weird shit. << More to that statement later.

So, I made it through high school unscathed... pretty much, a few bumps and bruises, but still kicking and still attempting to make a name for me. By graduation, Tim had moved on to college, and I quit 19 days prior to graduating. (another blog) << HA!

I went to college over the summer of 1983, and was also 1st Miss runner up in the Miss lake Stevens contest, and then had to step in and fulfill the duty's of Miss Lake Stevens, who had left for college. In the meantime, I was running all over Lake Stevens with my daughter's father, (who also is another blog) and getting pretty wild. How I escaped all this with a clean record, I'll never know, but I did. Probably has to do with my faith in god.

So, that is my early life... stay tuned, I plan on walking you through to where I am now.

He's leaving me.............

This is for Antony, AKA, Ahmed, A-town, Cotton, Pizza, and the rest of my boys that I have gotten to know in the last 3 years.

On Thursday, May 12 2011, I watched as my 15 year old 1st born son, became a 2nd class petty officer and his unit won the most distinguished unit award since 2007.

Watching the ceremonies, and awards being given, the slide show of the past year, and seeing all the kids, I have driven around to parking duties, volunteer clubs, food drives, and other ROTC events, it struck me so hard that my son is a young man, and will be leaving me in 2 years, My heart broke. Sitting there with tears streaming down my face, I thought.. wow. He's a young man, and going on with his life, and what the F*K am I going to do with out him???

Antony.. What to tell you about this kid. I fought for him my whole life, his whole life, and when things got rough for us this past year, he stepped up and became my rock. He's an amazing young man. (I know, I call him a boy) but he's not, he's so much more.

He's smart, intuitive, sensitive, strong, and loyal. He's a smartass, like me, he knows how to roll with the punches, and he's tough. I taught him how to love life, no matter what comes our way, and he does.

I never thought I would miss my kids. I love them all in different ways. Krystal is my 1st born daughter, and I am proud as hell of her. Antony is my 1st born son, and again, I am proud as hell of him. Jacob, is my 1st born son by Paul, and so he holds a special place too. Gabriel is the baby of the family, and of course, also holds a that special place. Alexis, is my 1st born grand child, another special place.

I am not your typical soccer mom, not June Cleaver, nor Betty Crocker, HA! Nope.. so I never thought I would miss my kids in the typical way a mother does. Honestly, I can't stand my kids 1/2 the time. They drive me bat shit as my Favorite Aunt would say.

My parents raised me with strong ethics and morals, Church and family, that was #1, and roots. I hated it. I swore to god I was NOT going to be like my parents. I was not going to raise my kids the way they did. I would NOT have empty nest syndrome! Well I F*Ked that one up. God just laughed at me again. Oh, I didn't raise them EXACTLY like mom and dad, who by the way have been married 58 years this year, and still kicking, but somewhere in there, I think I got it right, which just messed up my plans of wanting my own life.

I will miss the HELL out of Antony, and I suppose, the other kids when it is their time to fly the coop.