"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." -George Orwell


For all those who served, continue to serve and paid the ultimate sacrifice, we thank you. Photo from him

100 (Late) Things About Me for My 200th Post

*Take a look at my 'professional about me' here.

So this is really, really late. Like 100 posts late. Other bloggers have said this list is harder to put together than it seems and I was all, "nah, how hard could it be? I've known me for 35 years," but now I eat those words with a spork because this was really hard! And I'm totally boring and need a hobby like yesterday.

I've really enjoyed my first foray into the blogging community! You all are so nice and supportive and funny and talented. Hooray for me and here's to another 100 200 posts!

1. I was born in the Midwest

2. I have lived in CA since I was 9.

3. I have never broken a bone.

4. I met my husband in high school.

5. We married eloped two days after his sister's wedding.

6. I have never traveled internationally (Tijuana doesn't count).

7. I have more than 85 pairs of shoes

8. I have never eaten apple pie or guacamole.

9. Until now, I have had a job almost continuously since I was 15.

10. I could eat chocolate every day.

11. I am an extremely picky eater.

12. I like almost all music except hard rap, speed metal and country.

13. I do not like camping.

14. I'm not very good at sports.

15. I am a great baker.

16. I LOVE watching football.

17. I haven't read enough of the "classics."

18. I can't stand doing laundry.

19. I clip coupons religiously.

20. I could eat bread with every meal, especially sourdough.
21. My favorite foods are Italian and Mexican.

22. I love the beach, but hate the sand.

23. I'm barely 5'5" but everyone thinks I'm taller.

24. I love shoes and purses.

25. I have loved to read since I was little.

26. I do not own a laptop, but need one desperately.

27. The shortest job I had lasted one week.

28. I would like to be a better writer.

29. I would love to go back to school.

30. I have two middle names.

31. I have only lived in two states: Illinois and California.

32. I've been to the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest and the huge crater in Arizona (Texas? Nevada?)

33. We bought our first home a year ago this March.

34. I think remodeling is a true test of marriage strength.

35. I just finished an HTML class and LOVED it! (See #26)

36. It took me six years to graduate from college (went from one impacted major to another).

37. I LOVE roller coasters.

38. I am a lapsed Catholic.

39. I have never seen It's a Wonderful Life, Casa Blanca or Gone With the Wind all the way through.

40. I'm a very social person.

41. I love playing board and card games.

42. But I have never played Bunco.

43. I have yet to find a wine I like.

44. But mixed drinks are no problem!

45. If I were rich I'd have a Jamba Juice Breakfast Meal every day.

46. I spend roughly $960 yearly on my hair (not including shampoo, styling aids, dryers or flat irons)

47. I love watching TV. There's so much good stuff on!

48. I think my handwriting is really pretty.

49. My first year of college I wrote in a journal every day (I still have all my journals).

50. My top three travel destinations are Spain, Africa and Greece.

51. I love candles.

52. I can't sleep nekkid, and I need something covering me, even if it's 100 billion degrees.

53. If I've been screaming a lot (like at a concert or cheering for something) about 2 hours later I can sing really well, but it passes like that [snap].

54. I sometimes regret that I never had a one night stand. (Note to self: do not work on this list at 2:15am)

55. I wrote for my college newspaper.

56. I had a falling out with my college roommate and really regret that she never knew why.

57. I have read Little Women and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn more than 10 times each.

58. I absolutely love my married name.

59. I won a pretty nice portable grill from a Pizza Hut contest I had forgotten I entered.

60. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

61. My husband thinks I'm "rack-tacular." (He's a boob man)

62. I kick butt in the bunny dancing on Rayman for the Wii.

63. I'm getting really good at pool.

64. I used to be really good at roller skating.

65. I didn't get my first pet (aside from goldfish) until I was in high school.

66. I have had all the supplies for my son's First Year scrapbook sitting in a box for 3 years.

67. I want to audition for The Amazing Race.

68. This September was our 10 year wedding anniversary.

69. I color occasionally after everyone is asleep.

70. I have less money in my personal checking than my son does in his savings.

71. I love cereal. I could eat it all day.

72. I love going dancing. I'd go every weekend if Drama Dad would let me (and could afford all the cover charges).

73. When I worked for Godiva, I won an award for top sales and went on an all expense paid trip to Florida.

74. I really need to buy my domain name soon.

75. I have only recently begun drinking tea (the hot kind).

76. I am a lightweight (if I don't keep drinking steadily I fall asleep).

77. I love buying cookbooks more than I like cooking.

78. My car has more than 119,000 miles on it.

79. I love kitchen gadgets. I could spend a fortune at Bed, Bath and Beyond on peelers, zesters and scrapers.

80. My husband loves the "strawberry patch" birthmark on my leg.

81. I need to get better at budgeting and frugalizing.

82. I have fallen off the exercise wagon these past two weeks.

83. I am volunteering at the 3 Day breast cancer walk in two weeks.

84. I do not like long car trips. I'd rather fly.

85. It can be a really nice day outside but I'll still have on sweats.

86. From my husband: "It's crazy that you've never seen any of The Godfather movies."

87. I do not like to put ketchup in the fridge (or any other condiment).

88. I can't whistle through my fingers.

89. I can raise one eyebrow at a time.

90. I can't make a good grilled cheese. They either burn or stay soggy.

91. is the year I graduated high school.

92. I am not a morning person.

93. I don't like needles.

94. I put Vicks Vapo Rub on the bottom of my son's feet last night and he didn't cough all night. I was skeptical, but now totally believe.

95. In addition to blogging, I'm becoming addicted to social media.

96. If I'm bored I can happily walk around Target, Costco or the book store.

97. I do not like any kind of seafood.

98. From my son "Mama, you're the most beautifulest woman I ever met."

99. I can't believe how long it took me to put this together.

100. I will not be doing another list like this ever again.

*Take a look at my 'professional about me' here.

Say Hola! to My New Fave

Given a choice between a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream and mango sherbet, unless I'm PMS'ing I will almost always go for the sorbet. So when I won a sherbet party from Hola Fruta I was beside myself.

The day the boxes arrived I wanted to grab a spoon and hunker down on the couch but since the five cartons (uh huh, FIVE) were shipped on dry ice they had to temper (fancy word for thaw a little) in the freezer overnight.

I invited our neighbors over for the tasting using the mardi gras beads and invitations that came in the party kit but they weren't able to come for two whole days and I figured it would be tacky and rude to serve sherbet with giant scoops little divets missing so I waited. I hate waiting. And every time I opened the freezer there they were:


Hola Mango! Hola Peach! And Ole Margarita! And hi to the steaks. Wednesday took forever and day to come but finally I got to set out all the cartons and spoons, scoopers and bowls and we got our sherbet on!

Can I tell you how good this sherbet is? It's not icy or grainy but smooth like an ice cream. We let the kids taste as many flavors as they wanted. Drama Kid was in heaven because he rarely gets dessert at home let alone as many scoops as he wanted.

General consensus was the Mango rocks the house but they're all really good. I have a quart and half left and I'm so sad because I have yet to see Hola Fruta in my stores and the giant stack of coupons they gave me are going unused. Sigh.

What about you? Sherbet or ice cream? What's your flavor of choice?

*The Hola Fruta people didn't ask me to post about this.

I'm Only A Little Whiny

About a month ago, our adopted soldier asked that instead of sending care packages to him, could I ask my friends and family to gather shoes that he and his unit could distribute to the Iraqi children.

In his email he said that so many of the children don't have any shoes and their feet are cracked, bloody and infected. That about broke my heart into thousands of little pieces and I sent a message to family and friends asking if, rather than taking their kids' gently used shoes to Goodwill, they could give them to me.

I also sent a message to a local radio station, to Ellen, my neighbor's school and my son's school. I sent a pair of Drama Kids' hardly worn sandals as a "test" pair to see if they would be well received since they're not brand new. Sgt. said the people in the villages are rather proud. When he got the package he said they were perfect and he'd let me know once he'd given them out.

I have about 20 pairs of shoes in my garage right now, but I really hoped I'd get a better response from the schools. I've been bummed and mopey and disappointed that I haven't been more successful at the ONE thing Sgt. has asked of me. Then I got an email today that lifted me out of my funk a little.

This is the kind of stuff we don't see enough of on the news. I'm happy someone was successful. I've tried but can't pick out my son's pair. Knowing they are there and will go to a child in need makes me smile.

On a side note, several people have asked how to get involved with adopting a soldier. I received two emails recently from Adopt A US Soldier and for the first time in years there is a surplus of soldiers waiting to be adopted. The weather in Iraq is about to change and fleece blankets, hats and gloves are on the soldiers' most wanted list.

Wordless wednesday Sunset at the Beach

Either I caught the sun in the split second it was about to implode and then changed its mind or there was something on my camera lens.

History in the Making

In all honesty, I didn't think I'd see this day until I had grandchildren. Millions of people are casting their votes for a party that will put either a black man or a woman into the highest offices in our government. I was so proud to stand in the booth today and choose the candidate I feel will best represent and work for the needs of the American public. No matter which candidate wins, history is being made today.

It is our duty as Americans to know the issues and the candidates and to make our opinions known by going to the polls. Those who say they will not vote, that their vote doesn't matter, that they do not like the candidates so why bother should be ashamed. Voting is privilege and honor not to be taken lightly and to ignore that responsibility is like taking a shit in the middle of the Vatican.

I cast my vote this morning because African American blood was shed for my right to do so.

I cast my vote today because women before me spoke up and demanded their voices be heard within the political arena.

I cast my vote today because men and women in the armed services fight and die to protect my freedom, rights and the democracy of our great nation. I cast my vote because I am a parent who wants her child to see how important it is to be involved in the political process. I voted today because I want our country to be great again.

In the Blink of An Eye

Yesterday morning, before Drama Kid's second birthday party (yes, two I'm a sucker and softie, sue me). I watched the video from his first birthday and got all teary.

I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. Before I had him life seemed to move at a normal pace. Slow even. But the minute the doctor put him in my arms, time seems to have accelerated tenfold. Maybe pushing a baby out releases something into the atmosphere?

I look at him when he doesn't know I'm watching and sometimes the love, pride, honor at being his mom, protectiveness and fear for the day he strikes out on his own overwhelms me. He is such an incredible little man.

Dear Drama Kid- In the blink of an eye you have gone from baby to boy. You bypassed crawling, hit the ground running and never looked back. Your fearlessness has stopped my heart more times than I like to count. Your sensitivity, empathy and loving nature makes me smile.

You are the light and joy in our lives and we thank God for blessing us with you. We wish you love, health, peace and happiness in your sixth year. You are, and always will be, my precious cargo. Happy birthday! We love you so, so much!