Thursday, January 31, 2008

Technology difficulties....


Mercury is in retrograde in aquarius in the 10th house , which is fame and career and technology... for those of you non-astrologically minded people, this means some serious crap is going down right now... in regards to technology equipment... T-Mobile is having a system wide problem with their wifi phones and technicians are working on it now... one of my computers stopped working today, and I am backing up all of my files like a crazy woman. I didn't really believe in this stuff before... but it is really wierd that everyone I talk to is having some kind of technology problem right now... go check out this website and read your own horoscope... I was totally freaked about the retrograde thingie until I read my horoscope... MAN... I am ROCKIN' this month... Yeah Taurus... Starting with the 1st and continuing on to the 6th, all high power days for me... I am so stoked to finally be shifting and getting things on track again... I feel it, I feel it... I am using the laws of attraction to bring in some good stuff, and it is coming my way. SO don't freak if all your techie stuff breaks down... just know it will all get better after the 17th... I didn't used to believe... but Now I'm a believer.... (singin' along to the original Monkees version NOT the Smashmouth version)

Saturday, January 26, 2008

OK... I give up...

I have been working on collecting inspirational quotes. 100 of them, and I just don't have the time to sit on the computer that long. Well, I do, but I won't let myself. So I decided, to just finish up my list with the last 25 things I need to make it complete. It was supposed to be fun, and I have turned it into a stressful chore. Does that ever happen to you? You start out with an inspired idea, and then the idea becomes a nightmare as you let it build into something that you don't even want anymore? Anyway... I am going to do the 100 quotes. But I am collecting them as I go. When I am finished, I will post it for all the world to see. Then I am doing my mondo beyondo list and then I will start on my 1000 things to do/bucket list. With a few side trips to the flea market and some other cool things thrown in for fun... This list was difficult to do. Out of all the other 975 things, these were the hardest to write. Why is it so difficult for us to write nice things about ourselves? Why is it so hard to accept when someone says something nice to you, that it could actually be true? I decided to challenge myself with a dinky list of 25 things about myself that I know... so here goes.

I am a loving person
I am a wonderful mother
I am a good wife
I deserve the life I have
I can create the life I want
I have great inspirational moments
I am trustworthy
I am pretty on the outside and beautiful on the inside
I love people
I love to listen to old people's life stories
I have cute feet
I have pretty hands
I have a big loud laugh
I look for kindness everywhere
I try to live each day with purpose and fall asleep content with how I lived it
I am a good friend
I am good at attracting people and situations with me using the laws of attraction
I know "The Secret" but I often forget to practice the principles
I try to walk tall in the world and be proud of myself and my accomplishments
I forgive myself when I make mistakes
I take time to nurture myself
I have a great sense of humor and a beautiful smile, but I don't use them often enough
I look for the gift in every situation
I strive every day to make a difference
I am happy

Monday, January 21, 2008

Yesterday was a GOOD flea market day
















As any good junker can attest... it is an awesome day when you find a treasure at the flea market. I hit the jackpot yesterday at our local market. Maybe it was the sunny day after so many cold rainy days, or maybe it was the good luck energy created by having my parents along with me... maybe it was just a good flea market karma day. Whatever it was... I am THANKFUL and so stoked that I found all this cool stuff. At every booth I found something interesting. I didn't buy it all, only the stuff that "called" to me. Copper chains, vintage photos, jewelry boxes, old broken dolls, perfume bottles... The ideas are running through my mind. I spent today cleaning out the storage closet at the studio so I can get at all my stuff tomorrow and start creating something. I have started to narrow down and define my artistic style. Spiritual Art... I like creating art with a story. I love looking at conceptual art, but I really enjoy hearing about the stories behind them just as much. I am doing a series of pieces now about the pockets in my heart. Sticking with the heart as a theme, and going along on the spiritual path in my creating is giving me more clarity into who I am and where I want to go.

I will be back soon with my final 100 things. I am scouring all over for great inspirational quotes.











Tuesday, January 15, 2008

My Horse Whisperer


Kayleigh has big dreams. She wants to be a vet like Pascual. She loves animals and wants to be able to help them when they are sick. She also wants to be a rock star. She has a lovely singing voice, and is always listening to music. As a parent you want to encourage your kids toward a direction where they will succeed in life. The challenge in parenting I have learned over the years, is to encourage their dreams, not your own. When they say "I want to be a....." I just listen and say "What is it about being a ___ that you like..." Often times I find it has nothing to do with the job or career, but is a deeper, metaphysical or spiritual meaning behind the desires... And sometimes, it is just a little kid trying it on in their mind like a dress up outfit... to see how it fits. A vet fits with her... So does a singer. She likes ballads and country music and songs with meaning. She is deep. She is also one of the sweetest, kindest people I know... Always willing to help, wanting to do nice thing for people. I like to think she got all the last and best bits of me when God made her... But she is just so uniquely Kayleigh. The funny things she says, without thought of how they will come out. Her candid displays of emotion from her pure loving heart. This kid doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She is the kind of kid everyone wishes they had, and I was lucky enough to get.

My maturity as a parent really has come in the last 10 years since her birth. Parenting in my 20's was drama, in my 30's was stressful, and now in my 40's... I am loving it. I love being a mom. I sometimes feel bad for the older ones, who didn't have the benefit of the kinder, more patient mommy that Kayleigh has. But they forgive me, and tell me that they had great childhood years, and wouldn't want another mom. My heart feels full all the way to the top today.

I know I need to do my 100 more things. I am contemplating some things I have read on some blogs recently. My favorite blog to read is Kelly's , and she talks about another blogger Andrea's idea called Mondo Beyondo. It is a concept I will roll out tonight. A cool way to say goodbye to the old year and embrace the new, and then to put big huge dreams out there for the universe to send back to you. The bigger and wilder, the more Mondo Beyondo it is... This is gonna be fun! I am starting that as soon as I finish my last 100. It is a perfect place to transition to before listing my 1000 things Bucket List. To those of you who have emailed me encouragement and comments on my blog... THANK YOU! Who would have thought that a little on line journal would become such a fulfilling part of my life. Please feel free to post on my blog. So many of you send me sweet emails, but I would like to share your words with others. Don't be shy. Speak up! I never thought I would be saying this... the one who likes to keep things private... but it is in the sharing that we grow as people.

Friday, January 11, 2008

California Girl

I have been thinking of moving lately. I am grounded here because of my kids. But once Kayleigh is off to college, we will be traveling... Our big dream is to own a home in Maui, Italy and Spain, and to spend our time traveling between the three homes 2 months at a time. One of our kids better have a house with RV parking, so we can stay there when we are in town. I am working with some real estate people on a project in another state, and as things unfold, I may buy a home there as well. I might need to commute for a while.....

In light of the thoughts of moving, I realize I have WAY too much stuff to travel light. So we are in a get rid of it phase. I am opening an ebay store and down the road an esty boutique to sell a lot of stuff. We are selling everything in our 3 storage units on Craigslist. If you are looking for anything specific, let me know... I may have it. I need to lighen my load. All the stuff and clutter just bogs me down. I look at all the crap in the garage with the "If a fire burned my house down, what would I save?" mentality... There are a few boxes... photos, the kids baby things, a box with christening dresses and my grandma's wedding dress... that is it... All the rest is just stuff... stuff I have been saving for someday when I need it... well... I am selling it all. If I find I need it after it is gone, I will just go buy what I need for that occasion, use it, and get rid of the leftovers.

I am going to Artfest this year, and I am sending off a HUGE package of stuff for their Art Assylum room where crafters and artists go to make art. Un packrating and uncluttering my life is hard... a die hard 4th generation packrat... I find it very hard to let go. But I need to. It is all making me crazy... the stuff is overflowing in my house to the point where there is barely room for us... I dream of one of those clean sweep teams coming in... and it is a nightmare to me... Having others see the crap piled up in my house... taking it all out and going through it... I know we have a hoarding problem. I am really working on letting it all go... lets see how far we get in the coming months.

So that all being said... I thought of leaving, and getting rid of things, and freeing up my life to be able to travel... and I started to feel free. Then I realized, I have been to a lot of cities in California. Not all of them by far, and there are many small towns I have never even heard of... but I guess all my traveling really started as a kid with my family. Going on a road trip somewhere, usually the mountains. Discovering new places, seeing new things, lerning historical facts. My dad used to tell me they were called hysterical landmarks. So I called them that once when I was riding in the car with some friends of theirs, and they were laughing at me. When I found out, I was SO MAD at my dad for telling me the wrong thing. I laugh about it now, but at the time, I was really pissed off at my dad. So my 100 things today is a list of all the places I have been in California. These are places I have spent time in, from a food stop, to an overnight trip or vacation. But I did actually spend a little time there, not just drive through. When you add up all the hours you spend... it really adds up. I like focusing on all the things I HAVE done in my life... It makes me feel better about myself, and I don't beat myself up so much for what I haven't done. I am almost done with my list... I feel like I kinda cheated just listing places I have been... but hey... wasn't that how I originally started this list in the first place? Ok... as penance I will do 100 more INTERESTING things on my next and final 100.

801. Burbank California
802. Los Angeles California
803. San Clemente California
804. Dana Point California
805. San Diego California
806. Carlsbad California
807. Long Beach California
808. Anaheim California
809. Buena Park California
810. Brea California
811. Hollywood California
812. Grand Terrace California
813. Calimesa California
814. San Bernardino California
815. San Juan Capistrano California
816. Santa Barbara California
817. San Luis Obispo
818. San Simeon California
819. Big Sur California
820. Carmel California
821. Monterey California
822. Watsonville California
823. Morgan Hill California
824. Half Moon Bay California
825. Santa Cruz California
826. Capitola California
827. Scotts Valley California
828. San Jose California
829. Santa Clara California
830. Fremont California
831. Hayward California
832. San Lorenzo California
833. San Leandro California
834. Castro Valley California
835. Oakland California
836. San Francisco California
837. Berkeley California
838. Albany California
839. Richmond California
840. Pt. Richmond California
841. Emeryville California
842. San Ramon California
843. Livermore California
844. Pleasanton California
845. Tracy California
846. Bakersfield California
847. Coalinga California
848. Los Banos California
849. Riverbank California
850. Modesto California
851. Ceres California
852. Ripon California
853. Danville California
854. Alamo California
855. Blackhawk California
856. Clayton California
857. Brentwood California
858. Oakley California
859. Antioch California
860. Pittsburg California
861. Baypoint California
862. Concord California
863. Walnut Creek California
864. Pleasant Hill California
865. Martinez California
866. San Pablo California
867. Hercules California
868. Pinole California
869. Vallejo California
870. Benicia California
871. Napa California
872. Sonoma California
873. St. Helena California
874. Calistoga California
875. Oakville California
876. Rutherford California
877. Clear lake California
878. Lake Berryessa California
879. Arnold California
880. Ione California
881. Sutter Creek California
882. Jackson California
883. Jamestown California
884. Mokulomne Hill California
885. Lodi California
886. Clements California

887. Sonora California
888. Angels Camp California
889. Murphys California
890. Camp Connell California
891. Big Trees California
892. Fresno California
893. Lake Elsinore California
894. South Lake Tahoe California
895. Truckee California
896. Nevada City California
897. Grass Valley California
898. Auburn California
899. Sacramento California
900. Roseville California
901. Albany California
902. Atherton California
903. Alameda California
904. American Canyon California
905. Brisbane California
906. Burlingame California
907. Chula Vista California
908. Cloverdale California
909. Colfax California
910. Coronado California
911. Cupertino California
912. Daly Ciry California
913. Dixon California
914. Davis California
915. Vacaville California
916. Suisun California
917. Rio Vista California
918. El Cerrito California
919. Escalon California
920. Fairfield California
921. Fort Bragg California
922. Galt California
923. Gilroy California
924. Isleton California
925. Laguna Beach California
926. Laguna Hills California
927. Laguna Niguel California
928. Malibu California
929. Larkspur California
930. Lathrop California
931. Manteca California
932. Mill Valley California
933. Corte Madeira California
934. Sausalito California
935. Tiburon California
936. Forest Knolls California
937. Moraga California
938. Mt. Shasta California
939. Morro Bay California
940. Newark California
941. Novato California
942. Pacifica California
943. Pacific Grove California
944. Palo Alto California
945. Petaluma California
946. Bodega Bay
947. Gualala
948. Cotati California
949. Red Bluff
950. Redding
951. Redwood City
952. Rocklin
953. Rohnert Park
954. Roseville
955. Ross
956. San Anselmo
957. Forest Knolls
958. San Bruno
959. San Carlos
960. Santa Clarita
961. Santa Rosa
962. Sebastopol
963. Stockton
964. Turlock
965. Waterford
966. Winters
967. Willits
968. Garberville
969. Redway
970. Fortuna
971. Ft. Bragg
972. Mendocino
973. Yountville
974. Yucaipa
975. Yuba City

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Gypsy Soul

In Spain at the Monestario De Piedra after traveling for 27 hours

I learned when I went to Spain that I have a Gypsy Soul. I am never happier that when I am going somewhere. Some people live their whole lives and never leave the town they were born in. Pascual did a search in Spain on my family name... My great Grandmother's name is Montoya. That is a gypsy name in Spain. So much so that almost all people with that name in Spain are of gypsy origin. So... there is a reason why I am drawn to gypsies, and flamenco dancing and violin and tambourine... It is the remnants of the gypsy in my soul yearning to travel, and see what is over the next hill. I was feeling sorry for myself because I haven't traveled much in the past year. Then I started thinking of all the places I HAVE been. I have been to some incredible places and seen some amazing sights. When I started writing all the places down where I have been, I was amazed at how many there actually were.

Also, I found this band called Gypsy Soul. You can download their music on i tunes. A celtic/new age type band. The lady has an amazing voice. One More Day is my favorite one. She sings about where do you shine in your life. Go buy the CD... I promise you will like it. I have been thinking about shining. Where do I shine in my life? I think I will explore that in my next 100 list tomorrow...


701. Las Vegas Nevada
702. I have been to Phoenix Arizona
703. I have been to Denver Colorado
704. I have been to Arlington Texas
705. and Dallas Texas
706. and Seattle Washington
707. and Ft. Lauderdale Florida
708. and Palm Beach Florida
709. and Orlando Florida
710. Cape Canaveral Florida
711. Charlotte, North Carolina
712. Asheville North Carolina
713. High Point North Carolina
714. Greensboro North Carolina
715. Weddington North Carolina
716. Chicago Illinois
717. Palatine Illinois
718. Killdeer Illinois
719. Long Grove Illinois
720. Lincolnshire Illinois
721. Arlington Heights Illinois
722. Lake Forest Illinois
723. Naperville Illinois
724. Mt. Prospect Illinois
725. Rockford Illinois
726. Rosemont Illinois
727. Monroe Wisconsin
728. Cave Creek Arizona
729. Carefree Arizona
730. Manhattan New York
731. Madrid Spain
732. Barcelona Spain
733. Zaragoza Spain
734. Casteldefels Spain
735. Seville Spain
736. Villafranca Spain
737. Benasque Spain
738. El Escoreal Spain
739. Piedra Spain
740. Lleida Spain
741. Sitges Spain
742. Granollers Spain
743. Priorat Spain
744. Rome Italy
745. Venice Italy
746. Firenze Italy
747. Capri Italy
748. Napoli Italy
749. Milan Italy
750. Verona Italy
751. Bologna Italy
752. Assis Italy
753. Sienna Italy
754. Pompeii Italy
755. Ravenna Italy
756. Mexico City Mexico
757. Monterey Mexico
758. Puerto Vallarta Mexico
759. Cabo San Lucas Mexico
760. Montreal Canada
761. Quebec Canada
762. Atlanta Georgia
763. Nassau Bahamas
764. Paradise Island Bahamas
765. Oranjestad Aruba
766. San Juan Puerto Rico
767. St. Martin Virgin Islands
768. Honolulu Hawaii
769. Sunset Beach Hawaii
770. Pearl City Hawaii
771. Kihei Hawaii
772. Lahaina Hawaii
773. Hana Hawaii
774. Paia Hawaii
775. Makawao Hawaii
776. Kaanapali Beach Hawaii
777. Poipu Beach Hawaii
778. Hilo Hawaii
779. Kailua Hawaii
780. Lihue Hawaii
781. Puunene Hawaii
782. Waikoloa Hawaii
783. Wailuku Hawaii
784. Napili Hawaii
785. Wailea Hawaii
786. Kapalua Hawaii
787. Waikoloa Hawaii
788. Wailua Hawaii
789. Hanapepe Hawaii
790. Park City Utah
791. Salt Lake City Utah
792. Bountiful Utah
793. Draper Utah
794. Provo Utah
795. Spanish Fork Utah
796. Lehi Utah
797. Sandy Utah
798. Sundance Utah
799. West Jordan Utah
800. Stateline Nevada

Monday, January 7, 2008

Happy King's Day




Yesterday was Spanish Christmas. Or Dia de los reyes. This is the day traditionally celebrated in Spain with gifts. The kids leave their shoes out for the wise men, and they fill them with treats. We made a king cake, (which we forgot to photograph) and put a coin and a bean in it. The one who gets the coin is king for the day, and the one with the bean is the slave. We did it late in the evening, so Austin owes Megan a day of slavery. I love that while everyone else is already packing away the ornaments and putting the tree out for recycling, we are still celebrating with the 12 days of christmas.

The first day of christmas is christmas day, the 2nd day is the 26th and so on. The 12th day is January 6th, or 12th night... or Epiphany some call it. We just call it kings day or spanish christmas. We get an extra 12 days of christmas.... gotta love those Spaniards... They love to drag a party out till the wee hours, it's no wonder they celebrate christmas for 12 days. Ever wondered why the gifts in the 12 days of christmas were so wierd? Well, if you were living in the 15th century, those would have been lavish gifts sent by a man to woo a lady. Very fine indeed!

I think it is great to include traditions from other cultures in your holidays. We always celebrate christmas eve with my mothers family. Her siblings, and all my cousins. It is a tradition my kids all love and look forward to every year. Spaghetti dinner, and one present per kid. Lots of visiting with the cousins we hardly see anymore. A time to reconnect and reflect and see how everyone has grown. My grandma would be happy to know we still carry on this tradition her family started as immigrants from Germany. Christmas was celebrated on Christmas Eve with Gramma Ree. I am missing her a lot these days and have included some memories of her as I work on my list.

601. I love to go boating
602. One of my best vacations ever was a camping trip to Lake Shasta with my aunt and uncle when I was 19
603. I love a good sense of humor
604. when I was dating, I always looked to see if the guy smiled with his eyes
605. I met my current husband on a dating website
606. I met my previous husband in a personal add in the local newspaper
607. Met my live in boyfriend/father of my son at a bar in Lake Tahoe
608. met my first husband on a blind date
609. I hiked around Lilly Lake In Lake Tahoe
610. stayed at a rustic cabin my son’s grandparents owned at Fallen Leaf Lake
611. my favorite author is Diana Gabaldon
612. my husband has the same last name
613. my husband has two last names like all Spanish people, but no middle name.
614. I was embarrassed when my MIL washed my thong underwear and hung them on the clothesline which is directly above the front entrance to the apartment for all the world to see
615. not embarrassed of the underwear, but that she washed them for me… I haven’t had someone do my laundry for me since I was a kid
616. I used to smoke Benson and Hedges lights
617. then I smoked Virginia Slims
618. then I smoked Virginia slims light menthol 100’s
619. then I smoked Marlboro Red hardpacks
620. then Marlboro Red 100’s hardpacks
621. the Marlboro lights hardpack
622. then Marlboro light 100’s hardpack
623. then I quit smoking
624. 5 different times, once with each pregnancy and after dating the singin’ cowboy…
625. I quit because I couldn’t breathe I was so sick with asthma
626. it was a nervous habit, I started because I felt insecure
627. what a dumb reason to smoke
628. sometimes when I drink I want to smoke
629. when I drink too much, I sometimes get mean to people I love
630. so now I don’t drink so much anymore
631. I think I am allergic to champagne, I get violently sick off a couple glasses
632. 2 glasses of wine makes me feel warm and tingly and fuzzy all over… sometimes I go over the two drink limit to 3 and am usually OK… but much more than that and I am sorry the next day.
633. I love a good bourbon whiskey… Makers Mark or Knobb Creek are my favorites
634. I am always cold in the winter
635. I wear socks to bed at night or my feet never get warm
636. and old granny flannel pj’s with a sweatshirt on top (sexy) cause my neck and shoulders are always cold
637. I am addicted to chocolate
638. I could give up any other food… but I don’t think I could give up chocolate
639. I miss having girlfriends I can be silly with, I’m not silly with many people anymore
640. sometimes I feel like all the joy is gone from my life
641. even surrounded by friends and family, I feel lonely
642. I worry too much
643. I try to second guess everyone
644. I try too hard most times to be what people want instead of just trying to be me
645. I want another baby so badly I ache with it
646. I can’t sleep at night because of stress and worrying
647. sometimes I feel like I will never be good enough
648. I learned last year that I am pretty unforgiving
649. I also learned how to forgive, and it was a strange feeling to really forgive someone, with no judgment or strings attached, because not forgiving would have meant the person leaving my life. I chose to be happy instead of choosing to be right.
650. Mean people hurt my heart
651. helping people fills my heart up all the way to the top
652. it also makes me feel less lonely to know other people feel or have felt the same way
653. my kids fill my heart up with their beautiful spirits
654. I am blessed in being their mother
655. they are my greatest teachers
656. I feel like I don’t have enough “good or interesting” things on this list
657. when I write about my feelings and thoughts, I feel like it is inadequate content… like the naked truth is not good enough
658. I miss my grandma so much and think of her every day
659. I remember her smell
660. and the coushy feel of her big body when she gave me a hug
661. the way she used to call me dolly
662. she taught me to sing
663. and how to sew
664. and how to give great tea parties
665. she instilled her love of children in me
666. she always had something nice to say about everyone
667. she showed me how to Charleston
668. she cooked up cockamamie schemes worthy of a Lucy episode
669. she could converse with you on any subject
670. she had a great and sometimes bawdy sense of humor
671. as I read over this list, I am crying as I realize, a lot of who I am is because of her and her influence
672. I have a cookie cookbook that she gave me when I was 13
673. there is an inscription in it that reads, “May this book bring you much pleasure and happiness, as you have given to me” It is one of my most prized possessions
674. she had a mental breakdown after her last child was born
675. she was in a catatonic state and had what they termed back then a “nervous breakdown” and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and manic depression
676. she had over 30 electric shock treatments at the Napa State Mental Hospital back in the day when psychology was in the experimental phase
677. one day, she sat up and said “To hell with this” and walked out. She walked to a phone booth and called my grandpa and he came and picked her up
678. I don’t know of a more sane and grounded person than my grandma was
679. she had her problems, she was obese long before it was the trend in this country
680. I grew up living with obesity, and what an obese person goes through, seeing the world through her eyes… and seeing others eyes on her when we went somewhere
681. I remember the first time I became aware that she was fat… I was 13. One of my friends asked, “how much does your grandma weigh?” I didn’t even realize she was fat… she was just grandma. The woman who loved me so unconditionally, that all I saw was the love…
682. I remember funny things she would say about herself
683. like the time mom and I were helping her get her girdle on, and she had lost a lot of weight, she was complaining that her bras didn’t fit anymore and said, “I’ve lost so damn much weight, I have to roll my tits up like window shades and stuff them in my bra.”
684. or when I would use the blush brush on her face, she’d crack “Just like paintin’ a barn door.”
685. She came to see me in the hospital when my daughter Megan was born. My mom says she never visited anyone else when they had a baby. She was terrified of hospitals after the mental hospital and refused to go in one. I felt really special that she braved her fears for me.
686. She did her own dental extractions with a few shots of whiskey and a bobby pin
687. she believed ”a good physic” was the cure for everything, and you could pick one of 3 poisons, Milk of Magnesia, Epson Salts or an enema, but there was no getting past it. I still believe colon health is important today because of all the “doses” I got as a kid
688. Ictheol ointment, black as tar, was a standard in her medicine bag
689. lavoptic eyewash and vic’s menthol rub were a constant
690. I snuck in her room when I was little and played with all her pills, and had to get my stomach pumped… I had tasted one and they were bitter, so I didn’t eat more, but they saw me with all the pills and one in my mouth and away to the hospital I went. I was too little to say that I didn’t eat more than one, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Mom says I was 18 months old.
691. I remember the poems she taught me, and have taught them to my kids
692. and all the little kid songs she sang to me as well
693. I remember if she was in a bad mood about something, or feeling sorry for herself, I would tell her a problem I was having and all of a sudden she was better and off on a mission to help me solve my problem
694. I spent a lot of nights with her when I was growing up
695. I moved in with her with my first husband for the first few months of our marriage
696. she told me my grandpa proposed to her on Valentine’s day… I wouldn’t have thought “the old white haired son of a bitch” as she called him, was that romantic… but I guess the young happy couple they were, was worn down to a couple that tolerated one another in the end. But in their way, they loved each other
697. grandpa used to go to the store and tell the clerk there “Today is my anniversary, and we still hold hands.” After hearing compliments about how sweet and romantic it was he would say “Yeah, well, if we turned loose, we’d kill each other.”
698. Their gravestone says “they’re still holding hands.” And only our family knows the true meaning.
699. when grandpa died, the 5 kids all picked out a double plot for them, and told grandma in a kind and sensitive tone that grandpa would be buried extra deep, and when her time came, she would go in above him.
700. she looked at us all standing around so somber and said “You mean that poor bastard is gonna have me on his back for all eternity?” like I said… I miss her. She was one in a million.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Rain

I usually love rainstorms. Not this time. We got flooded out and had to rent a pump to pump the pool and our patio. Not fun. Out in the freezing weather, wind and rain blowing, impossible to stay dry. I am just glad it is over for now. Leaky roofs and flooding pools are no fun. I panicked, and Pascual came home to help me. All I could think of was, where are my photos in the boxes in the garage. I need to get them upstairs. I was feeling raw and scarred and emotional yesterday. Water does that to me.. helps me release a lot of emotion. I am done with it. I want sun and flowers and spring already... and it is just barely started with winter. See, I told you I am secretly Hawaiian.

Here are my next 100 things. They reflect my mood yesterday. Emotional and reflective and melancholy. It's all part of the process. I watched Because Of Winn Dixie with my girls last night. This is another great movie. How love conquers the fear of being rejected and brings a bunch of lonely people together. How many more lonely people are there out there in the world like the characters in that movie, just longing for someone to love and connect with. My challenge for today, connect with someone you love and haven't spoken to in a while. Or maybe a stranger you pass. Let them know they mean something. Spread the love. Tonight we celebrate Spanish Christmas in our house. It is also called Epiphany or 12th night. It is the day the wise men brought the baby Jesus gifts. On a day like this... where people traveled from far away to show their love to a little baby... I want to find ways to show my love today.

501. I went white water rafting on Cache Creek
502. I love to sing Karaoke
503. I dated a karaoke singin’ cowboy who is still my friend and one of the greatest men I know
504. I am a 4th generation people pleaser
505. the thing I hate most is when someone is mad at me or doesn’t like me
506. I cry easily, (as evidenced by other comments on this list)
507. I learn a lot about myself through meditation
508. I am a firm believer in the Secret
509. I have been practicing the principles of the Secret for 20 years but never knew it was a secret
510. I have the Secret CD’s and I listen to them a lot.
511. One is currently jammed in my CD player
512. I haven’t liked my body since puberty
513. I have ulcers from worrying so much
514. they got so bad, they caused chest pain that simulated a heart attack
515. I woke in the middle of the night the day before Easter and thought I was having a heart attack
516. I had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance
517. I didn’t want to call an ambulance because I didn’t want to wake the kids and scare them
518. Pascual stayed home with the kids until I called him from the hospital
519. I had to do a bunch of really sucky tests
520. I had to stay there for 3 days
521. my kids spent Easter with my mom and stepdad
522. I found out I have a healthy heart, but an unhealthy amount of weight on me
523. I was cured with a bottle of Pepcid AC
524. I still have the ulcers
525. they seem to be getting worse
526. We don’t have medical insurance and it scares me
527. I was too broke to buy Christmas gifts this year
528. Even though I know the real meaning of Christmas, I feel bad that I had nothing to give but love… it feels like it’s not enough
529. I suffer with feelings of inadequacy a lot
530. I appear stronger and tougher on the outside than I really am
531. I don’t sleep much
532. I have chronic back and neck pain
533. I want to have another baby, but can’t afford a tubal reversal
534. I am afraid that by the time I can afford one, I will be too old to get pregnant
535. I understand even more deeply the pain and angst of those infertile women I worked with
536. the longing to have a baby when you can’t is an awful thing
537. it makes you feel incomplete
538. like there is a hole somewhere inside you that you can’t fill up
539. I am too generous with others sometimes
540. my kids are just like me in this regard
541. people sometimes take advantage of our generosity
542. most times we don’t realize it until afterward
543. I went to the Opera when I was in 7th grade and saw The Barber of Seville
544. I love to go to art and wine festivals
545. I have some work I did on healing journals out in a newly published book
546. my mom and I are creating a class to teach on this principle, incorporating art with meditation and regressions into a whole process when you create spiritual art that symbolizes and documents a spiritual awakening or transformation
547. This is such incredible work, I want to take it on the road and teach it at art retreats with my mom.
548. my life is very “full”
549. full of love
550. full of stuff
551. full of family
552. full of friends
553. full of responsibilities
554. full of angst
555. full of possibilities
556. I love the New Year… a feeling of starting over fresh
557. I like to clean and purge my home and reorganize my life
558. I saw Zig Zieglar in San Francisco and was inspired
559. I like Leo Buscaglia “the Love Doctor” and have a lot of his books and tapes
560. his thoughts on love as the driving force in life really moves me
561. whenever I focus on love and let that be the bottom line in what motivates me
562. I always do well when I “follow my heart”
563. I attended a real estate boot camp and made some amazing friends
564. We are currently working on an incredible project in another state
565. We may be moving in the future
566. We will probably buy a home there to stay in and commute in the meantime
567. this amazes me, because it gets cold there and I HATE cold weather
568. I love where I live
569. my family has been here in the area for 4 generations
570. If I could live anywhere, it would be Maui
571. I have my funeral all planned
572. cremation, a memorial service where they show some things about me,
573. some photos and a video with music I specifically picked out, like Free Bird, Another one Bites the Dust, The Dance, I Hope You Dance, Brown Eyed Girl, Tequila Makes My Clothes Fall Off and a bunch of others
574. and then a big party to celebrate my life, not mourn my death
575. then I want my family to take a family vacation to Hawaii with my life insurance money and scatter my ashes all over the island at my favorite spots
76. If I could choose my death, I think I would choose one where they gave me so many months to live. I would probably do something like the guy did in P.S. I love you and make my family and friends go on a scavenger hunt to discover the good things living has to offer that we so often forget about in the ratrace of life
577. I used to be terrified of dying
578. I am still somewhat uncomfortable with it
579. I try to live each day like it was a gift
580. each day I look in the mirror and say “Yay me for waking up today, I get to spend another day on this lovely planet.”
581. then I worry about how I will spend it
582. I want to spend my time wisely
583. I love to quote song lyrics a lot
584. this amazes my son Zack that I know so many songs
585. I want to go on the TV show Don’t forget the Lyrics but I need to take 2 backup people and I don’t know who to ask
586. many days, I feel overwhelmed by my life
587. yesterday was a very emotional day for me
588. We had to rent a pump to pump out our pool and patio
589. it flooded from the storm
590. I always thought I wanted a pool
591. now I know if I have one, I need a pool service to take care of it properly
592. I thought I wanted to live in the country on a farm
593. I think I don’t want to now
594. I am not so keen on taking care of animals
595. I already take care of my kids animals, the ones they “SWORE” they would take care of but don’t
596. my little one Kayleigh is the only one who helps with the pets
597. Pascual wants the little farm with all the pets
598. I say OK as long as he tends the animals, hey he’s a vet, he likes that kind of stuff
599. I wish he would become a vet and practice vet medicine here in the states
500. then I could say I am Dr. Machine’s wife… I always wanted to be a doctor’s wife

Friday, January 4, 2008

100 more I'm half way there!

On the beach in Aruba with my honey



401 saw the Santa Cruz Mission
402 saw a hillside covered with cardboard boxes for homes in Mexico City
403. watched a glassblower make margarita glasses out of old soda bottles in Mexico
404. toured the rainforest in Puerto Rico
405. went to the Bacardi Rum factory in Puerto Rico and stocked up on dark rum
406. I buy a shot glass from every place I visit
407. I was a vegetarian for a couple months
408. I took classes on how to channel the Michael entity
409. took classes on Dancing with romance, how to relate better to people using the Michael system dynamics
410. I wanted to be a special needs teacher when I was little
411. I can tell the sex of a pregnant woman’s baby with a needle and thread
412. my grandmother had prophetic dreams that often came true
413. my brother fell through a window when he was a kid and cut his head open. I can still hear the crash of the glass as he fell off his chair and through the window
414. my other brother got nailed in the head with a golf club when he ran behind the neighbor as he was swinging the club and it split his forehead open
415. I dislocated my cousin’s arm when I was swinging her around outside
416. my grandpa died when I was 14. I don’t remember him very much.
117. I never knew my dad’s dad. He died in my dad’s arms of a heart attack when my dad was 13.
418. I always felt sad for my dad about that. Losing his dad, and also watching him die, really affected him.
419. my dad’s mom was an awesome seamstress
420. she and my aunt used to make me the most adorable clothes
421. I still have the rag doll my grandma made me when I was born
422. the best Christmas gift I ever got as a kid was a men’s boot box STUFFED full of Barbie clothes that my aunt (and fairy godmother) had made me
423. I spent my summers in Bakersfield as a kid with my grandma and aunt and uncle
424. my dad grew up on a cotton farm in Bakersfield
425. that rag doll I have is stuffed with cotton from that farm
426. my uncle lost the farm after my grandpa died
427. I was born at Travis Air Force Base
428. luckily, my dad got out of the air force before Vietnam started
429. I just found out recently my dad wanted to work for the forestry department as a fire jumper. He received the hire letter after he shipped off to boot camp.
430. my parents met at a wedding of mutual friends
431. my house was the cool house where all the kids hung out
432. we had a fort, and a half pipe for skating and a pool table in the garage
433. my dad was the bouncer at my keg parties


434. my mom used to bake wedding cakes and always made us the best birthday cakes
435. The first dog I remember having was Tuffy, a beagle basset hound mix
436. that dog almost bit my thumb off when I tried to move his food dish while he was eating
437. I had a cat named Harry who liked to fight with dogs
438. I kept one of the puppies born under the Christmas tree. Her name was Chelsea, and she was an adorable cocker spaniel
439. the best dog we ever had was a border collie named cuddles
440. I remember burning my had on the iron and sitting in my high chair with my hand in vinegar all day afterward
441. I remember making homemade tortillas with my grandma. Rolling the one ball of dough she gave me for hours. I was 2.
442. I remember being put in the shower with all my clothes on when I threw a tantrum
443. I remember getting a Drowsy doll for my birthday at 3 years old, and going straight in the bathroom, pouring Comet on her head and washing her hair… it stuck up like a mohawk after that
444. I remember the year my aunt tricked me and gave me 4 cans of mushrooms for Christmas, but my real present was the Barbie styling head.
445. that same Christmas my brothers got cans of reindeer poop, and Daisey BB guns
446. Had dinner on the beach at the The Office restaurant in Cabo
447. had dinner on the beach in Aruba at sunset
448. found a peace sign rock at the river
449. learned to speak a few words in Papiamento
450. Know a few more in Hawaiian
451. had a Hawaiian minister marry us on the beach
452. He blessed us with a traditional Hawaiian blessing that made me cry
453. I think I was Hawaiian in several past lives
454. Every time I leave Hawaii, I cry like I am leaving home forever
455. I collect antique photos, especially of kids and women
456. my grandfather was stationed on Oahu and was in the calvary
457. I have an old photo of my grandpa at Schofield Barracks
458. I have an ancestor on my mom’s fathers side who was a drummer boy for the Rebel army during the civil war.
459. I am distantly related to the Wright Brothers
460. My son is a descendant of Haans Christian Andersen
461. One of my ancestors married Napoleon’s cousin
462. My Spanish ancestors were most likely gypsy’s who immigrated to the new world.
463. my great great grandmother was a native California Indian
464. I have ancestors buried at the San Gabriel Mission
465. one of my ancestors was father Junipero Serra’s housekeeper
466. My dad has an Indian basket that has been passed down in my family for a couple hundred years.
467. my dad learned how to water ski being towed behind a car while he skied in the irrigation canal
468. I am terrified of bees and things that fly and sting
469. I love hummingbirds
470. I used to have deer living in my backyard
471. I am a packrat
472. I did my first school performance in kindergarten. It was the hookeylau and I was too shy to do it with my parents in the audience
473. I used to be very shy when I was a kid
474. people picked on me because I wore glasses
475. I am very blind without them
476. I broke my nose in a car accident when the airbag exploded in my face
477. we killed a deer in the same accident
478. I was blind in one eye for a few days because of the accident
479. I spent 4 days in the hospital because of it
480. the accident happened on my second date with my husband
481. I love to go antique shopping
482. I am a big garage sale junkie
483. I go to the flea market almost every Sunday
484. I love the flea market in maui
485. I saw a double rainbow on Maui
486. They have a big flea market in Madrid but you have to beware of pickpockets
487. I went to a flea market in Barcelona and bought a vintage christening gown
488. I went to a flea market in Rome and bought some old letters and postcards
489. They don’t have any thrift or recycling stores in Italy or Spain, only a few open air markets, and old things are hard to find. Most people just throw them away.
490. When we got married in Spain, my mother in law made all the girls dresses
491. During the ceremony, the bride and groom exchange coins to symbolize the sharing of money in the marriage.
492. my stepdad and his dad combined the coins from their pockets to add to the symbolism.
493. I have the coins on a special tray my mother in law made for them.
494. We had a cake top made as a sculpture of us in our wedding clothes
495. we had another one of us made that are chickens with our heads.
496. we took 8 large suitcases of stuff over for the wedding
497. I love old maps
498. Roses are my favorite flower
499. purple is my favorite color
500. raspberries are my favorite fruit

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Me and Adri on New Years

For New Years Eve we had a big party at my mom and stepdad's house. Lots of kids and family all having a fun time listening to Elvis and 50's music. This is my niece Adrianna. She is the funniest kid. We were watching cows out by the pool one day and the big cow headbutted the little cow and made it move away from us. I said to her "Oh, did you see that cow just hit the little one Adri"? ad she says "Yeah, that's probably the wife." She cracks me up. I love how little kids just call it how they see it. I am like that sometimes. Mom calls me her truth teller. Some people really hate that trait I have and I do try to sensor it to times when it is asked of me... but once in a while, my literal-ness will emerge and things just rip from my lips. I am channeling it from somewhere, cause most times I don't even remember what I say and people always come back to me and say, "Man, you were so right about what you told me..." and I am all.. "Huh, what did I say?"

Anyway... as I continue on my 1000 quest... I find things shifting with each 100 items. I will think of one thing, which prompts another thought and then I am off on a tangent of thoughts. So I now have decided to let it rip. No planning or categorizing of items or the list... just letting it flow as I think of it. It also gives you a little insight into my thought process... which is kinda kooky in itself. Disregard the numbers, they are all jacked up and I am too tired to go back and retype them all. it is number 301 to 400

101. got ran over by the meanest boy in school on his bike
102. jumped out of a tree into a bucket of water like in the cartoons and sprained my ankle
103. played bullfighter with my brother and cousin, had them run from both directions at the cape and they butted heads and I cried with them because I didn’t know it would happen (hey, I was 3)
104. jumped up and down on my parents footstool, pretending it was a stage while I sang “Hey hey we’re the Monkees”
105. was hospitalized for asthma as a kid frequently
106. sliced my wrist open when cutting fudge with a knife and had to get stitches
107. got gas from a chainsaw on my leg and it burned so my friends grandpa spat on my leg to make it feel better
108. was told by my grandma many times, “the more you cry the less you gotta pee”
109. was given a negligee with a fur trim on the hem by my grandma to keep my neck warm
110. got lost walking home from school in 1st grade and accepted a ride from a stranger who offered to take me home (it was 1969)
111. watched my dad butcher a deer with morbid fascination
112. attended my first funeral at 14… My friends brother who was hit by a car
113. saw Elton John and met my friend Debi in the bathroom by chance while there
114. I have a mysterious black hole in my home where important things go and are never found again. W2’s, cell phone, makeup, car keys, rings
115. we have a little green man in our house who moved in when I had a son. He makes messes, and breaks things, and spills on my carpets. His name is I Don’t Know, but I have never seen him. Only my kids do.
116. my grandpa gave me the nickname runkledunk when I was a baby
117. watching my kids perform in the school productions are my proudest moments
118. I survived 2 marriages and a relationship that produced 4 kids and I never became jaded about love and marriage
119. I love to sing and even took lessons for a while
120. watched The Notebook with my husband and we both cried our eyes out, and promised afterward that if one of us became ill like that, the other would take care of them and remind them every day of how much they are loved
121. watched a sunrise over Mt. Vesuvius
122. saw the quarry where they cut pink and green marble in Italy
123. toured a tile factory in Spain where they make terrazzo tiles
124. felt a terrible sadness when seeing the plaster castings of the bodies of people killed in the Pompeii ruins
125. met a lovely couple from Florida on a sunset cruise in Aruba who became our friends
126. learned that Americans dress in a “Typical” way when they travel.. Hawaiian shirts and jeans and tennis shoes. Even Pascual, a Spanish citizen was mistaken for American while we were in Europe
127. had my tubes tied at the age of 33 and regretted it every day since
128. saw John Mellencamp in concert
129. ate gelato in Milan while shopping in the world famous fashion mall
130. couldn’t hold hands with my husband in the catholic churches in Italy because public displays of affection are not allowed in church
131. I have had the same best friend for 30 years
132. first time I smoked a cigarette was in the 5th grade
133. got busted by my mom for reading a pornographic book at age 10
134. used to read the cartoons in my dad’s playboy magazines at age 7
135. my dad brought me a treat in his lunchbox every day until I was 5
136. rode a bucking bronc horse at 18 mos old. She bucked off everyone but me.
137. rode in my uncles hydro boat Quicksilver at 120 mph on the delta
138. climbed to some Indian caves on the cliffs above Lake Commanche
139. slid down a rock slide into a pool of freezing snow melt water on the Consumne river
140. drove through the Mojave desert
141. spent 4 days in Las Vegas and only gambled 2 quarters
142. watched the Bellagio water fountain show
143. walked the entire Las Vegas strip in July
144. had a cheeseburger in paradise at the restaurant on Maui
145. saw a magic show in Lahaina where a guy pulled 2 bowling balls out of a hat
146. visited the 7 sacred pools in Hana
147. watched surfers at Pipeline
148. picked up sand dollars at Stinson Beach
149. ate lunch on top of Mt. Tamalpias at a restaurant overlooking the whole bay area
150. bought Mexican opals in Cabo San Lucas
151. saw the Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles
152. stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego
153. visited the San Diego Mission
154. visited the cathedral of the virgin de Guadalupe in Mexico City
155. saw thousands of VW beetle cars in Mexico City
156. saw a man wait on a corner with flowers for an hour before leaving
157. Saw the Chagall exhibit at the SFMOMA
158. ate at a great Brazilian churascerria in Chicago
159. saw Sophia Loren’s house in Capri
160. had a midnight taxi ride with a crazy Italian driver named Mauro
161. got my hair done by Angel, the gay hairdresser to the stars for my wedding in Spain
162. met 4 ladies in Italy that called themselves las chicas de oro (the Spanish golden girls) and they actually looked like them too.
163. sat on the Spanish Steps in Rome
164. Took the ferry to Venice
165. saw the sunrise over the Adriatic Sea
166. I can watch a movie and a few weeks later watch it again and not remember what happened
167. I didn’t get a cell phone until 2003
168. went to the Carmel mission
169. visited the Santa Barbara Mission
170. Saw the San Francisco Mission
171. Toured the San Juan Capistrano Mission
172. been to the Sonoma mission
173. had a beer at the Hog’s Breath Inn in Carmel (Clint Eastwood’s old bar)
174. drove the 13 mile drive in Carmel
175. Saw the Lone Cypress
176. made a chocolate cake with sauerkraut as the key ingredient and no one believed me
177. vinegar on strawberries makes them taste sweeter
178. a shot of Frangelico followed by a bite of a lemon wedge dipped in sugar tastes like chocolate cake
179. brought macadamia nuts to Maui from California
180. picked up 2 hitchhiking surfers in Lahaina
181. been to big trees state park and saw the giant sequoias
182. went on a tour of the gold mine where they discovered gold in California
183. took a tour of Moaning Caverns in California
184. saw a rack of pig leg hams at the grocery store in Spain with the hooves still on
185. saw pig face in the meat section of the store in Spain
186. ate paella for the first time in castelldefels at a restaurant called Gioconda
187. had gazpacho for the first time in Tarrasa, Spain
188. walked in the monestario de piedra gardens in the snow and saw frozen waterfalls
189. built a snowman in Tahoe with a leprechaun hat
190. had a surprise party for my 30th birthday at the Cadillac Ranch
191. had my daughter tell me her friend was blacktoast intolerant
192. my daughter said to me, “in Spain, they don’t have Santa Claus, just the 3 wise guys and a present pooping log.”
193. in Barcelona they have Cago Tio, (uncle crap) and on Christmas morning they hit him with a stick and sing a song that translates “Uncle crap, crap us out a present or we will hit you harder.”
194. My youngest daughter told her brother if he didn’t behave and stop being mean to mommy, he would have to move out and get his own apartment like daddy
195. my daughter Kayleigh can’t eat assorted candies without sorting them by shape and color first
196. my son Zack says if you eat a whole bag of plums, they give you to poop juice
197. my son Austin told me he was gonna be a cowboy and ride cows when he grew up, not like cousin Karl the horse boy. He wasn’t a real cowboy because he rode a horse.
198. my girls always have to take a bunch of “stuff” with them everywhere they go
199. my niece and I were watching some cows when a big one came and butted the smaller one in the side and made it move away. When I said “Oh did you see that?” she says “Yeah, that must be the wife.”
200. when my son Zack was mad at his dad (a diehard Raiders fan) he told his dad, “That’s it, from now on I like the Broncos”

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

100 more

Juliette statue in Verona

I started this list out as the 1000 amazing things I have seen and done. Some of these things are not really amazing, just significant to me. As I create the list... I find myself sifting through the memories and experiences of my life, looking back on where I have been and what I have done. It has been an incredible ride so far. I watched Parenthood last night on video... yes VIDEO... I actually prefer it to DVD and they are much more kid proof. All my videos lasted through 4 kids, and many of the DVD's get scratched and are no good. So we still watch videos.. Anyway... Parenthood is a great movie about all the things we deal with as parents. The good and the bad, the happy, the challenging, the sweet and heartbreak and disappointment.. All in one movie, with an amazing cast. I could idetify with all of the characters in the movie. I have experienced so many of the same things myself. So my next 100 things will have more of the joys and sorrows of being human, and the roller coaster ride we are all on. Like the grandma says in the movie, " On a merry go round, all you do is go around in circles. I like the roller coaster. Never have I been so scared and sick and excited and thrilled all at the same time." Yeah, I like the roller coasters too. I had forgoten that scene in the movie. I often compare my life to a roller coaster. And I really do LOVE them. So YAY me for creating a thrilling life for myself!

201. got pooped on by a pigeon in San Marcos square in Venice
202. Ate dinner at Spago
203. Saw the Celine Dion show in Las Vegas
204. won a blue ribbon for cooking Rouladen in 4H when I was in 4th grade
205. had a lead part in a school musical
206. hosted a Japanese exchange student when I was 14 that I still talk to today
207. saw the Brooklyn bridge in person
208. took photos in the gothic quarter in Barcelona
209. made a birthday cake shaped like a teapot
210. took a flower arranging class
211. did the flowers for a friend’s wedding
212. make the best Christmas cookies every year
213. saw the Zumanity show in Las Vegas
214. drank grappa in italy
215. visited El Escoreal in Spain where the royal family is entombed
216. visited the Medici family chapel and saw Michelangelo’s work there
217. saw UPS boats delivering packages in Venice
218. sat on the dock in San Francisco while huge waves washed over my car
219. experienced the 1989 Loma Preita earthquake
220. experienced the Northridge quake in 1994
221. had a sunburn in Canada in winter and couldn’t find sunburn cream
222. schlepped 2 cases of Hawaiian soda from Maui to Honolulu to San Francisco to Montreal to Quebec to Chicago and back to San Francisco
223. saw the waterfalls from Fantasy Island in person
224. got spit on by a mean boy in 7th grade
225. have really straight teeth and never needed braces
226. had a cat when I was a kid with the same name as my current mother in law
227. picked wild blackberries in Mendocino
228. ate a pancake breakfast at a fire station in Mendocino
229. Had a bonfire and sing along with the Boyscouts on the beach in Ft. Bragg CA
230. bought a hand embroidered Spanish shawl in Madrid
231. found the baby in the kings cake on January 6th in Spain
232. saw the Commodores in concert
233. ordered a beer in the drive thru at McDonalds in Spain
234. saw Iron Maiden
235. watched Italian chalk painters create sidewalk art in Firenze
236. saw the black crows in concert
237. rubbed the boob of a bronze statue of Juliette to make my love last forever
238. bought a venetian mask in Venice
239. saw Loverboy
240. saw the Gap Band in concert
241. saw Rod Stewart
242. rubbed the snout of a bronze pig in Firenze for good luck
243. bought Murano glass in Venice
244. took a nap in the garden of the moors palace in Seville and got chased off by the cops
245. stood on the launch platform for the space shuttle at Cape Canaveral
246. saw the Smokey Mountains
247. saw Neil Diamond in concert
248. Saw the Blue Ridge Mountains
249. saw Journey
250. Camped in the Sierra Nevada’s
251. toured John Muir’s home
252. bought a nativity set in Spain
253. saw Matchbox 20
254. drank sangria at a flamenco show in Madrid
255. learned how to make Sangria
256. saw Boston, Sammy Hagar and Eddie Money at Day on the Green in 1977
257. fell in love with flamenco dancing
258. saw Luther Vandross
259. kissed under the lovers arch cave on Capri
260. saw the counting crows
261. had my picture taken next to the Wall Street bull
262. rode a high speed train in Madrid
263. drove the road to Hana on Maui
264. saw AC/DC
265. parasailed to 500 feet with my 6 year old daughter on Maui
266. raced around the streets of Barcelona at incredible speeds trying to follow someone to a birthday party who drove like an Indy 500 racer
267. went to a Doobie Brothers concert on Maui
268. saw Phil Collins in concert
269. met some of the Doobie Brothers at the Harley shop on Maui
270. saw the Eagles in concert twice
271. saw Sammy Hagar in concert 5 times
272. Saw Travis Tritt in concert
273. drank limoncello on Capri
274. saw Foreigner
275. Toured a church in Ravenna Italy completely decorated inside with mosaics
276. ate in a pizza parlor in Italy owned by Chinese people
277. discovered that traditional Italian pizza is made cracker thin like a tortilla
278. drank coffee in an outdoor café in Sienna Italy
279. toured the Doge’s palace in Venice
280. walked through the corridor underneath the bridge of sighs
281. watched a glassblower make Murano glass
282. saw the musical Hairspray on stage
283. saw Les Miserables
284. saw Mama Mia on Broadway
285. visited the New York American girl doll store
286. visited the Chicago American Girl doll store
287. took an architectural boat tour on the river in Chicago
288. cried when each of my kids started school
289. had my first psychic experience at the age of 9
290. had my wedding invitations drawn by a cartoonist on Navy Pier
291. saw Harry Potter on the IMAX
292. took psychic childbirth classes
293. learned from my son that there are 3 kinds of bees and 3 kinds of clouds
294. went on a 10 day tour of Italy with a busload of Spanish Speaking people from all over the world who spoke no English to me until the last day. I learned that day to TRY and speak with my Tarzan Spanish, it makes them less intimidated to speak to me in their Tarzan English if I do it first.
295. got a haircut in Spain with my mother in law, who speaks no English, and a hairdresser who spoke no English and actually LOVED how my hair turned out
296. borrowed my husband’s cousin’s wedding tiara in Spain because I had forgotten mine at home in California.
297. said wedding vows in Spanish
298. hired a speaker coach to help me with public speaking
299. have gone on several scrapbooking retreats and made really great friends
300. bought 3 boxes of vintage photos for $20 at an estate sale

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Happy New Year




I am so looking forward to this year. In numerology and Tarot... 2008 is a wheel of fortune year. Which means all possibilities. I am focusing on the good. Looking ahead to what is possible. Like these trees in the photo... spring and fall together side by side. You wouldn't think that is possible, but here is the photo to prove it. There are amazing things, and miracles all around us. I am looking for them everywhere I go...

I am working on my 1000 things list, and let me warn you, it gets harder to do. I needed Pascual to prompt me on some more and I made it to 200. Doing 100 a day is challenging, but I will do it. I will make it to 1000... then I will do the 1000 things to do and see after that... I have started on it already.

101. Rode snowmobiles in Park City Utah
102. Rode in a one horse open sleigh
103. Christmas caroled at a retirement home
104. learned to make English toffee that tastes better than almond roca
105. learned to water ski
106. learned how to make Limoncello
107. threw three coins in the Trevi fountain
108. Toured a winery in the Penedes region of Spain
109. was proposed to in a horse carriage on fisherman’s wharf
110. recorded a bunch of commercials on the radio
111. worked and shopped the CHA trade show
112. got my picture taken with Mickey Mouse
113. snorkeled in the virgin islands
114. rode a waverunner around Paradise Island in the Bahamas
115. learned how to do tequila shots without making “the face”
116. learned how to make awesome jello shots
117. had some friends make me a special birthday album, my best present ever
118. bought a convertible and never drive with the top down
119. bought an SUV and have never driven it in the snow
120. petted a wild deer and felt the velvet on his little spiked antlers
121. saw a Broadway show on Broadway
122. went shopping in Los Angeles’ fashion district
123. woke up at 4 am just to go to a flea market
124. owned a home in Barcelona
125. owned two homes in California
126. stood in a church that was 1300 years old
127. had an Italian singer serenade me on a gondola
128. had the flu for 1 month straight
129. learned how to make paper
130. had a private audience with the queen at the renaissance faire
131. saw dinosaur bones at the La Brea Tarpits in Los Angeles
132. watched 4th of July fireworks from the beach in San Clemente
133. Went to a Super Bowl and watched the Raiders get their butts kicked
134. took a limo tour of SO. California and saw the sunset in Malibu
135. walked down Hollywood’s walk of fame
136. stood in Marilyn Monroe’s footsteps in front of Mann’s Chinese Theatre
137. live in the town as Joe Dimaggio was from
138. am from the city where the Martini was invented
139. Had a private dinner cooked for me on the beach in Maui
140. hiked to a private waterfall in Hawaii
141. saw the best sunsets in store parking lots in Illinois
142. had a picnic in the snow
143. camped in a tent in the snow and had to use hot rocks from the fire to keep from freezing to death
144. never really knew what deep love was until I held my first baby in my arms…
145. owned a house and lost it, owned another and lost it too and survived to tell the tale
146. laughed so hard I peed my pants
147. laughed so hard I had an asthma attack
148. laughed so hard, I cried
149. cried so hard I puked
150. hurt in my heart so bad I wanted to die
151. marched in several parades
152. got served at the monorail bar at the Disneyland hotel when I was 17 years old
153. broke my collar bone when I fell of the bed at 2 years old
154. bought vintage postcards from a gypsy woman in Rome
155. gave birth to a 9 pound 6 oz baby with absolutely no drugs
156. tried to be a surrogate mother for 3 different infertile couples
157. went to Sedona Arizona
158. was in a car that broke down in the lion country safari in the lion habitat in 100 degree weather with the power windows stuck shut and lions circling the car
159. saw the Phantom of the Opera musical
160. saw Yule Brenner in one of his last performances of the King and I
161. smoked pot with some hippies in Humboldt
162. had 5 whiplash accidents
163. got bit in the stomach by a parrotfish while snorkeling in Hanauma Bay
164. ate the best noodles ever at the flea market in Maui and have craved them ever since
165. married the same man 3 times
166. have had 6 wedding dresses in my life, but only 3 husbands
167. had 3 honeymoons with one husband and none with the other two
168. lost my class ring on the beach in Hawaii after owning it 3 days
169. broke my toe on my honeymoon
170. scratched my cornea on my honeymoon
171. caught the flu on my honeymoon
172. saved every pair of my kids baby shoes
173. watched the little mermaid at least 1000 times
174. found my great grandparents names in the ship registry archives on Ellis Island
175. learned to speak Tarzan Spanish
176. cried every time one of my kids learned there was no Santa Claus
177. saw the Rolling Stones play live
178. have ridden public transit trains in Barcelona, Atlanta, San Francisco, New York, Spain & Madrid
179. watched my cat give birth
180. watched my dog get hit by a car
181. got swarmed on by a hive of yellow jacket hornets and stung over 20 times
182. had my pinkie toe smashed in the car door
183. have worn glasses since I was 7
184. have seen the original immigration documents for my great grandparents
185. slept in a hammock on the island of Lanai all day
186. got scared by a wild iguana running by me on the island of Aruba
187. died my hair blonde once
188. flew first class from San Francisco to New York and slept the whole way
189. ate 12 grapes in Spain at the stroke of midnight on new years for good luck
190. fell down in the middle of the bowling lane and made the buzzer go off during a tournament
191. bowled the ball backward behind me into the crowd
192. got bucked off a horse when I was little and broke out in hives after landing in tumbleweeds 193. watched the 3 kings parade on Epiphany in Spain
194. took belly dancing lessons
195. chugged a beer bong on my brother’s 18th birthday
196. slept on the beach in Maui cause we didn’t have a hotel room
197. won a trophy for miss congeniality
198. sang in a talent show in 5th grade and everyone saw my underware
199. got busted by the cops for drinking beer up by the new roads and let off because he thought my dad was a local cop…
200. got drunk at the Cars concert in 1982 and puked all over the seat in front of me which was luckily empty.