Archive for the 'sweetness' Category

Oh Yeah, This Needed A Title!

 Hey!  I just figured out how to use different fonts here.  Yay, me!  And in one of my favorite colors, no less.  WOO HOO!!!  Oh crap, it didn’t work.  I thought when it said I could paste from WORD that it would carry over my cool font, too!  Oh, well.

I decided to share a little more about myself, because you can never know too much about me.  Ok, maybe you can, but let’s not go there. 

There are some things that I really love about myself and my life.  I really love living here.  Not just in California, but in this town.  I like that I have friends here.  Good friends.  I love how close we are to so many cool things.  Like the cowboy museum in Oakdale, and the water park in Ripon.  Just a few hours from Yosemite, the beach, camping, all kinds of cool stuff!  I love the smell of the trees, the dirt when it’s been freshly tilled… but not when it’s been freshly fertilized.  I could do without that scent.  I love that I don’t use the paper or plastic sacks at the grocery store, I use my own.  And when I was at Target today, I saw that they’re getting into that scene, too, so now I feel comfortable bringing my own bags there as well.  Although, I really do love their plastic bags.  They are FABULOUS trash can liners for little cans in your bedroom & bath.  I’m proud of the fact that even though taking our recycling in is a pain in the ass, I do it.  Living in an apartment, they’re not too keen on complying with that mandatory recycling laws we have here.  But I took the time to hunt down some good bins to keep in my kitchen, and I’ve finally drilled it into everyone’s head that we recycle whatever we can, even if we don’t get money back from it!

I’m grateful that we live in a time and place where we can eat really well.  And by that, I don’t mean that we eat a lot, I mean that we eat really good food.  All that fresh produce and whole grain available to us… how could we not?  I feel happy with my level of involvement in politics at the executive level, and I want to be more involved at the local level but it seems pretty much like the good ol’ boys club here.  I love that I take my kids to the movies every Tuesday and Wednesday morning during their summer vacation, and that they have swimming lessons.  I think B and S will start tae kwon do when that’s over.  We’ll see.

I love that my husband has a job that is so family friendly.  ( I have a theory that teachers are so underpaid and not treated as the professionals that they are because it didn’t cost them enough money to go to school.  They don’t have the school debt that doctors and lawyers do so it’s assumed that they don’t deserve the big bucks that they deserve.)  He leaves at a reasonable hour, has the shortest commute of anyone’s husbands I know, and gets home 2 hours before all my friends husband’s do.  His principal and colleagues are also super friendly and supportive of each other.  How great is that?

I love being in school.  I still look for any excuse not to go to class, but really, I don’t want to miss it.  So I’m glad that I end up there anyway, because it just wouldn’t feel right if I weren’t there.  I wanted to have my degree by the time I turn 40, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay with taking more than one class at a time.

For the first time in history, my mental health is pretty good.  My down times or down days are so few and far between, I can’t even say that I have one once a month anymore.  That is such a relief… to have that burden lifted from me and taken off my shoulders so that I can enjoy life like a “normal” person is more than anything I could’ve asked for.

I love that I read so many books!  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my t.v. shows, but I love summer when it’s all over and I feel free to go on reading binges.  Man, I could go on forever about how many things I love and feel good about, but one little boy just is fighting to stay awake so I will come and put his covers on him.  Every other minute I hear, “Are you ready yet?” because I had told him I had to finish writing this before I could do that for him.  Don’t worry, I’m not a horrible mom.  We’d already had family prayer and “mommy tucks”.

So I guess I’ll go and do that Mom thing that I do so well, and bid you all adieu.  I hope you sleep well and dream good dreams like me.

Love, Dennie

“Mama, wemember when I jumped down from Heaven to this famuwee?  That was cool!”

Sunshine In A Jar

I’m making strawberry jam today.  As soon as the dishwasher is done sterilizing my jars.  The perfect storm occured making it all possible!

  • Perfectly red, perfectly fragrant and perfectly sweet strawberries from my newly discovered strawberry stand.
  • Kitchen is spotless.
  • The mood has stricken!

 I haven’t made jam for at least two years now.  I’ve bought the strawberries.  I’ve bought the jars and pectin.  But I just couldn’t do it.  Now I’m ready.  Now I’ve got the muse again.

It helps I have my own full-on freezer as well to store this jelled-gold in as well.  Oooh…. speaking of gold, I wish I had some edible gold powder to put in it to give it that lip-gloss look!

(yawn). (contented sigh). Zzz…

It’s twilight.  A handful of stars are sprinkled over the sky, and I’m in my hand-tied hammock letting the cool night air glide over me.  My arms spread open on a cloud and I feel like I’m swimming in the air.  Although the sweet pink petals are gone, I can still smell the almond blossoms in the air.  My dreams feel like this.

almond-blossoms.jpg

Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’!

Good morning!!  It’s beautiful!!  The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the clouds are large and fluffy!  Everything is richer in color and sweeter in smell.  The almond trees are starting to lose their bloom and make way for the budding leaves, and I’m going garage sale-ing!  I’ve been collecting plants to put into my garden today, and on my way home from Lowe’s I passed an estate sale.  So of course, estate = REALLY GOOD STUFF.  Usually, anyway.  This one was the biggest load of crap (and possibly stolen goods!) I’d ever seen.  Boxes and boxes and shelves and shelves full of Hot Wheels, Star Wars figures, sports action figures and cards, all manner of old VCRs and televisions, and a cruddy-looking, dust-covered walnut table.  Not a dining table, not a side table, not a coffee table, just… a table.  A table that, when given some love and furniture polish would end up looking fan-freakin’-tastic in my living room!  It was marked $25.  A steal, to be sure.  But I wasn’t paying it.  I offered $10.  They said no.  I really wanted it so I said $15.  The chick consulted the dude in charge, and it was MINE.  Along with a vintage Star Wars poster from the dollar barn.  (Did I mention it’s going to be in the mid-70’s for the next four days??)

beautiful-day.jpg

Enjoy the day, my pretties!

Today Is Brought To You By

“You’re A Big Boy Now” - John Sebastian

“Welcome Back (Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter” - John Sebastian

“She’s A Mystery” - Bon Jovi

“Over the Rainbow” - Chet Baker

“Falling Awake” - Gary Jules

“Jamaica Farewell” - Harry Belafonte

“Daughters” - John Mayer

“My Stupid Mouth” - John Mayer

“Waiting On the World to Change” - John Mayer

“Sunday Morning (Acoustic)” - Maroon 5

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” - Israel K

“Come Away With Me” - Norah Jones

“What’ll I Do” - Rosemary Clooney

“Quiet” - John Mayer

Absolutely Fabulous

It was 72′ today.  At 5:30 p.m.  And the sun was still up.

There are certain times of the day at certain times of the year, that I wish would last forever.  The way the light touches everything… it looks like you’re living in a film.  With colors so rich and air so sweet, you can’t help but smile through your whole soul.

Tree Sisters

Days like that.

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