Fall Is Finally Here!

I've been waiting a long time for fall.  It's my favorite time of year.  This year, however, I had to wait a lot longer than most years.  Summer started out mild but hit us hard early August, and never really went away!  August, September and October were extremely hot months with temperatures hitting in the upper 90's and then at times climbing to triple digits.

A couple weeks ago, after being asked repeatedly by the kids, we finally decorated for Halloween amidst 90 degree weather.  It just didn't seem right.  We then took down the Halloween decorations and put out the fall decor, again with temp's in the upper 80's to low 90's.  Then all of a sudden the clouds, rain and then cold, crisp weather came.  So far it's still here and I cross my fingers that the heat is gone for a long, long time.

The trees are starting to turn color and it's starting to feel like the holidays.  Today I noticed Christmas commercials and although, I think it's rather early for that, it's a welcoming sight and feeling.  Now, I think I'll start turning on that oven and start baking yummy treats!

HAPPY FALL!

A Little Organization Please!

From This

To This

Today I went grocery shopping and went to put away my groceries but froze when I opened the pantry cabinet.  How can I put new fresh items in such a cluttered mess.  I can't make heads or tails what's in there.  I decided to clean them out and my 11 year old son eagerly volunteered to help.  (He's such a big helper!)

We went shelf by shelf, and pulled everything out.  We started at the top, in the snack cabinet.  Opened bags of chips and cookies.  Ugh!  It goes stale and then nobody wants to eat it.  I don't blame them.  I used my handy dandy Food Saver www.foodsaver.com.  It is so great for sealing anything and keeping food fresh!  Anything that was opened went into a bag and got sealed.  There were movie size boxes of candy that I placed into small single serve bags and sealed.  These are great when we are heading out the door to a game or for school lunches.

Next the baking shelf.  Oh so much stuff but who knows what's lurking in the back of those shelves.  Out with the boxes and packages and in with the Tupperware containers www.tupperware.com.   These are especially great for keeping little bugs out of the flour and pancake mixes.

We finished the cabinet and tossed lots of unneeded boxes and bags.  Now there is room to see and get to the things I have on hand.  The only thing left is to start the oven and get to baking!!

Neecy's Blanket

I love to do crafts.....lots of different crafts.  So far, I've done cardmaking, scrapbooking, altered paint cans, brick painting as well as other various crafts.  I love them all and I love learning new things.

About 30 years ago, I dabbled in crocheting and made a blanket with a zig zag design for my ex-mother-in-law.  I had seen my mom make a beautiful blue one and loved how it turned out.  Not having my mom around anymore, I asked Lou to show me how to make that same design and the blanket turned out very nice.  I think that was the last thing I made....until now.

I think it's always good to keep those wheels turning and learn new things so I decided to start crocheting again.  One more thing to add to my list of know-how's.  I sought out the help of tia Chabela, who at 89 still does various crafts.  She is one of the most crafty people I know and remember the many things she has created over the years.  I also bought an instruction booklet (I hate reading instructions).  Tia insisted I learn the different crochet terms and abbreviations. 

I made a baby blanket for my niece that came out nice but I wanted to to something even more challenging so I decided to tackle the zig zag design again.  Neecy asked me if I would make one for her when I was done with the baby blanket.  She said she wanted pink, white and grey.  I didn't think the colors she wanted sounded very complimentary but Neecy being the DIVA she is, know what she wants!

I went shopping for the yarn and found the colors then decided how I wanted to organize them into the blanket.  As I started to crochet the blanket, I realized the colors were actually really beautiful together.  I would take my project to softball games and waiting rooms to pass the time and would get many compliments on the color combination.  I guess Neecy knows more than I thought about color coordination! 

After months of working on it and putting it aside for a break, then picking it back up again, I finally finished it last night.  I was determined to finish and move on. 

I took it to my aunts house today so she could "grade" me on it.  After teasing my a little bit, she looked at me and said "This is absolutely beautiful mija!"  I felt so good that she was pleased with my work.  She gave me an A. lol!

What brought me even more joy was when I got home and presented the blanket to Neecy.  She was so excited to have it and happily agreed to pose for a picture with it.  I am so happy I finished it and now can't wait to start on my next one.  I'm getting ready to go get the yarn for that one soon.  It's for Patrick and I can't wait to see how that one turns out.  I'll keep you all posted!

Southern California Heat Wave!!!

Summer is finally here!  This last week has been one of the hottest on record.  We had a pretty mild start to our summer and I was proud of the fact that we hadn't turned on our air conditioner.  My goal was to go all summer without it to avoid a high bill.  Keeping the doors and windows closed during the day, our house stayed really cool and then in the evenings, we opened all the windows to let the cool air in. 

We used fans in the house when it was too warm but last week, I finally broke down and turned on the air.  It has just been so hot and humid.  The temperature has reached 100º.  That's just too hot for fans. 

In the evenings, there is no breeze and the heat is uncomfortable.  I really hope that this heat goes away soon.  I don't do well in the heat.  I feel tired, grumpy and lazy.  Looking forward to the fall when the weather is cool and I can start to bundle up and light a fire.

No Pink Slime Here!

As a seller on EBAY, I come across many things that I wouldn't normally know about or use.  One thing in particular that is hard to find but brings in great money is a Kitchen Aid Food Grinder attachment for the stand mixer.  When I do find one, (which is usually few and far between) I'm usually really excited because I know I will get 4-5 times the money I paid for it. 

A few months ago, while out at an estate sale, I came across one that looked pretty new in the box and immediatley thought of the money I'd make on it.  At the same time, there was lots of talk on the news about all the fast food restaurants burgers containing pink slime.  After seeing pictures of the disgusting looking stuff, I decided I might forfeit the money and keep this little gem to try it out.  I've had my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for about 10 years now and have never used any of the attachments that are available for it.

Today, I decided to try it out to see how it works.  Oh how fun!  I bought a piece of beef and cut it into chunks small enough to fit through the mill.  I can't believe how fast and easy it was.  I'm gonna make burgers tonight.  It sure feels good to know that what I'm putting on the table is pure and not processed with who knows what kind of junk. 

The possiblities are endless with this little gadget.  I'm looking forward to trying chorizo, which is actually pretty easy, or so I've heard!

Homeschool thoughts!

As many of you know, I home school my son who will be starting 6th grade next month.  I can't believe that 6 years have gone by since that dreaded "first day of school" experience.  We were all so excited (well, I was sort of excited) about our son starting kindergarten.  After all, his dad was a teacher there, his sister was a 7th grader there and I had spent almost every day at the school since he was born, either working in the classroom, helping with lunch duty or just attending school events.  He knew all the teachers, and most of the students and a lot of the parents.

He woke up his first day of school and got dressed in his cute little uniform and off to school we went.  I tried really hard to hold in my tears and emotions and pretend to be excited for him.  He was quiet and somber and looked so sad as he stayed in the classroom watching me and his grama walk away.  When I picked him up at noon the first day, he didn't say a word.  I took him to Jack in the Box and anxiously asked him about his day but he just sat there shrugging his shoulders.  The next day was no better.  He didn't want to eat, didn't want to talk and when it was time to go to the classroom, he cried.  The teacher tried to pull him in and I was telling her to wait so I could calm him down.  I didn't want to leave him crying.  She pulled him one way and I pulled him another.  Eventually, he came home with me.  The third day, after 2 days of not eating and not talking, we never even made it out of the car.  As we pulled into the school parking lot, he cried and said he wanted to go home.  I tried to tell him how exciting school was going to be but all I could see was his sad face and those big crocodile tears.  I called my husband on the phone and he walked out to the car, tried to talk to my son and finally said, "Take him home." 

That afternoon, when my husband came home, he announced to me that I would be homeschooling our son.  What!!!  I wasn't a teacher.  I didn't know the first thing about teaching.  He found a school online and signed us up.  A week later, UPS dropped off 4 boxes of materials.  My son was so excited to see all his new school stuff.  He didn't care how much work he had to do, he was just excited to get started!  That was 6 years ago and now, he is just as excited about his UPS deliveries as he was then.

He can't wait to open those boxes and see what the year has in store for him.  I must say that I was very reluctant about homeschooling and although, it's no piece of cake, I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 6 years.  People ask me every year when I'm going to stop and send him to school and every year, I say when he decides.  He is an excellent student and has scored extremely high in his STAR testing every year.  He does fine socially and has no problem joining in groups with other children.

Homeschooling for us has given us the freedom to spend more time together, work longer on subjects that he struggles with and really take the time to teach in a way that he understands.  We research things he has questions about, and we can find ways in everyday life to incorporate what we've learned.  I hope that these school days will become fond memories for my son.  I think the hardest part is following my heart and to stop listening to outside influences who mean well but think they have all the answers about what's right and what's wrong.

For now, we'll enjoy what 6th grade brings and revisit the issue in the spring!

Where's the Summer Fun!

It's the middle of summer and somehow it's not quite as fun as I remember it being as a child.  When I was little, I remember there being a certain feeling that started in May.  The weather was changing, the days were longer and the anticipation of the end of school meant only one thing....SUMMER vacation!

The last day of school was so exciting and it seemed like an eternity before it started again.  Summer meant sleeping in and staying up later.  I got to play outside till well past dark and I remember the sound of the crickets at night.  Grama's kitchen was always stocked with fresh fruit - oranges, peaches, plums, watermelon and those oh so delicious strawberries!

I remember one big vacation was planned (either camping or Mexico) for 2-3 weeks.  There were beach visits on more than one occasion with my aunt and running around barefoot was the norm!

Now, however, summer is just another season.  There's no vacation for me, no sleeping in or staying up late.  The thought of running around barefoot makes me cringe thinking of all that dirt on the bottom of my feet!  Summer to me means more bugs and I really hate bugs!  I never realized that someday, I would grow up and lose that excitement!

I wish I could be a kid again and just feel the freedom from responsibility for a few months.  There lies ahead another month of summer and I'm gonna do my best to try to relive those feelings and just let go of the worry and stress of life!  Wish me luck!!

Sunday Morning

Life has been so hectic lately.  Work, end of the year school wrap-up, graduation activities and summer anticipation have left me feeling depleted of energy. 
I decided to get up early today and slip out for my pedicure and manicure. It feels so good to just sick, relax and be able to clear my head of all the noise.
I am truly blessed to be able to have this time to re-energize. 

End-of-the-year-Jitters

Spring has come and is almost gone. I can almost smell the sweet smells of summer, with the fresh cut grass and the succulent fruit that goes with the season. It's that time of year again, when everyone is rushing around trying to finish up school activities and school work and the anticipation of summer vacation is upon us. Normally, I would be waiting for summer with bated breath but this year is different. This is Alyssa's last year in high school. Another graduation to plan. It's not like I haven't known all along that she would be graduating this year, but I guess I figured there would be more time. Now, I realize that along with planning a graduation party, I also have to fit running around for prom, finish up with Patrick's home school assignments, CIF games (yes, Troy made the CIF's again this year), do favors for the end-of-the-year sports banquet and everything else that goes in-between. I'm a little overwhelmed. It just seems like there is more than usual going on this year.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm a little more emotional about this graduation because I feel like the end of seeing my girls experience the high school "life". No more formal dances, sleepovers, sports and the usual activities that go with it. I know that Neecy will be starting high school but it will not be the same for her or us. There won't be formals and softball games and all the things we've come to know with Amber and Alyssa.

It'll be awhile before Patrick gets to high school (3 years) and then it'll be a whole new experience. No more mom and daughter shopping for dresses, hanging out with the "girls" and getting hair done etc. I am sad but excited that I still have my girls at home.....for now. Alyssa will be at the college and playing softball.

I need to just push through and get the ball rolling. There's food to order, decorations to buy, favors to make, shopping to do and invitations to make. I guess I better get to it....Graduation won't wait!

Out of Sync

I hate the feeling of being out of sync.  I left work Friday, looking forward to the week-end.  I came home and mentioned to my husband that I felt like something was biting me.  We have a cat so perhaps a flea.  I was going crazy scratching and finally my husband checked to see all the bites but there were none.

I was so uncomfortable that he gave me 2 benedryl.  I took them and was knocked out by 9:30pm.  I woke up yesterday (Saturday) at noon feeling achy and sleepy so I went back to bed.  I slept all day and nite.

It's now Sunday morning and I feel out of sorts.  I need to get moving but my body doesn't want to cooperate.  I haven't felt like this in such a long time.  I wish I could just learn to rest and not feel so guilty about doing nothing.

I guess I'll get ready and take the day one baby step at a time.

On the Job Again!

Well, after 11 years as a stay-at-home mom, I'm once again working.  I don't really know how I feel about this.  I spent many years working at an oil company, before I had my daughter, and really loved it but after my daughter was born, I realized I needed a more stable job.  My friend convinced me to apply at Fullerton College, for her previous position, because she was transferring to another department.  I gave her lots of excuses why I didn't want to, but in reality I was afraid to make a change.  I was comfortable where I was and really enjoyed the people I worked with.  A co-worker sat me down one day and set me straight about what I needed to do.  I remember he said that change was scary but if I ever wanted to move forward, I needed to take risks and feel that uncomfortable feeling that comes with the fear of the unknown.  I applied for the job and got it!

I worked as the secretary and really enjoyed my job and the people I worked with (well most of them anyway - lol!)  After a few years, my supervisor, who was the Administrative Secretary to the Dean of Student Support Services, decided to transfer to another department.   I loved our Dean and even though the position required a lot more responsibility and included duties that I was not knowledgeable in, I decided to apply for her position.  Thankfully, I got the position and learned a lot about the job, through the help of lots of great people around campus and the district. 

During all of this time, many things changed for me.  I got married, had 2 more children and was longing to be more involved in their school activities.  I hated the fact that when they were small, they were with a babysitter and I was missing out on many of their firsts.  As time went on, the stress of work mixed with family illnesses was really taking it's tole.  The last couple of  years I was working, I wasn't really enjoying it at all.  My body was there but my heart was at home.  I had always wanted to be a stay-at-home-mom.  I was pregnant with our 3rd child, working full-time, had just lost my grandmother the year before and now was taking care of my dad who had terminal cancer.  I was tired and worn out and developed Meningitis for the 2nd time in 3 years.  I was hospitalized and then put on bed rest for a month.  It was during this time that I sat in bed and hated the fact that I was going to have to go back to work.  I told my husband how I felt and even though I was bringing home really good money, we decided that after our son was born, I would quit. 

I did just that and for the last 11 years have been home.  I watched my son grow and we've shared many great times!  I was able to be the room mom for my daughter's classes and attend all their field trips!  I volunteered and was part of their elementary and Jr. High years.  I've home schooled my son for the last 6 years.   I have enjoyed every minute of my time at home.  Unfortunately, my husband has been out of work for a year now and even though I don't want to go back to work, I know that the need is there.

Once again, my friend, my angel, has provided me with the opportunity to return to the college.  It's only part-time and it's temporary which, for me, is a good thing because it gives me time to see if this is what I want to do.  My daughters are in college, graduating high school and going into high school and my son is older now too.  He can get his schoolwork done without me being there by his side.  I don't really know how I feel about working again.  There are still things I want to do but without the financial means, I can't do them.  I really like the freedom to come and go as I want, get things done at home and just be with my son.   I must admit that I know in my heart I was beginning to take staying home for granted so this might be just what I need to make me appreciate the gift all the more.  For now, I am grateful that I have a friend who loves me enough to share opportunities like this with me and for the feeling I get going to work at the college every day.  It's like going home to your family after a long time away.    

Wrong Car!

Today was a beautiful day after last nights rain.  So clear and slightly warm.  Robert took Patrick to my brother's church for an Easter egg hunt and I stayed behind so I could take Amber to work.  After dropping her off, I decided I wanted to do some cardmaking and make some cake pops so I stopped at JoAnn Fabric to pick up a few supplies.  I paid for my items and got back in the car, started it up and before taking off, decided to check my phone to see if there were any messages.  When I decided to leave, I noticed an older lady casually walking out of the store.  I put the car in reverse and started to back out and the lady was walking toward the front of my car.  As I backed out and started to put the car in drive, the lady was now at the passenger side of my car.  I wondered what she was doing so close when she reached for the locked door.  I looked at her and nodded to let her know it was the wrong car and she kept pulling on the handle.  Then she looked up at me with a look like why aren't you opening the door?  I nodded to her and was going to roll down the window when she suddenly realized I wasn't who she thought I was and apologized.  I couldn't help but giggle as I watched her walk to another car that was parked two cars away from where I was.  It was an SUV the same color as mine. 

SANTA'S HOUSE

This morning I got to see Santa's house and workshop!  Not in the North Pole but in my own little town of Fullerton, CA.  You see, today is Thursday and that means I was out shopping Estate Sales.  Today one of the sales happened to be at a home in Fullerton that was owned by Mr. Bob Von Fliss aka Santa Bob!

The house was full of treasures.  There were the usual kitchen items, books and crafts but there was also the bedroom full of his clothes and costumes.  His Santa suit, black boots with the white fur cuff on top, not to mention Mrs. Santa's outfit!  There was a room full of Christmas dolls and ornaments and miniatures for doll houses.  Even the carpet throughout the house was Santa red!  There were ornaments and garland still decorating the living and dining rooms.  I walked around to the back yard and there was a small workshop behind the house.  This must have been where "Santa" did all his work. 

The house belonged to Bob and Dottie Von Fliss.  These 2 have quite a history!  Dottie worked as a carhop at the famous Simons Drive-In on  Wilshire Blvd.in Los Angeles, CA.  Bob was the co-founder of The National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts.  Together they owned an antique shop that specialized in dollhouse miniatures called the High Button Shoe.

An article in the Orange County Register dated November 24, 2005, gave this account of how the Von  Fliss' started their Santa careers:

      "One day, when Bob was out shopping, the woman who owned Dixie Doodle Entertainment approached him and said what a great Santa he'd make. He was rather portly and had a magnificent, flowing white beard. (Real-beard Santas, he says, are hard to find.)   She then asked if he'd be willing to work a party that night. She was in a bind. He agreed and said he'd bring his own Mrs. Claus.   A jolly new career was born for Bob and Dottie.   They didn't do malls, but could be found at plenty of posh parties from Beverly Hills to Newport Beach. In later years, a Beverly Hills agent began booking their appearances.   Dottie was adorable in her fur-trimmed, red-velvet jacket, fitted at the waist with a flared peplum, red skirt and red suede boots.

Bob even played Santa in a TV program called "Ferbus' First Christmas" on December 12th 1995. It was part of the "Masked Rider" series. He also played Santa in the "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" in a TV episode called "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger" and also in "V.R.Troopers" in an episode called "Santa's Secret Trooper".

I've shopped at the home of Mr. Wendell "Bud" Hurlburt who worked for Mr. Knott of Knotts Berry Farm.  He is the man who designed and built the Calico Mine Ride and the Timber Mountain Log Ride.  He also established Castle Theme Park in Riverside, CA.

I love to go to these Estate Sales and get lost in time looking at all the things of the past.  You can almost feel the presence of these people and see what their life used to be.  

Easter Cans

Easter's just around the corner and I'm getting ready to make Easter Baskets made from empty paint cans.  These are gallon paint cans that are decorated with paper and embelishments and ribbon.  The lids can be sealed (there's a key that opens the can) or they can be left open.  Just fill with grass and goodies!  These are so fun to make and so cute!  I love how each one is different and unique.  If you wouuld like to order one, let me know.  There's still time to get an order in.  They can also be personalized.  I've attached a picture of a birthday can I did that was personalized so you can get an idea of what it looks like with a name on it.

Perfect Saturday

Yesterday Alyssa's softball games got rained out so Robert and I decided to take advantage of the day and spend it together.  All  Day!  We got up and got ready.  It was raining pretty hard but we weren't gonna let that keep us in.  We took Amber to work and then drove to Orange and started hitting the thrift stores.  Normally, I shop estate sales on Thursday and Fridays but this week there weren't any listed.  We needed to find merchandise for Ebay so to the stores we went.  Apparently, alot of other people decided to hit the stores as well.  They were crowded!

We shopped at 6 before heading home.  We stopped for lunch at a dive cafe in Fullerton and had a really good breakfast.  With the cold and rain, I suggested to Robert that we go to church at 5pm instead of getting up on Sunday and going out in the cold and rain.  I convinced him by telling him we could sleep in and have a nice breakfast in our warm house. 

Our thrift store finds

We got ready and made the 5pm mass.  I swear, mass is getting longer and longer.  We didn't get out until 6:20, then went to the store to pick something up for dinner.  We went home and we both hung out in the kitchen, putting groceries away and getting dinner ready.  (Usually when the cooking starts, my husband leaves the kitchen)  All in all we had a great day and best of all, we didn't have to get up and brave the cold this morning for church.

My Other Blogs

Live-Learn-Love is the blog I created for family and friends to keep in touch and see what we are up to.  I soon realized that there were other things I wanted to share that somehow didn't quite fit into this place, so I created another blog - "4 Angels Creations" where I could share the crafts and creations that I make.  I wanted that blog to be specifically for that purpose but soon realized that I wanted to share the creations I make in the kitchen too, so I created another blog - "Sugar n Spice"  This blog is for my cooking creations and mishaps and at times I might throw in a tip or two.  I'm not sure if this is really the road I want to take or if I want to combine everything into one blog. 

I guess that's the organization in me thinking that everything has to have it's place.  I hope that you'll visit my other blogs.  The links to those blogs are on the left and please let me know what you think.  Should I continue with these or just lump everything onto one blog?

Griswold Cast Iron Skillet Makeover

I've been doing Ebay now for 3-1/2 years and I'm still learning so much.  I recently bought a cast iron skillet that I was excited to get my hands on.  I've sold many Wagner Ware cast irons before but this is the first time I've found a Griswold.  These are the two most collectible names in Cast Iron.  It was at an estate sale and the price was right.  What wasn't right was all the caked on food and seasonings.  I wanted my pan to look great so I did some research on the internet.  I love the internet.  I can find just about anything I need, just with a click of a mouse.  I found a site that explains how to bring a cast iron pan back to it's original state to be reseasoned. 

 

The process really takes alot of patience.  First I sprayed the pan all over with oven cleaner as stated in the instructions and placed the pan in a clean garbage bag, tied the bag shut and left it outside overnight.  Being the impatient person that I am, I checked it the next morning and some of the crud came off.  I resprayed and repeated the process for another day.  Again, some more of the old caked on junk came off.  I then resprayed and repeated the process but forgot about the skillet for almost 3 days.  When I finally remembered, I took the skillet out of the bag and began to scrape the black junk off and it came off nice and easy.  (Again, patience is the key!)  I did this for about a week and a half and then washed the pan in hot water.  There was just a small area on the back side of the pan that would not come off.

The next step was to let the pan soak in a solution of very hot water and vinegar for about 30-60 minutes.  I actually left it for 2 hours and when I returned home, I used a steel wool pad to remove all the excess rust that had accumulated on the pan.  (You will see significant rust but it's really only on the surface)  I turned on my oven to 250º and placed the pan in there for 15 minutes.  After the time was up, I raised the temperature of the oven to 500º and left the pan in there for an additional 45 minutes. 

When the time was up, I turned off the oven and removed the pan, wiped it inside and out with shortening, and put it back in the oven.  I left the pan in the oven while the oven cooled and made sure to check and wipe the pan every 10-15 minutes.  This will ensure the oil is evenly distributed on the pan and doesn't pool or thicken in one area.

Voila! The pan looks great and is now ready to list on Ebay!  I am confident the pan will sell quickly.

The Sleepover!

Saturday was my son's 11th birthday. We decided we wouln't be doing a party this year but he asked if he could have a sleepover with his cousins and we agreed. The boys arrived about 5pm Saturday and we had pizza and soda. We moved the furniture out of the way in the living room so they could play the X-BOX Kinect. There were 6 boys plus my son. Throw in my husband, daughter and my cousin and there's 10 altogether. There was screaming, jumping, laughing and lots of lots of fun! 

I retreated to my room and left my husband with the boys to do their thing.  I woke up Sunday morning to a quiet house, checked to make sure all was in order and went back for another little nap.  About 7:30 my husband woke me up and said the boys were awake and hungry.  I had promised them I would make them a big breakfast.  I cooked up 2 lbs. of bacon, 1 lb. of link sausage, 1 box of pancake mix, 2 dozen eggs and a dozen hash brown patties.  When breakfast was ready, they gathered around the table and I couldn't believe the silence.  They were so busy eating, they didn't stop to talk.  When breakfast was over, they wasted no time getting their gear on to go out and play basketball.  Unfortunatley, we were experiencing a  heat wave and the temperature outside was in the high 80's. 

My daughter took them to CVS to pick up some water balloons and they came home and made some fun of their own getting wet.  My son had such a great time.  His cousins are his best friends and he loves when they spend time together.  I remember how much fun I used to have with my cousins when I was small.  Now he's looking forward to summer when they can do it more often.

Game Winner!

Here we go!
Bottom of the seventh, and one out. Two runners on base. Alyssa is at bat with the count 1-1. After pitching 7 strong innings and down 4-1, she comes up big in the last inning against Western High School with the score 4-3.
Again, the count is 1-1, and a fastball comes in hard to her. SMACK! She lines the ball over the right fielder's head (about 5 feet away from clearing the fence) and the runners on base come all the way around to score! Alyssa ends up at third with a triple, and the game winning run crosses the plate in front of her as her team comes back and wins 5-4. She not only wins the game, her team (Troy High School) remains undefeated in softball.
Way to GO!!

March 3, 2012

March 2, 2001

Today is Friday, March 2nd.  Tomorrow is my son's 11th birthday and ironically, the same day he was born.  I remember 11 years ago today like it was yesterday.  Eleven years ago today, I had a doctor appointment to see how close I was to delivering my baby.  I wanted my baby to be born on March 3rd because that was the birthday of one of my favorite aunts who had recently passed away.  I went to my appointment and the doctor stated that my labor had not begun.  No dilation, no contractions, NADA!  The doctor also said that nothing would happen over the week-end the way things looked and that on Monday morning, I should report to the hospital to have labor induced.

This was not acceptable to me and I left the office in a not-so-good mood.  I came home and my aunt Inez came to visit.  Normally I am not rude or disrespectful to any of my aunts or uncles but this day was different.  I was moody and snappy.  That evening our daughter's school had a M.O.M's Kitchen (Meal of the Month) and we took my aunt to eat.  While there, I was restless and impatient.  I announced I was going shopping.  My aunt didn't think it was a good idea for me to be so close to my due date and out shopping at night.  I told her if she wanted to come along that was fine but if not I would go alone.  I drove to the nearby shopping center and we went into Mervyn's to look at baby clothes.  She showed me some boy's clothes to which I shrugged my shoulders and mumbled, I'm not having a boy.  We actually didn't know the sex of the baby but after 3 girls and only wanting girls, I was certain it would be a girl. 

After some shopping, we walked over to Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors for a delicious ice cream.  It's now about 9:00pm and we were sitting down eating our ice cream when all of a sudden I felt a very hard thud in my pelvic area.  Having 3 babies and never having this experience, the tough girl attitude disappeared.  I must have had a look of panic on my face because my aunt looked at me and her eyes widened as she asked what was wrong.  I remember telling her I don't know what's wrong but I want to go home.  I told her about the feeling I had and told her I was scared.  As we started to walk to the car, the unthinkable happened....My Water Broke!!  I remember saying to my aunt, "Oh My God!!!  My Water Just Broke!"  I must have said it pretty loud because people began to turn around to look at us. 

Our nerves kicked in and we were like two school girls giggling and laughing and fumbling around for the keys to the car and the cell phone to call my husband.  I finally found the keys to the car, dropped them a couple of times before unlocking the door and getting in.  My aunt called my husband to tell him what had happened and we were on our way home.  Once home, I changed my clothes, and we left for the hospital.  By the time we got in the room, it was about 10:30pm and things seemed to be moving pretty quickly. 

With labor started and the doctors and nurses prepping, I remember I kept looking at the clock and thinking, I can't have this baby until midnight. I want this baby born on March 3rd.  The nurses didn't think I could last until midnight.  The doctor was surprised that I was even there after my afternoon doctor appointment.  Finally, it was time to start pushing.  I remember working hard but looking at that clock and wanting this baby out but also wanting the time to hurry so it would be the 3rd.  Things must have gotten pretty intense because I remember being in so much pain and so exhausted, that I lost track of time.  The baby finally came and the doctor announced we had a healthy baby boy!!  Tired, I looked at the clock and low and behold, it was 1:15am - March 3rd.  My son was born on my aunt Juanita's birthday and I couldn't have been happier. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATRICK!!

My Blemish

I started driving when I was 16....that was 34 years ago.   I've always prided myself in the fact that I have never had an accident, at least not one where I was behind the wheel.  I've had cars that were damaged by other people.  I had a Mustang that my dad borrowed and was hit when he made a left hand turn in front of someone, a Nissan Sentra that was hit by a drunk teenager while it was parked and my current Suburban that was hit, while it was parked at a hotel in San Diego, by some young Italian tourists.   Never an accident that was my fault, until last Thursday.

This is my poor Suburban

This is the damage to the other car

I had my first accident last week while taking my daughter to school.  Me behind the wheel and me at fault.  I was attempting to make a lane change to the right.  I looked back to make sure it was clear to merge, started moving over and when I turned back around the traffic in front had stopped and I hit the rear right side of the car in front of me.  It's a sound that I hate and remember so much.  Turning my wheel to avoid the hit and then hearing the hit, my heart just sank.

We pulled into a parking lot to exchange information.  I apologized to the young girl and she just laughed and said not to worry.  I'm not sure I was worried as much as angry.  Angry with my self for not leaving more room, for rushing to get my daughter to school, for not staying on my normal route.  So many things I could have done different.  I wondered why this would have happened.  My husband came and got my daughter and told me to go home and call the insurance company. 

I talked to the insurance company and then the collision center nearby.  When I hung up, I just started crying.  Crying because we don't need this added expense right now, my car that I love so much was now damaged and I would have to be without it for awhile and most of all because I wasn't a perfect driver anymore.  I asked God to tell me what I was supposed to learn from all of this and as I sat in silence, I realized that as  parents sometimes we try to do too much for our kids instead of letting them fall once in awhile.

You see, in our house as in many others, our family is always rushing to do something or be somewhere.  Amber needs to be at her boyfriends by 8:30am so they can drive to school out in south county.  Alyssa and Neecy need to be at school at 8:00am, but since the schools are 20 minutes from each other, Robert takes Alyssa and Amber and I take Neecy.  We have told our kids over and over the times we need to leave in order to get them to school on time and over and over, they get up at the last minute and then rush around like crazy people trying to get ready.  Always, we are running late, then they stress about us getting them to school before class starts.  We have told them in the past that if they aren't ready, we won't rush to get them to school and they will have to pay the consequences of being late.  Instead, however, we don't follow through.  This doesn't only apply to school.  It's everything, sports, movies, parties, work.  They just don't know the importance of being ready on time.  Time management is everything.  We've told them to get things ready the night before but they wait till the last minute to prepare for everything.  They wake up minutes before we need to leave.  When they are running late, instead of taking responsibility for it, they blame us for not getting them there on time.

After the accident, as I sat listening for the lesson to be learned, I realized we are not doing our children any good by protecting them.  I realized they are not learning to plan ahead because mom and dad will hurry to get them there on time at all costs.  This is teaching them that when they do start driving, they too can just drive a little fast and a little wreck less to make up for their poor planning.  I know that the right thing to do is to let them get to school late and pay the consequences of a couple detentions, or perhaps get to work late and let their boss reprimand or warn them. 

Alyssa plays softball and she makes sure she is at every practice and also makes sure she is there on time, early actually.  This is because Coach Marlon doesn't mess around.  After four years, she knows that if they miss a practice, they will not play in the game, even if they are losing because a girl in the game is not playing at her best.  Coach will not take her out to put the girl in that missed practice.  This is the lesson they learn.  If they are late to practice, the entire team will run laps.  No excuses.  No one has to wake her up on Saturday morning to get to practice.  She is up an hour early.  The reason for all this is because what the coach warned them about, he actually follows through with.  There is no wining or pleading for another chance.  He won't have it.  Instead at home, we make exceptions, don't follow through and the results are not good. 


I can't change the fact that the accident happened.  I take full responsibility for that.  I can change how I choose to react to my children and their poor planning.  From now on, when I say we are leaving at 7:30am and they aren't ready until 7:40, I drive cautiously and at the speed limit.  I don't weave in and out to save time.  If she's late, she'll pay the consequences at school.

Family Feast Day

Today is the start of our monthly Family Feast Days.  This is something I started a few years ago at the urging of my daughters.  We had such a busy schedule with sports and school activities that we were unable to attend many family gatherings.  I have a large family and so does my husband so we talked and decided that we would host a family gathering once a month at our home. 

March family feast 2006

My kids always hear me and my cousin talk about the times when we were growing up and Sunday was a day of gathering for our family.  After church, I remember we would drive to my aunts house for a visit.  I was always so excited because I knew there would be cousins to play with.  The adults would cook food, talk and it was a great time for everyone to just relax, share the week's happenings and laugh.  I always remember lots of laughter!

Grama and Gramps celebrating at March Family Feast 2006

I tried to explain that times are different now.  Life is more rushed and there's not so much time on week-ends to get together every week like before.  We decided that we would host the family gatherings once a month instead of weekly and that we would invite family from both mine and my husbands sides so that they could get to know each other better.  These get togethers were potlucks so that the cooking didn't have to fall on one person.  To make it more interesting and fun, we asked everyone to write down a menu idea and we put all the ideas in a hat and each month we would pull out what the menu would be for the following month.  We had some pretty good food from Italian, Mexican, vegetarian, breakfast, pub foods and BBQ.  Each month it was different and interesting. 

My cousin and my aunt

The beauty of the dinners was that there was no pressure to attend.  Every month there was someone who couldn't come the previous month or sometimes someone new would show up.  We would also buy or make a cake and celebrate the month's birthdays.    I'm not sure why we stopped doing them but I've been urged (strongly) by my kids to start them up again, so today is our first one for this year. 

I'm excited to see everyone gather and laugh.  I love to see my son's face when his cousins show up and it reminds me that the important family values that were instilled in me when I was young, are being passed down to my children.  Hopefully, when they are old enough with their own families, they will know in their heart that nothing is more precious than the gift of a wonderful family bond.  It doesn't matter that we don't talk every day or live in the same county, we should never forget our roots and those that worked so hard to keep our family together.  I hope that my children too, will take the time to connect and bring the family together. 

My Visit with James



James and our 89 year old aunt Chavela

So I mentioned a couple posts ago that I had reconnected with a family member I hadn't seen in over 20 years.  Well, he came last week and we spent the day together.  I was a little nervous before he got here since I haven't spoken to him in so long.  I was afraid we'd just sit and stare at each other with nothing to say.  It's a lot easier to communicate online than it is in person. 

I got up early, got ready and got the kids to school.  About 10:45, I saw his truck roll up to the house.  My son announced that he was here and my husband was outside to greet him even though they had never met personally.   I walked outside and we just looked at each other and he came and gave me a big bear hug.  Instantly we started talking about our kids. 

James and I play "Words with Friends" on our phones and my son and his uncle bonded over the game,  and he showed my son other games to play.  He and my husband talked guy stuff and we all hung out here for a couple hours before heading to our aunts house.  On the way to our aunts, I drove him passed his grandfathers old house and we talked about how the neighborhood had changed. 

I was excited when we arrived at our aunts because he hadn't seen her in about 30 years.  We walked in and he just walked over and embraced her for awhile.  The look on my aunts face to see her nephew after so many years was priceless.  We sat, talked, laughed and reminisced about old times.  Sadly, we had to leave and pick up my daughter from softball practice.   After we picked up Alyssa, we came home and he and I had a couple beers while my kids got to spend a little time with their uncle. 

James needed to be back home early Tuesday so he decided to leave late Monday and make the drive home.  We talked outside for awhile before he left and he promised he would not stay away for a long time.  There is a family reunion in July that he said he'll be attending.  I can't wait till then to see more family.  For now, I'm glad for the chance we all had to re-connect.

My Morining Surprise

Tonight, Alyssa is going to her Senior Winter Formal.  It was sort of a last minute thing.  She wasn't planning on going but one of her friends asked if she wanted to go with him so she agreed.  Last night she mentioned that we didn't order a boutonniere so I told her to leave me a note on the desk and I would call the florist in the morning.

This morning while I was still in bed, my husband took our daughter to softball practice. Normally, he just drops her off is is back in 30 minutes.  Today however, he was gone an hour.   While he was gone, I got out of bed and called the florist.  I ordered a boutonniere with a white rose and black ribbon.  A few minutes later, I noticed my husband wasn't home. Sometimes he stays to talk to the coach but today, we have lots to do around the house and I wanted to make sure he wasn't going to hang out at the field all practice.  I called him and asked him where he was and he said he stopped at the florist to order the boutonniere for Alyssa's date.  I told him I had just called the florist to order one and we both started laughing....he was standing there when I called.  He said he would cancel my order and be home soon. 

What a surprise when he walked in the door with a beautiful single red rose.   I remember when we were dating, he used send me flowers at work.  He had a special rose he would send called fire and ice and this is one of them.  Thank you sweetie for my morning surprise....I love you!

Reconnecting with Family

Lots of people think Facebook is a waste of time and there was a time when I was one of those people.  Don't get me wrong.  While I think Facebook is a great social networking site, I do think lots of people waste time with it.  For me, it was a way to connect with my aunt who lives in Virginia.  Slowly, I would get invites from other family members who I lost touch with.  My main rule is never add anyone that I don't personally know. 

One of my cousins requested me as a friend.  I accepted and over time, his brother James, who is my age, also sent me a friend invite.  James and I haven't seen each other in over 20 years.  I have fond memories of our childhood, when our families would gather at his great grandmothers house.  Growing up, we had a large family that lived in close proximity to each other and we would all have frequent get-togethers.  At some point, slowly, many of those family members started moving to Northern California and over time we all lost touch. 

Through Facebook, James and I started to catch up on each others lives.  He's even a great "Words with  Friends" partner and we often chat while playing.  James has a brother who lives in So Cal and he just told me he's coming to visit him.  His brother Paul lives about 30 minutes away and I was hoping James would somehow have time to visit us.  As luck would have it, he's arranged to stop by on Monday so we can go visit our aunt who he hasn't seen in years.  I am so excited to see him again and hope that somehow we can continue to be a part of each others lives.  He has children and grandchildren that I have never met and vice versa. 

I know that our aunt will be so happy and surprised and I can't wait!

My Wonderful Gift

When I was little, I always remember my mom wearing a colorful medal or "medalla" of Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos. The translation for this is Our Lady of Saint John of The Lakes. I never knew, growing up, anything about this Saint but after recent readings have learned that San Juan de los Lagos is a town in the northeast corner of Jalisco, Mexico, in a region known as Los Altos. It's known as the home of a small image of the Virgin Mary called Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos.

The first important miracle associated to the image was around 1623 when a family of acrobats had a show which included “flying” over a field of spear points. The seven-year-old daughter fell onto the spears during the act and immediately died. Local women brought the image to the body and prayed over it until the child revived. This miracle made the image famous. Since then, many other miracles have been attributed to her intercession and they often relate to recuperation from dangerous illnesses and/or danger.

I remember one time, my mom's brother was gravely ill and my mom made a promise to Our Lady that if my uncle would get better, the next time we visited Mexico, she would go to the church where her statue stands and make a pilgrimage on her knees as a gesture of thanksgiving.  The floors of the church at the time were old and wooden and I remember watching as my mother went from the back of the church to the statue in front on her knees and when she was done, her knees had splinters and were bloody.  I didn't understand at the time the significance of this or the importance that Our Lady held for my mom.

When I was 14, my mom became very ill and was admitted into the hospital. My dad put her medalla away and a few months later, when my mom passed away, I asked him for it. I wanted to wear it so I could feel close to her. I don't think I had worn it a week when one day at school, I noticed it wasn't hanging from my neck. I panicked and checked all the classrooms I had been in, went to the office to see if it had been turned in and looked in the parking lot. No luck! When my dad picked me up that day, I tore the car apart looking for it, then went home and tore my room apart as well. I remembered that the day before, my best friend and I had walked to the shopping center in town. I called her and we retraced our steps, visiting every store we had been to the day before to see if someone had turned it in. Across the street from the shopping center there was a Montgomery Ward and you had to cross a busy street. We went there and asked if they had found it and they said no. Feeling really terrible about losing something that was so special to my mom, we started to make our way home. We had to cross two streets at the busy intersection but as usual, we never crossed at the crosswalk. When we got to the Blvd. we waited for a break in traffic and ran to the center island to wait for the traffic going in the opposite direction to ease. As we stood there waiting to cross, I saw a shiny object in the middle of the street. I tried to see what it was but the cars kept running over it. Finally I ran into the street, stopping traffic to pick up the object and there, in the middle of Harbor Blvd. was my mom's medalla. Somehow it has slipped off the chain and fallen in the street. Cars were honking at me and I must have looked a little nuts as I yelled and jumped around excited that I had found it. After I composed myself and got out of the middle of the street, I looked at the medalla and amazingly it was not broken. It sat in the street for 24 hours with cars driving over it and aside from the small stones around the front, it was in the same condition as before.
I took the medalla home and put it away, afraid to wear it again.  This was 36 years ago.  Then about a year ago, I started thinking about the medalla again.  I wanted to wear it but was afraid of losing it.  I thought about getting it fixed somehow so it wouldn't come off a chain but never got around to doing it.  Then around November, for some reason, I really felt moved to wear it again.  I told my husband and kids that I wanted to take it in to get it fixed but again, didn't really get to it because our finances were tight.  I thought, maybe after Christmas.  Then before the holidays, I had mentioned it to a friend and she said she wanted to see it.  She said she knew someone who might be able to fix it so I gave it to her.  A few weeks went by and I asked her about it and she said she would check with her friend.  A couple more weeks went by and again I asked her and she said she had forgot but would ask her friend.  Finally last week-end, she called and said that the jeweler wasn't going to be able to fix it the way I wanted (double lock on the chain and have the ring that hold the medalla soldered so it won't fall off) and she had seen my daughter earlier and gave it to her to give to me.

When my husband and daughter got home I immediatley asked her for the medalla and she handed it to me and said she had gotten it fixed for me.  I laughed and started to put it away but she said she was serious.  Apparently, she knew how much I wanted it fixed and asked my friend to somehow get the medalla from me so she could give it to my daughter.  My husband took her to the jewelers and they had the ring soldered closed and bought a new chain for it.  I am so happy that now, after all these years, I can finally wear something that was so special to my mom and is now just as special to me.  I am also so touched and blessed to have a family that loves me so much that they would do this for me.  Thank you Robert, Alyssa and Lou....I love you guys!

A Lesson To Be Learned

Friday I decided I wanted my house clean.  We all picked a room and went at it.  I chose the main bathroom because I wanted to make sure it was done right.  This particular bathroom has been one of my least favorite rooms in the house.  To me, it seems awkward and not very nice.  Over the years, the floor has needed replacing as well as the toilet and cabinets.  Thankfully over the Christmas break, my brother-in-law was gracious enough to come and help my husband redo the room.  Now I love it which is why I want to make sure it gets cleaned and maintained properly.

Now, the tub in this particular bathroom is ugly but we were not fortunate enough to be able to replace that.  It has these non-skid strips on the floor of the tub that over the years has gotten to look pretty disgusting and there is a small area of rust near the drain.  I have tried to bleach the strips clean, tried magic erasers and nothing has worked.   A while back my cousin bought a toilet cleaner called The Works and he said he used it in his tub and it got it really clean. 

I poured some in the tub, on the strips and left the room.  I had intended to let it set for a few minutes and then clean and rinse......but I forgot.  It sat in the tub overnight Friday and all day Saturday.  About 3pm, my daughter was going to take a shower and asked what that disgusting stuff in the tub was.   I remembered the cleaner and told her to just rinse out the tub.  She came back and informed me that there was now a hole in the tub.  WHAT!!!  I went in and sure enough, this stuff has eaten away at the finish and made a hole all the way through.  That's not the worst part.  The worst part was having to go outside and tell my husband:)

He checked it and as he usually does when he's not happy about something I do, he said nothing.  I watched as he walked back and forth from the bathroom to the garage and back again. :(  He called my brother-in-law and left to Home Depot.  He came back with a patch and tried applying it.  Because the tub had a hole, the paste just kept falling through.  He found something to plug the hole and applied the patch.  Now we have to wait 16 hours to see if it works.  Crossing my fingers!

So Much To Learn

So today was my first day of class.  My Adobe Photoshop class started at 8am.  I was on the waiting list and wanted to get there early so I could secure a space.  The good news...I made it in the class.  The bad news....There are only 18 students in the class and there needs to be 20.  I'm hoping the 18 is close enough that they won't cancel but with budget cuts who knows.  Class size is good and I was able to keep up pretty much.  I've taken this class before and was pretty lost since I didn't have the program at home to practice on.  This time around, I have a program that hopefully I can practice on and grasp the technique.  I really have a problem understanding layers.

My second class was at 1pm and it's Digital Scrapbooking.  I was also on the waiting list for this.  I again arrived early to secure my spot.  Wow!  So many people and men as well as women.  The class was full but luckily I was able to grab a seat and a computer.  One poor guy had to sit and watch.  This class is so full of information but the good thing is that they work with Adobe Photoshop so I'll not only learn in my first class but the second as well.  Double learning. 

Tomorrow I am both excited and scared.  I have an Excel class that is long overdue.  As I said in my last post, when I left the work force, we were using Plan Perfect and the formulas were all in place.  All I had to do was input numbers and balance the books.  Now everything is Excel and I don't know squat about formulas nor do they really interest me.  I'm not so much about creating formulas as I am about data entry.

By the time I left there today, my little brain hurt.  Tomorrow I know I'm gonna be just as worn out since I'll be in class most of the day.  Today I had a 2-hour class then a 2-hour break and another 3-hour class.  Tomorrow I'll be there from 9am-12 and 1pm-4pm.  Whew!  That's alot of learning for this old lady.  I hope I can keep up!!

School Girl Jitters

I am a firm believer that you're never too old to learn.  I preach that all the time to people and encourage others to take classes in what they're interested in.  I used to take classes when I was working, mostly because it was required of the employees to learn new computer programs.

I've been out of the traditional work force for 10 years and feel that I'm lost as far as computer programs and updates.  In fact, when I left my previous job at the local community college, we were still using WordPerfect and PlanPerfect.  Now with all the changes and transitions to Word and Excel, I am lost.  I need to learn the new programs so I can not only keep up to date but begin to look for work again.  My husband has been out of work for a  year and as much as I love staying home with my son and homeschooling, I feel that I need to get out and bring home some money.  I've looked and feel so discouraged with the requirements needed for the jobs I've found. 

I decided to take some classes and tomorrow is my first day.  I am going to take Excel because that's an important one and will also take Adobe Photoshop Elements.  I love to craft and take pictures and this class will help with creating interesting things.  I've also included Digital Scrapbooking and Digital Photo Albums.  Since I love to craft and create, I thought that if I learned as much as I can about computer graphics programs, I can somehow turn that into a money making business.

I haven't taken a class in quite awhile and must admit that I'm a little nervous and excited to learn.  I hope I can keep up:)

Baby Steps

One of my new years resolutions was to accomplish something every day.  This doesn't neccesarily mean something huge.  It just means to accomplish anything.  There are days when I just can't seem to get anything done.  Either there is so much to do, I'm overwhelmed, or I just get a little lazy and think maybe tomorrow I'll do it. 

Working from home gives me the flexibility to dress or not, shower or not, clean or not, but it does nothing for the spirit.  On the days when I decide to just schlup (is this a word?) around, I feel unsuccessful, lost, low and discouraged.  I have also found that if I have too much on my to do list (I am a list freak) I get a bit overwhelmed to get it all done. 

Today, I decided to try something new.  I woke up and as usual my first thought was, Ugh, maybe I can continue my dream where I left off.  Then I opened my eyes and just lay there for a minute gathering my thoughts for the moment.  I didn't go over everything I needed to accomplish, but just thought about what I needed or wanted to do at that moment.  I decided to say my Rosary as I try to do everyday.  Once I finished, I decided to get into the shower and get ready early.  As I was showering, I realized that I had accomplished two things this morning.  I thought about what my next step would be.  I did my hair and make-up and then made my way to the computer to check emails. 

Now I am sitting here writing this post.  Another accomplishment.  I'm sure to most people this is not a big deal but for someone who has trouble staying on track, this is huge and I'm gonna continue taking ONE BABY STEP AT A TIME.

Happy New Year!!

Ah the new year....so many dreams and visions for the year.  It seems so funny that we all wait until the new year to decide what we want to change or achieve in the months to come.  It's like, "I want to change but have to wait until Jan. 1st.  I, too, fall into this trap of creating resolutions and lists of things I want to accomplish or change. 

I was none too sad to say good-bye to 2011.  Not a great year for us at all.  I greet this new year with  apprehension for what's to come but with much hope and confidence that it will be better.  I don't know what this year has in store for us but I will do my best to wake up each day, excited about what's to come. 

I have resolved to learn as much as I can this year and do more of what makes me happy instead of what I dread.  I am already enrolled to take some classes at the college doing what I enjoy....Scrapbooking and computer graphics.  I hope to learn things that I can somehow incorporate into a business.

I am also looking for the right volunteer opportunity.  I think it's about time I took the focus off our our problems and started trying to help others with theirs.

I will try my best to end each day knowing more than when I started the day.  I want to stay positive and have faith that 2012 will be much nicer to me and my family.