Here we go again . . .

Our lives seem like a broken record on many fronts!

Health concerns have consumed our lives recently.

Most importantly, The Captain is quickly recovering from another surgery. Can I say that I would like at least one year without a hospital incident?  I know he would for sure!  My sweetie is one strong man for sure . . . and I love my hero so much :)

Our webspaces are undergoing more changes since we have both retired full time (for now) and enjoy our blogs, webspaces and social media so much we'd like to try to make some extra money with them.  

The Captain and I would be so happy if our readers would patronize our advertisers . . . at least check out their stores and see what they have to offer! I'm addicted to internet shopping myself . . . I have not seen the inside of a mall in years.

We haven't given up the idea for another internet store, but it has been put on the back burner since there is a huge oak tree limb sitting on and smashing our storage shed more every day and we are not sure what has survived. So much for my awesome vintage inventory :(  

I'm still throwing around the idea of making refashioned jewelry from my stock of vintage jewelry/components and my massive vintage rhinestone jewelry collection.

We are still without running water.  It goes to show you that anyone can survive almost anything and still live a comfortable life.  That does not mean that I would not be thrilled to have running water again!

Life is all about priorities that sometimes become a test of our strength as human beings.

Special people

Just as I was getting over another extended family member passing on, we got word of another who passed away yesterday.  It is never a happy time to celebrate the life of someone who has passed on, but it is especially difficult around the holidays.

Shortly after getting together for Thanksgiving at the home of my sister-in-law's parents house, where she and her mom made a very delicious meal and we had a great time, her mom passed away suddenly.  The family once again gathered to celebrate her life, surrounded by her favorite things.  Her passing on really touched me, she was such a special lady who was once so full of life. She was never the same after her son overdosed on Thanksgiving Day two years ago.  The irony hit me as we sat in her home on Thanksgiving Day and especially on the day the celebrated her life.  The decades of family gatherings she hosted also flooded my thoughts.  Awesome memories!

Life is fragile.  Seems like all I write about is death and food.

It has been a long time since I have counted the weeks we have not had running water.  The process continues and there is no end in sight.  My sense of humor sometimes escapes me.  Imagine living without running water . . . it has been since October.  My husband has gone through this ordeal relatively painlessly since everything is a fun adventure to him and most of the time that mentality has worked for me, but I do lose it at times.  That is usually when we visit my mom and feel like we are at a retreat with a spa.  Looks like we won't be ready for a new pump purchase by the end of December, so . . . my Christmas wish will probably not come true.  

Oh well, it is not the end of the world especially in light of celebrating the lives of two very special people who have touched my life in a meaningful way. 

Cherish those special people in your life . . . you never know how long they will be in your life.

Hope you are having a festive holiday season!

Awesome Thanksgiving Week

The Captain and I packed a bag or two for ourselves and Kiki and off we went to spend some time with my mom.  It was nice to not experience anxiety over not having running water and a general mess I have grown weary of dealing with.  My mom's house became more of a relaxing vacation retreat and we stayed longer than expected as we luxuriated in "normal" surroundings. 

We really enjoyed visiting with my brother and his family on Thanksgiving Day.  The food was awesome and we had a very satisfying pig out day compliments of my sister-in-law and her mother, who are excellent cooks.  It was a beautiful day to hang out on the screened porch and savor the gorgeous Florida weather, although there was a bit of a nip in the air.

The only negative aspect of staying at mom's house is no internet, although it was nice to get away from behind the monitor and do silly stuff like play cards.

Yes, it was difficult to come back home to less than comfortable surroundings, but life circumstances are not always pleasant.  The Captain ordered the necessary materials to work toward getting the well working again and everything should come in by the end of the week.  Hopefully, we will have running water by Christmas!

Just another year

Another year is coming to an end.  I think this year has flown by faster than any other year I have experienced.  Time flies by when you are having fun.

Another month is almost over and we are still without running water.  For sure it has proved to be interesting having to live like this.  At least we have managed "for the most part" to maintain a sense of humor through the whole ordeal.  I wrote a post on my blog Peace, Love, Happiness about "Teetering on the Edge" of sanity and insanity.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger is the saying that comes to mind.

Actually, we are feeling rather grateful these days with all the news being the disaster of Obamacare and the nightmare stories of families losing their health care coverage and having to replace what they had with an over the top and budget busting expense that came as a complete shock.  I've officially turned off the 24/7 news cycle from Fox News in favor of the Countdown to Christmas on the Hallmark Channel.  

Sometimes you have to turn off reality to give the mind some space to wander somewhere other than problems and bad news.

I'm actually looking forward to Thanksgiving with the family this year.  Since my brother's family has been in transition moving to another state and the kids scattering from one place to another, the normal holiday routine has been off the past year or so.  My food blog, Gina's Italian Kitchen, has been a busy place since I've been in the festive holiday menu mode in anticipation of the big pig out day.  Check out my Thanksgiving post with lots of links to recipes and awesome holiday inspiration.

As most of the country is dealing with snow and cold weather, we are enjoying a very pleasant, mild autumn with lower humidity.  I'm feeling so blessed to have been born and deeply rooted in Florida!

Hoping everything is wonderful in your world!

Happy October!

Well, we are finally there.  Life as we knew it is all but gone.

Obamacare is here!

Our economy is changing, the job market is becoming confined to part time jobs and the rumor is that the most "affordable" health care is $360 per month for an individual.  How can a middle class family with children, a mortgage, a car payment, etc. afford that?

I don't think anyone really understands all of this mess completely, but as the layers of information are peeled, it does not look good at all.  Of course, the good news is that those who could not afford insurance can now have it.  But don't we already have local health care for the unfortunate people who can't afford insurance?  I really don't think I live in an unusually generous area of the US!

Why couldn't the powers that be just improve health care benefits for those who qualified?  

Why did everyone have to be lumped together and our economy turned upside down?

Is Robin Hood making everyone else pay for those who can't afford it?

I really hate what is happening to our country!

Anyway, I've been updating my blogs with new posts and messed up music.  I'll be getting to all of them and will be working on them on a daily basis.  I have missed writing so much and happy to be back again.

The music blog is really messed up, but I've decided to fix the whole thing, no matter how long it takes.

Happy October my friends!

What makes your blood boil?

For me it is a toss up between telephone solicitors and politics.

To be honest, we rarely get calls from telephone solicitors anymore.  Back in the day, I think they had radar for calling at the wrong time.  Thank God for the invention of caller ID and the "unavailable" tag . . . and DoNotCall.com.

The world of politics has become so bizarre it is unbelievable.  Day by day, the United States is looking more like a joke to the rest of the world.  The media has gleefully jumped in to further weave the web of deception, incompetence and sheer lunacy.

Distracted drivers really make my blood boil.  One person's "important" text message can possibly result in the death of another.  And I think that everyone is in way too much of a hurry.  Why not plan things out and leave a few minutes early and not put another person's life at risk because of the stupidity of another constantly running late and driving crazy.

How about the price of everything going up . . . but the paycheck stays the same?

What most people call "entertainment" these days would have been considered porn back in the day.  I'm so grateful that I was able to experience a relatively "normal" childhood.  My parents worried about the length of a man's hair . . . today's parents have to worry about their children who want to watch the MTV Video Awards with so little left to the imagination.  

The food police make my blood boil . . . they need to worry about what their children are doing and forget about what we are eating.  I've gone on about this one before . . . it really upsets me!

This morning's news revealed that Ariel Castro, the Ohio man who kidnapped and kept three girls hostage for a decade, committed suicide.  Finally some good news . . . he saved the taxpayers of Ohio a ton of money.

What is making your blood boil today?

Rainy summer, falling trees and stuff

It has been a busy year that is flying by so fast!  I'm in the process of consolidating my websites with my blogs behind the scenes and learning advanced computer program coding to make the job easier for me.

Something that has really irritated me is the way music player/storage sites have been changing and messing up my blog posts that contain music.  YouTube has majorly contributed to messing up my music blog that I'm not sure if I am going to fix or not.  Every single post has been messed up by these music services.  Maybe I'll fix it in the future by making it a new addition to my website.

My current project has been fixing the music on my blog Peace, Love, Happiness.  It has proven to be a major project (although not as major as the music blog would be), but I am learning new ways of doing things.

The Captain and I are also working on our new online store.  Needless to say, there are not enough hours in the day!

Florida has had one of the most rainy summers I have ever experienced, keeping us inside and working on our computer projects.  Although we tried starting a vegetable garden, it has been nearly impossible . . . but we did manage to not kill different varieties of hot peppers that are starting to produce some very tasty peppers.

During one of the downpours, a huge limb from a very mature oak tree fell on our oversized storage shed.  We haven't checked out the damage inside . . . I'm almost scared to check it out.  One of the sections looks like an accordion that may have damaged some of the treasures we were planning to sell in our online store.  Thank God it missed our house and we are all safe!

So how is your summer going?

 

Real life soap operas

Updating my blogs has come to a screeching halt.  The ongoing saga of unbelievable arrogant actions by the Obama administration that increases daily has captured my full attention.

When President Obama was first elected, although I did not vote for him, I wanted him to succeed.  I love my country and want everyone to experience a prosperous and productive society.  It is my belief that no matter what side of the political fence you sit on, living in prosperous times is good for the country, no matter who makes it happen.

However, starting with the railroading of Obamacare, I was smelling socialist rats.  Power is a dangerous thing.  I keep thinking about the "hope and change" Fidel Castro promised the Cuban people so many years ago.  All of a sudden, President Obama's campaign slogan bothered me greatly and every day that passes shows that the political agenda that promised change has ushered in incredible political arrogance and a disregard for honesty.

His wish to lead the "most transparent government ever" has proven to be a joke of biblical proportions.

What the Internal Revenue Service has put those who oppose his views through has to be the most unethical practice in the history of our government.  Dirty politics at its finest with an extraordinary arrogance for breaking the law.  How about winning an election fairly and honestly?

And the IRS is going to administer Obamacare?  Now I'm truly scared for the future of the United States.

Then there are the privacy issues on many levels.  This administration deems themselves superior to obeying the law when it comes to snooping on people . . . in this case, the media who have worshiped and adored the Obama administration to the point of glossing by events that should have been on the nightly news for everyone to see and highlighting those events that made the administration look good.  

The good news is that some of the media are now seeing what many have been thinking and saying.  At least Freedom of the Press is still important to them.  It should be.  I don't think that there is anyone out there who just wants to hear what the government wants us to hear.  Hopefully, our society has not become that politically weak where they base their precious votes to the soundbites on the news.  Or have we?

Pay attention to what is going on people . . . we all may live to regret being led to a place we don't want to live in . . . no matter who we are or how much money we have.

Sickos and liars among us

The news continues to disturb me.

Judging by today's White House Press Conference, the main stream media is finally waking up and becoming upset with being lied to by the administration it has shamelessly defended.  That is the only good news of the day . . . there is hope.

I don't care what side of the political fence you sit on . . . being lied to is disturbing.

If the lies aren't bad enough, the IRS has been caught playing Sneaky Pete, targeting and intimidating certain groups.  Isn't that against the law?  This news tidbit is not going away soon . . . and rightfully so.  Just like being a liar, deceitful politics is just as disturbing.

Open your eyes America . . . we are being lied to on a daily basis!

Then we have the latest sicko . . . the pervert who abducted three girls and robbed them of being "normal" young adults.  Chained, leashed and naked in the back yard?  A young girl giving birth to a child in a little swimming pool in the house without the benefit of a doctor?  Threatening to kill one of the other girls who assisted with the birth if the child dies?  It sounds unbelievable . . . and it makes me sick that we live among these type of people and don't even know it.  There is a special place in hell for that man!

Don't get me started on that Jodi chick who slaughtered her boyfriend . . . I'm sick of seeing her smug face and all the attention the media is giving her.  

I need a vacation where there is nothing but sunshine, chocolate and rainbows!

The revolving door of life

Sometimes life seems to be a series of revolving events.

Evil has reared its ugly head again in the United States.  We hear about bombings all over the world daily, but when it hits home, they become scary.  The people who would just kill for the sake of killing, the more the better, are of a particular mindset that is warped and twisted.  I often wonder what triggers a mind to become so deviant.  Then I saw the mother of the terrorist brothers on the news the other day.  Her perception of reality is totally whacked out.  No wonder her children grew up so screwed up.

The world I grew up in with all of its innocence is still fresh on my mind since Annette passed away.  She was one of my heroines . . . such a sweet teenager who grew up to be a classy lady and an inspiration for the rest of us who grew up in her time of popularity.  There is such a lack of great ladies in our world for little girls growing up to look up to.  Modern day heroines are whores, drunks and junkies who are in and out of jail.  The way to success seems to start with a sex tape.

I'm so sad for the current world we live in . . . at least I have memories of those innocent times.  What do little girls growing up now have?  Hopefully good parents . . .

One of my long time internet buddies recently passed away.  Online friends are so special . . . at least they have been for me.  The friendship between Pat and I started back in the day of Yahoo 360 blogs.  

It was a short time after JR died and I got the most comfort out of writing and I stumbled upon the world of blogs.  Other bloggers became my support system through some very rough times.  Many of us have kept in touch through a series of changes in social media . . . Pat was one of them.  

She had just realized one of her dreams and it makes me so sad that she didn't get to fully enjoy it . . . although she made it there.  The world is a little emptier without her awesome recipes, decorating skills and awesome personality . . . she was always a supportive friend and an inspiration to me and so many others.  RIP Pat . . . I guess God needed a great chef and hostess in heaven.  I'll be sharing some of her recipes through my food blog.

On a lighter note . . . the furbabies were sitting around with us this morning.  Mimi the cat and Kiki the dog are finally able to be in the same room.  They are even able to sit on the bed and visit with us at the same time.  For the first time this morning, I heard Mimi growl.  I didn't know that cats growled!  Kiki tends to play a little rough and it scares Mimi.  I think Kiki knows it and likes to intimidate poor Mimi.  Well, Mimi had enough this morning and was doing this weird little combination of growling, hissing and swatting.  I can't wait for the day that these two can live in peace with each other, but this morning's episode was funny in an odd sort of way!

I've gotten back into writing and hope you check out some of my other blogs!

Happy Friday . . . have a wonderful weekend :)

Awesome beginnings

I've never been so happy to experience the beginning of a new year.  Personally and for the world in general, last year was awful!

Motivation to write for my blogs escaped me last year . . . there was just too much happening on many levels.  Slowly but surely, my writing mojo is coming back.  I knew it would . . .

Lately, my heart and soul has been into my blog Peace, Love, Happiness and back into my journey of self-awareness.

My artistic mojo is back and my online store will be reopening soon . . . so much to do!!

The new year started off with some good news and I just see it as a sign of a fabulous new year to come.

Happy New Year . . . hope your new year has started off right too!!

It could be you

While in the midst of our daily struggles, it is so easy to get so bogged down in our own little dramas and forget there is a big world out there full of people going through their own drama.  

It hit me last night as we watched the news.  The story of the war in Syria is one we hear with regularity and sadly, as a society, we have become desensitized and have learned to tune it out.  I'm ashamed to say that this is true for me.  This news story hit my heart strings in a big way.  The story included some amateur video footage of what was going on in the streets . . . the camera focused on a little girl, maybe 5 years old, standing in the middle of the street with gunfire and bombs going off all around her.  The look in her eyes and the sheer terror on her face is now permanently fixed in my thoughts.  No doubt she has seen a member of her family killed right in front of her, perhaps several . . . maybe she's an orphan now.

It occurred to me that she does not know what is going on, can't comprehend the politics of it all.  All she knows is that she is terrified and has no idea what to do.  She was born into a turbulent part of the world, it wasn't her choice, she didn't ask to be born there, but fate and destiny put her there.  That little girl,  who should be happily playing with her little dollies anticipating Santa's visit, could have been me, it could have been you.  

I was so blessed to be born in the United States, despite dysfunctional politics, exceptional poor economic times, rampant unemployment and a society going mad, which drives me and so many others crazy sometimes . . . nevertheless, I could have been that little girl with terror in her eyes . . .

On a lighter note, I have been updating my website and have so many new ideas.  It had been a while, so I was able to look at everything with fresh perspective.  Sometimes it takes being away from something to realize what you want to do with it.  Same with writing . . . it has really been a while since I was serious about rambling on about the things I love, bother me and express my thoughts into words.  

I'm back!!

Sweet Kiki

The photo quality is awful, however, I had to grab the camera as I was sitting at the computer to capture the moment of the sweet face . . . what an awesome personality!

Kiki was adopted in March and it seems like she has been with me all my life.  It is amazing how much joy and love a pet can bring.

She and Mimi Luna the cat are growing closer . . . well, at least the hissing and barking isn't a 24/7 episode to deal with.  They are tolerating each other, but I have noticed that they are sharing the couch more every day.  When Mimi is taking a nap in her cage, Mimi will come out looking for her.  The first thing Kiki does when she wakes up is go to the kitchen, close to the back room where Mimi likes to hang out.

The biggest problem is that Kiki is very playful and loves to chase Mimi . . . and it scares Mimi.  Poor little kitty!

One time when I was in the kitchen, I caught them rubbing noses.  How sweet is that?  

Hopefully they will soon be like sisters and the next pic will be one of them together!

Personal choices and a food police rant!

The straw that broke the camel's back for me was Mayor Bloomberg of NYC having a major hissie fit over the size of sodas.  I can't believe they actually passed the law . . . outlawing drinks being sold over a "certain size".  Isn't that a personal choice?

Last week I heard that they are gonna start installing cameras at school trash bins so they can "catch" those who are throwing away their "healthy lunches."  If they have the food in their possession, didn't they pay for it?  Isn't it a personal choice to eat it or not?  How much is the spying  going to cost the taxpayers?  Where will it end?

The United States of America is starting to look like something I don't recognize.  Am I in the middle of a nightmare or did I wake up and socialism has taken over?  "Big Brother" is alive and well . . . and watching us!!

It isn't because I don't think we have a problem with obesity in this country, especially with children starting off their lives with unhealthy choices, but . . . CHOICE and FREEDOM are the optimum words here.

In the case of the Mayor of NYC being bothered by the size of a soda, not only does it interfere with personal choice, but it also interferes with the way retailers sell their products.  What are they supposed to do with the stockpiles of  supplies purchased in order to offer that "certain size" . . . too bad, suck it up to a business loss, thinks the powers that be.  Something is not right here!! 

Their lame answer is that you can purchase multiples of the smaller size!!  Those who want to consume more will do so anyway, so WTH did you accomplish except to waste a lot of time and money having your hissie fit?

As bad as the economy has been, why are we making it a little more difficult to run a business that involves food?  Corporations like McDonalds have cultivated their marketing endeavors for decades and all of a sudden, government has invaded their board rooms.  The poor "happy meal" has been deemed evil by the food police!!  One of the most successful marketing endeavors demonized.  What is wrong with this picture?

Back to the school lunchroom . . . the government is wasting money on food that is not being consumed because it is not what the consumers want.  Hopefully they are at least donating what is not bought to homeless shelters.

In my opinion, the answer is education, not taking away choices.  It is not about unhealthy eating being a good or bad thing . . . it is about PERSONAL FREEDOM AND CHOICES!

I don't even want to get started on the health insurance industry and their role in all of this!

What if the kooky people decide that unhealthy eating is good and force it on us?  I know what I just said is far-fetched, but not so long ago, I would have thought that McDonald's having to defend the happy meal was way far-fetched in our society of free enterprise.

Wake up America . . . we don't need these people making choices for us.  Isn't it our right to have the FREEDOM to make our own choices?

ahhhhh yes I feel better now . . . I think I'll have a huge Pepsi while I can still  drink what I want to drink in my own home :)

Changes and transitions!

After writing every day and maintaining a ridiculous number of blogs for all these years, I've become a blogging slacker.  But it is actually a good thing for me . . . it means I finally have a real life after years of not really having one!

Plans are in the works for revamping my blogs and website, and getting back into the retail business.  Retail is in my blood!!  I miss having a store and working the flea markets!!  Being creative is also in my blood, so we are in the process of getting the work spaces planned out so I can get back to making jewelry and sewing.  

Through the years and waves of depression, my office and creative space became like a warehouse of boxes with all my inventory and supplies . . . a general dumping ground.  As a result, I lost my desire to create in that way, especially with my office being a definite nightmare of disarray!

Anyway . . . the desire is back and my hands have been itching to get back to the sewing machine and my boxes and boxes of jewelry findings and broken vintage jewelry.  Not fun is getting the spaces organized . . . ugh, I wish I had a magic wand!

The Captain and I are very excited about getting involved in local arts and crafts shows, selling at the local flea market on weekends and selling my creations to local boutiques and tourist traps . . . along with online sales.

Life is full of changes and transitions . . . this one is very exciting!

Happiness is everything

Peace, love and happiness leaves little to write about . . . I'm happy :))  For me, that is everything!  You can't run down to the store and buy it . . . it just is.  All the money in the world can't make you happy!


Life has finally returned to normal . . . the furbabies have learned to co-exist without constant drama.  Very sweet!!


We survived the wicked part of Tropical Storm Debby with a very large cracking oak tree lurking over the house in the midst of fierce winds that haunted me for days.  It seemed as if the storm would never go away!


The political season becomes more disgusting by the day.  All I care to say is that even if I have to crawl to vote, I WILL . . .


Hope everyone is staying cool in this crazy hot weather!

Happenings recap

What a couple of months it has been!  It has been one thing after another with The Captain going in for surgery, slow recovery, then back in the hospital . . . he's finally been released by the doctor to go back to work.


In the midst of all of this, the van decided to die on us after being stranded several times.  It happened the day The Captain had a doctor's appointment to get his release to go back to work . . . had to reschedule the appointment and prolong his going back to work.  At least she warned us, but we didn't want to hear it and didn't listen . . . anyway, she's back on the road again, good as new!


The pet wars have continued, although they seem to be trying to tolerate each other.  I didn't realize how difficult it would be to introduce a new doggie to a cat who is very spoiled.  Mimi has not been amused at all by Kiki.  At least they can now be in the same room without a lot of barking and hissing going on.  What a relief!  My girls have been just what I needed through these months.  They are both sweetness and love :))))


The good news is that my knees are a bit better since I have been determined to exercise them more.  Hopefully I will not need the knee replacements . . . I'm really sick of hospitals, even as a visitor.  There is no way I want to be a patient who has lots of physical therapy to look forward to.


I'm slowly getting back to posting to my blogs . . . I just didn't have the energy or the focus to concentrate, but it is coming back!  Guess it had a lot to do with our strange sleep schedule throughout his recovery . . . my days and nights are really mixed up at the moment.


Hope that spring has brought you guys lots of sunshine and smiles . . . it is already hot hot hot in Tampa.  This past weekend is when I first noticed that the humidity is starting to get thick and the storms have already started.  Summer has arrived in Florida!

The light of my life

It seems like forever since I last posted to my blogs!


Life has been so abnormal and I don't know how to explain it. Sometimes life can be like an emotional roller coaster!  


The Captain has been in the hospital recovering from surgery.  Although he had complications that put me through many emotional changes, he is doing much better even though it will take some time for him to recover completely.


My little sweet ones, Mimi and Kiki, have been the emotional rock I've held on to.  If ever I was grateful to have pets again, this chapter in my life has definitely proved to me what a blessing our sweet little creatures can be in our lives.


Just wanted to do a quick update to let everyone know I have not abandoned my blogs . . . it is just life happening!


Take care my friends . . . be back soon, at least with an update . . . please pray for a speedy recovery for The Captain, he is the light of my life!

Tales from Kiki

It is amazing how this little doggie has changed my life.  She gives so much love and affection with lots of doggie kisses . . . but OMG she loves to chew anything she can get her paws on! 

She's torn up and tried to eat many of Mimi's cat toys . . . down to the bells!  It is a good thing that she lets me pull these things out of her mouth before she has the chance to swallow them.  I don't even want to think about what she has swallowed!

Her harness collar is now useless . . . yep, she chewed it up while it was on her.  I have no idea how she did that!

Actually, I thought that Mimi the cat was going to be the problem when we first brought Kiki home, but she just hides most of the time . . . still getting used to an inquisitive dog in the house.  Poor Mimi can't make a move without Kiki running to the gate at the sound of her bell.

It has been a nice change to have pets in the house again, even though they can be a challenge.  They bring so much love into a home!

March Madness

That is how it has felt . . . pure madness!  


We have a new addition to our family, Kiki . . . a very cute, sweet and affectionate little border terrier.  She is all sweetness and love!

Of course Mimi the cat is not happy about Kiki's arrival.  There has been an abundance of hissing and barking, chasing and sneaking around on the part of my two little girls.  At least there has been a little progress since Mimi was in hiding for a few days.  Now she is curious, but apprehensive.  

I am thinking positively and hope that these two will soon be great friends, but at the moment, it is a bad case of sibling rivalry.  I'm never bored dealing with them, that is for sure!  Another thing that is for sure is that pets was the missing link in my life.

I haven't gotten much work done and it has been a great time to take a break from blogging and my websites.  Taking the time to focus on my new family is just what I have needed.  So . . . I decided that more time away from the computer is a good thing for me.

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

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Taking a break

So much to do and not enough time in the day!  My personal website has been long-neglected and I need to get my online store ready to open again, so . . . I'm taking a bit of a break from blogging to do a major update on DonitaWorld.com.


I'll still be dropping Entrecard clicks and advertising within the system.


Take care my friends . . .

Abundant blessings of love

It has been a whirlwind of days that have flown by!


This week has been about love . . . abundant blessings of love.  


My cousin Leslie and her husband Ralph celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this weekend.  It is such a joy to spend time with family . . . there are many of us . . . and so much happiness and love :)  It has been an awesome time for most of us.  We are truly blessed . . . I'm so grateful!


Needless to say, I overdid it and have ended up mostly bedridden again.  When I'm feeling good, I tend to push the limits of my arthritis and it bites me back.  As a result, I'm trying catching up on sleep again . . . that is, when Mimi the cat lets me.  She is such a spoiled little thing . . . she wakes me up since she is not getting attention when I'm sleeping.  Looks like I'm going to have to close the door when I really want to sleep!


We came home from Leslie and Ralph's party to hear of Whitney Houston's death.  The media coverage is troubling as usual.  They love to tell the story of a rising star only to tear them up in their bad times.  Way too much information . . . today they released photos of the bathtub she supposedly drowned in.  We are a sick society!


I wrote more about Whitney on two of my other blogs . . . Gina's Music Memories and Babyboomer Flashback.  


Once again, the nation's conversation has turned to drug and alcohol abuse . . . and the role doctors play in the whole scenario.  Since my sister-in-law's brother died of an overdose on Thanksgiving, I have readdressed my relationship with prescription drugs and have been successfully weaning myself off.  My new doctor questioned the use of certain drugs I had been prescribed in the past . . . and not very happy about them.  Nice to have a doctor that is not a pill pusher!  


Maybe prescription drugs are being given out way too freely and not monitored effectively as a rule . . . what do you think?


Last week's news was so sad with the death of the two little Powell boys at the hands of their sick dad. How can a human being be so selfish?  Very sad situation and my thoughts and prayers are with Susan Powell's family . . . and now with Whitney Houston's family making final preparations.  May the media let them all have peace to grieve . . .


Hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day with abundant blessings of love!

What's Up at My Blogs

I'm starting to feel better, but the process has been way too slow!


My thoughts have been on romance . . . they usually are . . . but with Valentine's Day around the corner, it is on my mind more than usual since love is the theme of my blogs this month.


The themes . . .


Babyboomer Flashback . . . my favorite love and romance movies of the past


Gina's Music Memories . . . my favorite love songs


Gina's Italian Kitchen . . . sweet treats for your sweetie


LaBelladiva . . . Valentine's Day crafty and DIY projects . . . and more


Peace Love Happiness . . . posts about romance, love and relationships




Have an awesome day :)

Sickly days!

Don't you hate being sick?  I've been on and off the computer since this weekend . . . mainly off.  As much as I have fought the sick feeling, it calls me back to bed.  At least I have caught up on my sleep!


It is Valentine's Day projects time at one of my other blogs, LaBelladiva . . . I've already posted two crafty projects and will be posting more.  Gina's Italian Kitchen, my food blog, will feature sweet treats for your sweetie.  Gina's Music Memories, my music blog, will feature romantic songs.  Being the romantic fool that I am, Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday of all.


Our new baby, Mimi the sweet kitty, is settling in perfectly . . . she is no trouble at all and such an affectionate baby!  The Captain encourages her playful bites, but I have taught her that I don't appreciate those little nibbles . . . and she doesn't bite me anymore!  She loves being held like a baby for as long as possible . . . and doesn't try to get away :)


We have continued to enjoy beautiful weather in Central Florida!  Hopefully I will feel better this weekend so we can go on another adventure.  We haven't been to Busch Gardens in a while . . . and I love the beaches this time of year . . . we both love to fish . . . what adventure will win?  Hopefully not more sickly days!


Hope everyone is having a great start to the new year :)

This kind of stuff is what makes me feel better when I am otherwise feeling sick . . .

Simple Pleasures

I'm totally in love with my new kitty Mimi.  She is so tame, sweet, loves attention and has added so much to my life . . . pets are like that!  There is nothing like the unconditional love of a pet :) . . . well, maybe children, but I never had any, so I can't say.

Being the blogger geek that I am, I had to set up a Mimi blog . . .

Mimi is one of the best Christmas presents ever!