christmas gift: November 2011

Before I Kick the Bucket List

Have you ever sat down and thought about what you wanted to accomplish before you kicked the bucket?? Would you like to go skydiving, ride a bull, climb a mountain, love deeper, and try to make peace and forgive those you hadn’t before? Seeing my mom die at the age of 51 and my dad at 65, the ole bucket list has a little more meaning for me because mine includes all the things that the two of them missed out on through no fault of their own. It woke me up to the reality of how precious and short life is. If they hadn’t died so young I probably wouldn’t have had such an insight into this topic and realized that a lot of what is on my own bucket list was on theirs as well. I want to live each day knowing that maybe not today, but maybe tomorrow I can!

I want to see both my kids grow up, marry, and have kids of their own settled and happy. I want to enjoy the overwhelming happiness of being the mother of the bride and groom. I look forward to gaining another son and daughter on the day of their marriages and welcoming them with open arms into the family. I want to hold each of my grandchildren, cherish them, and spend as much time with them as I can. Ideally I would love to see them grown and married pursuing their own lives with vigor. I want to see all the little things that matter most, and be there for the special moments of their lives from graduations to weddings. I want to be there to celebrate with them and comfort them in their times of sorrow. I want my kids, their significant others, and my grandkids to congregate at my house for good ole fashion family reunions filled with laughter and tons of food at every major holiday. I want them to never doubt for one millisecond how much I truly love them.

I would like to see a day when all the bills are paid up to date and I still have money in my pocket. Even though I know my bill collectors wouldn’t know how to act if they couldn’t harass me for money, I might just miss telling them when they threaten collection that I’ve been there and done that. It would be a hardship for them not to have the privilege of winning a free bushel of horse $hit for their trouble or the pleasure of me encouraging them to kiss it. I wish a day would come when my husband wouldn’t have to work so hard, and I could spend most of my days at his side. I would give anything if he could be home more and we still would be able to pay bills and enjoy life. That doesn’t figure in very well when you are paid by the mile and you love to drive a semi truck. If that truck isn’t rolling, there is no money to be had.

I want to be able to explore the world with my little family. If not Europe and the Caribbean, then Disney World and some of the great travel hot spots in the United States. I want to be able to use my camper as a means of lodging while we travel cross country exploring all the beauty I can find. Since I haven’t been anywhere in years, going any place would be welcome. I love to explore!! I want to make memories with my husband and kids that I can cherish for the rest of my life and document in pictures.

Most of all I want to live a life filled with laughter. Instead of my cup running over with sadness, I prefer overflowing with happiness. I would accept the daily challenge to find the blessings in each day and be thankful for each one no matter how small and insignificant. A big one on my bucket list is to know deep in my heart when I do die that my family know without a doubt how much I cherished each of them and enjoyed the wild ride of life at their side. That is all I have to say until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.

Wordless Wednesday: Jingle Bells and Candy Canes

Hindsight 20/20-BFF 144

While I was growing up my mom would often tell me when things didn’t go my way (which seemed to be more times than not), that everything happens for a reason. It may not be for us to understand now, but down the line the “why” would become clear. The answers I sought wouldn’t reveal themselves in my time, but in G0ds and oftentimes out of every catastrophe knowledge would be gained. I have found this to be very true and when things are going south, I now find solace in the “big picture” knowing that whatever trial I am facing will result in a lesson well learned in the future. There is a reason for everything. When I am ready to be open to the answers I seek, they will be revealed. Even though I try to be optimistic and let go and let G0d, I get impatient and depressed with the cruelty of fate just like everyone else.

Throughout life we all make choices. Sometimes they aren’t the best choices, but we rush forward anyways completely oblivious. You don’t realize that it is the wrong choice until after it is too late. Friends and relatives will try to beat sense into our noggins only to be rebuffed. Then hindsight sneaks up and takes a juicy bite out of you’re a$$, and you learn from it whether you want to or not. Somehow, someway you learn, and the next time around hopefully turns out a lot better. You make better choices and become more in tune with who you are, what you need, and what you want in life to finally grasp the brass ring of happiness.

Most of us go through life frantically looking for the fairytale to the point we ignore what should have been obvious. You want the happy ever after so badly, you are willing to settle for the first a$$ or option that comes along no matter what your gut instinct tells you. I ignored my ex-husband’s drinking problem, I ignored the drugs, and believed like a complete idiot that once I was married that all that would change and life would be perfect. Even as the first bars of the wedding march began to play, I knew I was making a big mistake. I went right on ahead anyways not having the backbone at the time to run back up the aisle until I seen daylight. People do it all the time. I just didn’t have the balls. I believed in happily ever after in all circumstances.

Sometimes you want something so badly that you rush into something and by rushing you end up royally screwed and with nothing. Like the house we tried to have built, we didn’t realize at the time we would have been a lot better off renting a house with the land we needed, or even attempting to buy it. No one could tell us different. The contractor in charge of the details filed bankruptcy and we got a royal screwing that left our credit shattered. You can bet, we learned from that mistake and ended up right where we should have all along.

In hindsight, everything becomes crystal clear and eventually we all end up on the paths we were meant to travel on. We learn the hard way, one way or another, that things are just as they should be for better or for worse. With that said, in hindsight…our outlook becomes 20/20 and our vision for the present and the future becomes a little clearer. Until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.

Tasty Tuesday: German Chocolate-Coconut Pie

1 9 inch unbaked piecrust

1 (4 ounce) bar sweet baking chocolate

2 TBSP butter or margarine

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

½ cup hot water

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

½ cup pecans

½ cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prick piecrust in several places with a fork. Bake until crust is firm and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Let cool.

Combine chocolate and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted (about 3 minutes.)

Combine chocolate mixture and condensed mile in a large bowl. Add eggs, water, vanilla, and salt.

Pour mixture into piecrust. Sprinkle with pecans and coconut. Bake until slightly set, about 45 minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before slicing for best results. Bon Appetit’!

Mother of The Groom

I was having lunch with my family at The Parker in Palm Springs, when I saw this wonderful woman pass by. I hopped up from my seat and quickly snapped a shot of her on her way to her son's Wedding reception.

Crocheting: My Not So Secret Passion!

Crocheting has become a passion that I have carried with me all the days of my life. I love yarn, and the fact that a simple ball of the stuff can create something extraordinary with a little effort.

Warm weather draws a person outside…but cool weather finds me wanting to crochet!! Because of this urge, I made a trip to the store as soon as the winds blew colder and picked out some vibrant colors to use to construct an afghan. I was drawn to the purples and lavenders!! I rushed home and dove into my collection of pattern books searching for an afghan that would prove challenging enough to hold my interest and in the end be beautiful to behold. I wanted to try a pattern I had never done before and went with a striped pattern that featured Catherine wheels throughout. I can honestly say there is nothing I love better than crocheting while I watch television or a good movie!! When I first met my husband he was floored that I could crochet, as he had never met anyone under 80 that knew how. He must have lived a sheltered life because I taught myself to crochet when I was about 10.

This last summer I taught my daughter how to crochet and she proudly won a blue ribbon at the local 4H fair for her creation. It didn’t take long for the crochet bug to bite her!! Before I had barely finished my first row she was begging for me to go buy her a ball of yarn so she could crochet too. Like me, she loves the variegated patterns and chose one peppered with white, purple, and pale blue. I set her to work making a Granny Square. I suggested she continue until she used up the yarn, and then get another ball of a different pattern or color to make a new square. Eventually, she could crochet her squares together and have a nice sized blanket for her bed. A bonus is that she could eventually enter her afghan into the fair if she wanted.

It has become a tradition in my family to crochet. My mom did it, then I taught myself, and then I taught my daughter. A relaxing and rewarding hobby, when all is said and done you have a heirloom that will be treasured always. It has become the not so secret passion that I will carry with me all the days of my life. Until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.

What the Brilliant Gift For Boy Friend

Us Today, in his site (http://www.usatoday.com) tell about, Ashley Delahunty promises herself that she won't wait until the last minute to start her Christmas shopping, but every year, she ends up in a mad dash to check off all the names on her list. "I always have great plans about what I want to do for people, but it never comes together because I run out of time," says Delahunty, 36, of Wellesley, Mass. "So I end up buying exactly what they tell me they want, which is practical but takes the surprise and fun out of it."

A study published this year in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that while gift recipients are happier with gifts they've explicitly asked for, givers think that gifts they've picked out on their own are seen as more considerate and better appreciated.

What's more, research led by Mary Steffel, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Florida-Gainesville, suggests that shoppers who are selecting gifts for more than one close friend at a time tend to focus on how the recipients are different, rather than on what they'd like best.

"Giving is almost more about the giver" than it is about the recipient, says Tina Lowrey, a professor of marketing at the University of Texas-San Antonio who has studied gift-giving behavior.

One way to select better presents is to be aware of what kind of giver you are, she says.

"It depends on the person, of course, but if someone does become aware of their shopping roles, they can change the way they buy," says Lowrey.

Below some idea for your boys

Motor Cycle Miniature, almost all boys like it

Laptop Or Netbook for support his job
Music box for remember you before sleep
Handphone for facilitate communication make easy your relation
Digital camera, i like it, may be you too..etc

Coloring Pages Christmas Presents

Palm Desert

Thank you for all of your comments and support on my last post. I hope to empower people to feel good about themselves and live life to the fullest, so any feedback on my work is much appreciated. I met this beautiful woman while consignment shopping with my family in Palm Desert. She was shy about posing, but lit up the camera with her beautiful smile, as soon as she stepped into the frame.

Coloring Pages Christmas Disney