UnFrenzied Friday

Had a show tonight! It was so nice getting back to "work"!

I say work like "work" because let's face it... my job is just one fun party after another!

I love my clients!

Love them!

Especially the group I had here tonight! I think that was their 15th show with me, and it was just as great to see them this time as the first.

It's been hard to schedule shows around baseball board committments and all the boys different sports, so this was a good kick back into "work" mode.

***

Any of your looking to earn some free Pampered Chef products... I'm booking for the end of June!

***

Went to Costco (empty wallet store) today.

You know what? The line for gas was sooooo loooonnnngggg! I have never bought gas there, but to wait in that line, the price better be more than 50 cents better per gallon!

I laughed!

All those people, in their idling cars, waiting in hour long lines,

to save a few cents on gas, as their cars guzzle up the gas in their tanks, waiting in line!

Make sense?

NO!

I bought essentials today.

It was sooo hard not to go to the book section and buy up everything

that struck my fancy, but I was good.

Need to save moola for a new pool surface and tile. Our pool is starting to look less

like the blue lagoon and more like the Swamp thing every year.

Well, that's all for today... pretty mundane. Not even a Frenzied Friday.

Thursday Thoughts

What a day! All kinds of running around and such.

My nail lady TOOK FOREVER to do my nails today.

I had to change shops because my other guy never showed up for my appointments.

I really loved the way he did my nails too.

C'est la vie!

***

Tonight was the big night though. Contract signing at Will's new school.

So many fees I saw my pool resurfacing go bye bye, and we still have to buy books

and pay for summer school!

BUT! The investment in my kid is more important! Right? Right.

I have to keep telling myself that. Over and over again.

I signed his butt up for summer school too, so he can get an academic course out of the way.

Their curriculum there is H-E-A-V-Y, and any jumpstart will be worth it I think.

So he will be taking a Health course in a 3 week stint and be done with it.

***

Bill is outside right now snaking our kitchen sink. That poor guy, it's always something around here. Now I understand why so many people want to rent and never own. Sheesh!

***

One more week of school and we are done for 2 1/2 months! Well, except for Will. ha ha.

Next week is it! And it's Johnny's Birthday on the 4th!

***

I'm gong to go pour over my new Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day cookbook.

So fabulous!

Wordless Wednesday

Our new bed frame Bill built!

We cut out the carpet underneath, and we'll fill it in when my new carpet tiles arrive.

Next, came the bed!

Mother's Day placemat in Johnny's classroom

Our cool dog Jack!

My gifts from Johnny for Mother's Day in his classroom.

Are you living the life you want?

EULOGY Have you ever been to a funeral? Well, of course you have. Well, some of you might not have ever needed to, and if that is so… CONGRATULATIONS! *** For those of us who have attended one, have you ever listened to the Eulogy? Have you ever wondered what people would be saying about you if you were the one in the box? *** For example… “Uncle Percival was a wonderful person. He always had a smile on his face, Loved God, prayed every day, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He lived every single day like it was his last, and never had any regrets. He never met a person he didn’t like. He always made friends wherever he went. He was the kindest, gentlest, most humble person ever, and he is going to be sorely missed.” *** Wouldn’t you love to have that said about you? In one short paragraph, I just said traits I hope I possess. But do I possess them? Not all of them. Do you possess any of them?

Would you like to? *** No I’m not going to sell you anything. I just thought it would be a nice idea to live a life that would make a great Eulogy someday. *** Here’s what I’m suggesting. Write your own Eulogy. I know, sounds a little morbid, but really… is it? Make it as fantastic, flowery, gushing and icky sweet as you can. Write down all the things you wish you were and all the things you know you are. Write down your hopes and dreams as if they all came true.

Write down how much you love someone else, and go into great detail about that love.

Write down all the places you want to go, and all the things you want to do, as if you have already done them! Explain in detail how captivating and sensational it all was!

Write down the risks you took with your business, or your finances and how they all paid off! Write down how incredible you felt when it happened! Write about how you built your church, helped the sick, volunteered, fed the homeless etc… *** Are you getting the picture? Live your entire life the way you want to live it in your Eulogy.

Now here is the tricky part. *** SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE LIVING UP TO THAT INCREDIBLE LIFE YOU JUST WROTE DOWN! Make it TRUE! Make that person COME ALIVE IN YOU! *** Now I know, we haven’t ever been to funerals where awful things have been said about the deceased… but I have been to a few where there were only a few words spoken because maybe that person wasn’t a good person in real life. For instance, “Bubba was a man. He was a man that lived a good long time. He was born in 1920 and died in 2000. He had beautiful blue eyes and always kept his grass trimmed” WHO WOULD WANT A EULOGY LIKE THAT! Not me! *** I would want to know if I touched anyone’s life… ever. I would want to know if my words helped someone else. I would want to know I was loved, cherished, and made others laugh with her. I would want to know that I had hair that other people coveted. (hee hee, weird I know, but oh so true!) I would want to have gone to every country that I want to visit, Greece, Tierra del Fuego, Rio, Australia, Fiji, Turkey, India etc… I want to have a home for each of my children, bought and paid for by the time they are ready to move out, and they only need to take over payments. I want to go to Law School, and participate in Speech and Debate tournaments. I want to have a hit cooking show on Food Network, and a crazy, whacked out, most popular blog that Oprah, Maya Angelou and Steve Martin love to read with a MILLION hits a day! I want to know that I was never a push over, and was kind to those less fortunate. I want to be giving and serving and loving and thoughtful and revered. *** Can you see where it’s going? The only way to do it… is to DO IT! So write it… keep it safe, but keep it where you can read it daily if necessary. Writing things down is POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. Reading them daily, is also. *** Won’t you try it? Let me know if you do. And really, even if you just get half of your Eulogy accomplished in your lifetime… how much sweeter was your life, because you chose the path ahead of time!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Doesn't this background just make you want to dive right in?

For those of you that know me well, and have been in my backyard, know that I call the part that the motorhome sits in "TJ" short for Tijuana.

For the last 15 years it has looked like a TJ shanty town. BUT NO MORE!!!

Bill and the boys, for some odd reason, got on it today

and are in the process of clearing ALL the debris away! I can't believe it!

I don't know why everything has to be a long drawn out process in our family,

and 15 years a loooonnng time.

But! I think last week I made a comment that has been sitting with Bill.

He was on a 3 hour commute home from Ventura (with traffic, of course)

and I was saying how wonderful it would be to be able to have

Johnny and Alex's classes over for end of year parties,

but I couldn't do that because TJ is so terrible

and the fence that was supposed to be covering the mess

has been slowly falling down in all the winds,

AND it would be too much a liability to have all those kids

rummaging around if they got bored in the pool.

What I think got him thinking it was time to clean it was this statement.

"TJ(the side yard, not the city) does not reflect us as a family.

We are better than that."

And he said

"Yeah, you know what? You're right!"

I almost choked!

OH IF ONLY I HAD MADE THAT STATEMENT 15 YEARS AGO!

Get this!

Yesterday, he and the boys cleaned our orchard out!

REALLY!

As a thank you from Mama,

I made them homemade bread (Focaccia) today, and a feast for lunch too.

I picked a bunch of apples from our apple tree

and have an apple crumble in the oven

as I type.

Hey,I'm a wop, and we show love by cooking for the ones we love.

Shoot! My camera's battery is dead. I wanted to get pictures,

but it should be charged before the sun goes down.

I am a very happy woman right now! PMS and all!

I published by own blog book!

Holy Cow! I haven't posted in two days because I was busy publishing my blog in book format!

NOT as easy as they would have you believe, but worth it.

Thank God I didn't wait and print the entire year all at once, just Jan 4 - May 23 was 200 PAGES! AND I DELETED ABOUT 30 PAGES!

It took me so long because I wanted everything to have the same font, so it would look cohesive.

I am going to do my Cook Everyday Blog in August, when it's 6 months old.

I am going to publish June - December in December.

I went to Blurb.com

Lulu didn't work for me.

So it cost me $74 bucks, but now I will have all things I have written and pictures too, bound in a gorgeous leather hard cover book for my family to keep forever.

There was a dedication page, title page, just like a real honest to goodness book.

SO FREAKING COOL!

NONE of the pictures I downloaded from the internet would work, the software caught it and spit it out, which is fine with me, I just wanted pictures of my family and stuff anyway.

So... I'm back! I can't wait to get my book in a couple of weeks!

**Oh! I say Ciao at the end of every single thing... yeah... not anymore. Took me forever to take them all out of the book.

So here is one big CIAO forever!

I also noticed I write OY VAY a lot. It's like I'm channeling Yentl or something!

Ohhh Weather! Actual Weather!

What fantastic, awesome weather we had yesterday!

REAL WEATHER! LIKE IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY!

TV was the last thing the boys and I wanted to watch last night.

There was a much better show outside!

The three of us pressed our faces to a window and just stared at the lightening in awe.

Before that, we stood outside in our backyard and just let the rain soak us.

It was precious "kid" time.

Alex and Johnny were SO excited when I announced we need to gather our candles and flameless candles on a table with a lighter just in case the electricity went out.

Every time our lights flickered... they cheered! It was so funny. They're weird.

Native Californians don't get to see this weather very often, and Thunder isn't common.

Every summer, I travel to Chicago for conference, and every summer there are HUGE, I MEAN HUGE thunderstorms. Yesterday was nothin compared to what the mid westerners go through.

I remember one year being on the 23rd floor of the Sheraton Downtown during a big one, and I thought God was gonna come and get us. It was surreal. All the California people were jumpy, and everyone else from other states just went along business as usual. They actually laughed at us, and consoled us, it was funny and pathetic at the same time.

We soooo needed the rain!

Of course, anyone who has lived in this valley knows exactly why this weather hit now, in the middle of May.

It all goes back to the curse the indians made about 100 years ago.

I dont' know how accurate my story is, but its an old legend.

The National Orange show takes place on sacred Indian land,

and when the Indians were taken off the land to build the Orange Show complex,

they placed a curse on the land, that every time the Orange Show would take place,

there would be inclement weather.

I never believed it growing up... then as the years went on I noticed that the dates would change for the Orange Show all the time.

Everyone thought it was just the time of the year it was always on... so they changed it.

Once it was in August, and it rained for only the 4 days of the Orange Show in the hottest month of the year. They tried it in July, same thing,

they tried it in a number of different times and months, and the same thing happened.

Guess what... the Orange Show opened yesterday.

I get it and have for years.

You can choose to believe it or not... but it has never failed. Every year this happens during the Orange Show. Not to this extent, but clouds and rain come every single year during it.

Last week was an awful heat wave and this week,yesterday, my Mama got snow in her front yard a foot high.

Hmmmmm.

Sounds like something is happening, huh?

Enjoy the cool weather!

Play in the rain with your kids!

Just stay out of the pool during a lightening storm.

Ciao! and Stay Dry!

My boys are too much!

So last week, when I had to drop off the last of my paperwork to the school

so we could get our interview, Alex and Johnny were in the car with me.

William went to deliver the paperwork while the rest of us waited in the parking lot.

Much to my chagrin, Alex begged me to send him to ACA in 7th grade not 9th.

No, I wasn't upset because he asked, I was miffed at the REASON WHY!

Before I get to the reason why, I also noticed that

Johnny was doing a lot of giggling in the back seat of the car,

and saying an old saying "Hubba Hubba".

When I asked him why he was saying that,

he told me to turn my head to the left.

I obliged.

What I saw were 6 lovely teenaged girls talking around

an adorable baby blue Convertible VW Bug.

They were also waving and blowing kisses BACK at Johnny!

I began to get suspicious as to why Alex was so hot to go this school, and when I turned around, I saw the reason all over his face.

Then he said... "The girls here are HOT!"

I died.

There you have it.

My two younger ones see the potential of a school by the female population.

THANK GOD William didn't answer with that yesterday during the interview whenhe was asked why he wanted to attend ACA.

Oy Vay!

Yeah, still thinkin home schooling will be the way to go with Johnny. ha ha!

He scares me.

Ciao!

Will did it!

We're IN!!!

William is now a student at ACA!

Our interview went great apparently... no need to wait for a letter to tell us we are accepted, she gave me the low down on everything directly after the interview... I was confused... I said

"So do you do this with everyone before the letter? I thought we had to wait for a letter." And she said... "Nope, no need for a letter in your instance. You sign your contract next week at our contract signing meeting, and I hand William his reading list for the summer, the first day of school, his project for the reading will be given to him... yada, yada, yada"

YAHHHHOOOOOO!

The course load is going to be gruesome, but he is capable and bright, and he will work hard. Or else.. ha ha!

They have a great website where the parents can get updates on homework, projects etc.. everyday for each individual student. So Cool!

There are only 450 high school students there, so it's big enough to have lots of diversity, but small enough where the teachers can offer personal help and know all the kids by name.

AHHH! I'm gushing!

Forgive me!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After the interview, went to Target to get a bunch of stuff for Will and Bill's excursion, and a bunch of new summer clothes for the boys.

I LOVE BUYING THEM CLOTHES!

I was a very good girl though.

Didn't overspend or get stuff just because it was on sale.

They all needed swim trunks in this hellish weather.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Okay, I'm done. Sorry for the overshare. I'm just excited!

Ciao loved ones.

I slept!

Letti, remember this picture? Look how young William looks?

*~*~*~*~*

I slept!

I slept well! REALLY well!

Whew! I thought I was gonna be as cranky and combative as I was yesterday... forever!

That's not saying that I'm not always cranky and combative, but yesterday was UBER DAY.

It's a good thing I slept too... Today is our interview day at ACA and we are a little nervous.

I don't usually get nervous, but when one person holds your childs high school career in her hands, it's a little nerve wrecking for me.

I have been telling Will to practice his "smile, just for the sake of smiling" smile.

He is 14 now and has taken brooding in public to a new art form.

At home... he is a silly, loud, jumping up and down, freakazoid, and out in the world, he becomes this other person.

Maybe it's not brooding, maybe he is just trying to act grown up in public... but I like the weirdo I see at home... well, maybe not in public.. maybe it's a good thing he is doing what he is doing. Hee hee!

See his smile up there??? That's how he is at home! He's not moody... I guess I should just say...

I LOVE YA JUST THE WAY YOU ARE WILL!

******************

Tomorrow William and Bill are taking a 3 day field trip on a ship, around Catalina.

Yes, I will be writing them letters to help them not be home sick.

Bill will be getting letters about all the changes I'll be making in his absence. Changing locks, packing his bags, Moving in all my girlfriends and turning our house into a sorority house.

NO! Wait! He might enjoy that! Scratch that!

Will's school rented 3 big vans and Bill is going to drive one of them. So nice!

They are going to be dragging nets and studying all the stuff they drag up... Sounds like good, messy fun.

Then it's the long weekend... for Bill and the Boys anyway... all the days melt into another when you are a stay at home mom.

Some would say the EVERYDAYS A HOLIDAY in my situation... I say... try a day in my shoes.

I do so love my life though.

So maybe it is.

***************

Okay, I have to get off this thing and go chase some money.

Have a great day!

Ciao

The new bed...

YAWN!

I didn't get to sleep at all last night...

Isn't that the beginning of a 50's song?

Well it rings true for me this morning. It is 7:15 a.m. and I still haven't slept.

Bill got the new bed up, and I guess I'm just not used to it.

Bill, of course, slept like the living dead... Me? Not so much.

I don't think I know what my sleep comfort is. We have our own separate controls to help us with firmness and softness, and I just couldn't get it right apparently.

I slept less last night than I do in my motorhome, and THAT bed in the motorhome is THE most uncomfortable bed on the planet.

Oy vay! My eyelids feel like they have anvils on them!

I am going to have to try and sleep today.

I hate sleeping during the day.

Pay no attention to me... These are the rantings of a tired, cranky woman...

More later, If I'm awake.

Ciao... Yawn...

Weekend catchup

Well, that Carnival I did on Friday Night was a bust... but not totally, I called a friend that lived in Norco that I haven't seen in a while, and she came for a visit. It was great seeing her again.

She has 4 of the most beautiful children on the planet.

They are all in commercials and are just delightful to be around, and they are all under 7 yrs old.

*********

William took his test yesterday. Now all we have to do is do our interview and hopefully we'll be in! I've never had this much trouble getting someone to take our money before!

Sheesh!

*********

Bill is building our platform for our new bed today.

He is at Lowes buying the materials now.

I've decided to re use our old bed out in our Gazebo. I am going to make it a little sleep retreat in the backyard. I am going to buy some really great fabric to cover it with, and add some elements to the gazebo that will make it feel like an actual room, like a side table, flameless candles. With the Firepit right in front of it, it will be so cool. The boys are always begging us to let them sleep outside, and now they can, since the entire gazebo is already encased in mosquito netting and has a solid top.

********

I'm off to do laundry now.

What fun!

Don't you wish you had my life?

I know... I know...

All glitz and glamour among underwear and socks.

Off I go...

Ciao

Friday Night Frenzy!

Well, my new bed got here on Tuesday...

I know!!! So much for 15 days!

Not that I am complaining... but I haven't even gotten the new carpet in yet!

Oh! I've decided on carpet tiles!

They are FABULOUS... I have them in my office and they are incredible. Very versatile.

I can mix and match, turn them different ways, and if one gets dirty or tears, I just pull it up and replace it with a new one!

They come in peel n stick, or you can glue them down. My only dilemma is which kind and color. So I am shopping online for what I want.

I thought it would be a good alternative to carpet, since I am not as big a fan of carpet as I am of tile. It's really low pile, still absorbs sound, but isn't as cumbersome and full on carpet, and is better for allergies.

We were going to just go and buy a new box spring for the new bed, but Bill decided to build one custom, and I love, love, love his idea. It's going to look beautiful when it gets done.

Oh! I am sooo glad I married a man that can do everything himself... just like my Papa.

******************

William tests for his new High School tomorrow. (biting nails now)

Alex is running for student council for next year...

and gay marriage is passed in California...

hmmmm

Quite a week, wouldn't you say?

*******************

It's only the 16th and it has been quite a month already. May is always a bit like Christmas in our house, with all the birthdays and mini holidays.

*****************

Yesterday, my Mama came by so I could shower her with all her gifts for her B-day and Mama's Day, and she asked me if I wanted to help her cater a wedding

ON MY BIRTHDAY.

HMMMM Sounds fishy.

But a good kind of fishy.

If she is planning something, I like to make her squirm.

If she's not... Heck no! I won't cater a party for someone else on my 4oth!

HA!

******************

I'm gonna go get ready for my Carnival I am doing in Corona tonight. I am going to be setting up my Pampered Chef table while my kids run around like the wild banshees they are.

Have a great Friday Night!

Ciao

Thursday Thoughts

Ellen Degeneres:

You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the heck she is.

****************

Benjamin Franklin~

You may delay, but time will not.

**************

David Viscott~

You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.

**************

Eleanor Roosevelt~

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

**************

George Bernard Shaw~

You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"

**************

Ralph Marston~

Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.

***************

George S. Patton ~

You're never beaten until you admit it.

**************

Lee Iacocca ~

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it.

AMERICAN IDOL

GO DAVID COOK!

GO DAVID COOK!

GO DAVID COOK!

To my Cuz Frank in Toronto!

I have fabulous family in Toronto Canada area.

I know for a fact that my awesome cousin Frank is reading my blog, and I am sooo touched and thrilled that he browses to this blog every once in a while! It is so important to keep in touch with family from afar...

I do, however, have a message for good ole Frank...

E mail me!

I need the rest of the families e mail addresses!

I left you my email address in your facebook account! Or go to my profile and click on email!

Sheesh!

What's a cuz gotta do to get her far away cuz's to do something... post his name on a blog or something?

Dude!!! You're killin' me!

I LOVE SEEING YOUR IP ADDRESS ON MY STAT COUNTER!!! BUT I NEED MORE!!!

Kiss your wife and your Mama and especially Lorenzo for me!

and EMAIL ME FOR GOD'S SAKE!

Love ya... mean it!

Ciao

Catch up!

My computer is back!!! yahhhhooooo!

This thing has taken a quite a licken, and it keeps on tickin!

I am still going to buy a new one soon, but not so urgently now. I can take my time and peruse the merchandise now.

**********************************

OH! I BOUGHT A NEW BED! It arrives in 2 weeks! We got one of those temperpedic ones... but get this!!! It ALSO has the adjustable air chamber thingamabobber too! Way Cool! After 15 years, we were due for major luxury.

Bill is going to build a platform for it and then all I need is new carpet or maybe some tile in my bedroom. SSShhh, he doesn't know that part yet. I might just call Empire Today and surprise him with my "get it done" prowess!

**********************************

We had a baseball game tonight, we lost. My Father in Law came down to watch the game, and took the men out for pizza for Will's birthday.

I love it when he visits. He always makes me feel like a million bucks. He says the nicest, most well thought out things. My favorite thing he says is... "Saundra, I couldn't have asked for a better Mama for my grandsons, in the whole wide world, you're the best, they are so blessed to have you as their Mama." It could be a total crock, but I LOVE IT!

Boy it's nice to be back on my own computer. I hope it lasts. I'm not looking forward to plunking down major cash for something that takes up less than 2 feet of space... unless it is jewelry, of course. ;)

*********************************

Oh! Something else!!! I had Bill cut a couple inches of hair from my length!

WHY...OH... WHY.... don't I EVER remember that curly hair BOUNCES BACK after being wet?

WWHHHHYYYYY!

It totally was NOT his fault... I just said...

"Yeah, honey, 2-3 inches is fine... it's still long..."

OY VAY!!

I put that stupid blow dryer to my hair and watched it creep up... up...up on my shoulder.

My Mama is gonna laugh her butt off when she finds out.

She says I am too old to have long hair,

and I should go with a much shorter style now that I am almost 40.

Just for that... I will be the longest haired Nana you will ever see one of these days. ooohhhh, Maybe I'll even put some hot pink streaks in it!

I'll be a punk rock granny!

Nah! Too much work to keep up. I'll just wrap my super long grandma hair into two cinnamon buns of either side of my head and call myself Grandma Leia.

Yeah... That'll show my Mama.

Weekend Happenings

Yesterday was Williams 14th Birthday... and he had to work.

That kid. Instead of taking the day off, like so many college graduates do on their first jobs ever, my son wanted to umpire... on his birthday.

It was okay with us.

It gave us a chance to blow up tons of balloons and fill his bedroom with them and paint a big Birthday sign and staple it to the front of the house.

While he was at work, I called up a local building supply house and had 2 yards of beach sand delivered so we could fill in our beach area out back. It was looking a little bare, and we could see the black plastic underlay we placed down years ago, and so it was time to replenish the beach.

It looks so nice again!

Now when we have little kids come and play in our sand, they will be able to dig up lots of seashells and sand dollars.

Next on the agenda is resurfacing and retiling the pool.

It is 25 years old and it is due.

I just have to pick out the tile.

It is supposed to be a two week turnaround.

We'll see.

Nothing is ever what it is supposed to be.

Today is Mothers Day, and it was a quiet one. I really wanted to spend it with my Mama, but she decided to drive take a drive and just "be". 

 BUT! Her Birthday is Wed., (yes, May is a very busy month around here) and I have all her goodies I bought for her over the months just itching to be given to her.

Bill took his Mama out to breakfast today.

I got a text message from a PC friend of mine and she asked me what I was doing today.

I texted her back... "Laundry". She said 'LOL",

and I just laughed because it was exactly what I did.

Laundry, and cook dinner, OH and rearrange a drawer in the kitchen.

It's tough around here on Mom Day and my B day.

Last night we went to the movies to see Ironman and Drillbit Taylor. Double feature, drive in.

Ironman was awesome. Drillbit... not so much. Looking forward to Ironman II.

We had dinner at home... William got to pick ANYTHING he wanted and he chose BBQ NY strip, mashed potatoes, Green beans with lemon and slivered almonds, and salad, so that's what he got. Then we had cake that my Mama dropped off earlier in the day, at the drive in. Yum.

So that, my dears, is what the haps are this weekend.

I am going to shop for a new computer, and get my old laptop fixed and it will be the kids computer. My broken on is 3 years old, and I deserve a new one.

I can't decide if I want a Dell or another HP, or if I just want to have one built for me.

I'll let ya know. For now, I am on Bill's still.

I'll post again later... I have to get it all in before Bill goes back to work tomorrow and takes this thing with him.

Wishing you a lovely rest of the Mother's Day!

Ciao...

Mama

Friday Frenzy!

Well, I don't have my computer back, but I did have a wonderful day today.

This morning, the third grade, (johnny's) had a wonderful Mother's Day Breakfast in the classroom. It was sooo adorable!

Each of our kids wrote a little speech about his/her Mommie, and read it aloud in front of the class. Then each child served their Mommie breakfast and doted on her hand and foot. We were then presented with gifts and hugs and kisses.

SOOOOOO ADORABLE!!! Johnny treated me like an absolute QUEEN! He would caress my hair, hold my hand, refill my juice, point out how he used purple and green, my two favorite colors, to decorate my fabric placement he made just for me. I mean... it was just too much for words. If I had my computer I would show the pictures I took, but alas, it isn't fixed yet.

Before the breakfast extravaganza, I took Williamto spend the day at ACA and shadow a student through 4 classes. It was an awesome opportunity for him to see his new school and he is really excited. He won an ACA spirit sweatshirt for answering a question correctly, perfect for Bill to wear to William's football games next year! He knows about 20 students at ACA already, so the transition should be easy. WE just have to make sure to get the school paid on time.. hee hee.

Afterward, I went shopping for my Mom's Mother's day and Birthday gifts. I was VERY good and only purchased for HER!!! Not for me, like I used to do.

Tomorrow is Williams Birthday... 14!!! I had an interview question and answer all done in my computer... but, well, you know.

Maybe I'll re ask and post tomorrow.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day, if I don't get to post before then!

Ciao Mama Bella!

Tutti Fortuna!

I'll be back!

I'm on Bill's computer now... I miss you!!

I am writing the old fashioned way right now... with a pen and paper. Kinda cathartic.

My hand gets numb.

I think I'll re post some old stuff until my computer gets back... or I buy a new one... NONONNONOOOOOOOO!

Email me some topics to write about! or post a comment on some topics!

Talk and write soon!!

Ciao!

My computers overheating!

My computer is acting up again. It took two hours for my mail to come up this morning.

I am going to try and get it fixed again.

Go on back and read my really early stuff in like Jan and Feb, and I will post from Bill's computer when I can!

I hate this!!! I wanna write!!!

Friends Vs. Italian Friends

FRIENDS VS. ITALIAN FRIENDS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FRIENDS: Never ask for food

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Are the reason you have no food.

***

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mama and Papa.

***

FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Would be sitting next to you saying, Dang...we messed up...but that was fun!"

***

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.

***

FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.

***

FRIENDS: know a few things about you.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

***

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds butt that left you.

***

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home!"

***

FRIENDS: Are for a while.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Are for life. ***

FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say,

"Hey, you better drink the rest of that, you know we don't waste!!"

***

FRIENDS: Will talk smack to the person who talks smack about you.

ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will knock them the heck out!!

Wordless Wednesday X

2004! Look how young they are!!! William's only 10 here!

My FAVORITE picture EVER, of William.

Our one eyed dog Jack, gets his weekly bath.

Johnny wants a mustache just like Daddy!

Yes, it's that same plastic worm again! I'm so proud!

Bill and his sweet niece Jennifer.

Pizzelles for Mothers Day Luncheon.

Whoever wants to make some, come over Thursday night with 6 eggs and 1 cup of sugar!

My Bill's 44th Bday Interview

I interviewed my hubby for his Birthday the other day. Just for kicks, I am posting it. I'm going to have my blog printed and bound eventually, so this will be great to read in the years to come. Enjoy… How old are you today?

44 Do you feel old?

NO

What do you do for a living?

Foreman for Mesa Energy Systems What is one favorite childhood memory?

Working with my Dad on weekends. Any regrets?

No Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Retired, making a great pension,

doing a business I have always wanted to do. Favorite color?

Blue Favorite food?

Pizza Favorite Dessert?

Anything Chocolate Are you about where you thought you would be in life?

No, I thought I would own a lot more real estate. I will though. Name something you wish you could do more of.

Make more money in less time,water skiing, boating at the river, shooting. Dream car

Shelby Mustang GT Favorite Vacation you have taken, of all time?

Italy Future vacation spot

boating all over the country

w/ boys, skiing on the river, in the summer.

Do you love your wife?

Of course I do, she is the most spectacular living human being I have ever met. She completes me, always has, always will, I want to shower her with diamonds and place her on the pedestal she deserves. I have never met any like her, and I will love her all the days of my life and death. She is a great wife, mother and friend. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Okay, Okay, that last bit wasn't him at all. I confess. I wrote it... but good one... no?

Well, That's all for now. He is such a great man. I just thought I would let you get to know him a little better.

I LOVE YOU BILL! ALWAYS HAVE... ALWAYS WILL.

I have never met anyone like you.

S

Rebuttal to a snob in Riverside

I rarely spend time reading strangers blogs, but sometimes, late at night, when I have a bought of insomnia, I’ll type in a keyword here and there and read something that catches my eye. The other night, I came across a blog from a woman in Riverside. She is a transplant from Orange County, no wait… her “Beloved OC”. Now… I am all for loving where one comes from, whether it be back east, down South, or from abroad. This lady was really forlorn for her beloved OC. She claimed to be a Christian, claimed to be a wonderful person. As I was reading her bio, I began to grow increasingly offended. With just a few keystrokes, she was able to put down living in Riverside, “a place she never would have believed she would ever live” as a place chock full of Pick ups, toy haulers, tats, Stater Bros, Meth labs, Farmer Boys, Bakers, and neighbors who tether their horses to their front yards. Is she kidding? My husband has been working in OC for 23 years, and while we both agree is it nice, it is really no different from where I live, or the rest of Southern California. This person is under the illusion that the borders of Orange County, CA do not contain people that own toy haulers, have tattoos, drive pick up trucks, patronize Stater Bros or Bakers burgers, or ride horses. Really? So NO ONE IN THE OC MAKES DRUGS? Is she kidding? The only difference between the OC meth labs and the IE meth labs, is the IE ones GOT CAUGHT! (which, when you think about, is better, and probably means we have LESS meth labs than the OC, because according to this lady, OC has NOTHING REMOTELY WRONG WITH IT!)

Oh! and I have another question… When did it become a BAD thing to be able to afford extra curricular vehicles (toy haulers) to have fun on weekends? She is typical of a lot of people that live within the confines of anywhere EXCEPT the 909 area code, and immediately look down their noses at “all us hillbillies” out here in no mans land, also known as the Inland Empire. Would she be that surprised to learn that people actually CHOSE to live here, not only because circumstances deemed it so? Allow me to shed some light on what the 909 has to offer. Where I live, near Riverside, is centrally located to absolutely everything cool about So Cal. 40 min to Disneyland, an hour to LA, 30 minutes to Palm Springs, 3 hours from Vegas, 45 min to OC beaches, 20-40 minutes to mountain resorts depending on the resort.

In the IE, you get be a city dweller or an urban dweller,

and have the best of both worlds if you so choose.

We have lOTS of different playgrounds to play in… mountain, desert, and suburban. We have great colleges, mansions, hospitals, hotels,neighborhoods and opportunities in the IE. We have great malls, outlet centers, school districts, private schools and colleges, stadiums, concert venues, casinos, and one of the most spectacular winter views of snow capped mountains anywhere. The weather here is only smoggy because it comes from the west… OC and LA. We can see the brown slug wafting here on a clear day. Thank God for our windy days, it makes it so clear you can see forever sometimes. We vacation about 6 times a year at the beaches in OC and I have noticed plenty of native “tats, toy haulers, and toothless wonders”, living in the beloved OC of this “Christian” woman. OC isn’t all Coto De Casa. There are plenty of cities in the OC I would never let my kids walk around in at night, not even before 7 p.m. Although my husband and I, as well as MANY people I know, can afford to buy a house almost anywhere in the OC, why would we? Bill’s and my parents are all still alive and well, and live here. My Mom and Dad are immigrants from Italy, a really cool place that has coolness and beauty and forward thinking in SPADES OVER THE OC, and they CHOSE the IE to make their home. They saw the potential in it. My Dad lived in San Pedro, Maywood, Irvine, San Clemente and Yorba Linda when he first came to this country, and wanted no part of any of it. He wanted an area where he could start fresh and make it what he wanted it to be. I’ll get off my soap box now. I just get so mad when people, who live in the same state as me, put down other people because of an area code or zip code. The truth is, there is good and bad in EVERY CITY IN AMERICA, and it is what you make of it. If she is so upset that she HAS to live in Riverside because she couldn’t afford a house in the OC, maybe she should have made better choices for herself as far as marriage, career choices or otherwise. If it is so hard to buy a home in the OC, why are there so many people buying homes there, every year? hmmmmm. My guess is that she can’t cut it, and has to put other people down to elevate her own social status in her own mind. So sad… We here in the Inland Empire have to put up with a lot of backlash and name calling from surrounding areas. All I can say is… my area code was 714 for the first 15 years of my life, here in the IE, and my area code and where I lived didn’t define my quality of life. My home is where my family is, whether it be in a cardboard box, or a mansion in the hills, or my little 1500 sq ft. piece of heaven right here. As long as I have my hubby and kids and parents here… I’m good. Real good. Ciao!

Money,Money Monday!

I have become obsessed with saving money.

Why?

Not because the media says we are in a recession. Those are just scare tactics. When the current regime wants to send a Bill through to the House and Senate for 70Billion for war for the 2009 fiscal year, I have a really hard time swallowing that we are hard up for money in this country. But I digress...

No, I want to save money because there are things we need that just can't wait any longer, and I spend the money I make from my PC earnings like I am a Rockefeller.

I'm. not. going. to. do. it. any. more.

SO!!! To keep myself accountable... I am stating it here, on the blog, so you can all help me.

If you see me blog about something I bought recently, I rarely do, but just in case, REMIND ME THAT I AM TRYING TO SAVE MOOLA!

I am going to keep track of all the things I was going to buy, calculate what I would have spent on it/them and PUT AWAY IN AN ACCOUNT what I saved by restraining myself.

I already do it with eating out and have been for years.

We used to eat out at restaurants all the time when the kids were smaller.

One month, I happened to see the debit card statement looked a little bigger than usual, and I pondered it for a while. I WAS SHOCKED to see how much money was THROWN AWAY in one month.

Let's do the math... shall we?

I'll even be conservative in my calculations.

Let's say we ate out twice a week at $5o per time... that's $400 a month!!!

You know a family of 5 can't go out for dinner and eat for under $50 bucks, unless it's fast food, and even that is expensive!

UNBELIEVABLE!

Do you know what I could have done with all that money? That's $4800 a year!!! And it was actually more than that, because dinner was actually about $80!

ON DINNER!!! Don't get me started on lunch out or fast food trips! yikes! I was shocked and downright mad... at myself. So, when I felt like being lazy and not wanting to cook that night, I would decide where we would have eaten dinner, how much it would have cost us, and pull that money right out of my account, and put it aside.

If I was okay with spending it on dinner, I would be ecstatic about what it could buy me later on.

We haven't touched our credit cards in almost 7 years. Except for our house and car, we owe NO ONE, ANYTHING! If I can't buy it cash, I don't need it. We buy nothing on "time".

I was mad at saying things like "I can't afford" something when I was "affording" giving a restaurant upwards of $100 for dinner,when that same $100 bucks would have bought 4 dinners at home, or new sheets, or blinds for a window, or new towels or

ANYTHING WITH LASTING VALUE!

Now don't get all mad and comment about how you eat out all the time, and it's okay, and you resent me for saying all this.

WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY IS YOUR BUSINESS!

What I am trying to help all of us see is that if we spent our money DIFFERENTLY we CAN afford some things we didn't think we could, that last an awful lot longer than one night out to dinner.

Let's get away from the eating out talk... how about buying things just because they are ON SALE!

(sirens, bells and whistles sounding here)

ME!! I'M GUILTY!

My closets are FULL of junk I have purchased because it was at the stupid Dollar store, or on sale and I MIGHT use it one day, so hey, LET'S GET FIVE! All those dollars add up.

For me, that store should be called the $50 Tree.

Well... no more.

No more Tuesday Morning runs, No more Ross, Big Lots, The Alley, Marshalls, or TJMaxx

unless it is my birthday and I have cash to burn.

Here is what I am going to be spending my hard earned PC Money on.

1. New sand for our beach out back.

2. New Furniture for the patio, cushioned chairs and a tile table and kitchen cabinets and a sink for the backyard kitchen.

3. New bed for Bill and I. Ours is 15 years old. Gross.

4. New roof that actually matches our new stucco job.

And that's just the beginning.

I won't let the media or our government scare me into thinking I don't have enough money to do the things I want because gas prices are soaring or groceries are expensive.

It is what it is.

Bottled water is still 10 times more expensive than gas, and I have been a tap water girl my whole life. I drive a big, gas guzzling car because I have three growing boys that play 3 sports at a time, and every day, they need more leg room, they grow so darn fast. BUT! I am much more judicial about how I drive, and if I can, I do the school and shopping in one trip, rather than multiple trips.

I purchases more vegetable plants this year, and 5 new herbs, to ease the grocery bill.

I've gotta do something! When I think of the money I made last year and what I have to show for it, it makes me want to cry!

I'M GOING TO SAVE MORE MONEY AND SPEND IT MORE WISELY.

Hello, My name is Saundra, and I am a spendaholic.

I have been sober for 39 days.

Have a great inexpensive day, loved ones!

Ciao!

Mountain Lakes

No, it is NOT a real worm... yes, I took the picture. Gross but oh so useful in the future... no?

I love the way the trees made the pictures look like Monet's "Waterlilies" painting.

Alex caught the only fish of the 4 men. Dude!!! It died shortly after being caught. I think Alex scared it to death.

My view when I woke up this morning. They were up at stupid o'clock to fish.

I know I know... I have it all! My four boys. Look how white Bill's goatee is!!! hee hee!

This look says... "Mom... Not more pictures!!! I'm tryin to fish!"

Finally, someone without a camera to help me!

That's what happiness looks like.

Went to Mountain Lakes for an impromptu overnight stay for Bill's Birthday.

My Mom in Law bought us the timeshare there years ago, and this was my first time there.

It was really, really nice. I did absolutely nothing but crochet and watch my kids have fun fishing.

It was great. I love that it is so close to home. It felt like we were there for days!

My Mom in law, sis in law, 2 nieces, and Mom in Laws hubby Hank were all there.

My kids didn't know they liked fishing until this weekend. Hank was gracious to give the boys all his fishing poles since they enjoyed it so much, and Max, MIL, bought us awesome walkie talkies. It was like it was all our birthdays!

We'll be going a lot more this summer.

Have a great night!

Ciao!

Weekend inspiration

Pearl S. Buck

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.

William DeMille

I have always admired the ability to bite off more than one can chew and then chew it.

Michael Jordan

I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed.

Rudyard Kipling

I kept six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew. Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.

Henry Ward Beecher

I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.

Robert Schuller

I will! I am! I can! I will actualize my dream.

He's coming home!!!

He's coming home tonight!!! He's coming home tonight!!!

I know he's not excited... But I sure am!!!

He told me yesterday that he repelled, (rapelled?) off the side of a mountain, learned about all kinds of trees and animals, did some archery, you know... all those things I would be a

BASKET CASE watching him do!

He's coming home!!!! I'll be able to feel whole again!!!

I. AM. IN. SO. MUCH. TROUBLE. WHEN. THEY. MOVE. OUT!!!

Who knows... maybe by then, I'll be ready... I doubt it.

******************************

TODAY IS BILL'S 44TH BIRTHDAY!!!

I bought him 10 laps, driving a Nascar racecar around California Speedway on June 1. I bought my Father in law, John, a ride along with a Nascar driver for Father's day, and they are going to do them together. Sound like fun? Well, I WILL NOT be watching. I can't do it. Too nerve wrecking. Bill has been wanting that for a long time, and I had to combine Christmas and his birthday gift.

So he is pretty excited. He is so hard to buy for, and I refuse to buy him something with money from his account, so I have to save up a little from my account. I forget not to shop at will when I get paid, so it takes me a while to get into save mode.

Tonight we go out for Pizza before we pick Alex up from school, he gets in at 10 p.m., otherwise we would wait for him and eat with him.

I am going to have the boys shop for Pop today, and present their gifts at the restaurant.

I love how Bill gets all teary eyed when the boys do ANYTHING remotely like that.

I'm cruel... I know... you just now figured it out?

So, I am off to do a huge shop for baseball.

Have a wonderful day!

If you see Bill today... tell him how old he looks!!! HAHAHAHAHA!

Just kidding! Gosh!

Ciao!

Tomorrows Letter to Alex

Hi Baby! May 2, 2008 We miss you!!! We love you!!! We get to see you tonight! I made sure your brother didn’t do any chores at all this week, so you wouldn’t feel left out!!! We’ve got dishes, vacuuming, mopping, laundry, dog washing (they are back, the play ran it course, and they didn’t have any more work for Ratdogs.) The guys million dollar check bounced, the corvettes were Hot Wheels, and Daddy forgot to mention the new place he wanted to move was Hawaiian Gardens, CA!!!

Yeah! I know!!! and when he said he wanted to go on a ship, he meant he wanted to ship everything FedEx to the new house! Whatever!!! I’m staying here, so I can see my adorable, sweet, wonderful son Alex. Today is Dad’s birthday, and went to Shakeys for lunch. I hope you aren’t hungry. There aren’t any leftovers. All your cousins came… and all the kids got $100 bills for Dad’s birthday.

All the grandparents didn’t want to be outdone, they also gave everyone money… lots and lots of money. Sorry you missed it. We’ll see you when you arrive. LOVE YOU DUDE!!! Mama, Dad. Will, and Johnny.