Better to have loved and lost, than _________

I apologize for the lack of uninteresting posting the past several weeks. This month has been a whirlwhind. We have experienced three deaths in the family, 2 of them taken by cancer. One of them a 6 year old girl. I consider myself to have a pretty good concept of death,we all die, we dont die until our purpose here on earth is fufilled,and we eiether go to heaven or hell(yes,there is a hell, and there is a heaven). Then there are other cases of death,which I beleive are caused by pure evil,things that we cannot see, and I beleive that this was one of those instances.........I could open a whole other can of worms,but I will not go there. Thats another blog post. I do know one thing for sure, Selena, my grandmother, and Aunt Wanda are in heaven now, and pain free. Selena is probably eating tacos with Jesus :-) . She doesnt have to suffer anymore. I am not a death expert, that is something no one has the answer to,why people have to suffer and die. But I do know one thing. One day, we will get to see them again in heaven,that is, if we make the choice to go there.I also know I cant walk around feeling guilty about the "should haves" I should have called more, I should have prayed more, I should have done something more. Because the reality in any death situation is that it doesnt matter how much we did for this person,we would have always felt like we could have done more. Its part of the grieving process. Thats pretty much all I have to say for right now. I leave you with the a picture of the bravest little girl I have ever known:

RIP Selena Barajas March 27,2002-March 14,2009

Wildcard Picks

So, it is wildcard night on American Idol, and here is who your judges picked:

Von Smith
Jasmine Murray
Ricky Braddy
Megan Joy Corkrey
Tatiana Del Toro
Matt Giraud
Jesse Langseth
Anoop Desai

Im not at all happy with the choices right now, and I really think Ju'Not and Felecia, and Kristin should have been considered.I would love to pick the judges brains . Its not at all a vocal competition, but a popularity one, and that is becoming more and more evident.

My pics for wildcard:Anoop,Matt, and Jesse, but we all know that wont happen.I really hope Megan doesnt do that dance thing again.

So, who will finish off the final 12? We will soon find out.........

We'll see how it plays out, Im afraid to even watch.

Idol Thoughts Week 3

Since my dreams of auditioning were shattered this year, i figured blogging about idol each week would be good therapy.....lol. So i am going to try my best to do so. I have a pretty good track record of picking who is going to win every season, I started watching season 4, and so far am 3 for 3. Here ar my thoughts on tonights final 12. By the way, i do not like how they have done the voting set up this year. Boo!!!!!! They should have stuck with the original 24 thing. The new voting system doesnt give several of the really good ones a fair chance. Now that Ive said my peace, I will share my thoughts for tonight:
I was right on last week(except for Cris), with Adam and Allison,so we will see.........
I predict America will send the following on:
Scott,Lil Rounds, and JU'Not

Rachel's picks are Scott,Kristen,and eiether Felicia or Ju'Not
Wild card predictions: Jorge for sure, and any of my other favorites that may not make it.

I didnt catch the name of Vons song, but I know it was marvin gaye. That pretty much sums up his performance.....lol.

Taylor-very Demi Lovato-ish. I cant beleive she sung the same song that she did in Hollywood,thats not very smart. Not to mention that song has been beaten to death with the idol contestant beat-up stick(sorry, couldnt think of a better name....lol). Good song, its just been done way too many times. Go home sweetie :-( And whats up with Karas shopping comment? What does shopping and personality have to do with good vocals?lol

Alex- Oh my goodness, this guy is just, well, um, weird. I loved Simons Old hamster trying to be a tiger comment. I would say he has more of a gerbil like quality......lol.Poor Elton, poor Elton.

Arianna aka "Button girl"- Abba? Are you kidding me? Why would a 17 year old pick something like that. Bad song choice. She had a few nice runs in the middle though.........

Ju'not- I liked him, my prediction is that he will be this seasons Chekeezie,but better. They have to have a black man in the group, I think its a general rule.....lol.

Kristin- I liked her, very distinct quality to her voice. What was up with all the fashion comments? I thought this was idol, not Project Runway. I think she looked fine.

Nathaniel- you know, i actually kindve liked him, and he was on my list,until I heard the rest of the guys, then he got knocked down.Way down. I thought the meatloaf choice was interesting. It was a little dry,however,and did not leave me hungry for more.

Felicia- I am really glad they brought this girl back. Shes on my list. I know it must have been hard for her to leave her baby(and LIl Rounds to leave hers as well). I didnt like the song choice, i dont think it showed off her range very well. But like she says, everything happens for a reason, and i am hoping she comes back.

Scott- I have really enjoyed him since day one,hes different and unique. He has a very Josh Groban like quality to his voice............he did not dissapoint tonight.

Kendall- Honey, this is not Nashville Star. It was very pitchy. But she looked great,loved the dress.Very Kellie Pickler-ish.Texas is not very well represented this year,oh well, thats what they get for not coming here.........

Lil Rounds- I really like her. I loved the call the show if you want me comments she put in the song,very clever.I like the fact that she has three kids and is a mom, unlike alot of the other female r and B singers out there. I guess, for me personally, i am just looking for something fresh and for someone whose style hasnt been done 1000 times over. i think it would be cool to see her do a country song and make it her own.

Jorge Nunez- I personally didnt care for him, had great vocals, very Marc Anthony, I think he will be back on the wild card show.

My wild card predictions for next week: Kai Kalama, Jorge Nunez,Mishavonna henson, Matt Giraud,Anoop, and Stevie

The Buzz

A few months ago I stumbled across an awesome site, where people sell their crafts. All excellent high quality stuff. if you are looking for a perfect gift for that special someone, you can find it at Etsy . Not all of them, but a good majority are work at home moms, so when you shop there, you are not only receiving high quality handmade items,but you are supporting(in most cases) a work at home mom as well. I set up my own store several months ago,Im just a little slow at getting things started.
I recently got really into cupcakes for some reason. Why, i dont know, they are just the cutest little things...... I went on an etsy mission to find some cupcake items, and was not dissapointed. I stumbled upon something amazing: jewelry made from old scrabble tiles. You can find these little treasures at Kelly's Etsy Store . They are interchangable, and she has one to fit any kind of taste. I was very impressed, it even came shipped in a cute little organza bag. She also has her own website Bumblebeadzzz .
So, everyone be sure to pay her a visit and buy some of her stuff. I know Ill be back. Thanks Kelly :-)

Happy Valentines Day !!!

First off, I am happy to report that I have lost close to 22 pounds since I posted my diet blog. This is the littlest I have weighed since my daughter was born,almost nine years ago. So yeah, I am happy about that. Strangely enough, I still cannot fit into that dress,some parts of me are taking longer to lose than others.....lol
So, this weekend, i am selling flowers at a flower tent, to help kids go to camp. I have done this for the past two years. This weekend, as you also know is Valentines Day. I always hated this day growing up,probably because I never had anyone special on this day. Luckily my Dad was born on this day, so i always had something else to celebrate......lol.What is the purpose of this day and here did it originate from? Why all the flowers and chocolate? Have you ever wondered that? Well, today it is my mission to answer those questions for you.
Its funny how when you first get married, you want the flowers and the chocolate,the dinners, the romance. Then the longer you are married the more practical you become. You ladies know what I am speaking of. For example,what do I want this year? Flowers? No, they just die. Chocolates? Nope, they make me fat. I want the most romantic of all gifts: a vegetable garden......lol. Cant get much more romantic than that. And that is after ten years of marriage, I can only imagine what kinds of exciting things my heart will desire in the years to come............new silverware, perhaps? Or how about a nice,romantic rain gutter.......lol.. Better yet, how about doing the laundry and dishes for me, that would send me on cloud nine. That is because acts of service is one of my love languages. What is a love language,and do I have one, you might be asking. Sure you do, and you can take this short quiz
to find out what it is.
So, how did this holiday all begin?

No one knows for sure,it remains a mystery,but here is the story I like the best: One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. In some stories he was sent to prison, and according to one legend,According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap"
So there you have it ,thats the story Im sticking with.

More Valentines Day factoids for you:
What are the most popular gifts?

• Roses rank number one.Red rose, which is commonly associated with passion, a pink rose, commonly associated with appreciation and sympathy, and a white rose, associated with friendship & peace. are popular gifts on Valentine's day.

• Last year Valentines Day spending topped 17 billion in the US , and it is expected to stay the same, possible even a little lower this year.
• The average consumer will spend 102 dollars this year,down 20 bucks from lasy year according to a national survey.

So, however you spend your day, I hope you have a Happy one surrounded by those that you love. And always remember,you dont have to wait for a holiday to do something special for the one you love.

Its a Hit :-)

I am going to share recipes on my blog from time to time. Today instead of the usual hot pocket or lean Cusine that I normally have for lunch, I got a little adventurous and made some Italian Sausage soup with a recipe I got from Cooking Light Magazine. Heres the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces hot or sweet turkey italian sausage
2 cups fat free chicken broth(I used rachel ray's stock on a box)
2 cans diced tomatos with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp grated fresh parm and romano cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil

Heat a lg saucepan over medium heat.Remove casings from sausage.Add sausage to pan,cook about 5 min until brown and crumbled.Drain and return to pan. Add broth, tomatoes,and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat,and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done.Remove from heat and stir in spinach until wilted.

I think it was a hit :)


Tomorrow I am going to write an actual blog....lol

Project of the week

From time to time, i am going to post different projects that I am working on,products Ive tried,books Ive read,or recipes Ive attempted to make(notice i said attempted...lol) Recently, i got introduced to the world of ATCs. What are atcs? well, they artist trading cards, about the size of a baseball card,little pieces of cardstock decorated with whatever:buttons,lace,ribbon,paint,etc. The idea is to trade them with a bunch of people, and put them in a binder as you would a sportscard. It sounded like fun, and i am always up for a challenge, so i decided to take a crack at it and this is what i came up with. I have decided to devote a few hours a week to crafting, since it is something I really enjoy. I figured it would help me destress a little. Hope you like.