Let the stress be-GONE.

I enjoyed a walk on our property this morning before starting my day. I took my camera with me to remind me of the beauty we all have to look at. It's easy to take it for granted when we are so busy with our day. Today I wanted to stop......de-stress.....and take the time to smell the roses (or California Poppies) ........well, lets be honest it's not all "roses" that I smell, but sounds better than a few other smells I could post...

A few birds flying around and I'm enjoying the cooler weather those clouds are providing this morning.

This is where we plan to put the water trampoline. I found one that is green and brown instead of blue and yellow. Of course it must have the "BLOB" on it. My "hunk of burnin love" will surely be the biggest kid off all. I better make sure my medical insurance is paid up before I snap shots of my rugrats flying thru the air while my 'hunk of burnin love' lies there laughing after being so proud of the height to which he has made his children fly.

This is the path that goes down to the tip of one of our coves. I'd love to put a little bungalow down there someday.

I can feel the stress melting away... Water is so calming to me. I love the outdoors, the peace and the beauty. I feel so blessed to be able to sit and have this view to calm me each day.

The grass is still dry from summer...... I can't wait for it all to turn green again...

This is part of our driveway just before you make the turn to the house,

miss the turn and your car will be launched..... you will be swimin' with the fish.

The tree between the two rocks that looks like it has fallen over is actually growing that way. It stretches straight out like that to the lake. It's like it has leaned over to get a drink of water and didn't have the strength to stand back upright. I feel it's pain.... I've leaned over to do something before and I thought I need a crane to help me stand back up-right. Grabin' my back and cursing the days of my youth slippin away...... one ache, one pain and one gray hair at a time.

The below photos actually from the other night as the sun was setting. I stepped out on the patio and was so impressed with the color of the sunset that I had to go grab my camera. I love a beautiful sunset.

Can't think of a much better ending to my day........

The tension from running around like a wild woman trying to get the kids ready for school is now becoming nothing but a memory.. (until tomorrow when it starts all over again)... Ya know, you hear, "YOU ARE GOING TO MISS THESE DAYS"..... And with having a son who is 19 years old I know there is truth in those words of wisdom. What I'm not sure about is if I will ever miss the mornin CHAOS. I will and already do miss when they were very small and always had the cutest things come out of there mouths....... Like when my rugrat daughter was trying to say that she wasn't thinking clearly and instead of saying "I wasn't making any sense" she said "It was like I didn't have any money in my head for a minute!"........

But will I really miss the rugrats fighting amongst themselves? I'm not sold on that one yet.

Enjoy your morning!

Ciao Bella~

Our dogs, a few of our cats and poor dirty faced Paul Sherbert getting a bath

This is our dear sweet OLD dogie Nestlie. She is having a much harder time getting around lately and our hearts are breaking knowing her time with our family will not doubt soon be coming to an end. She was an excellent hunting dog. She followed my 'Hunk a Hunk a Burnin' Love' everywhere. She would run and play with the rugrats and wanted to spend every moment with us that she could.

Now she spends most days laying around and wags her tail when she sees us just hoping we will come over and love on her. Which we always make time to do.

She did make a trip down the hill to our lake where she laid part-way in the water and under the shade of the boat the other day. Unfortunately, she couldn't get back up the hill. My "Hunk of Burnin' Love' had to carry her back t o our door. Made me cry!

This is our LUCKY dog Buck. He was given to us as a house warming gift and has been the most expensive dog we have ever owned. He has been bit by rattle snakes at least 4 times. The first time we took him in, had him hooked up to an IV giving him anti-venom. This was a very costly hospital stay for Mr. Buck.......well for US.... every time after that we have given him Advil and told him we loved him and wished him luck.... (they said the anti-venom should only be used one time).... He has recovered more quickly with each bit.

Next he followed a stray dog and was picked up by the pound. Now we lived in the middle of nowhere so I didn't think to check with the pound. I was afraid an animal or animals got to him. My husband mentioned the pound and I thought well heck I'll give it a try. I called and they told me that they had him but the time limit was up and he had been put down the previous day. My heart hit the floor! How could I have not called sooner? OMGosh! Then she someone in the background said something and she asked me to hold the line. She came back on to tell me that the dog she thought was put down was actually still there. Apparently they hadn't gotten too busy the day before and he wasn't put down. I was so upset to know they put these animals down so quickly, broke my heart but I was so excited to know they thought they had my dog! I rushed to the pound and there he was. I ended up adopting him back because it was cheaper than paying his BAIL! uhhhhhhhh this dog.......

OH when he was a pup he was up at the shop and decided to lay underneath a trailer. My 'Hunk of Burning Love' backed the trailer up, didn't see him and he didn't move, and BUMP.....Buck was run over with the trailer. It broke his hip bone.

There have been MANY MANY MANY other stories of how lucky our Buck is.....but we too are lucky and in love with our housewarming gift!

OH I failed to mention. Our Nestlie is Buck's Aunt!

I think he is saying "GREAT...... MORE PHOTOS!"


Where is kitty kitty??? Hiding in the tree..... He thinks I can't see him! Silly cat.

It's OK Kitty I didn't want to keep the plants that were once in this planter anymore..... I bought it for your bed.......

If you can believe it we have 5 cats who sleep in this! Momma kitty and all five of her NOT SO SMALL kittens. By the way......this is one of the not so small kittens.

A few months ago our momma kitty had kittens (AGAIN) and I was talking to my nephew on the phone. He said "Auntie I want an orange kitty" I told him he could have the orange kitty and I asked him what he wanted to name it. He said "Paul" I was laughing so hard. My nephew is 4 years old. Where did the name Paul come from? So OF COURSE I named him Paul. My rugrats wanted to name him Orange Sherbert because he is orange.... so we have combined the two and have "Paul Sherbert"..... Well, Paul Sherbert has a CONSTANT dirty face.... I mean ALWAYS.... My hunk a hunk of burning love and my animal loving rugrat daughter decided to give this poor kitty a bath. He is so loving that he didn't cause anyone to bleed but lets just say he wasn't happy about it...

His face did look much cleaner though........

I'm so sorry Mr. Sherbert..... it was done out of love......

Have a good night!!!!!

Ciao Bella~

Vail, Colorado~ Let the Sister trip begin!!

Here we are!!! Me and my little Sista'...... We were on our back deck.. It was so B-E-A-utiful!

We are family...ya ya ya...... I got my baby sista with me....... (we used to sing this song when we were little, it was my sisters favorite!)

You know the song, right? There is one in every crowd and it's usually ME? Well, here I am. You know I love to people watch.... well, the way I see it I can't be the only one who enjoys people watching. And these people traveled all the way to Vail, I can't let them down! Come on now, they needed a good story to tell their friends.

I'm thinkin' there story went something like this:

Ring......Ring..........Ring..... "Hello?" ..... "Susie?" ....... "Yes, this is Susie.".... "Oh my gosh girl you missed it! You should have with us to Vail! We just got off of the gondola ride and were walking up the plaza heading to eat dinner. You should have seen this lady. (not sure if I qualify for the term lady)... She stood up on top of this fireplace RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF VAIL PLAZA.... Her sister had a camera and I thought she was going to just take her photo. Then she jumps up in the air ....now mind you she isn't some petite thing, but she got all the junk in her trunk up off the fireplace and was flyin' like the wind... then she throws her arms up and strikes a pose in mid air. Now wait.....the BEST PART, she lands it.....well we thought she was going to land it and then she falls to the ground. She is laughing so hard and I hear her shout out, wait little Sister don't laugh, I can't laugh right now... I'M GOING TO PEE MY PANTS!!! We waited to see if she was going to be sitting in a puddle but it never happened. I don't understand people. I mean seriously? In Vail Plaza. Go to a park lady... You really need to come with us next time. (Ya sorry not showing the wipe out photo! See I can't, my little sis was laughing so hard that there isn't one)"

Yep, there is one in every crowd and the scary or maybe just plain sad part is I'm PROUD to say It's USUALLY ME...... (just doin' my part... I'm just thoughtful like that.. ) The leaves were starting to turn. It is a great time to go to Vail. Not only for the beautiful changing of the leaves but everything was on SALE. I mean "K-MART Red (or is it blue?) light Special" kind of sale. We are talking 50% off sale. An occasion 51% off, just for good measure. Almost every restaurant offered buy one bottle of wine and get one free. Our Suite was 50% off as well. HIGHLY recommend this trip, I will cherish the memories with my little sis forever!

Soooooooooo beautiful!!

So you know I have another story! My little sista' and myself are laying back at the pool catchin some rays. Of course you would think living in California and being a less than tan that I would not forget the importance of sunscreen. One would think this was just common sense. Especially when you are up soooooooooo high and the sun can burn you even faster. Nope, I'm still peeling a bit from my burn. But the fun story for picture isn't how I left looking like a tomato.... it's that I sent this picture in a text message to my hunk a hunk a burnin love with a sweet little note letting him know how much I appreciated that he was here with the 4 children while I was burning by the pool and drinking a margarita.

I sent the photo of my margarita and under it I said " Thanks honey! I love you!!!"


MY PHONE BUZZ's BACK WITH A TEXT (Wowza that was fast, hunk a hunk a burnin' love usually replies with a text saying "my phone number is".... ya, he's not a big text person) I get so excited and press to open it....... THIS is what I see..

Ya............................ Your welcome.........

SMART BUTT!!! A man of many words........ Nice photo of his McDonald's lunch in his work truck. I laughed so hard......... imagine it.... ha

My sister being a photographer had me stand here for a photo because of the beautiful lighting. I really was in awe of how beautiful it was there. Did I mention I think you all you try to go sometime???

My gorgeous little sista'......... Oh I just love her so much!!!!

I decided to just sit on the fireplace instead of jumping off of it this time.

We had fun taking photos in this Gondola. In fact it was our pleasure to give others walking by something to look at (again)... But the way I see it. We only live once, we will never see these people again, so let us be the dorks we are and get our fun photos!

My sis looks so pretty......

And then the silliness begins...........

YES! I PROMISE you it really really was that funny and then some! Oh boy we had a great time!

I know this looks so real, right? I was trying to pretend as though I was hundreds of feet in the air and about to step off. But obviously, the photo didn't quite capture that with the nice stone walk way right beneath my foot. But again........ it's OK,...........because we had fun..... we laughed, we laughed so hard that we cried at some moments. Well, lets be honest.......we laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants at some moments. Like I said in the beginning of this post. The memory of this trip with my sister, I will always cherish! I love you little sista'......

Ciao Bella~

The REAL houswives of the California Mountains

So this show is so popular. (along with all the other reality shows) The Real Housewives of the O.C.

My friends and I were talking yesterday (imagine it! I know it is so hard to do, I'm such a quiet person by nature....but YES we were talking (nonstop) and we decided we thought there should be a Real housewives show here in our little mountain community. Now we don't live on the beach in Orange County California but we do live in California and I live on a lake, doesn't that count for something?!? (work with me here people!) And lets be honest, the drama sells the show. I guarantee we could put a few people on who enjoy nothing more than drama. Small mountain community? Drama? Duhhhhhhhh...

We may not (I most certainly don't, only in my sweet sweet dreams) look like these "housewives" pictured above but we are true housewives. Well, lets be honest a few of my friends do look very much like the women in the photo above. "I" just like to say WE instead of singling myself out. It makes me sleep better at night. I'm not the typical CALIFORNIA girl image. Which reminds of when I really found this out. It was back in high school, lets just say those girls in the photo didn't have anything on me back in the day. (Of course that would account for most 18 year olds!) But one day after graduation some friends and myself decided to go to the beach. Now mind you, I had just graduated high school. I had been going to the ruin your skin and hopefully not get cancer bed ......I mean tanning bed A LOT. I should have just set up a bunk because I was there every day. I just had to be TAN for my graduation. I could proudly where a bikini (oh, sorry, I had to grab a tissue remembering these LONG LONG ago, sooooooooooo long ago, before children and stretch marks and incisions days tears me up a bit). I was about a size 3 to 5 with Double digit ta ta's. sighhhhhhhh . So we are laying on the beach. These two "guys" approach us and start talking. They were soooooo cute! And my friend "S" and myself decide that there is one for each of us! (My "Hunk a Hunk of Burning Love" and I were broke up at the time and I was determined to move on~ and get over him!.....ya that happened,......NOT) But back to these hot hunks on the beach. They informed us they lived in Colorado and were out visiting their dear sweet old grandmother. Ahhhhhh all the looks and a heart for their grandmother, could it be true? Well, I'm thinking "I'm so glad I've worked on this golden tan, it must be paying off!" We had our cool matching Ray Bans on (My friend "S" and me) hers had the white across the top and mine the hot pink. Too cool for School. Man I miss the 80's! Both the guys were named Steve. So Steve and Steve keep this conversation going and then they ask us if we are FROM California. I proudly say "yes, we are and we just graduated high school and how totally awesome is that dude?" Well, maybe I didn't do the "valley girl" talk but I'm sure Dude was used a hundred time or more.... So dreamy Steve, the short one, (actually they were both pretty dreamy) says "Wow, I thought California girls were supposed to be TAN?" I'm like WHAT are you kidding me DUDE this is the most tan I've been in my life!? What do you expect from us Cali girls? Should I have visited the tanning bed 3 times a day for 3 months instead of once a day? My dreams shattered. My thoughts of my tan paying off, had obviously been all in my own mind.... What did Steve know anyway, he was just some stupid punk staying with his grandmother because he couldn't afford to get a hotel! I bet he used all of her airline miles to fly here too! (No, honestly they were really nice guys, but not noticing my tan and saying it Out loud.....dude come on! ..soooooo rude. ) I mean did he even stop and have one of those Ally McBeal moments where he thinks he is thinking this too himself only to realize it has come out of his mouth? No, no, I just don't think he did. I don't think he was having an Ally moment at all. He just wasn't impressed with my tan. And obviously didn't have problem letting me know this tid bit of information. Turns out he was impressed with me and the other, taller, Steve was impressed with my friend "S". But that's a whole different story for another day.

Back to our REAL housewives episode. I know you all would love to watch us. We say dumb things, fall when we are tyring to look cool, chuck cow pies off of our beach area so we can swim in the lake.....Of course we fling them with one hand, while holding our wine glass in the other. We go to school functions with our children. We notice who is wearing something that just really should be a prison sentence for wearing it. Sometimes it's something that say is ohhhhh about 10 sizes too small for a plump person (such as myself.....though I tend to wear clothing bigger because I naively think this is hiding all my goods) or it may be someone who is wearing something too slutty and showing off well, lets just say the only thing plump they have going on (and popping out) are there purchased ta ta's..... not that there is anything wrong with that. I did have to have mine chopped down and still don't understand why they didn't just hook up a hose to my big toe and just suck all the junk away... I would have paid good money for that. oOf course if I was a small person I'd pay good moeny for those pretty ta ta's too! sighhh.

At any rate, I really think we would be a good show. In fact I think the camera crew are on their way. I'm just so sure they are heading over to watch my can my salsa today. I mean isn't that what some REAL housewives do?

I am happy to live in a community where if you break down on the side of the road you will have 20 people you know drive by. Well, a few will stop, some will just honk and maybe call your cell and says "Dude! What happened?" Or laugh and wave as they go by...Kidding, you can't break down and not have more than enough people want to help. Up here everyone really loves to help everyone. Even if you don't particularly love the neighbor you still help (and then call a few of your best friends and talk crap on her.........only kidding!!!....kinda). Yep that's how we roll here in the hills of Cali.

We are the next show........ I can feel it....... I'll keep ya posted. ;)

I'm off to can salsa, in my red high heels of course...... NOT......

Ciao Bella!

A day in the lake isn't always better than a month in town.

This sign "A DAY AT THE LAKE IS WORTH A MONTH IN TOWN" sits in my living room window seal...Sorry you can't see it well in this photo..... Yes it's because I haven't figured out exactly where to hang it yet! Yes there is dust around it because it has been sitting there soooooooo long.... But we aren't talking about that right now. Right now we are talking about the "saying" and on most days I believe in this saying with all my heart...... But TODAY.... Yowza did we have fun in town!

It starts out by me rushing out the door to meet my friend "M"..... so I guess I was rushing because I just had to finish typing on my blog even though what I needed to do was save it and finish later..... and of course I was doing my 500 miles an hour down my dirt road when I realized I did not turn the generator off. YES, you did hear me correctly. GENERATOR... we have no PG&E, ohhhhhh we could have it if we wanted to cough up over $120,000.00!! So right now, I'm just doing my part in keeping the oil companies in business and I'm buying more than my fair share of diesel.

So I turned around and shut the generator down (or so I thought, but that is another story) and hit my 500 mph out the driveway, stopping at the gate letting most of the dust fly over me, opened and irkkkkk stop, got out closed the gate....vrmmmmmmmm off to the 2nd gate YES!YES! YES!, let the gates of heaven open and the angels sing..... the 2nd gate is open! And off I go. I had to slow down since I was on pavement (the main road as the kids call it). Pulled into the church parking lot (this is our meeting place of choice) and was only 1 minute late!! I gave myself the "YOU ROCK GIRL!" atta boy for my quick driving abilities and climbed into "M's" car.

We immediately started talking crap on people...... I mean......we immediately started talking about how wonderful our massages were going to be. I'm not sure we stopped talking the entire way, except to look at each other and wonder what the heck her GPS was saying to us (we were trying out a new Spa and "M" is always prepared.... Just like me...ummmm, well..... maybe not JUST like me BUT just like I strive to be, there we go.

So we pull into what we thought was the Spa...... NOPE it was a gated housing community, so we flip a U-turn and head back to the "MAIN ROAD" as we question Mrs. GPS again and WOLAAA (is that a word???) we are REALLY at the spa this time. We head in grab our paperwork (again, it was our first time at this spa so we had to give all the normal necessary information...like name, age, how many times have you been married, what is the name and social security number of your neighbor and their children) and then we headed to the back.

Once we got to the back of the spa we were given robes and told to get nakie and get in the robes. Of course we were shown a dressing room (if we wanted) or we could change right there in the locker area. Well, being as shy as we are we chose to strip it down right there and throw our robes on..... we headed to the "Relaxation Room" and sipped tea while we waited for our massage therapists to come fetch us..... ahhhhhhhhh the feeling of being pampered..... of course the saying "You can take the girl out of the country, but ya can't take the country out of the girl" probably rings true for us.... But we did trying to keep our laughter to a low roar as we cracked ourselves up over nothing anyone else would probably find funny. (Like what one of the Real Housewives of Atlanta said on the last episode, that is forever stuck in my head)....

Our gals came to get us and take us to our rooms and ahhhhhhhhhh the massages began. They were so relaxing. My gal seemed more like a medical graduate than a massage therapist but I appreciated her knowledge. In all the times I've had massages I never learned so much about myself as I did today. Who am I kidding?!? I haven't even had my physician give me so much information! For instance, on my left side one of my ribs is sticking out (not because of lack of food TRUST ME.....apparently because of a muscle tension, it's pulling out one of my ribs) ohhhhh and my left hip is up higher than my right hip. My left hand is very tense but strong. Stronger than my right hand which she found odd because I'm right handed. My jaw was tense but she was able to fix that, she apologized in advance for the pain she was going to cause me to repair this little problem but did thank me afterwards for how well I tolerated the pain.... I told her I just curled my toes and it was all good...... Oh I also have a lot of muscle in my feet and should not sleep on my stomach. I'm sure I'm forgetting something but wow did I learn allot. Not so much relaxing going on (even though she did have ocean waves breaking in the back ground playing on her CD player) but highly educational. And who knows, after this visit my body........that I didn't know was so "jacked up"...... might just be on the mend now.

So when my hour was up she took me back to the Relaxation Room to meet up with my friend "M".... When "M" shows up we lounge in the chairs and realize there is a man walking back and forth by the window. There are sheer type drapes up but we could see it was a man and that he kept walking past. "M" suddenly feels she has solved the mystery as to why he keeps walking past. Remember when I said we decided we didn't need the dressing room but stripped down right there and hopped in our robes? "M" thinks he may have had a sneak peak......Well, she might be on to something, lets hope not!

Our friends "K "& the other "K" give us a call and are finished with their pedicures and are ready to meet up for lunch. We quickly change (and no we didn't go in the dressing room we were just quick and we didn't see the guy walk past even once!.....guess the first time was enough ... maybe too much....for him.. ) and we paid, jumped in the car and met our friends for lunch. It was sooooo much fun!

"K" and the other "K" are two of the sweetest people you could ever meet. They also aren't exactly like "M" and myself. They don't ever walk out the door without makeup and their hair done. They always have the cutest outfits with their matching jewelry. Not to mention they both weigh about as much as my right leg (you know the one that sits slightly higher than my left side).....But I just don't hold that against them..... I may feel like screaming EAT so I don't feel so fat around you.......but I hold it in......swallow it down with my fettuccine and bread......ohhhhhhh the bread was soooooooo good....... All that to say I just love my friends! And they love me, all of me (not just my right *jacked up* leg)....

We left the restaurant (after OH YES, you guessed it discussing and laughing about my favorite part on the Real Housewives of Atlanta again) and went shopping.

Old Navy was having such killer deals today. Especially for the guy that snuck into the store, stuffed the big blue bag full of clothes and snuck out the door (without the YOUR STEALING CRAP FROM OUR STORE alarm going off) and ran down the sidewalk and got away. He really got a killer deal. The two gals working were not about to chase him, and we didn't blame them. There was another lady who was shopping and said she used to work at a store so she knew how to spot shoplifters and she said that she spotted him right away, watched him and informed the two gals working there exactly what he was going to do. She kindly explained all of this to us on our way to our car. She told us how it all went down and how their security must have been on lunch..... she was cracking herself up. I really had to hold back the urge to ask her if she watched the Real Housewives of Atlanta, she obviously knew how to have a good laugh and more importantly proved she loved to talk and nobody was a stranger (maybe she is my sister from another life)...

So I wont bore you with all the errands we ran but will rather get to the nice ALMOST (key word) peed my pants part of the day. COSTCO... see "M" and I get all our items (we so desperately needed, including the diet pills that have a warning on the label that I will have anal leakage if I eat fatty foods......but come on after eating lunch with "K" and the other "K" who wouldn't feel obligated to purchase diet pills!) and we headed to the check out line. Well, "M" being the dear friend she is points out that we really should get an ice cream that is hand dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in almonds... I mean it had been at least 2 hours since we ate all the pasta and bread (and salad, there was something healthy in that meal!) so we deserved one, NO we OWED it to ourselves to have this treat. It's all my mom's fault, she pointed these out to me one day and ughhhhhh, lets just say it must be a weeks worth of calories in that one ice cream bar!..

Now to the good part. We have our chocolate dipped ice cream bars and we are heading out into the California heat with lots of napkins. Problem? Well, we are pushing carts filled with the food we had just purchased (oh and the diet pills, which I didn't take yet because I'm thinkin' that ice cream has lots of fat in it and anal leakage and her car seat might not be a good idea...) and we are trying to eat our ice creams before they melt. We load the car, with one hand, so we can continue eating. Then we get what is known as "a clue" and I hold her ice cream while she quickly loads. I jump in the car while she returns the carts and something flies as I go to sit down. I'm thinking at this point that I must have lost a napkin and I'm sooooooooooo NOT going to chase after it. I plop down, close the car door and hold the ice creams over the A/C vents to try to keep them cool. My friend "M" is running back to the car when I hear her crack up laughing (VERY LOUDLY....that is how we roll) and I'm thinking "oh, ha ha, she sees me holding the ice cream in front of the vents, ha ha ha, this is too funny" and then I get a glimpse in the side mirror of the car and something catches my eye. I look again (mind you "M" is still laughing and even has a man turning around to see what she finds so funny) and it is my Costco receipt somehow stuck in the door handle of the car. (sorry I just laughed out loud sitting here by myself typing this....maybe you just had to be there)..... I figured out why she is laughing, it's not my A/C vent ice cream cooling system...... it's my I'm a dumb butt and my receipt is stuck in the door handle.

"M" climbs in the car and we run through what just happened, well, because that is what we do. So "M" is laughing and DROPS HER ICE CREAM ON THE FLOORBOARD OF THE CAR!!! Mayday! Mayday! Ice Cream down..... someone send in the troops! We both scream "ahhhhhhhh" but more of a high pitched scream (not sure how to type that) and I yell out "5 second rule", she yells something I probably shouldn't type and states she is eating it no matter what!!! I helped her pick the HAIR off of her ice cream (cuz I'm just such a good friend) and she EATS IT!. We wonder if our skinny butt friends "K" and the other "K" stopped off and got a 365,989 calorie ice cream too..... They could have done this before they hit the gym. I just don't understand why they are skinny and we aren't. Maybe they take anal leakage pills too. It is a mystery I guess I will never solve. sighhhhhhhh

We drove home, after we sat in the parking lot and finished our ice cream bars. And as much laughing as we had I'm thinkin' we may just have burned enough calories to make up for a few of the almonds we ate on our chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream bars! Makes me feel much better knowing this. I was starting to feel just a little guilty.

So, though a day on the lake can be so much better than a month in town to me on most days. Today's day in town was spent laughing with some of my best friends, getting a massage by what most likely was a physician disguised as a massage therapist and eating a massive amount of calories. It just doesn't get much better than that!

Ciao!

Lake View or Moose View? Home on the Range......

The kids just rushed out the door with my "hunk of burning love" to the bus stop and I'm trying to pretend I didn't just have an hour and a half's worth of morning chaos, but rather have been relaxing in my pj's (well I do still have them on actually) and sipping my coffee as I look out the window at the peaceful land that surrounds me...... But we all know with 4 children, it was the morning chaos, the quickly throwing of food in lunch bags, the toasting of bagels.. The where are your shoes? Where is your backpack? Do you have all your homework? Do you have your soccer cra*...... I mean stuff?

But it's over (for this morning) they are off....... ahhhhhhhhh Peace is restored in the land.

My two choices this morning......... Look out the window at this

ahhhhhhhhhhhh........... it's so relaxing, I can feel the stress melting, just dripping off of me (as my body screams please let the fat melt away with you!!)

OR I can look up above the window at this....

" I'm so sorry Mr. Moose." I have said that to him hundreds of times. Of course it is usually followed up with "But you did make the best Mooseghetti (as my kids call it) ever! Your meat has provided many a-meals for our family" But before the big truck delivered him to my door, I didn't have to look at him and tell him! I could just pretend it was The Moose Fairy who delivered all this wonderful meat.... Gone is that dream. Oh my "Great White Hunter" aka "Hunk of Burning Love" does love to hunt. If it moves and he would be willing to eat it.... well, lets just say, it's probably in our freezer.

That being said, being tucked back in here surrounded by this peaceful land we enjoy watching the deer swim across the lake (or walk up and eat our plants) the Coyotes howling loudly as they run through.......as if they are letting our dogs know to stay on their toes..... Or the Eagle soaring overhead, The owl Screeching at night, the BIG crows walking up on our front patio as if they own the place.... Where are those dogs I mentioned? Well, lets just say, they are getting older and have decided to let some things slide, like cows ploppin poop in my front yard and eating my plants.... down to crows walking around on the patio. Don't get my wrong as soon as they realize I am watching they jump up and go in to attack mode, but if I peek out, I can see them lounging and not givin' a rip what roams our yard or eats my plants.

Although our first week here when they ignored the BEAR in the backyard, I understood that, in fact I was RELIEVED they didn't try to put on the protector mode bark, they just acted as if there was nothing there. What Bear? A Bear? I don't see ANYTHING? In fact.. Wow, I didn't realize it until just now but I had such a late night, protecting the property and all, I didn't get a wink of sleep......ahhhhhh, you seem to have this handled I'll just head to the front and take a nap, make sure those crows aren't poopin on the concrete for ya.... YA THANKS you huntin' dogs.. But really thanks, I can't imagine my two dogs takin' on a bear and me going OH MY, where did my husband move me to?!? I actually did ask that question, oh and not just to myself. Lets just say I was on the back step with the phone to my ear calling my husband and asking "Ok, where the H-E- (double hockey sticks) did you move me to? BEARS? REALLY?" I can suck it up and watch out for the snake, the bobcats, the coyotes. I can put up with cow patties on my sandy beach....I love watching the deer, the ducks, The Eagle flying overhead... But BEARS..... No, no I don't think......ummmmmm...... noooooooooooo not so much!

Although another personal favorite of mine is the Mountain Lion... I'm thinkin' he's not my best friend either. Could be wrong (it does happen, imagine it......me wrong.... Shhhh Don't tell my Hunk of Burning Love that..... I try not to admit it to him very often)

But did I mention that I love living in the middle of what seems to be NOWHERE? I do, I really do, yep.....I do. Honestly!? Don't ya believe me? sighhhhhhh I do! I may not love the two locked gates i have to get my hiney out and open each and every time I want to leave my house (or enter it), I may not love the dirt that goes flying up in the air and all over my car as I head down the long dirt road to get to my house... OKAY, so if I drove slower it wouldn't be so bad.... but I'm in a hurry.... pretty much all the time.... and when you are in a hurry and dirt is flying and you have to stop to open a gate....... here is a BIG TIP (I learned quickly..well kinda quickly) you wait a few minutes before opening your car door. Why you ask? Oh dear friend....... because the massive amount of dust that you have caused to fly in the air while you drove 500 miles an hour down that dirt road......well lets just say SHE IS A COMIN'..... She won't stop because you opened your car door and got out. Nope she blows on by you and well, all in your car too. That open door is an invitation to come in and fly around for awhile. So just sit.......wait for the dust to fly on past and of course land all over your car... and then get out to open the gate. Why did it take me a few times to get this one into my head? Well, let's just not go there this morning. sighhhhh

Home, Home on the range, where the moose hangs on your wall each day...... where often is heard a squawking litte turd whose fighting with her sister (or brothers) today! Ohhhhhhhh Hommmmmmmmmmme, Home on the range...... OKAY woooohhhhhhhh sorry, SNAP, I'm BACK.

And I'm leaving this range today to go meet up with some friends for a massage and lunch. Now that is a reason to sigh. Oh I think I'll do that again...Sighhhhhhhhh

Well, Mr. Moose is staring me down, my coffee is getting cold and my dogs have decided to bark at something and aren't stopping....... my Cue to come check out what they have found and are protecting me from... (probably a frog!)

Ciao!

Recipe Time! Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Parmesan Cheese

I made Parmesan Cheese stuffed dates wrapped in Bacon today. Let's just say YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM YMMMMMMMMMMMMM.........Ooops, my butt just grew thinking about them! This tends to happen often to me (sigh)

I had these at a family get together and they quickly became a favorite around our home.

VERY EASY to make. You just need bacon, pitted dates, parmesan Cheese and toothpicks!


Cut the parmesan cheese into spears so you can cram them in the dates!

I'm getting hungry just typing this! Once you cram the cheese in the date you can break the remaining length of the cheese off.

So lets be honest here...... That remaining piece of cheese that I broke off, did not go into another date........nope it went straight in my pie hole..... soooooo good!

I just cut the bacon into 3rds......

Then I stack 1/3 of the bacon on top of each other and cut it in half length wise....

Pick up the stuffed date and just wrap the bacon around it...... sighhhhhhhhhhhh

Stab it with a toothpick (to keep that yummy bacon in place!)

Pop them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Where is the after photo???? Well, lets just say before I got the photo snapped they were gone. Lets face it..... something that practically melts in your mouth, tastes sweet like candy and wrapped in bacon..... We all can agree this wont last long.

They are a huge hit at parties.... You get the WHAT IS IT? And then WAZAKAMALMAZU they are GONE like the wind!

Little suggestion, if you are going to take them to a party ya might want to make a double batch, so a single batch makes it to your destination!

(you can get a double batch with 2/3 of the bacon package, two packages of dates, one cube of the parmesan cheese)

Good Golly Miss Molly I'm stuffed

Ciao!

Domestic Goddess??????? NOT, but sounds good.

Been feeling very domestic the last couple days! Yesterday I made cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon and homemade salsa... YUM..... My hubby said I could make them every night and it would be OK with him.... I'm thinking that won't happen, but loved the compliment! Did I mention my fingers were burning all day from cutting and scraping the jalapenos?! Ok, not the brightest light bulb in the room.........gloves are a must next time!

The rugrats are off to school, (except my oldest who is visiting his best friend in Georgia) my hunk of burning love is at work and I'm doing all the things a woman dreams about...all the things we wake saying we just can't wait to be able to do...... all the things you would pay money to be able to do..... OK, maybe that we would pay good money to NOT HAVE to do... but the other sounds so much better.... so YA, I'm doing ..... laundry, dishes and getting ready to do some office work. I can feel the envy in the room....

Tomorrow I'm having a ME DAY with friends. We are going to the spa and getting a massage and then lunch.......... of course lunch......I mean really!? Isn't it ALWAYS all about the food?

Speaking of food .....Friday I will be spending the day canning my homemade salsa! Yeah!!

My hunk of burning love spent the day yesterday loading and offloading sand. He is adding more sand to our beach area while the lake water is low. Don't ya just love a hard working sweaty man on a tractor? Hard to believe I've been married to mine for just over 20 years now~ Never pictured myself with a wrangler wearing tractor driving man 23 years ago when we started dating... now? Can't picture myself without him..... He's my world, my everything....my OKAY....so maybe I need help with this 4 rugrats he has showered me with! ; ) But still can't picture myself without him.... hunk-a-hunk-of burnin' love.....(now that song is in my head)

I guess I better go, I have so many wonderful things to take care of..... OKAY the buzzer on the dryer went off and if I don't fold the clothes now......I'll have to iron them and that's.........well..... just not in the cards for me today...