JUST A LITTLE TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!!!!

PETS.....wow, they bring so much to our lives, don't they? I've been contemplating on getting a new kitty or puppy. Our last pet Sidney was with us for 15 years...We have so many memories of Sid and miss him so much. He was put to sleep about a year ago due to old illnesses and it was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do...this got Jim and I to "remembering" some of our special pets from our 28 year marriage...Over the next few days, because it will take more than one blog, sorry, change channels if you aren't interested in going down memory lane with us, but its my page and I can write what I want..haha...but we have had some great pets....
I am really wanting a new pet and not a fish...fish and I don't do well. They either die from me not knowing what they need or some trip comes up and I am forced to flush them into that big fish tank in the ground...oh, stop it....everyone has flushed a fish at one time or another...and please, do not report me to any animal advocacy group because I'll delete my message and "never remember" writing it..two can play your game..haha.....I wasn't ready to fill Sidney's place in our family because he was irreplaceable and to be honest, since he's been gone, my allergies (except for today, something is going on in the world) are almost non existent, but it almost seems non American to not have a pet...Everyone needs a pet...well, Jim says no, but we'll see!!!!
Anyway, sit back, because over the next few days I am going to introduce you to Max, Elsaphant and Chicken (you'll love this one), Precious (aka as percious, you'll see why!!), Herman, Bandit, Mortimer,Shelby and, of course, our beloved Sidney. When this introduction into our family album is over, you'll either think we have no minds, or have a very strong opinion of whether or not we should be allowed to have pets..hahaha..in our defense, most of these pets were "Steve's" during his growing up years so I can't really take any credit to their names or what they brought into our lives...

Quick update on Jayden our newest nephew..he is in the hospital and is very anemic and has jaundice...Please pray for our little man and his parents, Kathleen and JP...It is hard enough being new parents but especially hard to face something like this when they are so little....

EVER BEEN TICKED OFF AT SOMEONE YOU DIDN'T PERSONALLY KNOW?

Well, I am!!!! Ok, I've had it with these hot flashes.........I wish God would give me just five minutes with Eve, thats all I would need..I would not only represent myself, but every woman over the age of 45 for years past and in the future...I am so ticked at her and Adam...Why couldn't he keep his woman under control...who'd of thought men had the same problems then as our husbands have now....Here we are thousands of years later still paying for that bite of apple....ughhhhhhhhhh ...I hope it was worth it, EEEEVVVVVVVVEEEEE, I really do, because I am having a hard time forgiving you for that bite... you had so many choices, girl, why the apples of all things. They aren't even that great....I can't get the a/c down any further than it is and a girl can only take off so much without grossing everyone out, well, at least at my house.....I now sleep with not only the a/c going, but the ceiling fan and a big fan directed right at me...its only 2 feet away from my bed..The only thing left to do would be to have Jim duct tape me to a fan blade and hit the switch. hmmm, maybe I've got something here...This has me thinking, no never mind, Jim would never get me down, he'd leave me up there...I can see it now, my life spent spinning around out of control...Jim goes to bed and sleeps straight through..not hot at all....I hit the sack, toss and turn, lay there awake, kick the sheets off(I won't gross you out further with all the gory details), sit up, lay down, and just get to sleep, when the alarm goes off..Again, thanks Eve...you really tick me off....

WHERE'S MY TIARA WHEN I REALLY NEED IT!!!

Ever heard the phrase, "housework makes you ugly"? That phrase is the #1 reason I hate housework..I hate very few things in life, but this type of work, is, well to say the least, ughhhhhhhh....I have spent most of my only day off this week knee deep in the stuff...It's true, it does make you ugly...I was cleaning out my lunchbox from 2 days ago, ughhhh, should have rinsed that thing out before I left work,,,I had cereal that day (I'm on a bran kick right now,haha)...I know my nose scruntched way up and i had wrinkles all over my face...Then there's bathroom duty...What's worse...Its not that it looks bad, but just the thoughts of what goes on in there, well lets just say, I had more wrinkles on my face and of course for some reason, I tend to just hold my breathe the whole time I'm working in there......I am doing laundry right now, and this is a little better.... Jim changed the sheets (chicken!!!) so at least thats over with....I am off to unload the dishwasher which brings me to another thought....Why aren't kitchen's built with 2 dishwashers..Really, who likes to unload the thing? It makes much more sense to load one, wash, take from that, and then keep the other one to reload as you use...a win, win , situation...Jim says thats laziness, I say, its common sense!!!hahaha.....Again, a man, must have been the inspirations of kitchen musts, don'tcha think? I have to vacum, and dust before I can finally sit down to play and work on Kat's birth announcements.....yeah, there are a lot of wrinkles going on on this face today and I'm wondering why I didn't do a little of this at a time...In case you are wondering why I am doing housework these days? Jim figured he did way too much while I was healing after surgery and he just isn't quite as helpful these days as he was before....urghhhhhhhhh...At least he does still do quite a lot more than most males, for that I am thankful....Well off to unload that dishwasher and thaw something for dinner....I know, oh great, just get the kitchen all under control, only to mess it up again...I feel a headache coming on, maybe a migrane, you think that will get me out of some work around here?hahaha...and another thought, if I'm the queen around here, why am I doing all the work, shouldn't I have a maid or something? OH, well, guess the jewels fell off the tiara.....hahaha!!! till tomorrow...

Have I mentioned I have a new hobby?

OK, its not a full blown hobby yet....I have a friend, who shared her new interest to me and it caught me off guard...you all know I scrapbook and love it...well, i've started collecting (gasp, please don't tell Jim I have started hiding my stash,hahaha) stamps (I secretly collect many different things....I need a 12 step program with help to stop)...you know the rubber ones...once again, it's someone else's fault---again, it's Connie's...sorry , Con, got to tell it like it is...I know she didn't actually twist my arm to get into this, but she ought to know (we both have these creative veins that overflow in our bodies) that what we like, the other likes...I don't know if it can really be said that we enable each other, but it happened...I know..I know...I repent, about the hiding of stuff, that is..sorry, Jim, I sort of mean it, I think....well, anyway, back to the stamping..I have played around and come up with the most darling birth announcements...Why would a 47 y/o need a birth announcement? Haven't you been keeping up with my blog? Come on, Jayden is here....hahaha...
Ok, I go through these different stages every few years or so and dabble in a little of this and a little of that, this is just next on the list (psst....I am taking up jewelry making in Aug,--and so what if I don't wear any? Who cares, it'll probably end up under your Christmas tree, just smile and say thank you!! like your mom taught you to do?)..Once again, back to all my creative interests...I have a really great family who will smile (sometimes forceable, but supportive, come on , you know who you are, M-I-N-E-R-V-A), and they will all accept my little gifts with gratitude.. why do I bring all this up...well, when you figure that out, please let me know..haha..KIDDING.....I am off tomorrow and I am making a couple dozen birth announcements to send to our friends and family to announce Jayden's arrival....I don't know if you can tell or not.......SANDI LOVES BEING AN AUNT.....so, when I get them done i'll scan so you all can see how cute they turned out...I have never done anything like this but it is way too fun and you all know I love to have fun....................................

Oops, quick update..Jayden is going home tomorrow.....Kathleen and JP have the most darling little room all put together in their new house...I can't wait to go visit when they get there...and yes, I get to go right over...I'm the aunt, thats why????????

WELCOME TO OUR WORLD, JAYDEN...

Weighing in at 6 lbs., 3 oz, Jayden James De La Rosa joined our family in person tonight at 7:40 p.m. We have literally been waiting on him since May. He was 4 weeks early, but we just knew he'd be here by the end of May, then we thought anytime in June, and were surprised he didn't show up last night...Thanks Kat, I hardly slept,haha!!!......But, he came, and we are all in love with this little man. My niece, Kathleen gave us more drama in the past 8 months than we had seen in quite sometime, but true to form, she did it all in style and on her terms,haha...Sorry, Kat, just had to throw that in there and share it with 10,000 of my closest friends..lol....Mom Kathleen and Dad JP are doing great, though Kathleen looked really tired when we left...I sure hope she gets some good rest tonight....I asked her if she slept any last night and she grinned and said they gave her something to sleep...I'm glad she got some good rest, because the next 18 years plus are going to be full...Now I really believe that we do get back a little of what we gave ( God has a terrific sense of humor you know), so I am especially going to be watching this household with some interest. Not that our little Kathleen was a problem child but does the term drama queen give you any hints on whats to come? hahaha...Minerva, for your sake, I hope she gets just an ounce of it. Not too much , but enough to make us smile and reminisce just a little bit..haha...now, back to Jayden. He was going to meet his little cousin Deven tonight after we all left. Now, in my mind, I have big plans for these boys..I see them growing up and going to grandma and granpa's to swim every weekend, I see them starting Kindergarten together and I really see Jayden looking out for Deven. Why not the other way around you ask? Jayden's dad is a boxer and I don't think anyone is going to mess with him, is that reason enough?..hahaha....I also see, Kathleen and Kristyne heading to elementary school to have those "special" conferences with the teachers several times a year( you know, the ones we all get to experience, where we go in smiling and really just want to hide in shame, that kind). I am prepared even at this moment to stick up for my grand-nephews---they didn't do it....I see baseball games, soccer, birthday parties. I can already see their faces when they learn to ride their bikes and then again when Grandpa, true to form, just like with Kathleen, pulls out that little dirt bike and teaches them ride. I can see them running in the fields chasing each other, dirty faces, and looks of ut oh on those faces. I see two boys, destined to be together, to be more than cousins, more than friends---best buds.....Our world became brighter when Deven was born but the rainbow has certainly been added today with Jayden. The legacy continues and this is what love is all about.......

ITS A GAIN!!!!!!

Well, its a sad day for me to have to report my failur today...Oh my gosh!! I gained 5 lbs over the weekend. I actually weighed in on Monday and had only gained 2 lbs..Well, I got brave and stepped on the scale again today and there was the extra 3 lbs gained...Well, I know, its embarrassing but it is my only gain since i started this weight loss process in March. And to my defense, it is my nieces fault, really. I hate pointing fingers but in this case I think its appropriate. She is due any moment now (with my grand-nephew, Jayden) and her shower was on Saturday....What does this have to do with my weight gain you ask? Well follow along and if you don't want to click the screen off and stay out of my site. Ok, back to Kat (that's my nieces' name aka Kathleen), she is the picky....stay with me here...I was in charge of ordering the cake for her shower...Kathleen wanted a "normal" cake (her words, I mean, what is normal?). Well, she defined that, like a cake we can make home but decoratedreally pretty like a bakery...ok, I had it..I knew just the person...stay with me here.....the cake was ordered, and was it beautiful and here's the problem. It was abnormally too delicious....I did save all my points for that day and of course those extra 35 bonus points but apparently I bonused myself the dessert table way too much..hahaha.....I mean 5 lbs? Thats like a big bag of flour...oh my goodness.....But if you had been there and seen the cake, i mean it just drew you in.....and then when you got in, you couldn't get out...it was great....no, i didn't stop the day of the shower...I went back to visit the next day....and no i didn't go for the cake...I do care about my nieces hahaha, i went to be with them....but there it was, reeling me in again..i ate 2 more pieces...and i admit, they were not small pieces.....How could something so beautiful be so destructive.....so now you know why its Kat's fault..if only we had gotten one of those yucky bakery cakes, I'd be in the minus today and not the plus....I am back on my program and hopefully it'll be gone by the weekend....i can only hope right?....anyway, Kat, I forgive you and please, can we not have a normal cake at the next shower??Thanks.....

Oh, Con, STOP IT!!!!!!!!

Well finally after months, she shows up!!!! There she comes, the doors open instantly for her upon her arrival, and she tosses her head from left to right as if to move the hair from her face (yeah right!!). She looks around to make sure everyone is looking----at her....Yes, they are...She continues. If thats not enough, am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing? Yes, I think it is and she informs me she has every color...Well , the person I'm talking about is my friend Connie, aka Con or Hey Dude, and what she has on are tangerine crocs...Yes, thats what I said----TANGERINE....and every color, well of course she does, she is the most color coordinated person she and I know......And to top it off, she takes off her shoe to show me something, I mean, really, Con, I have allergies, odors tend to bother me? Duh!!!! Have you really forgotten everything since you've been gone? To add insult to injury, Con is not a real touchy, feely type of gal like I am...I go to hug her, not embrace, just hug and of course, she can't really get into it...don't know what thats about, but I've really missed her....It was so great to see her for the 3.6 minutes she was there...Well, of course while she was there, she told me what a total slacker I've become over the past month. Well, exxxxxxcuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!!!! I don't have all day to just sit around writing blogs..I know my life is so interesting and you all live life through me, but, I have a job....remember...ok, maybe not a job, but I'm employed anyway,and leave the house daily,hahahaha!!!!! I promise to start to keep up with my blog at least every other day...Dude , I didn't know you really cared but now that I do, I will no longer slack off on delivering to you my latest ramblings...also, i must plug myself here....she noticed I had lost weight....wooo hoooo....its really working......I made her say it at least 3 times, you know, like "really, you can tell?" and "like, where can you tell the most, Con?"....I know, pathetic, but ask me, do I care? Not one bit... 31 lbs and counting....Con is here for 4 days and somehow, someway, I am going to corner her for at least coffee somewhere..its hard huh, Con, everyone wants a piece of ya....so glad I got to see you for a minute...and next time don't pull away so fast, i really have missed ya...there's no one like you.......................really..........