Thursday, May 26, 2011

"58 hours"


"My goofy face boy"
In just "58" I am sure very long hours for me..he will return from
his 9 month life in the big city!!!

Return to home...return to Mom, Dad, Sissy, B, Maddie, Eddie, Albus and Marley...!
We can't wait "Budword"!!!
See you soon...and so looking forward to your most special Mom hugs!!!
Love you up to God and Back again, around the world and back again...
To infinity and Beyond!!!

"There is really nothing like a memorable meal"



As I wrote previously on Sunday, my daughter and her husband and me and my Mr. were headed off to dinner at Luigi's restaurant to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary and
then us girls were on to see "WICKED"... that is another post..

Well they headed out to get us a table at the restaurant and we were following just a couple minutes behind..
So they get there and it is packed and they are met with
the stern, unfriendliness of a hostess not with the mostest!!
They immediately called us and told us what was happening and because we were on a time constraint we decided to walk across the parking lot over to the next street where there is another restaurant by the name of "Italian Kitchen"

Now I need to preface this by saying that Luigi's has always been my very, very favorite Italian place to land...
Well sorry Luigi's...unfortunately not anymore...
Now I am not one of those diner's that is picky beyond belief or anything..
I just want to go out, especially since we can't ever really afford to go out to dinner...only once in a while..
Anyway..my only expectations are that I be welcomed as if I was dining in your home..like we are friends..
I love a cozy atmosphere, attentive service and food that is memorably yummy! That you end of craving in the future..
I don't think that is too much to ask of a fine dining establishment..
Ok...sorry...I kind of went off on a tangent...
Back to the point..

We toddle over to the Italian Kitchen, walk in expecting to wait, and we were greeted with a genuine, welcoming smile and seated immediately...not only that, but the hostess inquired as to whether we were going to be headed to the show...
WOW...she sent our server right over, who explained that in order to get us out in time we would need to try to decide on our orders in the next 3 mins or so...how wonderful that they
wanted us to have a nice dinner but also not be late for the show...
We were not only more than impressed, but the food, oh my gosh it was absolutely to die for...scrumptious...the kind of food that when you take a bite you hum the yum out loud...





Like I said...sorry Luigi's I think I have a new Italian friend!!!

They didn't have Clam Linguini on the menu, but they had Clams in Wine and herbs for an appetizer so they made it for me...it was so fabulous and had the added tasty goodness of panchetta!!!
My daughter had homemade spinach ravioli with a gorgonzola cheese sauce...incredible..
My Mr. had homemade Lobster Ravioli in a rich creamy wine sauce...stupendous
and my dear son in-law had Spaghetti Carbonara with their own homemade italian sausage..
Now I love a good Carbonara, but the addition of their own incredible italian sausage just about put me over the edge..
Good thing we all love to share!!!

We will definitely be paying another visit soon...
A big loving thank you goes out to all the wonderful employees at the Italian Kitchen...you do fabulous work!!!!
It was a pleasure to dine at your table...  

Sunday, May 22, 2011

"A Darn Incredible Day"

Today is a Significant Day
Today is a jumping up an down twirling in circles kind of day..


Today is one of those kind of days that leaves a path of vivid thankfulness on your memory..
Today is a milestone and today is a delicious treat..

Today is the Mr's and My 35th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY




and on top of that today is the day that my daughter, a surprise to me until the other day, is taking me to see the Broadway Play WICKED!!!


And dinner at Luigi's Italian Restaurant..


eating my favorite Clam Linguini..


Oh my goodness what a day it is going to be..

The Mr is off this morning doing his other favorite thing in life...
Golfing!!! 
Don't get it I admit it...

So anyway back to the

35 YEARS of marriage?  Are you kidding me?
Was it really that long ago?
And to think it all started with 2 17 year olds, a pregnant dog named Kapok and ultimately, too much tequila, falling off a big pair of platforms and into a long haired hippie guys lap..sorry Mom!

You are most likely, having just read the above, thinking to yourself..."what the f?"

Well to enlighten you just a bit...
In the spring of 1974, in the halls of Joel E. Ferris HS, there were all sorts of 
kids roaming the halls...
You know the general mix..

The sports guys
The Socialite girls
The brainy kids
The shop kids
The don't quite fit in anywhere kids
The quiet ones
The obnoxious ones
And then there were the long haired hippie kids like
US...
The ultimate 70's kids I'd like to think..

And then there was this one guy!!!

I'd had my eye on him for some time..
Long beautiful brown hair with highlights of gold..
A pewter marijuana belt buckle..that, I am sure made my Dad the cop quite happy!!
Green parka coat, moccasins on his feet..
He was shy, yet confident in a quiet kind of way..
He liked to take walks in the woods and take photographs..
He didn't drive but chose to ride his bike or walk to his destination...
In my opinion, amazingly cool!
I tried for quite some time to get him to notice me, but he
wasn't THAT guy..you know the guy who knows he's cool..
Like I said he was quiet and sooo nice..
He had his friends, the friends he had grown up with and he had only had 1 girlfriend, whom he dated for a couple of years and collected Beatle's albums with..before me..

Then one day I heard that his dog, Kapok was her name, was having puppies..
Well, lets just say, I viewed that as my ultimate opening...
A reason to approach and maybe have a conversation..

But before I could do that I had to try to convince my Mom and Dad to let me have a puppy...REALLY?  That was my plan?
Don't ask me how I did it, but I got them to agree...
They never agreed with me about anything..proven argument for you can't mess with destiny!
So started the conversations...and of course, once the puppies were born, the visits to choose one..

We became acquainted, started to converse,
admittedly just about puppies and such, but hey
conversation is conversation in the goal of love..

And then one day I came to school with laryngitis..
He had a cure...
Tequila!
Sorry Mom, yes we were young and stupid..
So anyway...off we go..


Me in my cutest jeans, long red hair, and 2 inch platform clogs..
Seriously, they looked just like this..

Back to the story...
Arrive at the party, crack open the tequila...
(what idiot actually bought the tequila for a couple of 17 year olds...did they have no shame?)
Ok..so young, stupid us..
salt, tequila, lime..you know the drill..

Then..girl who has never had tequila before,
girl feels the affects, girl trips and falls off her platforms,
girl lands right in the lap of said guy she had had her eye on for sometime, 
begged her parents to let her have a puppy just so she would have a reason to talk to him guy..

Evidently he didn't mind that the dumb long haired, red headed girl who just fell off her platforms after 2 straight shots of Tequila, had landed in his lap..
He looked at me and THEN PLANTED A BIG OLE SMACK A ROO RIGHT ON MY LIPS!!!

Honestly, I don't remember much of the rest of the night..
I know that I did wake up the next morning cured..and
I know that the rest is as they say "History"...

In conclusion..
My white puppy was the love of our life...we named her Dubi (and my parents thought that it was so cute that we named her after my favorite band "The Doobie Brothers")
Oh my goodness..!!!
"The guy" and I became inseparable..and 1 year after graduating in 1975, on an amazingly beautiful spring day we married at the little church I grew up in..


Not a very good picture, but the only one I could find..

It was at this point I thought I would run downstairs and grab assorted photos of our wedding and younger year..scan them and share..
but after a couple hours of digging..WHERE ARE THEY?

Lets just say, 35 years of stuff, and may I add, not the most organized stuff..they are hiding..somewhere..
Most likely in that special place I put things to keep them safe and then can never find them..
Oh well..the pictures are in my head and my heart..

Hmmm 35 years..
It has been a wonderful life filled with
roller coasters
life lessons
struggles
triumphs
thousands of amazing moments that will live forever in our hearts and minds..

2 incredible children
4 houses
numerous pets of all kinds
amazingly beautiful vacations together
laughter
tears
deaths
illnesses
scary times..
money..
no money..

But when all is said and done, it has been the best, most delightful, most wonderful life, filled with more love than could be imagined...

We are blessed..
We are together..
and we are a family...

Blessings always..
Me
  




Friday, May 20, 2011

"Its Almost Time"

I can't believe it...its almost time!!!
Time to start this new class NEXT WEEK...!!


with the most beloved, fun, inspirationAL teacher!!!


Owner of the wonderful online store www.scarletlime.com
You absolutely need to delight yourself and all your senses and visit her online store and check out both the classes she offers..
"She Art Workshop"
and 
"She Had Three Hearts"

Get signed up for one or both and truly, you will be incredibly changed by the experience...


Such a cutie pie and so much fun!!
All the wonderful teaching videos in just her sweet style..
I am proud to say that I was a student of her "She Art Workshop" AND SO EXCITED FOR "SHE HAD THREE HEARTS"

THEN ON TO:


Beginning in the first part of June..
To say that "Soul Restoration I" changed me, changed my life, changed how I view the world, see myself, see others, see how my relationship with me, others and the world around me and how I view those relationships and accept them would be just a bit of what I learned in the first class...just a tiny little part of what was opened up inside me and would be as they say an "understatement"
It is difficult for me to express what this class helped me to do for myself and how much I learned and grew in the short time I was a part of it..
All I can say is that "YOU ARE WORTH IT"...

And to try to explain what an incredible soul this woman is would be so very difficult..


Melody Ross is one of those incredible beings that has a true and incredible purpose in this life..
And I believe that purpose is to lift up women all over the world...help them to love themselves, forgive themselves and give us all permission to shoot for our dreams and be all that we can be...

Please visit the Brave Girls site and give yourself a gift that will change your life!

Love and blessings to all...

Val

Thursday, May 19, 2011

"Oh What A Beautiful Morning"

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful morning!
Up with the first sunlight..
Filled with energy and a light heart
The incredible shades of green are a delight to these eyes so accustomed to the blah grey hues of winter and a very bleak and rainy spring..


The magnolias are in full and abundant bloom


Life is ultimately restoring and opening its wings to a new season of growth and promise...

I came home from work yesterday and was so excited to mow my lawn...the Mr. is out of town and thought I would surprise him..


Just goes to show you are never to old or out of shape to work in the garden..
Fresh air, freshly mowed grass, cleaning up the neglected flower beds, preparing them for some new blooming friends..

Oh the lovely blessings of spring and all that entails!




Thursday, May 12, 2011

"Sadness rears its ugly head"

When I finally sat down at my desk this morning I opened up my e-mail and my "Brave Girls Daily Truth" and Melody Ross had written a blog entitled "You do not have to Prove Anything"..
It hit hard in my heart...I wish that was true, for me at least.  I feel as if I have been trying to prove myself worthy of love, worthy of consideration, worthy of thoughtfulness, worthy of kindness, for so long.
Its hard to try to please everyone.
To live up to others expectations..
To not ask for anything..
To do things just right, to tip toe, to mold for different peoples expectations so that you will stay in their good graces...so that you will be loved, accepted just as you are..no matter how hard or inconvenient it might be to others..
To feel others dislike floating in the air and you don't know what you did.. 
To fight the demons of self doubt is exhausting..
To be alone, even when others are around is sadness...

But I will keep fighting those demons...I always have...
Sometimes I am tired...


A poem by the incredible Melody Ross..

I Made You
(a poem by melody ross)
I took a stroll and then a walk
A thought at first and then a talk
I said ‘just look how fast I go”
If you watch someday you’ll know.

I walked with blisters, couldn’t quit
No rest, no strength but not there yet
I knew there was so much to learn
So much to do, His love to earn.
I picked up speed and started to run,
I raised my eyes and spoke at the sun,
You see! I’m worth it, look at me!
If I do enough, someday you’ll see.
Look, I said, I’m climbing now!
I’ll keep it up and prove somehow,
That I’m a good one, you will see,
Someday you’ll be so proud of me.
I got so tired but couldn’t stop
I had to race right to the top,
It couldn’t be so far, I knew
I had to show what I could do
Things so bleak, a trail so rough
Wanting to prove that I was enough
Beaten down and cold and shot
But, what if I waste this chance I’ve got?

I climbed, then crawled when I couldn’t walk
A thought at first and then a talk
I’ll climb until I reach the top
When I get there can I finally stop?

Who told you that you had to climb?
Who told you that you weren’t just fine?
Who told you that it must be earned?
There’s so much that you need to learn.
I loved you when you strolled and thought
You’ve always had the things you’ve sought
There’s nothing that you have to do
To prove to Me…for I Made You.
I know what you can do, you see
Just do your best and breathe and be
And stop the proving just to show
For these are things I already know.
Walk if you want and run if you choose
Climb if you must, you’ve got nothing to lose
But do it for joy , rest along the way
If you need answers, just kneel and pray
Do your best and know what’s real
Stop climbing when you can not feel
And turn and look into the sky
And watch the birds and how they fly
And know that every part of you
Was created with all that’s good and true
There’s nothing that you have to do,
To prove to Me, for I Made You.

Thank you  Melody from the deepest part of my heart

And thanks be to God, for he knows who I am...
He made me for this life and knows my struggles..
I will not forget that he is beside me, even when others in their humanity bring sadness.


Me