Every now and Zen...

I thought I would share with you today my "Zen Spot." This is what greets you when you enter our front door (besides me, of course :) It goes 20 feet up in the air. We had it wallpapered to look like stone walls. A castle like feel if you will. This is the windows that are above the front door. I set these metal grills in the window to give a sort of stain glass window look-minus the stained glass. (I'm kinda dorky that way :) )

Now here is the zen part....Early in the mornings(8,9,10-ish) the sun is in front of my house. It streams through the windows and this is the beautiful, peaceful reflection it makes upon the walls:

Ahhhhh! Isn't it relaxing? But, perhaps I'm the only one who finds it so beautiful and tranquil. Ricardo laughs at me everytime he finds me lounging upon the steps drinking coffee and gazing dreamily at the walls. I guess I must look like a cat- all perched upon my sunny stoop, watching reflections bouncing off the walls. ha! But truly when I sit here in the early morning hours, undisturbed, drinking my coffee gently laced with kahlua and vodka (just joking ;p)...- It truly is my Zen spot. My little cocoon. I'm relaxed. I'm calm. I reflect upon life. I meditate if you will. All is right with the world. I think everyone should have their special little Zen place. So share with me... What's your Zen spot?

Full Disclosure

Okay, Okay, I've got to be totally honest. Although, I think this is an amazing, architecturally stunning, beautiful home; I don't really live here. Shocking isn't it?!!!

Although, let it be said that the only thing keeping me out this house is the whole pesky gazillion dollar thing and that security gate. And truthfully, given enough time....I will figure out a way to get over that gate! ha ha ha ha!!!

Here is our home. No honest it is!!! Would I try to pull one over on you?! It makes me smile everytime I pull up to the drive. Inside resides my heart and soul: my family. I truly feel lucky to live here! I say it often. And call me goofy; but, I really do believe our house can feel it. It gives us back a warm, peaceful, cozy kind of karma when you step inside. Our haven, where we are safe and all is right with the world.

It may not have as much square footage as the "Dream McMansion" up above,...... or as much acreage,...... or a security gate,........ or a lighted tennis court.....or PAID servants :)....But,it too is also beautiful to me in a less ostentatious kinda way. It is more than I ever thought I would have. Also, more than I truly ever deserve to have. ...But, once again I digress. Although, something that it does have in common with the Dream McMansion; we both have a spacious guest house! :

So feel free to come and visit anytime Dahlings!!! Everyone is always welcome and you can stay as long as you like!!! :) Perhaps we will even ride the mastiffs and have a rousing game of pony polo upon the lawn! That would be "Top Drawer indeed Old Chap!" Although, as they say in Pretty Woman..."Beware the steaming divits!" :p

Life is just a fantasy...

I'm purusing through my favorites list on my computer today. When I come across this little item here.It's been on my favorites list for a year or two now. I told Ricardo, if we ever ever become gazillionaires....This is what I want on my finger. The Holy Grail of Rings for the jewelry hound in me. Call me what you will, I just love beautiful jewelry. Always have. Always will. Here's the link if you want to have some fun "Windows shopping" ha ha ha!!!:

Platinum Pear Shaped 4 4/5ct TDW GIA Certified Diamond Ring from Overstock.com

You would think as a gazillionaire, I might want something way bigger than that...not so, I'm a PRACTICAL gazillionaire!!! So anyhow, I go to gaze adoringly upon it today.....when I notice that it is "sold out"!!! What?! Sold out?! How can that be?! Who could actually afford one of these little beauties to begin with?!!! No one! Unless, they happen to be a gazillionaire... Then it occurs to me, perhaps Ricardo is surprising me for Christmas! Perhaps we are gazillionaires and I just don't know it yet! Yeah, that's probably it!! ;) I wonder, will he have it sent to the office- to keep it a surprise?.....or will he trust me not to snoop and just send it to the house:

Hooooo!!!! Haaaaaaa!!!! Haaaaaa!!! Oh, I needed a laugh today. That felt good!!!!

Happy Birthday Ricardo!!!!

Happy Birthday Ricardo! Yep, that's right, Ricardo is 45 today!!! What is even more amazing is that we met when he was only 23. For you mathematicians- that means yes, he has been a part of my life for 22 years now. Also for you mathematicians- 29-22=7. We met when I was 7!!!! (wink, wink)









Wonderful Jenny made a list of reasons she loved her husband for his birthday. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Jen, prepare to be flattered...I loved your idea so much, I'm gonna swipe it.....So, please send me a copy of your list. :) Although, I think for the record it should be noted Jenny had it much easier...her husband is much, much younger. But here goes:









Reasons I love Ricardo:









1. Your name: Ricardo...that's sexy!!!




2. You let me call you Ricardo, even though it is not your name. :)




3. You take care of me.







4. You are my security, my calm, you keep me grounded.







5. You know practically everything about me, and you like me anyways!







6. You waited patiently for me to come to my senses while we were on a break!







7. You could have married anyone, but you married me.







8. You think I'm "low maintenance"







9. You are patient







10. You are tolerant.







11. You have a great sense of humor!







12. You are a great husband!







13. You are a great Dad!







14. You aren't afraid to act goofy around me and the boys.







15. You allow your family to have 4 dogs.







16. Which leads me to point out, that you are indulgent to our wants, needs and desires.







17. You take out the trash.







18. After all these years together, you can still bring it buddy!!!







19. You're hung like Trigger!







20. After all these years together, you still say I'm pretty.







21. After all these years together, you still say my body is rockin.







22. After all these years together, you have mastered the art of lying! ha ha!!!







23. You can still rock a pair of jeans yourself mister!







24. You wear your baseball cap backwards for me because I find it sexy.







25. You don't think I'm funny, but you still laugh at me. Wait! That didn't sound right at all!!!





26. You are intelligent.





27. You are reliable.





28. You are a kind, good person.





29. You come home for lunch everyday to see your family.





30. You come home......that alone speaks volumes! ha!!!





31. You kiss me every time you come home, just because.





32. You go out of your way to help others.





33. You read directions/instructions because you know I don't like to.





34. You find a way to implement all my home improvement ideas.





35. You trust me implicitly-no doubts, no questions, no hesitations!





36. Your a good provider for your family.





37. You find a way for me to be a stay at home mom because you know it's important to me.





38. You can make me laugh.





39. You give good hugs.





40. You remember all our dating stories





41. You don't have a terrible temper.





42. You forgive the fact that I do. :)





43. You don't mind running errands for me on your way home from work.





44. You let me be me- without trying to change me.





45. You haven't traded me in for a newer model, better equiped wife... yet. As Frank Barone would say: "Trophy Wife...what contest in hell did you win?!!!"



So Happy Birthday, Ricardo! I love you!!! I'm thankful that we are lucky enough to be spending another year together....here's to many more!!!

Our Security System

Ricardo is going on a business trip. He will be gone for several days and nights. Normally, most people wouldn't advertise this kind of information online. Wouldn't be prudent. But me, I have no worries! I have MASTIFFS!!! These are guardian dogs. These are the lion of the dog family or so all the books say. Why just take a look at my lion pride:Okay,... All appears calm right now on the Sahara.... But I'm sure these girls will spring into action on a moments notice if need be!

I'm sure it is common practice for all guardian dogs to sleep with their eyes open. Right? Helps keep them on high alert or something like that!

I do know without a doubt in my mind that our sectional will be safe!

Someone would have to be pretty foolish to attempt to break in here and be met by the menacing, raging eyes that belong to this girl!

Okay, they might have to pry open the eyes first. But then they would be met with bloodshot eyes, that could be easily mistaken for eyes filled with rage!!!

I hope the need never arises for our girls to have to protect us. We live a pretty calm life in a pretty calm, safe suburb. But I truly do think that if push came to shove we would be protected. Our littlest girl is only 6 months old, and already the protection instinct is pretty strong. Just look at her protecting brown eyes:

Their pretty tight! Also notice the intensity and focus in her eyes. Yep, I think this little girl would get the job done in short order if the situation called for it. However, besides these girls and an alarm system; I've got my "ace in the hole" my "surprise weapon" so to speak. If someone were to make it in past the mastiffs and the alarm system, they would be confronted by this:

Our 13 year old, geriatric Lab.First they will wonder how long this dog has been laying there deceased. Then, when they let their guard down... she'll "GAS THEM". Yep, she doesn't look very intimidating, but she can clear a room like nobody's business!!! Holy Labrador Batman!!! A time or two she's almost caused blindness when the room wasn't cleared fast enough! So, yeah; I'm feeling secure. Very secure. And I have a plan. I believe I'll call her "Plan Silent, but deadly!"

The Flocking Answers Revealed...

As it says in the heading: amusing anecdotes and irrelevant information. I promised you stories and answers, and I'm going to bring them to you. Seems that I raised many an eyebrow with my Christmas Tree question yesterday. Not just with my readers, but with people on the street. Yep, that's right; I took my show on the road. I wanted answers. Not just for myself, but for you too. So here's all you need to know this holiday season about flocking :

I surveyed 100 people. Yes, I was serious about finding the flocking answers alright! It wasn't easy. Some people didn't want to answer- guess they thought it was too personal a question. I'm not a mathematician, so I'm not going to break it down into percentages. But here is what the results showed...

Question: "Are you a flocker?"/ "Do you enjoy flocking?"

Most of the women I surveyed answered no. Most said they did not enjoy flocking. (Guess I'm one of the few women out there who do.) Some said that they used to enjoy flocking when they were younger. Some women even said that they faked a headache to avoid flocking. Hmmmmmm. Very interesting. They must have encountered some very bad flocking indeed in their past! But even more interesting... (and they felt pretty strongly about this) most women said that their ex-husbands were flockers. Wow!! From a statistic standpoint, I had no idea there were so many out there!

Okay, so it appears that flocking is more of a man thing. But I kept asking.

Of the men I surveyed. Overwhelmingly they agreed that they enjoyed flocking. There is no such thing to a man as bad flocking. One man asked if I was volunteering my services. I said, "No sir. Although, I enjoy the flocking; I strongly believe that flocking is best done only by professionals." I don't know why, but he seemed disappointed by this answer. But continuing on....

While most men admitted to enjoying flocking, they said they themselves were not flockers. But, they thought that their bosses were. Interesting.

Also, one elderly gentleman I surveyed said that he used to enjoy flocking. But, now he was too old. So sad. Tragic even.

So, in a nutshell, here is what my survey revealed:

Most women don't admit that they enjoy flocking. Some avoid it at all costs. Some women hate flocking so much, that they will get divorced if they even think their husband is a flocker!
Men enjoy the flocking, yet do not admit to being flockers themselves. Apparently, it is a upper management thing; because overhwhelmingly people said that their bosses were flockers. And apparently everyone's flocking days are numbered; because, flocking is something that you can outgrow, no longer enjoy or become too old for. All of which saddens me deeply. I'd hate to think it's just a flocking phase I'm going through! But now you know the flocking answers. I've done my duty. And that my dear friends brings an end to this big flocking debate.

Let me know what tough subject you want me to tackle next! You have questions? I'll find ya some answers!!

Happy Holidays!!!

The Age Old Holiday Question...

I'm feeling a little less pressured today. I've got the stockings hung by the chimney, with care. Hoping that Saint Nick will soon be here.....But not tooooo soon, I've still got stuff to do!





We've also got the tree up and decorated. Whew! That's a big relief off my mind. Will be an even bigger relief to get some gifts to go under it! ha! But one day at a time. Doesn't it look festive?

* Excuse the rest of the room. It is in renovation limbo. Like many other projects in our home, it's awaiting funding. :) But, being upstairs it's handy to put the tree here instead of lugging it up and downstairs every year. However, if you are wondering "what in the world is on the walls?" it's this wallpaper:Memorable movie couples. Do you love it, hate it or don't care one way or the other as long as it's not in your home?! ha! I love it! I think it will be really cool once we get the media room complete. This is our sample baseboards and wood flooring-again awaiting funding. But I digress. Now on to today's question...

With it being Christmas time, I'm wondering the age old question. No, not real tree vs. artificial. That's been done. I want to get a little more personal. When it comes to your Christmas tree...to flock or not to flock; that is the question.

In case you can't tell from the photos, our tree is artificial and flocked. Yep, I'm a flocker! and I'm not ashamed to admit it!I love flocking. I'm hooked. In fact, I'll never go without flocking again!

Our old tree was just a plain jane artificial tree. 4 years ago I bought this one. Ricardo loves it too! He wasn't with me when I picked out the tree. I thought it was gorgeous, but I wanted his opinion; so I called him and asked....

Me: "Do you like flocking?"

Ricardo: "You betcha!"

Me: "I had no idea."

Ricardo: "Honey, I've ALWAYS enjoyed flocking! All men do!"

Me: "Wow! Good to know. And, now that I know; you'll never have to spend another Christmas without flocking!"

Ricardo: "Great! Hurry home!"

Yep, it's amazing how festive a little flocking can make the holidays! I think it is a beautiful thing! Well, when it is done correctly that is. I would never try flocking on my own. ( Not that there is anything wrong with that.) I'm sure there are plenty of people who flock themselves; I'm just not one of them.

I also think, that if you want it to done right- you should have it professionally done. Yes, I've seen amateur's attempt flocking. It's not pretty. Not pretty at all. There is nothing worse than bad flocking! It's just not aesthetically pleasing at all. I guess you can improve over time, with plenty of practice. But I still think spending a little money for a professional flocker is the way to go!

I also think that a little flocking goes a long way. Yes, I think there is such a thing as too much flocking.But I guess it must just be a woman thing. Because, My husband disagrees with this. He says there is no such thing as toooo much flocking. In fact, Ricardo said I will be hard pressed to find any man who would answer any differently. If they did, they would lose their man card! Wow!! Who knew that men felt so stongly about flocking!!!

Guess there's alot I don't know. But give me your opinion. Come on, tell me your flocking thoughts!!!

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE: OUR THANKSGIVING

I must warn you, the following blog is GRAPHIC in nature....it won't all be THIS pretty and serene: But before you go thinking I'm some kinda "Nervous Nelly" or "Girlie Girl"...I'm not!! Let me show you :

See THIS is BOILING water. I'm looking right at it, up close. Nothing!! Doesn't even faze me!

And see THIS: my hand is directly over the gas flame. Again...NOTHING! (No common sense-nothing!!! *Note children DO NOT try this at home!*)

It is only when you combine THIS: OIL/GREASE

with THIS: FIRE/CAULDREN OF DEATH that I get nervous. It's BOILING HOT OIL AND FIRE PEOPLE!!!! HELLO!!!!

But it's been brought to my attention, that this is my issue...some people don't have issues with it. Hmmmm. These same reckless individuals probably fry bacon alone too. But, that is another story for another day.

Anyhow, sometimes you've got to take a walk on the wild side. Face the fear of death, disfigurement, the loss of mind, home, and body for some fine cuisine. Like on Thanksgiving- you need to fry a turkey! There really is nothing quite like it. Honest! Yum! !


First you start with Tom here: A fine looking specimen.

But he's made even finer when you inject him full of marinade. (Note: this syringe would have also been handy injecting my bottom full of tranquilizers before I took the following photos...but again I digress. Besides, there is always next year!)

(Side Note: I also recommend having one of these on hand: What can I say...I'm a safety girl!!! )

So, you take Tom, inject him full of delicious marinade and then you walk him out to his fate.....dum da dummmmm....dum da dummmmm......(that's me playin' the bugle. good huh?!)

THIS is the BOILING PEANUT OIL! Being heated with PROPANE!!!! (Note, I personally took this picture. Yep that's right. I faced my fear. I looked in the CAULDEN OF DEATH and I laughed! Okay, so I didn't laugh....it was more of a nervous giggle and then I backed the hell away from it....but again I digress.)

See Tom getting ceremoniously lowered into the cauldron..... (See how I am smartly standing on the other side of the fence!!! )

Immediately after lowering Tommy boy into the fryer, it starts to steam/smoke like this photo below. Is your pulse racing?! Are you sweating profusely at this point?! I am!!!









After the lowering of the bird and the scarey smoke screen; it starts to BUBBLE UNCONTROLLABLY....like so:

I warned you this would be graphic in nature!!!!
Just look at the oil SPEWING and POPPING MERCILESSLY over the side and onto the ground. Frying turkeys is NOT for the faint of heart!

Although I must confess...my fearless husband Ricardo is actually frying the turkey. He doesn't have "issues."

However, I feel as if I deserve a sticker for my bravery! Or maybe a t-shirt like:

"I fried a tukey for Thanksgiving and LIVED to tell about it!" What do you think?!





In fact, all the before photos had me so mentally and physically drained that I actually forgot to take a picture of our final product! Honest! HOW funny is that?!!! :) But I found one online that looked just like our final product...


Look at the crispy, golden, beautiful skin on this bird! Wow! Beautiful!! And the inside is so juicy and tasty! Sooooo worth it!!! Yep, it's the final product that will get me to face my fears again next year. The final product... and a t-shirt... and a syringe full of tranquilizers and maybe even a few good stiff drinks first! Again, I apologize for the graphic photos, the suspenseful and traumatizing nature of this story.....But, did YOU think the final product was worth it?! Did I convert you? Are you brave enough? If so, I'll order you an extra t-shirt! :)

A Story of Two Siblings

We found an old tree today while we were communing with nature. I'm showing you this close up. It looked really cool to me. Then after we were done playing all over the rest of the tree, I was HOPING this wasn't poison ivy, poison oak.......do you know?! Guess we'll find out! Should have joined girl scouts, I'd know this stuff...but they spent too much time outdoors,... in tents,.... at jamborees... and other stuff for my liking. But I digress. Anyhow on to the story.....My boys are about as different in personalities as the flip side of a coin. This one here, my eldest, ol blue eyes. He stole my heart before he was even born. Couldn't love him more if I tried! To this day, he has been the most easy going, gentlest soul I've ever known. So patient! Never caused me a moments trouble. I know we haven't hit our teen years yet; but ,I truly don't think I'll have any problems from this one....

Now for the flip side of the coin.....

This little guy, he's gonna be the death of me! He has NO patience, his temper is a force to be reckoned with , and he has a ridiculously funny sense of humor! ( I don't know where he got those traits from! :) I couldn't love him more either!....But man alive, he keeps me on my toes! I would bet money his teen years won't be as trouble free:) He got new shoes today.....

Had to see how far off the tree he could jump in them. Good distance son! Now, be a good boy and come help momma jumpstart her heart again!! OY!

After a few minutes exploring the tree, these two sat down for some sibling discussion. Quite a common occurance in our house. Can't you almost hear the giggles?...

They may have different personality types, but they couldn't love each other more if they tried! And despite (or maybe because of ) the six year age difference they are as close (if not closer) than two peas in a pod.....my 2 sweet peas you might say! :)

Notice my eldest son listening intently to his brother telling a funny story....Could they BE any cuter?!!!

Watch the body language. They lean closer towards each other as the story gets more in depth.....

This story is some funny and fascinating stuff!! Who knew a six year old could weave such a tale?! They were just getting to the grand finale.....

When they realized Mom was snapping their photos! Guess the end of THAT story will have to wait til later.

I hope they always share stories and secrets. I hope as they grow up they will always be as close as this. And I hope that they will always remember all the moments like these.I know I will. And I will cherish them always!!! I love you both with all my heart!!!!