Saturday, April 21, 2018

My Dad

Today is a bitter sweet day. A year ago today, I brought home my beautiful son, and on this day, 69 years ago, my father was born. My father was a great man. A man of many stories, laughs and talents. For those that were lucky enough to know him well, they would tell you stories about my dad; stories that were always filled with adventure, danger and lots of laughs at the end. My dad for the better sense of the word was a scoundrel, a street rat, he ruled his barrio in the Philippines, circa 1950's to 60's, and if you needed someone to stick up and fight for you, that was my dad; always prepared to have his friends back in times of need. No matter what..Even if that friend was sick and dying, he literally took off his most expensive jewelry, told the family to sell it and use the money to pay for whatever medical expenses his friend needed. My dad would never leave someone out in the rain, even if it was a stranger. He said it was because he knew what it was like to be hungry, cold and uncertain about tomorrow.

He came to America in 1974, with only $5 in his pocket, the information his contacts gave him was false, so when he got here, he was lost, confused and hungry with no place to go. Luckily for him, he had God on his side that touched the hearts of a couple that lived in L.A and when he told them his story, they took him home and helped him get started on his new life in America.

Now, aside from having many talents, my dad of course was a very good looking man and from a young age, he found he had a talent for charming women. He got a job at Pic N Save and would tell us the stories about all the women that would have crushes on him, but none of the stories mattered as much as the story of when he met and fell in love with my mother. She was barely entering her twenties as he was starting to exit his, but as soon as she saw him, she knew she found the one the Lord made just for her. She just got hired at Pic N Save as well and my dad said she was too skinny at the time for his taste. But that didn't stop my mom from pursuing and charming him and in a few short years they were married and starting our family. Together they raised 9 beautiful children and though raising such a large family had its toll here and there, there was never a doubt of how much love there was for one another. My dad worked hard to provide for his family, always making sure we had enough to survive. When times got really tough, he would turn to his many talents of selling woodcrafts, tailoring clothes, catering his delicious Filipino cooking. Yes, there were hard times, but even in those hard times, we still had each other and that was something my dad always made sure of.

He was so proud of each of his kids as they grew up and started their own lives. He loved his grandchildren to the moon and back and would light up everytime one of them would visit him. Christmas time was my dad's favorite holiday..He said each of our families had the whole year, but Christmas was his holiday. He would stay up all night and early morning cooking all of his kids favorite dishes of sweet rice, Calderata, Adobo, lumpia...you name it, he cooked it and would take extra delight seeing each of his kids enjoying his cooking. This past Christmas he was so weak and sick, but he still stood up all night cooking, just so he could see his kids faces.

He was a strong man, but also a stubborn man, he refused to allow sickness to get the better of him. Even when his kidneys were failing and he was so weak, he would say what can a doctor do that I can't? I can take care of myself!

Of course he would go to the doctor, but towards the end, we think he knew his time was running out and though he didn't tell us, we think he just wanted to live the remainder of his days surrounded by the people he loved and those that loved him most. On January 26, 2018, at 3:58 in the morning, the world briefly stopped turning, the sky became darker and our family changed forever.

Though we are temporarily sad, our hearts are rejoicing knowing we will get to see him again. Knowing he is no longer sick or in pain. Knowing, he is with our Father in heaven who loves him more than we ever could on earth.

His viewing was a celebration more than a mourning. People were not only comforted, but encouraged and given hope through his life and legacy. His viewing and funeral had over 200 attendees and there was such an outpouring of love that the funeral home came to my mother afterwards and said they never experienced anything like it and were so amazed by our family. I know my dad would be smiling at such a party!

But getting to why this is such a bitter sweet day. Today is my father's birthday. Though it's been emotionally tough getting through the last couple of months, today is especially tough, because he is not here to celebrate it. When I get up, I won' be able to go to his house and wish him a happy birthday. I won' be able to bake his favorite pineapple upside down cake that I promised I would make for him or see his smiling face as we sing happy birthday to him. I won' be able to hear his laugh as he tells us one of his silly jokes or stories, or watch him be so proud and play with my son. These are the things I have to accept for today. But one thing I won't accept is forgetting my dad and that he lived. So to honor him on his special day today, I am sharing him with the world. Happy Birthday Rustico Yparraguirre, for as long as I live, my daddy you'll be.

Monday, April 4, 2016

The Stars and I

Ever since I was a little girl and watched An American Tail (1986), I always would sit on my window sill at night looking up at the stars.  No, scratch that! No matter where I was, or what I was doing, whenever the days would start to fade away and the stars would awaken the night sky, I always would look up at them.  Now that I think back, I think it was because I may not have known a lot of things with great certainty, but whenever I looked up at the stars, I would dream! Dream of the days gone by, of days that have yet to be, or never were. No matter what I was going through in my life, I could always count on my dreams to save me.

When I came of age and got married, I didn't even realize it, but I stopped looking up at the stars, somehow stopped dreaming.  I mean I still had dreams.  I would dream of finishing school, starting a family,buying my first home, so on and so forth; but those were dreams of necessity or logic. They were not the dreams that you could get lost in for hours or make you have butterflies in your chest.

I reminisce on this childhood experience, because I was out on the town with my husband tonight and as we were driving home, I caught myself looking up at the stars and I started remembering what those stars meant to me.  How they were a million wishes and prayers sent up to heaven to be answered. How they were the tears of pain and sorrow saved in heaven in remembrance. They were the light in my darkness and no matter where I was or how alone I felt, they were always there shining down on me and giving me hope for a better tomorrow. As I sat in the passenger seat of our car driving along on the highway of our life, I started thinking about those stars and wondering why I never looked up at them anymore? Did my life become so busy that I no longer have time to dream anymore? Were the stars just a childish notion that I grew out of as I have gotten older? Did I come to a point of definitive consciousness, where I said, "What's the point?"

I am not sure when or why I stopped, but I think it was around the time I got married.  Reason being that when I married my husband, my whole life changed.  Suddenly all those wishes and prayers that I would send up to the stars, finally came true, all of my tears and sorrow, turned into complete and utter joy and happiness. My husband became my light and I was always surrounded by him and darkness no longer existed. Because of that, I no longer needed to hope for a better tomorrow because every moment I was living was the best moment I thought I could ever experience. Don't get me wrong, by no means is my husband, or our marriage perfect, but the fact still remains, it is perfect for me! Though the stars are a wonderful after thought, I find that I no longer need to dream, because now my life is better than my dreams could ever be and I thank the Lord every day for such a wonderful gift in life he has blessed me with!...Until next time

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

My Confession

Sorry I haven't been on for so long, I seem to be in an existential crisis at the moment. As my birthday approaches and everyone is pointing out my actual age (I'm in my thirties, even though everyone still thinks I'm 19..That's right...I got the forever looking young genes LOL) anyway, I was in my philosophy class today and the topic was on Tolstoy and the meaning of life.

If you do not know who Leo Tolstoy is, I suggest you Google him now, because he was only regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. I would tell you his biography, but there is too much to tell and such little time that you can just simply click on the links I provided and it will lead you to what you need to know. The reason for my blogging is that in class, the professor asked if anyone knew who Tolstoy was? When he asked, only like 3 people raised their hands.  Now mind you, this is a class of 159 students and only THREE people aside from the Professor knew of the author that not only penned War and Peace, Anna Karenina and countless others, but also was a genius in his own right. The reason the professor asked, was because Tolstoy wrote in his bibliography, a portion called "My Confession," which was at a point in his life where he became deeply depressed and started to ponder what the point of his life was?  To paraphrase his argument, his conclusion was "What was the meaning of life if in the end there is just death, rot and worms?"

As I sat there, pondering his argument, I started to ponder my own life.  WHAT WAS THE POINT? I have entertained this question more than I care to share at this point, but I too have been conflicted with the same disposition as Tolstoy in trying to figure out what the purpose was for everything? I mean, why did I even start this blog to begin with? I started it because I wanted to share my story and let people that were going through the same thing know that there is hope and happiness at the end of the tunnel....but then what? Will anyone remember me 5 generations from now after I am long dead and gone, or will they forget me as if I never existed like Tolstoy? Why am I working, fighting and torturing myself to finish school? So I can work...and then what? So I can be successful in life and have all the things that I so desired and to provide a legacy to my future bloodline...and then what?

No matter what we do, or how hard we try.....We all die in the end! Just some get there sooner than others. It made me think of my life and how I've stressed out and gotten sick health wise for so long and started to think....was it all worth it? IS it still worth it?  I feel like some points in my life have been a total waste of time and those are moments of my life that I will never get back! But still...What is the point, if all it leads to is death?

But then I started meditating on the Lord and you know what..everything DOES have a point and my life is meaningful! Death does not have victory, but CHRIST who conquered death, so that we can have ETERNAL LIFE (1 John 5:13; 1 John 5:5; Galatians 2:20). Whenever we start to doubt the Lord, the bible says: But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind (James 1:6)." It also says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). It is the purpose of my life to serve the Lord my God and it is He that gives me meaning and reasons to live. On that note, don't ever think that your life is meaningless or hopeless, yes one day you will be dead and basically worm food, but until then, your life means something and it is worth a whole lot more than you even realize.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Mar Mars Toys Christmas Commercial

Hello all my beloveds around the world; I've missed you!! Sorry I haven't been blogging with you all lately, but I have been so busy lately whoring out my......I mean outsourcing my skills and talents to other projects and business endeavors LOL! Anywho, I thought I would come on here for a quick second to just catch up for a second. Let's see, my career is about to take off, I just don't know in which direction, so I am very excited to see which path I end up on? I've been pretty sick most of December which is why I haven't been on here also, but I feel better today so I must really think you guys are special to be spending it with you <3 <3

I have also been working feverishly on creating hair bows and bowties which can be found at www.marmarstoys.com...they are actually pretty awesome, so if you want to check them out, they can be found there by clicking on the link and looking in the Accessories section.

What I am most proud of is the commercial that I wrote, directed, produced, edited, etc. for Mar Mars Toys.  Considering that I had no scripts and made it up as I went along and that one of the talents was a 4 year old pre-madonna, I am pretty impressed with what we were able to put together LOL!  But then again, I am pretty biased so check it out for yourself and let me know what you think? Also, don't forget to subscribe and follow to see what other madness I might create for them LOL...Until next time....


Monday, October 5, 2015

Cheap Date Idea

After being married for so long, it kind of gets hard to be innovative when it comes to romance and dating. After while, some couples fall into this rut, where they do the same routine over and over and it just gets so old!  That's why it's important to keep things fun and interesting every once in awhile.

This past weekend my husband and I went on a date.  At first, it was the typical weekend date of eating out and watching a movie, but after the movie, we decided to walk around town and I wanted to keep exploring, while my husband just wanted to do what we always do and just go straight home.  I started to get down because I am a very adventurous type of person that loves spontaneity and exploring new things, so while he started driving home, I just told him, "WHY CAN'T WE JUST PICK A ROAD AND SEE WHERE IT TAKES US?!" He saw that I really wanted to go on an adventure, so my husband being the supportive man that he is, got off the freeway and told me "Left or Right?" I knew if we turned right, we would just head back home eventually, so I told him "LEFT!" which was towards the mountains and an area I didn't think I been to before? We drove it through three cities we never heard of before. One was called "Sparta" I think and one was Montrose? I never heard of those cities but they were near Hollywood and Burbank and were very interesting cities to visit.  We then kept driving up and ended at the foothills of the mountains and when we couldn't drive any higher, we put our car in neutral and coasted all the way back down.  To be honest, not only was it fun and exciting to explore new places we never been to before, but it was also a great time to spend with your spouse or significant other because we spent the whole time just talking and enjoying each others company.  So there you have it, if you guys are looking for something fun and inexpensive to do this weekend and are feeling a little adventurous, why not grab you sweetheart and pick a road and see where it takes you; you never know, it might just lead you to falling in love.....Until Next time!

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Not so good News for Disneyland lovers

If you live in Southern California, one of the MUST haves if you are a fun loving family or individual is having a Disney Pass!  I tried to resist for so long and I was so proud of myself for not being one of those people that live at theme parks. But after years of persistence, my sister finally wore me down and I bought the Premium pass that was around $800 or so, but it came with free parking and some extra perks so I felt like I got my monies worth.  I was living the Disney life with my Disney Buddy and family, but then they HAD to ruin it!  I guess it makes sense with the new expansion of Star Wars Land and all the new additions they are bringing to the park, but still in todays society where it's either pay to survive or go to Disneyland, sorry Disney but I'd rather be happy at home with a roof over my head and food in my belly!

Apparently, Disney got rid of my beloved Premium Pass and made way for two new options which are the Disney Signature Passport and the Disney Signature Plus Passport. The Disney Signature Passport is basically the same as the Deluxe Pass, but its $250 more, costing $849 and comes with PhotoPass downloads, parking and a higher discount rate.  The Disney Signature Plus Passport is basically the same exact deal as the Disney Signature Pass, with the exception of no blackout dates and cost a whopping $1,049.  Sadly, being a college student that's trying to figure out life right now, I've decided to spend my money more wisely and will not be renewing or getting a pass anytime soon. But if you enjoy ridiculously high pricing on food, merchandise and entrance fees and pushing through thousands of hot sweaty people to get to long lines that take about 45 minutes to an hour to ride, by all means, check out their page at https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes ..I on the other hand will be at my most happiest place on earth, which is here with you all...Until next time!

Friday, October 2, 2015

College Life Part 2

Is it just me or does the year always seem to be in fast forward towards the end? NO!! I'm not ready!! Despite that, I am not sure if I'm feeling excited or anxious about this being my last year of college? Either way...FINALLY!!! I feel like I'm in a daze because the classes seem to be way to easy..or is it because I'm so used to the workload and assignments by now that it doesn't even phase me? I don't know, but I just finished my topic outline and presentation powerpoint and now I'm sitting here like...That's it?  I'm done, I thought that was going to be harder?! Hmmmmm...maybe it will hit me when I start working on my final paper, I don't know, but all I have to say is on to the next assignment!! I have a genogram and three reflection papers I have to write and at this rate, I think I will be done by the end of this evening..WHHHHAAATTTTT?!!!! I must be on something, because I'm on a roll....Until next time :P

Monday, September 14, 2015

Who is Mar Mars Toys?

Hello my beloveds! I am so excited that I rushed right on here to talk to you guys!! In a rare unicorn moment, my older brother agreed to help me with a special project that I needed his created genius for. Together, we were able to concoct the most epic commercial for Mar Mars Toys that has ever been known to man!...I might be exaggerating a bit, but seriously, I think we did a pretty awesome job on it!....And now....for your eyes only....behold...an exclusive look at Mar Mars Toys first official commercial....also, feel free to check us out at www.marmarstoys.com for special deals!..Until Next Time....


(If you are viewing from Europe, please read Google+ disclaimer on third party cookies..otherwise...enjoy!)

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Attack on Titans!!

So Mar Mars Toys has been searching high and low for Attack on Titans POP figures for all you fans out there and we are excited to announce that we have finally heard your cries and answered them...  Here, before you today, behold in all their glory....two of our newest custom creations that you can't find anywhere else, even if you tried!




Check out our website at www.marmarstoys.com for even more awesome fandoms and figures! See you there!!

Friday, September 11, 2015

September is Hunger Action Month

Hi my beloveds! How are all of you doing on this extremely hot evening? I know I've been yammering on about starving children in my last couple of blogs, I just can't help it! If I know there is ANY child out there in the world that's hurting, I hurt right along with them! To be honest with you, I've been feeling so down lately, because every time I see the news, it's about children dying or becoming displaced because of poverty or war and my heart is just bleeding. I got so down today, I was messaging my husband to talk me down from the ledge, I was so distraught! I was telling him how horrible I feel that I can't do more! I want to go to where they are and just rescue them, but I can't and my husband,  as wonderful as he is, let me vent and told me the following: "God only gives us what we can handle. I know you want to save the world, but if God wanted you to do that, he would of blessed you with a way. God wants you exactly where you are and doing what you are doing for a reason." Me, being me, cried more and told him, but it's not enough!! In which case, my husband calmly responded with, you do so much Russhelle. Your always there volunteering and helping at church, you are helping these kids in the community and whenever you see a child in need, you never hesitate to help them. You ARE being used and for now it's enough, until God decides to use you for more."

Honestly, I really don't know what I would do without my husband being my anchor..if it was just me, I'd probably be knees deep in volunteering and doing who knows what? To be honest...that was me a couple of years ago and I actually got sick from doing so much, which is probably why he's bringing me down....What can I say, you guys already know...I love whole heartedly which means I tend to get extremely passionate at times. But my husband is right, I am just one person in this world and for now all I can do is what the Lord allows me to at the moment, which is why I am here now blogging. If this blog can reach as many people as my data report is telling me. I am going to make sure to make my voice heard as far as it can go! We are all just one person in this world, but if we could just take a second to think about someone else for a moment and actually make the decision to do something, I am sure, we can be the change we want to see in the world! For me, that change is to ensure that no child has to endure the feeling of going without food or daily necessities and if you see the same vision I do, then let's work together for that better tomorrow shall we?

On that note, there are two ways you can help:

1.) Visit www.marmarstoys.com and make a purchase, it's that easy...you get something awesome and in return, 10% of your purchase will go towards feeding children around the world!

2.) Go to www.feedthechildren.org and make a donation

Either way you go, you will be the spark that starts the revolution......Until next time

Monday, September 7, 2015

Star Wars: Episode VII Official Teaser

Hello my beloveds! How are you doing tonight? As you have been reading, my husband and I have been working extra hard and doing some great things with our online store over at www.marmarstoys.com  and we are totally geeking out because of the new figures we added to our collection! They are pretty awesome Star Wars figures that you can't find anywhere else, even if you tried. If you are interested, starting this month, 10% of your purchases will be going to a great cause that we are raising funds for. Check out our website blog for more details on all the goodies and until next time, here is the official Star Wars Episode VII teaser for you to geek out with us:

(If you are from Europe, please Read Google+ disclaimer on cookies of third party administrators before clicking on the video)

Friday, September 4, 2015

Hair Bow Vlog!

Hello my beloveds! So I've been seeing so many vlogs lately, I figured, Eh, why not give it a go? So as kind of like a magical unicorn, I decided to give you guys a treat and do my very first VLOG! Please excuse me if I don't make sense some of the time or if the cuts are bad, I actually did it a couple of times and edited afterwards so I combined everything together and put my high school video production skills to the test! So hope you enjoy it, I'm not sure if I'll make another one, Vlogs are exhausting! Until Next time......



Thursday, September 3, 2015

The Children are Starving

1 in 4 children are effected by hunger across the globe; it is an epidemic that a lot of people don't even really think about. While we are so consumed about our busy schedules and what we are going to be making for dinner, there are children that are going to bed hungry.  I for one, know first hand what it is like to not have food on the table. I know the ache in your belly when you're so hungry, but there is no option to eat. Luckily, my family was blessed with enough love and support from family members, that we were never really hungry for long periods of time. But for so many out there in the world that don't have the same support, they are starving. This is why when I got married, I made it one of my own personal missions to always help a child in need. I will never hesitate, no matter how much discomfort or an inconvenience it will cost me to make sure that a child has at least food in their bellies.

On this note, I was talking with my husband recently about our company that we started...Incase you didn't read my blog about it, it's an online company that is doing surprisingly well, considering we barely opened it just a few short years ago. Since we have been doing so well, I asked my husband if we could donate a percentage of our proceeds to feeding children not just here at home, but all over the world? My husband didn't even hesitate and he even added that we should eventually just start our own foundation to help kids in need and making sure they are able to have the resources they need for daily living.  I couldn't be more over joyed and I jumped on my trusty old computer to research an organization that I feel would meet what we are looking for.  It didn't take me long as I already had an organization in mind and the winner for who our donations will go to is:  Feed the Children!

They are not only a non-profit organization that has been around for almost 40 years, but they are transparent and aside from providing food to starving children, they also give them educational resources, as well as health and water! You also have the option to choose where your donation goes or you can even sponsor a specific child.  This fits everything that my husband and I are looking for in helping children around the world and I can't wait to be able to do more!  If you would like to support our cause, you can check out our online store at www.marmarstoys.com or you can check out the blog I wrote on our site as well, where I'll give more information about the foundation....Until Next Time!

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The love of Family

I usually get really depressed around this time. I'm not sure if it's because Summer has come to an end and it's a realization that time is fleeting and another year has come and gone, but I think it goes deeper than that? You see it was around this time that I lost someone very close to me, that I loved with my whole heart and when I lost him, it felt like a part of me died with him. It's been almost 20 years already, but every year around this time, I go into this dark depression. People always say that time heals all wounds, but sometimes, it just isn't the case.  Sometimes, the wounds heal, but the scars are left as a reminder of what was once there and now is gone. I used to get to a point where I didn't even know where and if I would come back? I remember once it got so bad that I became catatonic. I would cry so uncontrollably that when I would get so tired and weak from crying, I would just be numb. I think I said this all before in a previous blog somewhere, so I'll just leave out all the dramatics and just cut the present.  Today, I'm much better with the help and support of my loving husband and family which is why I wanted to blog about it.

Have you ever had one of those days, where there are so many people around you, yet you feel so utterly alone? I was having one of those days today and I wanted to just talk to someone, yet, even though there were people around me, I just felt like I was in such a dark place. It got to a point, where I went into my room with the lights out and was watching videos online and I just wept and cried. I was remembering my lost relative and missing them so much, but then out of the blue, my phone rang and it being so late at night, I didn't think anything of it, but then my phone rang again so I picked up. On the other end of the line was my niece, with her ray of sunshine attitude and with her light, it in an instant brought me out of the darkness.  She called to ask if I can see them as they were visiting my mom and wanted to see me. I told them yes of course and in a matter of seconds, all that pain I had in my heart turned into pure joy, simply by being around my happy, wonderful nieces.  I just wanted to put that out there in the universe.  If you are ever feeling sad and alone, just remember you are not and the best medicine for it is surrounding yourself with people that love you and give you pure joy....Until next time!

Monday, August 31, 2015

College Life

Hello my beloved, how are you all doing?  I just came back from taking a final and all I have to say is that it is in God's hands now! I tried to study so hard, but at the same time, it's hard being an adult, while trying to finish school! Everytime I tried to study, I had a parent calling me to take their kid here, I had to drop one kid off there. I had a toddler begging for my attention, my mother asking me to babysit, while she runs a quick errand and the whole time, I'm like..But I HAVE TO STUDY?! Nope, doesn't matter. When you are a responsible adult, all of a sudden your "To Do list" outshines your priorities.

So there I was a half an hour before class, trying to get as much reading and studying in that I possibly could, before the professor walked in.  Luckily, she had a brief class with us to help put our minds at ease and even gave us a couple of the answers; but then the test started! I felt ok about probably the first 6 or so questions, but then I started getting these questions like:

7.) "Timmy called out "ball" to refer exlusively to his blue ball, what linguistic phonological process is he exhibiting?"

8.) "Timmy called out "ball" to refer exlusively to all blue balls, what linguistic phonological process is he exhibiting?"

9.)"Timmy called out "ball" to refer exlusively to not just blue balls, but all circular objects (shape, eggs, balloon, etc.), what linguistic phonological process is he exhibiting?"


All that I started thinking was, who is this "TIMMY" and what is up with all these "BLUE BALLS?" But I couldn't let a little blue balls questions, distract me, so I kept pushing forward. I started regaining my composer, but then I remembered I was hungry because I didn't eat before the test and now my head is starting to hurt. All I could think was "DANG IT, WHY DIDN'T I EAT BEFORE THE TEST?!!" But still, I kept pushing through to the next questions. Eventually, I just kept telling myself, "When in doubt, choose C." Quite frankly, I'm not that confident about what grade I am going to be getting for this class, but at this point, I will be over joyed if I pass with a C!!!...Until next time....

Friday, August 28, 2015

Maybe it was Jose?

Hello my beloveds! I really should be studying right now, but it was sooooooo HOT today and I'm sooooo tired I don't feel like studying!!  I know, I know, I really need to buckledown and JUST DO IT!! But can I atleast take a little break to tell you about a funny, but kind of mean thing I did today?

So with Halloween around the corner and the nights getting darker and so forth, it's right around the time, the tricksters should start coming out of the woodwork.  I have to admit, I do have a bit of a mean streak in me, especially when it comes to messing with peoples heads, so this was especially enjoyable for me..teeeheeeheee!

It started innocently enough, with my godson spending the night at our house. He was getting ready for bed and I was in the livingroom on my ipad, when he all of a sudden quickly came into the room and told me, "I think this house is haunted?!"  I looked up from what I was doing and wasn't really sure what he said, because he kind of mumbled it, so I said, "What?!" Then my nephew told me that before he went to the bathroom, he was in his room (all our nephews and nieces fight over this extra room that we have, because that's where they stay when they come over, so we just call it all of their rooms) and before he went to take a shower, he noticed the fan was at the end of the desk and was going to fall, so he moved the fan to the middle of the desk and went to take a shower, but after he left the room, he heard a bang and when he went back to check what that sound was, he saw the fan on the floor!!  OOOOOoooohhhh Creepy right? Well for me, I'm used to living in old houses, so it wasn't any surprise to me.  I didn't even bother to look up at him and went back to doing what I was doing and just told him, "maybe it was Jose?"  He stood there kind of dumb founded and asked me, "What do you mean? Who's Jose?!!" I acted very nonchalant about the whole ordeal and was like, "you see my dear godson, where we live now, didn't exist way back when. This was all actually open space and just dirt and metal support beams.  My grandfather was the contractor that built this house and Jose was his second hand man who worked with and for my grandpa.  Jose was also homeless, so he would sleep under this house in the dirt and so my grandfather built this, the way it is now for him, so that he would have a warm place to sleep at night and some say that he never left this place."

I then looked up at him at this point with very serious eyes and looked straight into his for this next part. I even sat straight up and leaned a little closer to him for more dramatic effect and said,"you know, sometimes, when I'm alone here, I see him." My godsons eyes grew double their normal size as I continued.  "Yes, it's true, sometimes, I will just be sitting here on the couch, or I would be doing my chores and then I'll see someone in the hallway or standing in the doorway, and then when I turn and look again, there is no one there." My godson, half believing me, half not, was starting to freak out and responded with, "OH MY GOSH, WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THAT?!!! NOW I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP TONIGHT!!!".....I could of stopped there, but that's just not my style; I always need to finish what I start, so I went on." Don't you ever wonder why when you sleep the doors are closed and when you wake up in the morning they are open?" He responded with, "That's because you tuck us in and then leave the door open when you leave?" and I quickly rebut with, "nope, I always close them, because you told me you don't like sleeping with the doors open." He is now officially freaked out and wants to cry, he's twelve years old and is now looking over his shoulder to see if he sees anything supernatural!

On another note, all the above is actually true that I said, so I really wasn't lying to him, but I'm pretty sure there are logical explainations for it all....or is there...DUUUUUuuunnnn Duuunnnnnn DUUUUUUUUUNNNNNN!!!!! Until next time.......

My Dream Car

Lately my husband and I have been window shopping for what our next car would be and we were talking about our dream cars. His of course was an old 47 model T, where mine on the other hand was a 1967 Mustang Fastback. Just thinking about that car gives me feels!! I've always been a mustang girl and if I could have any car out there, without hesitation that's what it would be! Well, actually, I take that back. Although I am and always will be a mustang girl, I think if I could have any car out there, no questions asked, it would definitely be the new 2016 Volvo XC90. That car has a way with words without even saying anything! Have you guys seen it? OMG, look it up! 7 passengers, 400 horsepower, all the high tech gadgets any car enthusiast would enjoy and I could go on but I mean...you just need to see it to drool like I'm doing right now! I see myself driving it whenever I close my eyes. The beautiful thing is that I thought with all the bells and whistles it was going to beat least  an $80k starting price, but it actually starts at only $50k..so you know what I'm going to be asking God for Christmas and my birthday! Until then, I'm happy driving around my Suzi; that right I name my cars!

My very first car was a 1997 Eddie Bauer Ford Explore. I loved that car so much and had so many grand adventures in it! I named him Red, because he was really Burgundy and Beige, but what kind of name is Burgundy? No, Red was the kind of name that takes you places. Red was the type of name that would see you were having  a bad day and instead of trying to solve your problems, would just take you in his arms and tell you, I don't give a Damn, we are going on an adventure and that adventure is called life! I miss that old car, I swear if it didn't get wrecked and was falling apart I would probably still have it today. It's okay though, now I have my Suzi...she's reliable for the most part and just as adventurous! Suzi, is my 2007 Suzuki Forenza wagon, complete with racks on the top. I once had a car friend, who practically begged me to trade cars with him. At the time, he was driving a brand new Nissan 350Z coupe and he told me the Suzuki wagon was his dream car and he would totally trade me right there and then. I looked at his 3.5L engine and compared it to my 4 cylinder 2.0 and was like Nahh, no thanks, no deal, get to the back of the line! Truth be told, his car was nice, but as for me, yeah I may be sporty and spontaneous and all that good stuff, but at the end of the day I'm also very economical and I wasn't about to be paying how much in gas to be filling up the tank! Aside from that, I pretty much paid my car off in cash and was free and clear and if I took the Nissan, I would of had to pay the remaining balance on it, so no thank you, I like being debt free.

My Suzi gives me the best of both worlds, it's torque gives me the thrill of a sports car, while its electronics gives me luxury. The only downfall is that because everything in it is computerized, it kind of has glitches that need to be upgraded and rebooted every couple of years otherwise it starts acting like an old jalopy! Other than that, I wouldn't trade it in for anything in the world........unless it was a brand new Volvo XC90 or 1967 fastback!! Until next time......



Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Don't ever give up on LOVE

Hello my beloveds!  How are you doing today? As I sit here in my office just scanning through my facebook news feed, I came across a post that one of my friends had made.  It is kind of like a small blog, but in comment form and I thought it was interesting enough to blog about. She was commenting on a blog she read from Jim Daly and if you don't know who Jim Daly is, then click here and you can see for yourself JimDalyBlog.com.  Getting back to my topic though, she titled her comment as "Epic Love in Marriage," and talked about the Titanic.

She mentioned how everyone was so enthralled with the main characters love story that it made it seem like love like that could only exist in movies, but gave some enlightening information about a true love story from that fateful day.  She goes on to write:

"Aboard the Titanic when it sank in the Atlantic Ocean’s frigid waters on April 15, 1912 were Isidor and Ida Straus. As the terror of that ill-fated journey unfolded, the couple knew that after forty years of marriage they were about to spend their last moments together. “Women and children first” was conventional protocol at the time, of course, which meant Ida would have to leave behind her beloved husband. But when the moment came, she refused, saying, “As we have lived, so we will die … together.” Numerous accounts of that night indicate the couple then settled into deck chairs and held hands, waiting for the inevitable."

I'm not sure if you remember the movie, but in all the chaos, there was an elderly couple that accepted they were not going to get off the ship and retreated back to their cabin, where they both died holding each other as the waves came crashing in.  These characters were to represent Isidor and Ida Strauss, although, there was a lot more to it then that.

Isidro and Ida were the owners of Macy's Department Store in New York and they had seven children and as their children were grown, would travel a lot together.  They were actually coming back home to America after vacationing all Winter in the South of France. Being that they were of upper class and their age, they were both offered a seat in one of the lifeboats, but Isidro refused to get on while there were still women, children and men that were in line before him, he told them, "I have lived my life."  After his refusal to get in the boat, his wife with one foot already in, stepped back and said her famous words, "I will not be separated from my husband, As we have lived, so we will die … together.”  It is also documented that she then took off her fur coat she was wearing and gave it to her newly hired English maid whom she made get on the boat.  She then told her, "Take this, you will need it more than I will now," At which point she went to her husbands side and there is where she stayed until the cold, bitter end.

This is the kind of love story that doesn't exist in movies.  Whenever you watch a romantic movie, it always goes like this: They meet, fall in love, something traumatic happens and then they either separate or get married and live happily ever after.  Movies never show you what happens afterwards and how two people can be so in love and devoted to each other. I am sure both Isidor and Ida had their ups and downs and hardships in marriage, but the fact that at the end of it all, they can still love each other enough to stand together on a sinking ship...Well....there's no greater love than that.

I have been blessed enough that I have found my own Isidro and Ida story and if you don't know what I am talking about, then I suggest you start reading my blogs from the beginning. I would like to think that if my husband and I would of be put in this kind of situation in our old age, that we would probably do the same thing.  To be honest, we have been put in similar situations, maybe not as dramatic or epic as being on an actual sinking ship, but we have made our sacrifices and proven over the years that my husband and I are stronger together, then we are separate and that nothing in this world can tear us apart.

So what is my point about all this?  LOVE DOES exist and it is out there for anyone to find. If you can't find it, then maybe you are looking for the wrong kind of love.  Isidro and Ida didn't just love each other, they loved God and showed it through their actions. 
(1 John 4:8-16)  Until Next time Beloved.......




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Monday, August 24, 2015

I know I'm a dork, but you know you still love me!

Hello my beloved readers around the world! I've taken a break from my Cinderella job and was on facebook, when I came across this video about the presidential debate that we had recently.  Incase you didn't read my previous blogs...shame on you.....why aren't you helping a sista out and reading them?!! Just kidding, but seriously, in my previous blog, I mentioned that I'm cheap...I mean, "economical," so I don't have cable.  My motto is and always has been, "why pay for it, when you can probably get it for free somewhere else?" So that is exactly what I do. I watch all my television and movies online and I personally like it better, because instead of watching nothing BUT commercials.  You have the option of watching like one or two and then the rest of your show is commercial free.  OR...if you have Netflix, it's even better, because it's less than a cable bill and there aren't any commercials!  BOOM...life hack!! Anyway, where was I? (re-reading what I just wrote)


Oh yes, the presidential debate! Since I don't have regular television, I didn't watch it; also, because I just didn't want to.  But then I came across this gem of a video from Bad lip reading and it made the debate so much more interesting.  Yes, yes, I can really see where each candidate is coming from and actually agree with some of their arguments.  I still am not sure who I am going to vote for, but I think the Neurosurgeon just might have won my heart through this debate, watch and see what I'm talking about:


(Oh yeah, google+ is making me put a disclaimer on here that anything that is from a third party administrator might carry a risk, if you are from Europe, please read googles disclaimer of cookies for more info)...Until Next time......

As easy as Pumpkin Pie

Hallo!Bonjour!¿Cómo está todo a hacer hoy? As you may of heard from my previous blog, I recently had a plight with ants that I just don't want to rehash, so instead let me tell you about the pie that I mentioned. With the Summer coming to an end and corporate America shoving Halloween down our throats now, I woke up this morning and said to myself......UUUGGGHHHHH 5 more minutes!!! But after that, I went outside and the thermometer said it was already 70 degrees and it was only around 7:30 in the morning!! That most likely means that today is either going to be in the mid 80's to low 90's..Of course I'm no meteorologist, I'm just guessing here? But never the less, I went inside and said, hmmmmm what should I do now? OH I know, LET'S BAKE SOMETHING!! Since Halloween is just around the corner (see how I went off topic, but brought it right back around, yeah, you like how I did that right there, don't you) Anyway, I went digging through my cabinets to see what ingredients I had and I decided to make a traditional pumpkin pie. You see when people get stressed out, some eat, some shop, others do....whatever they do...well for me, I bake! So incase you want the recipe, here it is:

3/4
cup sugar
1 1/2
teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I actually put a tsp of ground clover, ginger and cinnamon, incase you don't have the pumpkin spice handy)
1/2
teaspoon salt
1
can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/4
cups evaporated milk or half and half
2
eggs, beaten
1 pie crust (I used the Nabisco graham pie crust, because well....I'm a lazy baker sometimes, so if I could cut down on the prep time, then I'll do it, with *pies only though)

Directions:

First step: Heat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, mix filling ingredients. Pour into pie crust

Second Step: Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 40 to 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 2 hours. Serve or refrigerate until serving time.

Third Step: Enjoy!  Don't forget to refrigerate any left overs so those DARN ANTS don't get to it!
  Until Next time Beloved.......