One delicious bite

There was a cinnamon roll in the cafeteria yesterday. I swear, it had my name on it.
You must know that I have not eaten a cinnamon roll in at least 10 years. Probably 15.
Can't do it! Too much fat, too many calories, and that whole low carb thing.
But this cinnamon roll was just too hard to resist. It was beautiful! It promised me a treat I never let myself have...the flavor I always dream of.
So I grabbed it. I heated it up a little...and delighted in the warm, fresh aroma.
I carved out the center of it...and put it in my mouth.
It was magnificent...I let it sit on my tongue and savored each moment...as I let it melt in my mouth. I delighted in the taste and I nearly wept from the magnificent flavors mingling on my pallet.
But as quickly as I grabbed it, I threw the rest away...I knew it was going to be hard...but I had to let it go. That little taste made me happy and joy-filled and satisfied. I couldn't imagine that any other bite would taste better than that one perfect little taste.
Let me tell you, it was perhaps the most delicious bite of food I have ever had.

I fell in love this past February. I swear, I thought he was the one.
You must know that I have never really been in love. Not in the last 20 years. Maybe 30.
Couldn't do it. Two kids, two dogs...and that whole 'til death do I part' stuff.
But this man was way too hard to resist. He was beautiful! He promised me things I never thought I'd have...the future I had dreamed of.
So I grabbed on! I warmed up to him and delighted in the freshness of his laughter and life and love.
I carved out the center of my heart, and let him in...
It was magnificent...I let him fill my heart, my mind, my soul...I let the flavor and aroma of his love envelop me and often wept from the incredible feelings that had absolutely captivated my whole being...
But as quickly as love came into my life...it was taken away. It's been hard...so very hard. But I have had to let go.
That little taste of love made me happy and joy-filled and...hungry for more.
I can't imagine that anything will ever taste as good.
Just let me tell you that it was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most perfect and most delicious bite of love I have ever had.
So far.

I am woman...

How happy is my daughter?!

And it makes ME so happy...I LOVE this picture!
Check Allison's Kenya blog HERE!

My favorite kind of weekend....

Saturday night....

Sunday night...
(lots more pictures on Facebook)

Kenya Imagine?

Allison left for Africa today and should be landing in Nairobi, Kenya sometime early Sunday morning. She'll be there for just about four weeks this time...and I know she couldn't be any happier!
Would love your thoughts and prayers for Allison over the next few weeks!
You, too, can follow her Kenya blog
HERE

Living the dream!

The 2nd Happiest Place on Earth!

Sunny Day!

Sunny came up with a ball during batting practice!!
That's my girl!

It's June 22nd!

Happy Birthday to my favorite sister, Gina!
(Don't tell the others, ok?)

Happy Summer!

It's a brand new season.
I like that thought.

Happy Father's Day!

Love you Dad!

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

-John Mayer

My 2,000th post!!

50 things to do before I'm 50

For some reason, I have been blessed with boundless energy, amazing health and an incredible amount of free time. I feel better than I EVER have, weigh 20 pounds less than I did in 8th grade and, the way I see it,

I'm younger than I'll ever be!!

Honestly, at this point in life, I feel like there is NOTHING that I can not do...so, with just about three years before the BIG FIVE OH--here are a FEW of the things I am hoping to accomplish:

1. See (at least) five more of the country's baseball stadiums.
2. Have a rose garden.
3. See the Pyramids.
   
4. Go wine tasting.
5. Go to a professional football game.
6. Go skydiving.
   
7. Buy and wear matching bras and panties.
   
8. Weigh 125.
9. See the Dodgers win the World Series.
10. Learn to do a cartwheel.
11. Throw out the first pitch at a baseball game.
12. Spend the night at the Plaza Hotel in NYC.
13. Visit Campobasso, Italy, the city where my grandfather was born.
    
14. See the last of the tattoo totally fade away...
    
15. Give my parents an amazing 50th anniversary party.
16. Walk the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
17. Eat a whole cinnamon roll.
    
18. Snorkel in Hawaii.
    
19. Be 100% debt free.
20. Ski a black diamond run!
21. Take surf lessons.
22. Give away a good portion of my possessions.
    
23. Go on a cruise.
24. Have every single photograph in my house organized.
25. Bake a carrot cake for Gina--completely from scratch!
26. Get a new hair do (it will not be drastic...maybe just shorter?)
27. Buy makeup at a department store.
28. Fly first class (Lu?)
29. Have coffee and a cheese-filled danish at a cafe in Paris.
30. Go horseback riding.
31. See a show in Las Vegas.
32. Buy a mountain bike.
33. Work at a soup kitchen.
34. Be in AMAZING shape!
    
35. Sleep under the stars.
36. Visit the French Rivier.
37. Have drinks at Club 33 at Disneyland.
38. Learn to juggle.
39. Take Elijah to his first baseball game.
40. Spend a weekend in Catalina.
    
41. Buy a really nice purse.
42. Visit the Chapel of St. Catherine in Sienna, Italy.
43. Run three miles without having to stop.
44. Take a family picture with EVERYONE in it!
45. Make regular donations to charities that my daughter believes in.
    
46. Share a boysenberry funnel cake (with whipped cream!) at the Orange County Fair.
47. Buy front row tickets to a concert or play.
48. Fall in love (if not before 50, then someday...)
    
49. Find something to be happy about every single day!
    
50. Live happily ever after...
    

Never, never, never give up

Believe in yourself and all that you are.
Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

-Christian Larson

It's June 16th

Happy 48th Wedding Anniversary to my Mom and Dad

For you, Lu

All things SPLENDID have been achieved by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.

-Bruce Barton

Take me out to the...best wedding ever!

Peanuts and crackerjack and baseball centerpieces and tickets for seating...
LOVE it!
(Thanks for passing this to me, TS!)

It's June 11th!

Happy 70th Birthday Mom!!

Celebrating May with June

June and I were born just one day (and 35 years) apart. My birthday is May 19th and June's is the 20th! We got a little behind on our annual celebration....but we finally made it happen!
June is AMAZINGLY inspirational...full of energy, vitality...and straight up martinis!!

June and her husband, Jack, have been married seven years. Yep, seven. Together they were married over 100 years before that!!
Oh yeah, THERE'S my inspiration...it's NEVER too late to live happily ever after!!
LOVE these people!

Happy Days Are Here Again

Honestly, does life GET any better?

Had an AMAZING night at the ballgame with my friend, Laura, her son, Koben and my sweet Dad!

AND...it was Jonathon Broxton Bobblehead night!

Dodgers WIN the game 1-0 and Broxton gets the save!
Seriously, one of the best nights I've had in a very long time...
I'm happy again

It's June 8th!

Happy Birthday to my LIFE-LONG friend, Sonja!

Ode to JOY

I delight in beginning a story with "When I was in Paris..." or "As I was helicoptering over the Swiss Alps..." Of course, most of the tales then move toward the amazing PORK CHOP I enjoyed at the restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower or the numerous dark chocolate Toblerone bars I devoured throughout Switzerland...
What I LOVE describing is the JOY.

What I am just starting to realize is that MOST moments of my life have been joy-filled and that really some my BEST stories are about the daily joys of living--those that happened in a not-so-foreign country. From being team mom when Zac was in Little League and chaperoning on Allison's high school trip to Disney World, to having a fabulous dinners with my high school friends and dancing with a dear man (and Loft server) yesterday in the cafeteria! (Yep, in front of everyone...) Real JOY.
I gotta say that my own graduation from college and the required 17 years of classes I took are at the TOP of my favorite JOY-filled adventure tales of my lifetime. (And it didn't even involve food!)
And sometimes even a really productive day at work can spark a joyful tale--a day when I have WOWed many a guest or pulled off a little miracle somewhere--or just had a soy decaf latte waiting for a meeting planner--yeah, those are some of my favorite stories too. They make me smile!
Everyday joy.
I even had a great impromptu visit with an old friend at Target last night...as I bought all the gifts and cards I need for June. Add to that the fact that I kept the total under $100 and even came home with three brand new cereals to try for dinner this week--and I have a joyful story to share! (I have lots of different kinds of beers in my fridge at the moment...I can't wait to tell you which ones are best with the cereals! Apple Jacks and Amstel? Cheerios and Corona? Yeah...you get the picture. Future joyful posts.)
Little bits of happiness and joy are everywhere.
I guess really the lesson is that describing JOY is always a good story. You just have to learn to recognize it for what it is.
Whether you're in Paris or Target.
There has indeed, been joy to share throughout my life. And everywhere I am going...it seems to be everywhere I look.
Actually, I don't even really have to look.
I just have to remind myself to see it...
It's always with me.
And that's quite a story.

Saturday Evening Post

It's been a long day
It's been a long week
It's been a hell of a long month
I decided going to the gym on Saturday night is the best time of all.
Lots of parking available.
No wait for any of the machines...

And I was pretty much the youngest and thinnest person there...

It's those little things that keep me going...
(yeah, it's been a long life.)

So long, farewell...

Alanna and her husband, Jared, will be moving to Virginia next week!
Alanna and Allison--and Jared!--met in seventh grade and they all pretty much grew up at our house!

Wishing them LOVE and JOY and HAPPINESS and success!

Bella notte