And Ru Makes Three!

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post, so I thought I'd better update the ole blog! Lots of changes, activities and generally enjoying life and the last bit of summer.......... one of the newest and best changes is our newest family edition - Rustam!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my brother Joe and his wife Jana just adopted a baby from Russia........ it was an interesting and winding road for them, but the gift of such a journey is their little boy..... and boy is he is the cutest thing!

They visited us, this Labor Day weekend, to help celebrate the holiday and generally have fun, relax and see family. They stayed with us Saturday night and about half a day on Sunday....... it was good to see them and just fun to hang out. We did lots of fun things while they were here, including swimming, walking the trail and seeing family for a barbecue Saturday evening....... all and all it was a really nice weekend.

Here's to new beginnings, enjoying life and good times ahead! Enjoy the movie clips and photos of the weekend!

Ciao!

Cruising to Celebrate a 50th!

Today is Saturday and we just got back from a week at sea (compliments of my generous parents who paid for a 5-day cruise for my siblings and I) with 22 other family members to help them celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary! What a great time we had........ but the best part was being with everyone we love and helping my parents ring in their special anniversary.

There were so many memorable moments, but one of the best was the cocktail/appetizer party we arranged to celebrate them. Given that this was their 50th, we wanted to do something really special, and special it was........ everyone attended and it turned out great. We had fun celebrating on the 14th deck overlooking San Diego......

The cruise itself was very fun. We sailed to San Diego, Catalina and Ensenada, Mexico. San Diego and Catalina were beautiful but I can't, for the life of me, figure out why Ensenada is a port of call. I didn't care for it so much. The best part was hanging out with my sister, her husband and their two kids........ we stopped at a cantina for cheap beer and chips!


I think one of the best ways to cruise is with a big group. That way, you are more inclined to do things you might not normally do. With so many people and personalities, we really had a ball - dinner shows, gambling, sight-seeing, all kinds of eating (seems like we did a lot of that), swimming, shuffle board, going to the spa, drinking, shopping, etc. There seems to just be an upbeat energy that followed us everywhere. I have to say that one of the best parts was the family dinners. We had the main seating at 5:30 p.m. I think everyone really looked forward to sharing the meal together. We'd laugh and joke - reminiscing about the days events. Everyone got to know each other just a little better..... 5 days together enables that.... and it was great. I got to know my nephew, Jeff a little better. Though I see him at home, I got to see him in a new light and he is one special kid (well, young man really). He is really a nice guy and funny too! I got a kick out of listening to him talk and laugh. He, of course, had a great time...... I think everyone did...... my niece, Stephanie, is so pretty and she of course, got lots of attention. My two littlest niece and nephew are just as cute and sweet as they can be and I loved hanging out with them too........

All and all it was a great vacation - we've decided we want to do something like this every year!!

Happy Times Are Here Again!

Life is good. I have to say that I am happy most of the time. I'm re-reading a really good book that I think I've mentioned before...... it's by one of my favorite spiritual authors -Eckhart Tolle. The title is "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. This book is transformational. The message is simple - stay in the present moment and let go of your ego. He says that ego is what will destroy your happiness and presence. Anyway, if you really want to move it to the next level and live a life of presence and purpose, I highly recommend this book............

Since we are finally settled into our new house, life is getting back to normal and we have been having lots of fun. Since I never had kids of my own (which I could have never imagined but understand everything happens for a reason), I love spending time with kids of all ages. I am really lucky to have lots of little kids in my life. My brother has two kids, 8 and 9, my sister has two kids, 19 (well, not really a kid) and 16...., we have three grand children, 4, 7 and 22 mos and tons of other kids who I just seem to know........ I think I really enjoy hanging out with kids because I'm really a big kid at heart. We get to do fun, silly things and it gives me great pleasure to be in the presence of their innocence and wonder for life. So, we recently had my brothers two kids over for a sleep over. We've done this many times in the old house, but not in the new house. Well, we had a blast! We have a really neat pool and the kids got to go for a swim, which seemed to be great fun for them. Since we live next to a natural preserve, they had a ball exploring and looking for butterflies as we did a morning walk on the backyard trail. We made dinner together and just had a great time.

We just got home from visiting our son Devin, his girlfriend Ananda and our littlest grandson, Kellan. They currently live is So. Lake Tahoe but will be moving soon........ we just found out that they are heading to Puerto Vallarta! Yes, you heard me right - they are going to be living in Mexico! Devin sells timeshares and is very good at it. He needs to go where the hottest properties are moving so since Tahoe is sold out - he decided that Mexico would be his next home. Ananda and Kellan are joining him there! So Dennis and I will need to make plans to visit soon! Life is certainly an adventure.........

So, we had a great time visiting with our littlest grand baby, Kellan. He is talking really good and remembered us! Given that they live in Tahoe, we don't see them as often as we'd like, but no matter, when we walked through the door, Kellan was very excited to see Vavu (grandpa in Portuguese) and Grandma (me)! We had the best time playing with him and taking him on a little hike through the Tahoe forest............ we'll sure miss him when he leaves but we'll just have to make plans to visit them in Puerto Vallarta.

Happy Mother's Day

This weekend is Mother's Day and just one of the many joys of the month of May. There are so many....... first comes my good friend Linda's birthday on May 4; then it's Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11; next is my little (well, maybe not so little anymore, but always "little" to me) brother's birthday on May 13. Moving right along, we have my Dad's birthday on May 26; my good friend's daughter birthday on May 27, and last but not least, my little niece, Julia's, birthday on May 30!

Wow, what a month to celebrate! And celebrate we do. This weekend my other brother Joe and his wife Jana are coming to visit. We love to spend time with them, as they are a fun couple and like to do new and different things........ on their suggestion, we're going on a bike ride. Now, mind you, I haven't ridden a bike in well, I don't know how long, but I tested my "driving" skills, and I'm good to go! Sometimes, it's kind of intimidating hanging out with these two.......given that I'm no athlete and my husband and the two of them definitely are...... well, things can get dicey from time to time......... I just hope today's ride is nothing like my horseback riding experience in Alaska! We don't need to go into any detail about that! We are definitely looking forward to seeing them....... they will spend the night and help celebrate Mother's Day with Mom and Dad.

So, happy May to everyone! Wishing all the the mothers out there a wonderful Mother's Day!

A Feng Shui Master Comes to Our House

Well, we've been in our new home for about three weeks........ getting settled in and organized. In the process of settling in, I decided to call a feng shui consultant to come out, to not only feng shui the house and raise the existing chi, but to also bring in new chi, and to do a house clearing and blessing. Whether you believe in this practice or not, the truth is that if you aren't the first owners in a house or business, you need the energy cleared. So, that is what we decided to do.........

So, the gal came out and stayed about 2.5 hours. Now, I have a bit of knowledge about feng shui, but she didn't do the kind of consultation I was expecting - isn't that always the way......... you go in expecting something will happen the way you think it should, then bam - it doesn't. Seems life is just that way..............even though it was different in some ways than what I was expecting, it was still very interesting.......... the first thing she did was walk the entire property and look around....... we have two huge oaks in our backyard and she concluded that these trees are for Dennis...... he is to tend to them and keep care of them........ since Dennis is an Earth Rat (Chinese Astrology), tending and caring for these trees will help ground him and teach him to be a steward of the earth. We know that he already is, but how she said it was very comforting. I could see that Dennis connected with those trees right away.

Though she said lots of things and gave us suggestions for "cures", I was most impressed with the house clearing and blessing. I felt that the previous owners loved this house and the wife, especially had a hard time leaving, so we needed to clear that energy. After we cleared the space and did a blessing to bring in our new energy, I could feel an instant shift. I have a very good feeling about what Dennis and I will create in our new home.

I would recommend a house clearing/blessing for anyone. It is a good way to start fresh, no matter where you are in your life. It enables you to clear out any old, stagnet energy to make way for the new.

Blessings and love to all!

Girlfriends

Aren't girlfriends the best? I think they are..... good girlfriends are one of life's greatest gifts. Friends in general are a very blessed thing, but there's something about a great girlfriend. I feel fortunate to have lots of great friends.........some I've known a few months, others a few years, and still others - a very long time. No matter the length of time, when you find a great gal that turns into a great friend, well, there's just nothing better.

Seems like I've been hanging out a lot with my friends. Since April is my birthday month, all my friends have come out to play! We've gone to lunch, we've gotten together for walks and talks, and whatever other reason we could think of to spend time together........

In fact, today I met with a group of friends that I've known for over 10 years.......... we met many years ago in the pursuit of a great relationship -Sterling Women's Weekend, anyone? Those days seems like a million years ago, but when you meet in a time when you're searching for something, sometimes you find just the perfect fit. This group of women is my perfect fit. We are all different, but the same. When we met, we were on the path to self-actualization and spiritual awareness......... though we each have our own beliefs and journey's, it has been quite a ride! One thing is for sure......... we all love and respect each other and though we each have very busy lives, we make it a priority to get together at least 4-5 times a years to celebrate each other. We catch up on what is happening, we support each other's passions and life purposes, we eat, we laugh and we generally spend a good amount of time re-connecting and having a really good time.

So, here's to my great girlfriends. Thank you for being who you are. You make my life richer by allowing me to walk with you............ blessings and love to all of you!

Cheers!

We're Finally Here!

Well, we're finally in the new house! Yippee!! We LOVE it! We've just spent the past 10 days busting our a_ _es moving into this house and getting our other house (Audrey Way) ready for market. We accomplished both feats in record time and Audrey Way is now on the market, as of last Thursday. We are hoping for a quick, easy sale with a couple/family who love it and can't wait to move in. I'm already visualizing it sold to a happy couple!

We've officially been in the new house four days....... we've been working really hard to get everything unpacked and organized. Me, on the inside; Dennis, on the outside. I had the pleasure of unpacking ALL the boxes (think 30+) and organizing the content into their proper places. We have four good size bedrooms and all the closets have been utilized! Dennis has been getting the already beautiful backyard into a more beautiful oasis. He washed all the windows and weed-whacked the over-growth under the oaks trees. The weather has been warm the past two days so he took his first swim in the pool........ refreshing is an understatement!

So, now comes the fun of entertaining........ we can't wait to have friends and family over. We're planning a big housewarming party - probably in late June. Invitations will be sent~

In the meantime, we'll meet you by the pool - don't forget your swimsuit!

Getting Ready to Move is a Big Ole Pain in the Butt!

Dennis and I have been off work since last Thursday getting ready for the big move. Being off work has been the only "sun-shiny" part of this whole thing! I have to tell you, I did not have a CLUE about this moving thing. Good god, who in their right mind would ever choose to do this? It is beyond me. I was so excited to find the house of our dreams, but what a process it's been in getting there. I know we've all done it - some of us tons of different times, but I really don't know why we put ourselves through all this. Why we don't just find a house that we like and stay there? Why do we have to move? Maybe its just me - it probably is, because people in all walks of life move every day! But not me - no more. I am never moving anywhere after this -no way, no how, no, no, no!

Well, we've been busy these past four days. We have so much stuff that we've accumulated over the past 10-15 years that I had this great idea to have a garage sale! Why? I'll never know. I think sometimes I don't think things through - ah, duh- what was my first clue! Anyway, I dragged my poor husband into my "garage sale" scheme and he, being the loving man he is, happily (I kid myself) complied. We spent all day/night Friday getting ready for this thing - setting up the garage/ putting all our stuff (more like junk) out on the two tables, pricing everything, yada yada........ well, I had another hair-brained idea to have it begin Saturday morning at the crack of fricking dawn - 7:00 a.m! Again, what was I thinking? Some might say, I was not! Any who, I wake up at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning and dragged my " I'm not a morning person" husband out of bed at 6:30 a.m. (to help me greet the garage sale crowd. ) Well, we were busy for about the first two hours, then.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, not a single person! Now, don't laugh, but I had another hair-brained idea to have this booming garage sale on, not just Saturday, but yes, it's true, Sunday! Geez........ I woke up Sunday morning, but thankfully, didn't disturb my sleeping husband, to greet the crowd at 8:00 a.m. Not ONE STINKING PERSON TO BE HAD! I was so.........well, you probably know the rest.... I shut that god darn thing down at 10:00 a.m. and said "the hell with these dang garage sales!"

After all was said and done, we made a measly $150 bucks! NEVER AGAIN!!

Family is so much fun! Truly.

I love my family. If you couldn't already tell with all my past bloggings, my family is very important to me. They are the best. Tonight I met my mom, my sister Mary Ann (Mary-Harry for short) and my 16-year old niece, Stephanie for dinner. She just got her drivers license so we wanted to have a girls night out to celebrate this great milestone. We met for Japanese food and had a ball, talking, laughing and generally just being silly women together. How great is it to be so close to family - geographically and emotionally....... I feel very lucky and truly blessed to know such wonderful people. My family is great and I really do enjoy their company - yeh, we all have our "stuff" once in a while, but for the most part, we are pretty dang close.........

It was really nice spending time with my niece. Let me tell you a little about Stephanie. She is a really special young lady. Some might say her parents raised her well. She is polite, bright (both intellectually and through her inner beauty) and what I would call, very grounded. She seems to know what she wants in life and where she is headed. I admire who she is and who she is becoming. I love her so much and think it is so great that she actually likes to go to dinner, and see me, her grandma and her mom! How many 16 year olds do you know who LIKE to do these kinds of things! Not many, I'm sure.....Well, we think she is the best. And best of all, she's my sister's daughter so we have an extra special bond. I feel quite lucky to have such a special niece. I wish for her a life full of love, beauty, contentment and joy. I will hold that thought for her as she journey's through her young life......

Well, Easter is this Sunday and that means another family get-together....... yeh! I could get used to this!

Moving is so much fun!

Today is Sunday and what a fun weekend we've had! NOT! We are getting ready to move........ my husband has lived in this house for almost 25 years - he had the house when we met 12 years ago. I, on the other hand, have only been here 8 years, so I don't have the amount of stuff (junk) that he has..... boy, oh boy, are we having fun now! We only have about two weeks before we move into our new house, so we better get packing! I had no idea how much work it would be! Before yesterday, I was gung ho -ready to go. How hard could it be, I asked myself? Just devise a plan and get going....... well, I was in for a slow, rude awakening as I started to go, room by room, closet by closet, deciding what I wanted to purge, what I wanted to keep, what to sell, what to give to Goodwill and what to just toss as far as I could throw the damn thing! I'm already pooped and I've only just begun!!

Now, my darling, energetic and amazingly fit husband has really done the hard work. He began painting the downstairs, living room and kitchen today. There he was standing on a step ladder, head bent backwards, with the roller in his hand - back and forth, back and forth as he paints the ceilings! Good god. There is simply no way in hell that I could ever do that! That man has the endurance of a bull. He just keeps going and going. But, after about 5 hours of this, I asked him to please stop and take a break. Which thankfully he did. I thought he could use a good, hot soak in the tub, so I ran the water for him and once in, gave him a good rub down. Nothing like soaking in a hot bath after a hard days work.

I quit about 11:00 this morning (really never got off the couch - truth be told) and went grocery shopping. I love to shop for food. Nothing like good food preparation after my hubby has worked so hard all day. I love doing that for him. I made a nice batch of chili. So, about 4:00 p.m., he finally came and sat down, read the paper and chilled out. We had a nice glass of wine, a hot bowl of chili and took the rest of the night off. Thank goodness!

I Wish I Was.......

I wish I was computer/tech savvy, but no matter how hard I try, I'm just not. Too bad too because I want to be, but every time I try, I just don't get it. It's so frustrating! I have all these neat ideas and lots of them require a web page, but for the life of me, I can't seem to figure out how to set it up. A friend even told me about this site that offers free websites and I still can't figure it out - ugh, why do some people just "get it" and some people just don't!?

Take my friend Susan who lives in Germany - she has created two or three really cool sites - one for her doggie hotel (see link on my blog page); one for her rental home in southern France (see link again) and one just for herself. They are easy to navigate, cool sites and I want to know how to do that!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I need a tech savvy person either living with me or on my payroll!

So, what is a poor girl to do? Does anyone have any advise out there? Where can I go to learn how to create a web site? I am an auditory learner so looking at something or reading instructions don't do it for me. I learn by listening......... does anyone know of any You Tube tutorials or the like to help me out?

Please leave a comment if anyone has any ideas.......... in the mean time, I'm going to go try to dig something or someone up to help me!

Tootles........

Life.......

We just celebrated Dennis' 60th birthday - a big milestone in his life..... one day, we will or have already celebrated (if we're lucky) that day. In celebrating his sixty years, with friends and family, I began to think about life........ the truth is: life is short.

It seems there are lots of people racing through life, trying to make the time pass quickly, hurrying here and there........waiting for that this or that to make them happy. I guess what I want for myself is to enjoy life today. Be present. Notice everything and be totally focused in whatever you are doing. As I type these words, time is ticking away. It was really strange, I was on a conference call at work last week and there, on the phone, was a digital clock. It was very strange listening to the dialog and watching the time tick away, one second at a time. By the time the call was done, an hour of precious had passed. Now, think about that. That hour is gone. I never thought about it like that before and it was very strange actually watching time pass.

Along with Dennis' party and the significance of all that, it made me think......... and thinking is what I do. I love to postulate about life and its meaning......... it made me think about what is important - what is important to me. We are in the process of buying a house - a bigger, more beautiful house, with all the trimmings...... and though I am excited about it and want to live there, I could have stayed in this house forever......... the reason is quite simple. Things don't matter to me. Yes, things are nice but they are just things and they are not what is important to me. What is important is my family and close friends. Without those special relationships, nothing else matters.

Dennis and I spent yesterday lounging around the house, reading the Sunday paper and just enjoying another beautiful, sun-shiny day. I loved every minute of it. As we sat, we began to talk about life and how it never stays the same. Isn't that the truth? Just when it starts getting comfortable, something happens to give us another opportunity for growth..... it's the cycle of life. Nothing ever stays constant for long....... hopefully, we are all ready and equipped to meet each change or challenge and go with the flow. Trying to stop the tide of change is an exercise in futility. It will just sweep you over.... the best thing to do is embrace change and ride the wave.........

I don't know about you, but we have lots of changes happening. Not only are we moving but we have some family changes going on as well. Dennis' brother and his wife want to move to Colorado. We are happy for them, but sad too. We will miss them a lot. Dennis was really sad to hear the news because he realizes what it means. Life is short. You never know what will happen, so enjoy today. I guess the lesson for Dennis might be to enjoy his brother as much as he can while he is still in California - go golfing, take a day off work and go have fun! Don't wait........ enjoy every minute.

We also love spending time with my mom and dad. In fact, we love having them over for dinner, traveling with them, etc - any reason to get together is all we need.......... we see them all the time and love it. We are also close to my sister and her family and my two brothers and their families. Changes are happening there too, as kids grow up and new ones come in...... my brother and his wife are adopting a baby boy, so we are all looking forward to that new addition.

Life is about change - easy and sometimes not so easy.........but one thing is for certain: life happens and changes are a comin'

So, sit down, buckle up and have the time of your life!

Happy Birthday Month!

Dennis' birthday is in the month of March and I'm discovering that a lot of people I know and work with are born in March.... They are all lovely Pisces.... the sign of the fish.... Pisces people are known to be emotional, sensitive and dreamy...... they spend a lot of their waking moments in la la land, thinking and dreaming of a better day....... I wouldn't say Dennis is a typical Pisces but if he had his way, he might spend all his time in his imagination......... pondering the meaning of life.........

As you know, we are celebrating Dennis' big day with a party. It's this Saturday and we have about 25 friends and family coming over. There is a "guys only" golf game that morning, so that should suit Dennis just fine. He gets to see all his best buds and enjoy what guys do together - namely competing and doing that sort of male bonding....... I know Dennis is looking forward to it..........

So, as Dennis golfs, I'll be home getting the house ready for our guests. I really enjoy the whole party planning thing and sometimes think that I should have been an Event Planner. I really do love it and it brings me great joy to cook for other people and entertain...........speaking of cooking and entertaining, I can't wait to get into our new house because it is situated perfectly for that kind of thing. The kitchen is a chefs dream (two ovens and a super-duper convention microwave) and a backyard is big and roomy enough for lots of people. Once we're all settled in, which should probably be by mid-late April, we're going to throw a big housewarming party.

So, I guess that's it for now............ more later as we get ready to move...........

Changes are a Comin'

My hubby has been wanting to move for a loooooooonnnggg time..... so we hired a realtor and have been looking at a variety of houses (large, small, lots of land, little bit of land, affordable, way too expensive, etc) for about a year..........

Before our search began, I was just as content to stay put and to continue to enjoy the house we currently have. It seemed perfect to me - a great location, great neighbors, centrally located, pretty close to work, close to family, almost paid off, yada, yada........ but funny how life is.......... as much as I protested and tried to convince Dennis that our house was just fine, he kept saying how much he wanted to move, so there in lies the rub.......... the rub and morale of the story:

Be careful what you ask for because you might just get it!

What we got was an awesome, beautiful home! It all came together quickly too - all in the past two weeks. Once that energy started flowing, everything seemed to move very quickly. I knew the house was ours the moment I saw it. I could just feel it. Call me crazy, but I knew. Even that first night after walking through it with Tracy (our awesome realtor), I was already living there - literally. I told her the next day that this was the house and that I had already moved in - in fact, I'd taken a bath in the master bathtub and cooked a meal on the stove! She just laughed, but I was darn serious. I knew the house would be ours because it was perfect for Dennis and I. The natural setting and the beautiful oak trees was just our style. It was a bit pricey, but I also knew that we would get the price we wanted and we did (at least I think we did : ).

Since I had just finished reading my new favorite book " A New Earth" (check past blog entry), I tried to apply some of the principles I'd just learned to the process of getting the house. I had to be:
1. Non-attached
2. Non-resistant
3. Non-judgmental,
in every aspect of the process and transaction.

Well, with everything in life, no one and nothing is perfect, so I did struggle from time to time. However, one thing was certain - I was not attached to the outcome - I honestly could have taken it or left it, and with that mind set, I was able to open up the space for good things to flow.

I did however lose that steely focus from time to time, especially when my wonderful husband was being the shrewd negotiator that he is......... I thought he was playing a little too much hard ball and that we might lose the bid and thus, I lost my focus and became attached to the outcome and resistant to what was happening........ but I was able to find my center again and trust the process, knowing on some level that if it was meant to be, we'd get the house....... and we did, so I am a very happy girl!

Well, it's the weekend and we've begun the unruly task of trying to decide what to keep, give to Goodwill or trash...... we have lots of work ahead of us but it is good. We get to clean house, start anew and in about a month or so, we get to continue an already wonderful life in a new and wonderful home! I can't wait!!

It's Raining; It's Snowing..................

Good friends are what makes the world go 'round. I just got home after spending the entire day with my good friend Bonnie. She picked me up this morning about 9:00 a.m., on our way to Truckee, for a day of re-focusing and rejuvenation.

Let me tell you a little bit about Bonnie. She is the kind of friend you'd want to have. She is just good - someone you can count on; she's sharp as a tack, doesn't miss a trick, is very innovative and entrepreneurial - just smart as anything and knows how to have a good laugh. She is just great all around.......... and I love her to pieces..........

We both looked at the weather forecast this morning and we knew that a big storm was blowing in......... the forecast called for lot of rain and wind in the valley and lots of snow in the Sierra's......... I, for one, am no mountain girl, but Bonnie used to live in Truckee so I was confident I'd be safe coming and going........

We arrived in Truckee about 10:30 a.m. and since I'd never been to her house, I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was! It was not a cabin, but a regular (really nice) two-story house in this cute little cul-de-sac........... so, we pull into the garage from the snow-covered street and went up the stairs into the main house. We turned on the heater, got some tea, lit some candles, turned on a little native flute music and prepared for our afternoon of brainstorming and strategic planning. Bonnie had the great idea to come to Truckee to get out of our usual surroundings - to clear our minds and start anew.

You see, I am starting a nonprofit organization to assist kids in foster care, but somewhere along the recent line, I got a little off track - kind of like the train came rolling into the station and sort of just stopped. The engine was still running but it wasn't going anywhere! Bonnie had the insight to know a day like today would be just what was needed to get me back on track. Well, I can tell you, after about 3 hours of mind-mapping, strategic planning and re-developing ideas for a mission and vision statement, I am definitely rejuvenated and ready to hit the ground running. My next step is to meet with our board to share the new mission/vision. I think they will be pleased.

So as our day progressed, we noticed the snow continued to fall, getting a bit heavier with each passing hour..... again, I was with the mountain woman and this city slicker had no fear! Aside from it being breath-takingly beautiful, I began to think we might want to begin heading home......... Bonnie agreed, so we packed everything up, blew out all the candles, and headed out. Well, it's a good thing we did because the snow continued to fall, seemingly getting heavier and heavier. No worries here - Bonnie was at the helm. So, as we approached the summit, I casually turned to her and asked if she had chains - "No" was her reply. I wasn't fazed. It turned out we did need chains so we had to turn around and buy some from the guy in the bright yellow rain slicker who was wearing a sign that read "Chains".......... Bon got out of the car and asked the "chainer" how much? $75 bucks! Crap..... we both were scounging for the few bucks we had and all we could come up with was $61, which he thankfully took....... good thing because the snow was getting heavier. Actually, it was an amazing sight for this city gal...... to see the beautiful, white cloaked mountains and the trees heavy with new snow was really amazing....... I felt lucky to be "right in it".........

Bonnie got us home safely as we made it down the hill - de-chained and drove safely home.......

In conclusion, there were a few spin-outs and it was nice to see that most people helped each other get back on track. I never once was afraid because my good friend Bonnie always had my back - did I ever expect anything less?

A New Earth.......

I just finished reading a really good book: A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. This is definitely my kind of read. It's the mind-expansive, deep thinking kind of stuff that I so enjoy.

With each page, I had to stop, re-read the sentence and really think about what the author was trying to convey. The basic premise of the book is discovering the freedom and joy of life lived "in the now" - that is the "present moment." It may sound simple, but it is not. Try it. Give your full attention to this very moment - do not think about the future; do not think about the past - be in this very moment, fully.

I've been practicing this discipline or at least been aware of practicing this "way of being" for months, but I lose focus almost daily..... it is a very human thing to begin to think about other things and become "unconscious"......... but the beauty of it is when I notice that I have "lost my way" - in that moment, I am back to being in the now.

There is great power and strength in being in the present moment - a peace that is unexplainable.

In the book, the author talks about ego. According to him, we are a society so very attached to our egos that we don't know any other way of being. He says the ego is our identification to form - that is to the mind (thinking about the future/past) and being attached to things (materialism) -stuff that doesn't really matter in the bigger scheme of things.

He suggests that it is okay to have things, but we shouldn't get our sense of self (who you are) from those things, because they aren't "real". In the end, we all die and will leave behind all our "stuff"...... according to the author, the really consciousness comes from being in the "now"; being alive and present in each moment and letting go of the ego.

He suggests " if you are content with being nobody in particular, content to not standing out, you align yourself with the power of the universe". What looks like weakness to the ego is in fact the only true strength. This spiritual truth is diametrically opposed to the values of contemporary culture and the way it conditions people to behave.

He gives another example to watch out how our ego's gets in our way. The ego really is a very powerful thing but it keeps us separate from each other - keeps us "one-upping" each other, which never brings us peace of mind.

In the book he asks his readers to try this exercise:

Refrain from attempting to strengthen the self by showing off, wanting to stand out, being special, making an impression, or demanding attention. This may include occasionally refraining from expressing your opinion when everybody is expressing his or hers, and seeing what that feels like.........

In just being aware of how many times in a day we want to feel special, stand out or demand attention, is a awakening..........

Party Planning

Dennis' birthday will be here in about three weeks. I love giving parties, really for any occasion, having all our family and friends over, but giving my husband a special birthday party is really fun.

The last big one was five years ago and it was a complete surprise to Dennis. This year isn't a surprise but will be equally as fun. Two of his very best and long-time friends are coming...... we both are completely thrilled that they will be here to help him celebrate his big day. They both have known him for 40+ years - Don is flying in from Oregon; and Pat lives near Yosemite.

More to write about once the day is finally here.........

Yesterday, my sis/bro-in-law, Lynette and Dave and I drove down to Salida to see their grandson Dylan (our great-nephew) play basketball and to visit with Anne, Eric and their other two kids, Kaitlyn and Ty. I think Dylan is a natural as he dribbled the ball down the court - it was really cute to watch him play, with his serious facial expressions as he guarded and blocked the other players.......... what made it so cute, is that he's only 5!

Well, today is Sunday and it's another beautiful day - it's supposed to be about 68 degrees, so after Dennis watches the Daytona 500 race on TV, we'll go outside to enjoy the sunny weather. I love lounging in the sun on days like today or taking a nice walk around the neighborhood -anything to get outside.

So, tomorrow is another state holiday, so this will be another 4-day weekend for me........ I could get used to this!

I Love Solitare!

Okay, so I love Microsoft Office solitaire! The cat is now out of the bag.......... yes, it's true and it's all my mom's fault - : ) I remember asking her "how" to get to this mind-numbing, addictive game and she simply said, "oh, just go into your Microsoft office programs, under "games" and click on "solitaire"..........so, there you have it, the rest is every waking-day, addictive history!

For the past month (literally), after coming home from work (and sometimes before - in-between my morning shower and making lunches), I log on and play a quick 10 games......... I really like to win, so I'll play and play until I win a hand. Sometimes I'm really on a roll and will win 3-5 out of 10........ not bad. Maybe I should consider buying a lotto ticket during those times! HA!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love Valentine's Day, well really, any day that I can bake, cook and generally care for others. This Valentine's Day was pretty fun..... it's the first year I made truffles....... I usually buy Dennis some sort of chocolate candy, usually at See's or at this good chocolatier in Folsom, called Snooks. This year I thought, nay, I want to make something special, so I got two good recipes for truffles and went for it. They are so easy to make!! I ended up with ones that were dark chocolate with a cognac base and the others were white chocolate with almond extract and almonds. YUMMY! I usually don't eat candy, but these were so good, I found myself dipping into them more than once!

So, (there's that pesky so again)......... I always like to do special things for the people I care about, including those I work with. This year, I put together little "truffle" packages, came into work early so their surprise would be waiting for them as they arrived. I usually don't leave a note, as it's more fun for them to wonder who left it.......

This year I also wanted to do something extra special for Dennis. I decided to make a beef tenderloin with chocolate/merlot sauce. I'd never made the recipe before but it really turned out great! The beef was so tender and good.........I'll have to keep that recipe for other special occassions......... Dennis is always full of surprises......... he gets me every time. Every year, he really plays down the whole celebrating thing and acts like he's totally forgotten or could care less........ even though I've know him for as long as I have, I fall for it every time......... but to my pleasant surprise, when I got up this morning and went down stairs to make our lunches for the day, there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers (later to find out he did himself) and the sweetest card and note I'd ever seen. It was really special - so special I got tears in my eyes. My husband is really a big ole marshmellow, but unless you knew him well, you would never know. He's got a heart of gold and the demeanor to never let you in on it. I love him with all my heart and feel very blessed to have found such a wonderful man.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Another Beautiful Day!

Today is Tuesday, mid-week, and Dennis and I are off work - it's Lincoln's birthday and therefore a state holiday.......another great reason we love our jobs! It is absolutely beautiful outside, about 68 degrees. We've been enjoying the day by sitting out on our back deck, lounging in the sun, reading, having lunch and generally enjoying this bright, sun-shiny day........




Another really big thing going on in our lives, or really the lives of our family, is that my brother Joe and his wife Jana are in Russia, as we speak, meeting a little boy they hope to adopt. They are keeping the family updated with daily blogs and we can't wait to read about their adventure in Tomsk. From the sounds of their updates, things are going well. They've met the little boy, who is 13 months old and seem to be getting acquainted just fine. I can imagine this is a very special journey for them, on every level imaginable. I have a good feeling that this particular journey will a transformational experience for everyone involved.



I am reading a really good book that I just happened upon. I love to read any kind of book that talks about our human consciousness and ways of "being" on this earth. The book is by one of my favorite author, Eckhart Tolle. The last book I read was the "Power of Now". This particular book is called, "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose". It isn't about your life's purpose in the way we usually think of it, but of your life purpose when we let go of our ego's.
For me, it is a discipline to be in the present moment - to not think about the future or get caught up in the past. I try to practice it daily, if only for a few moments at a time.



Anyway, that is about it for now.......... anyone who may read this, enjoy your day....... : )

So, so so!

So, I just noticed in my last post that I use the word "so" a lot. I need to think about that.....

I guess I say so, so I can get on with my thoughts...... after reading my last post, I discovered that using so, so much, is kind of annoying.

So, instead of saying so, I've got to think of something else to use as a connector word.

So hopefully, my posts won't be filled with so many silly so's.........


Until next time, have a sooooooo very nice day!

: )

Happy Day!

Today is Saturday and it was a good day. I got to see Lia, the little girl I mentor. She is quite a special little girl. She's almost eleven and going up so fast - seems all she wants to do is hang out with her friends and have fun -well, what more is there, really? So, the last time I saw her we went rollerskating, so this time she wanted to bring a friend. It was great fun watching two little tween girls skate and be best buddies........... they seemed to have a ball and I got to watch them skate, laugh, fall down and generally be cute, sweet little girls............ very fun............

It turned out to be another gorgeous day today, so after the indoor rollerskating, I tried to get outside some........ to feel the sun on my face is a sublime feeling......... I love how the sun feels on a brisk, cool day.........

So, the past couple of days I have been running around town gathering goody bag stuff for all my young nieces, nephews, grand kids and all the other kids I seem to have around me..... I recently did a head count and I interact with 10 little kids (10 and under) at least 5-6 times a month......... I feel very blessed for having such a vast array of wonderful kids around me. I also have two older kids that I love so much - they are my niece Stephanie, who just turned 16 years old and my nephew Jeff, who is 19 years old. They are too old for goody bags from their aunt, but never to old for the love I have for them...... they are two of the nicest people anyone could meet.

So on to the goody bag goodie gathering.......... I love doing stuff like this and sometimes I think I've missed my calling of being a teacher. This kind of stuff brings me lots of joy. So, I bought: stickers, ribbon, pink/white/red tissue paper, Valentine Day cards, bubble gum, chocolate candy, sour candy rings (for the girls), conversations hearts and other silly things to load in the bags. It's so much fun to watch the kids rip into their bags......... I can't wait for Easter!

Friday, February 8, 2008 - Happy Chinese New Year, Day 2!

Well, today is the second day of the Chinese New Year - Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy New Year!

So, in case you don't know, it's the Year of the Rat. My husband is a Rat - sometimes a Ratfink, a Ratscal, and sometimes just plain old Ratatouille! He is one neat Rat, if I do say so myself!

So, here's a little Rat history in case you know one........... according to Eastern philosophy, Rats are revered for their quick wits and ability to accrue and hold on to items of value. Rats are considered a symbol of good luck and wealth in both China and Japan. Clever and quick-witted, the Rat is utterly disarming to boot. Possessed by excellent taste, old Ratty flaunts his style at ever turn. The Rat is naturally charming and sharp and his funny demeanor makes him an appealing friend to almost anyone. The Rat likes to know who is on his side and will treat its most loyal friends with an extra measure of protection and generosity. So, that concludes today's lesson in Chinese astrology.

So, today is Friday and of course a work day, but I got off early...... that is always nice. Since I had some time to kill before the evening festivities, I took advantage of the beautiful sun-shiny day and bought some fresh herbs and lettuce to plant in my garden. I think I just lucked out because the shipment had just arrived so I was able to grab everything I ever wanted: arugula, spinach, red lettuce, and flat leaf parsley.

Now in about a week, I should have enough greens for a great salad - nothing like growing your own food. I should have been a farmer or at least owned a few acres so I could grow all my own produce.

I would have loved, loved, love that!

Tuesday, February 5 - Election Day

Well, today is the first day of my blogging adventure. I feel like I've grown up. It kind of reminds me of the first time I got a cell phone....... I've arrived. Kind of goofy, but that's me....... any who, today is Election Day, but it really doesn't matter, as I am an absentee voter, so I already submitted my ballot by mail a week or more ago......this year we have either a black man or a white woman as the democratic nominee so I wonder who it's going to be? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...........

So, on to more lively and interesting topics. I was invited to a potluck tonight. I'd been volunteering this past year through an organization called Wonder Inc., who matches caring adults with kids in foster care. The adults are called Guides and the kids are the Explorers. It's a great little program and I just completed my first year of mentoring. So my "coach", Vicki thought it would be fun to have all of her Guides over her house for dinner. At first I wasn't too excited about going but decided "why not?"......... so, when tonight finally came, I almost cancelled with the excuse of "oh, it's a weeknight, yada, yada," but instead I listened to that little voice in my head that told me, " you need to go. Remember every time you don't want to do something is when you really need too"........ so I paid attention and drove to her house.

Turned out (as it always does) that I met a great woman who is the executive director of the National Girl Scouts of America nonprofit organization! She manages all these cool programs working with disadvantaged youth/teenage girls, etc and so we talked about the nonprofit that I am starting, We Foster Futures. She invited me to come see what they offer and the kinds of programs they have. We also talked about maybe collaborating at some point.

As you can imagine, I am very energized after talking with her and intend to follow up. Anyway, this is another tribute to listening to your intuition and knowing that when you may not want to do something is the exact reason you should.