Birthday in the Bahamas

Whew..ok, I'm finally (almost) caught up enough to post about my Birthday Cruise to the Bahamas!



Beren and I had a fabulous time and though this was my first cruise experience, it will definitely not be my last. You can't beat the convenience, only unpacking once yet still being effortlessly transported to several locations. The entertainment on board was outstanding, the accommodations small but adequate, and the ship was gorgeous! Then there's the food...groan..I indulged just enough to experience the delicacies but not so much that I couldn't fit into my favorite jeans back at home.

Here's a few pics, I think they speak for themselves!

Birthday Blues & Blessings

My 45th birthday had a few sad moments..missing Mom's early AM birthday call..her cards, both e-mail and computer-made, and of course seeing her on my special day, the person with whom I'd spent every Aug 20th of my entire life. My Sweetie and my wonderful daughters did their best to make the day special for me, as did my amazing group of supportive, loving friends. Thank you so much to all of you everything, I feel incredibly blessed!

Goodbye Forty-Four

~Last Morning of Forty-Four~

Shopping Hell

Dear South Florida Department Store Buyers:

Just a reminder, we live in the tropics where the temperature rarely drops below 70 degrees, thus the need for shorts & bathing suits year round! It is currently 95 degrees in the shade and will continue to be so for several months, what makes you think I want to look at sweaters and wool skirts..now or ever? Also, in case you've forgotten we have tourists here year 24/7 who might not bring appropriate clothing for our sweltering summers and therefore need to shop for said items. If they can't find summer garb in your stores, where are they gonna shop? Don't even think to mention the boutiques on the beach because unless your waistline (and your wallet) are the size of Kate Moss you're shit-outta-luck, baby! If you require a double digit I guess you're expected to don a mumu, sit on the sand and gaze longingly at the skinny beach babes frolicking in the ocean, perfectly cool & comfy because they were able to purchase cute swimsuits on the spur on the moment! And, um, some of us might be going on a cruise in a couple of days and happened to save the particular gruesome task of bikini-shopping for the very last minute!

Oh, and one more thing, do you think that you could provide separate dressing rooms for those of us non-skinny chics? 'cause it's bad enough to be standing naked under those horrific bright lights and three-way mirrors, struggling to squeeze my fat ass into a size Large only to hear from the other stall, "But look at how BIG this is and it is a size ZERO, now what am I going to dooooo?"

Really, there is just only so much torture one woman can stand before she's driven right out off your fancy store and straight to the nearest bar where she's going to down as many vodkas as it takes to convince her that her old tattered swimsuit is just fine for the vacation and, in fact, it makes her look like a freakin' goddess!

Not that I did that or anything..I'm just saying..it could happen...

Happiness Is...

an early-birthday celebration!


We started the afternoon with a visit to our favorite biker bar....


and then continued the party back at the Castle...don't Kali & Kevin make the cutest couple?!



While Bambi was doing some baking...



and Beren was doing some frying...



Strider was chillin' by the pool...



Jillina doing the same...



A good time was had by all!





Ah...homemade chocolate cake and a glass of wine, good friends & family, what more could a birthday girl want?!



Feeling Truly Blessed,

Hot Line to Heaven

Hello, Mom? How are things there in heaven? As fabulous as they say? I sure hope so 'cause things aren't so great down here. You see, I miss you, more than I could have possibly imagined. I still wake up every day reaching for the phone to call you like I always did, still dream of you almost every night. It's been 6 months now and there's this expectation that I should have "gotten over it" a bit, should have healed and gone back to "regular life." Well, I haven't healed and I don't know what life is supposed to look like without you. I mean, you were just always there, since the moment I took my first breath until you took your last. No matter what time of day or night, no matter if we'd been arguing, no matter if you were across the ocean or down the street. You just were. And, yeah, people keep saying that you still are..there, I mean...but those remarks just infuriate me all the more! You're not here, I can't see you, take you to lunch or breakfast or shopping. You're not at the birthday parties or family barbecues, not here to share the celebrations or sorrows. No more rum punch, fruit salad, pecan cake..no more embroidered tank tops or dish towels. No more YOU. And I just don't know what to do about it, how I'm supposed to function without you.

What do you I do about Dad, Mom? Do I call, do I wait? Do I forgive and forget? Do I shove past my feelings of disloyalty to you and meet this other woman? Or do I rant and rave at him again, try to make him see my side of this?

I am so confused, and so lost...I need direction, I need your strength, your support. I feel like the whole world is on my shoulders now, there's no one to call when things get hard, when I don't know where to turn. It's just scary here without you, no matter that I'm nearly 45 years old, I still need my Mom.

So, Mom, if you have a minute, can you just give me a call? Send me a sign..something, anything to let me know you're still there, you're still watching over me and that everything is fine, everything is under control...maybe let me know that I'm doing ok, you're still proud of me...that you're not really gone, that I'm going to see you again someday..

Thanks, Mom, for listening..as always...I love you...

Your Daughter,

In Retrospect

Now that some time has gone by and I've had a chance to reflect on the situation, attempt to process and lick my wounds, I'd decided to focus on the good parts of our last camping weekend in the Keys instead of the horrible ending. Yes, I'm still hurt, disappointed & confused, especially since I haven't heard a word from my Dad in nearly two weeks. Yes, I think the ball is in his court, it's his place to call me; after all, it was he who asked us to leave so shouldn't he be the one to open up communication again? My phone is on, my door is open, I'm ready to talk...or maybe we still need some more time apart?

Either way, here are a few pics of the good times we had, before the drama, when we were all still all one big happy family. I can only hope & pray that it'll be that way again someday because, really, haven't we lost enough?



Sorry, Sophie, cute as you are you can't go for a ride with me!





K & K & friends setting up their tents





and relaxing in the motor home after being rained out!



I made the mistake of "befriending" these little guys, now I think my crab-eating days are over!



Enjoying the beautiful sunset!

Perception

Beren just sent me this e-mail and I had to share...it's been confirmed as true on Snopes..


Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later: the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.


10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell , one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... how many other things are we missing?

Today's Horoscope

Leo Horoscopes

Wednesday, Aug 5th, 2009 -- The Lunar Eclipse falls in your 7th House of Others, bringing an unresolved relationship issue out into the open. If you have taken a difficult turn of events to heart, this can be a powerful healing moment when cool logic supersedes the heat of passion. Seeing former relationships in a new light can change your perspective and free you to feel more alive in the present moment.

Very interesting, hope this is accurate because I need closure in some relationship issues. Hiding and avoiding never works, I just need to get the stuff out in the open and deal with it! In this case it's not all up to me, though; the ball is in someone else's court and I can only hope that he realizes the need for discussion & resolution as much as I do.

Mom's Favorite Dish

In honor of my mother, tonight I'm making her favorite dish, stuffed shells, for dinner. I'm lightening them up just a bit, though, because not everyone has her metabolism and the ability to scarf down fattening Italian fare without gaining an ounce! Why didn't I inherit that along with her blue eyes, huh?

Wherever you are, Mom, I hope that you can see how much you're missed, and how much we love you. And, if there's a heaven, they must be serving you stuffed shells & cheesecake, right?

Stuffed Shells

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Mixing the ricotta with nonfat cottage cheese gives the filling more body and flavor while reducing the fat content.

Ingredients
1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup(s) fat-free cottage cheese
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp garlic powder, or to taste
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
1 pound(s) cooked pasta, jumbo shells, approximately 24 shells

Instructions

* Preheat oven to 375°F.

* Mix together cheeses, salt, garlic powder, oregano and pepper.

* Spread a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce on bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.

* When cooked shells are cool enough to handle, fill each shell with cheese mixture and place in baking dish. When all shells are in dish, spoon remaining tomato sauce over shells. Cover pan and bake for 20 minutes. Yields about 4 shells per serving.