Happy Days

On our way to Disneyland!

Happy Birthday to my Pisces Babies

On March 9 my first angel baby girl was born ~ 26 years ago.  Until that moment, I never knew the powerful love a mother and child possess.  That love only grows deeper by the day and unbelievably, when another beautiful soul is born to your family, that same love endures.  On March 10, my second angel baby girl was born ~ 9 years ago, and the love I have for my girls is a force not to be reckoned with.  Every single day of my life I thank the universe for our love, our power, our beauty.  Happy Birthday Tara.  Happy Birthday Mikayla. Loving you is more natural than breathing for me and your unique and amazing souls astound me.

If you could help create world p

PEACE

If you could help create world p

Superbowl was great!

As I mentioned, one of the stops on our road trip was in Wisconsin for some good old American cheddar cheese.  As much as I loved the Emmental in Finland, and the Feta in Cyprus, I had really missed that sharp, squeeky taste of cheddar and had to have some, so we added it to our itinerary across the map. While I thoroughly enjoyed my old friend Mr. Sharp Yellow Cheddar, I also found a new love...Lovely Lady Cheese Curds...yummy.  In my search to find more pics from the road on my phone the other day, I found this one and decided it was a sign to side with Green Bay for the Superbowl.  Turns out it was a good choice - what a great game!  We had a girl-style day since Mike is stuck out in the field with training.  No hot wings here.  We noshed on roasted veggies, goat cheese brie with fresh herbs and red onion and flatbread pizza with mushrooms and cheese.  Mik picked the Steelers so we had fun cheering and jeering, dancing at the halftime show and laughing at the commercials.  The Doritos dog was Miks fave, the cheese sucking finger guy was mine. Hilarious!

Yes, it does snow in Southern Cali

About an hour from home there sits a white-capped mountain that I spy every time I look out my kitchen window.  We took a ride up there while Tara and Gary were in from New York, just in case they didn't get enough snow back East this year.  Looks like we were wrong. Just heard there was another snow day today - record numbers!!!  Wish we were there sipping cocoa, making snow angels with them now!!!

Torn between two choices
One of those times you see the road split
I lean toward my inclination
And make peace with it
Suppressed feeling and urges
Return with renewed power
Foresight and hindsight beckon
During every waking hour
The co-pilot is turned off
I am at my control
I choose my own sacrafices
And I honor my soul
Life without consequence would be too shallow to live
Experience it all
And save some to give

Another me original - January 2000

Leafing through some old journals...

There is no seperate distinction between the two
The space that divides is massive
The space that divides is an illusion
Yet the energy, very real

The ripple in the water can not be felt
When it is the pebble slowly falling that you fix your eyes on

Your touch calms me, yet it is electrifying
I can not sleep one wink
As I toss and turn your words over in my mind

You call to me through dreams
And I hear you

An original by me :)

Rock Art

We've been busy working in the yard this month.  I've been moving wheelbarrel's full of rocks from the horse turn-out and decided to create some sunshine to greet us every morning when we open our door!  Kimo was there to oversee the project.

The Road Trip

Wayyyyy back in July we arrived back in New York after three years overseas.  It was Arianna's first time in America!  So much time as passed, but some of the most memorable thoughts remain in the forefront of my mind - the pride of seeing the first of many American flags flying proud, the first sights and smells of NY pollution via the highway - nothing quite smells the same and in some weird way, comfortably familiar - and driving on the right side of the road again, which made me feel uncomfortably weird!  In fact, I still find my self questioning where I should be on the road after making a turn sometimes.

But, it is the road trip that I hear calling me these past few days.  Maybe its because the weather is warming up out here in the desert, maybe its because our shag-o-licious van-mobile still sits outside my window long after I thought we would have it sold, or maybe its just the gypsy in me feeling the tugs on my wings again.  Whatever the reason,  I am ready to hit the road somewhere ~ soon.

And since I am sitting here in my living room, instead of behind the wheel of our car (Mike would be amused with that statement since I think I drove only about 12 hours across the entire country) I wanted to share some of those highlights.  Of course, being back to our roots, our families, was the absolute BEST.  Aunt Cat opened her home to me and my girls and Kimo for the first week.  Even though it was a crazy whirlwind of days and days of running and spending some long lost time with everyone in our family in both New York and Connecticut, they were treasured moments not soon to be forgotten.

A heat wave hit as we pushed off and our van broke down before we even made it to the highway. Luckily it was a small fix and we were on our way westbound in early August.  Our first stop was Michigan.  It was the first time our girls ever met Mike's brother's boys Evan and Quinn - who bonded like siblings immediately. Ray and Robin treated us to some good times out on their boat and took us on a tour of their beautiful town of Grand Haven. In fact, we had such a good time we stayed four days longer than planned.

With the kids, the dogs and the U-Haul trailer in tow, we headed in the direction of Chicago - for hot dogs and Wisconsin - for cheese.  Lots of stories still to come...

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year with bright beginnings and continued happiness the whole year through!

The Friends Club

I was so glad I was able to capture the first friends club meeting.  In attendance were, Leo, Kimo and Arianna.  Events planned for today: Belly rubs, snack time and then a long nap in the afternoon sun!  New memberships available now!

Kate and the Girls

So much to catch up on!  Let me begin by introducing our newest family member, Kate.  She is a rescued quarter horse and one of the finest babysitters ever!  We've been spending the last few months at the rescue ranch getting to know our new friends and we have decided that Kate and her two sisters Tat and Kahlua would be most welcome at our new home.  We've been working hard at building the trust these girls need to know they can depend on us to take good care of them, and know they will do the same for us.  The desert is cooling now and we are starting to spend more time indoors, so I promise to finally begin catching up on the thoughts and memories we have had since moving back to the states.  In the meantime, warmest wishes for a beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Ryan

My little boy would be celebrating his 24th birthday today. Its been almost two months since my last post and as much as I can't wait to share and re-live the fun and crazy times we've had since we packed up and journeyed half way across the planet, it was today that was most important to acknowledge.  The birthday of my only son, my cute little boy who had the ability to make you want to kiss and kill him all at the same time! What a rascal, a dreamer, an artist and a real boy's boy he was~ and will forever remain in my heart and mind.  Missing him never gets easier, but remembering him is just like breathing to me - its essential and it keeps me very much alive.  Today we will sail our balloons up to heaven with messages of love and birthday magic knowing trhat somewhere, without a shadow of a doubt, Ryan receives them...I can hear him laughing already.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN PATRICK ~ MOM LOVES YOU FOREVER! XOXO

Simple pleasures

From a vendor's stand in Famagusta.  Doesn't it make you just want to fill up a basket with breads and fruits and a beautiful bottle of wine and watch the clouds pass overhead?

It's Official

Its been a very special week for us.  The highlight was Mike's pinning on ceremony.  We are saying good-bye to Gunny and hello to Master Sgt!  Congratulations on a well-deserved promotion Mike, we are so proud of you.  Special thanks to Mike S. and Ambassador U. for officiating and making the day that much more memorable.

Graduation time

Look who's a 3rd grader now!  The end of the school year show was really great this year.  Our music teacher, Miss Kate chose Disney shows for each grade. Mikayla's class performed songs (she was a beautiful mermaid) from Peter Pan and Lydia's class did Jungle Book.  They were so great we were able to forget the 101 degree temperates we had to endure that day!

Team Spirit - Father v Son game

S

Happy Summer Everyone!

Hope your summer days are filled with "buckets" of fun!  Mikayla and her friend Lexie started off their summer with some pretty cute underwater creatures.  I guess I won't be eating any more squid in red wine sauce.  So cute!

First to go

Anita and Vanessa ,I am going to miss you guys (Brenden too) when you leave tonight. We have had some good times and shared a few sad ones too (our doggies are playing in heaven for sure), but mostly its all the laughs I will remember most.  These costumes you guys made at a moment's notice still amaze me and whenever we needed to count on the "fun" people to show up for things, you were first in line.  Argentina is so lucky to have you next!  When we started out on this life of travel, it was people like you that I prayed would cross my path.  Looking forward for that time when we will meet again and share the special friendship we will always have.  Bon Voyage my friends xoxo