Meatball Sunday!

I finally broke my crock pot out of the box it came in when I bought it over three months ago and made those meatballs I told you about earlier this week. You remember, the meatballs I bought and then had to wait in traffic for hours before I could get them home to the freezer?

Well they made it home still frozen and today I tossed them into the crock pot along with a whole bottle of BBQ sauce and a jar of grape jelly (grape jelly is the secret ingredient that I didn't tell anyone about because I didn't think they would try them if they new grape jelly was in there).

I found the recipe at The County Cook and I followed it to the letter but they didn't look as pretty as hers, mine were a little bit darker. Maybe the BBQ sauce I used? Not sure.

I didn't take a photo of the ones I made and the results were mixed. Mom said they were ok, but she's not a big fan of ground beef. The son loved them! The daughter said she liked the flavor but not the texture of the meatballs. I'm kinda with the daughter, I liked the flavor but not the texture. Maybe next time I'll make my own meatballs.

I'm trying to make something new each Sunday. My kids keep asking for the same old tried and true recipes but I'm determined to benefit from the many hours each I day I spend pinning recipes from Pinterest!

Anyway, Friday was my company's holiday luncheon in Fresno which is about 2 hours north of Bakersfield. It was fun and I always love seeing my co-workers from our Fresno and San Jose offices, since we only see each other once a year but talk to each other almost every day. It was tough trying to gather everyone together for a photo. As you can see, I was camera ready but everyone else was too busy socializing!

And then when they are all ready, I decide to move my head so I'm a little out of focus...or maybe it was the wine?

 

But finally we get all the socialites and rabble-rousers out of the picture and get everyone to focus and pay attention and I think we came out great!

 

 

 

Each year they set up a luncheon for us at  Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater in Fresno. The cast there puts on an abbreviated portion of the show currently playing which this year was Beehive. It was so funny and they are such great singers. They also host a raffle where you can win prizes such as Kindles and Ipods and Ipads and bottles of wine and baskets of chocolate and stuffed animals and gift certificates. All the money goes to charity and sadly no one at my table won! But we still had a wonderful time!

 



 

 

Saturday my sister and I took my dad to breakfast. He had a good time and bought himself a little 1955 Chevy model car that they had for sale, so he was a happy camper to have had breakfast with his girls and a toy to play with later!

 

 

 

Then my sister and I took off for Valencia to do some Christmas shopping and share in a little sister-time. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures except the one of the Guacamole and Sparkling Pomegranate Margaritas we shared, but if I had gotten a picture, we would have been smiling because we had a great day.

 

 

 

So that was my weekend and tomorrow it's back to the salt mines. Have a good week everyone!

Back to Work

This year I took a a couple of vacation days, the day before Thanksgiving and the following Monday, which is today. That made for a nice, long vacation. I had Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off and I am so not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.

Wednesday I got up early and my mom and I went into the city (Bakersfield) and had a nice breakfast and hit a couple of Goodwill Stores. My mom and I love thrift store shopping! I was searching for Christmas decor but didn't find anything. After Goodwill-ing, we went grocery store shopping for Thanksgiving items, all the pie, stuffing and mashed potato fixings.

Once we got home and put everything away it was time to make the pies. We used to make the crust from scratch, but since frozen pie crusts have gotten so much better we use those, but we do make the pie filling from scratch...well from a can but that's from scratch for us!

Thursday of course was Thanksgiving and we spent the morning straightening up the house, getting the extra chairs all ready and making the stuffing and turkey, then the family arrived and we had a wonderful meal and enjoyed seeing each other all together again.

We barely remembered to take pictures. Here's my mom and standing next to her my sister Lisa and then sitting is me and my brother Fred and his youngest, Melissa, the baby in our family and isn't she beautiful!

I had to get a picture with just me and Melissa of course!

Here's a picture of my godson and Melissa's big brother, little Fred.

After everyone left I spent about two hours getting everything cleaned and put away in my kitchen. Friday was a relaxing morning and then we all met in Bakersfield again to celebrate Thanksgiving with my dad. We took dad to Golden Corral because he loves buffets. I had a great time having all my family together again and I know dad really enjoyed it.

Here's the only picture I managed to get. This is my dad and on the right is my son James and on the left is my sister's son Isaac, who also is my Godson! Can you believe that my dad is 6 foot and both his grandsons are taller and bigger than he is???

Saturday I had to go and get new tires put on my car. My son James, (in the picture above) went with me. We had a great time considering we had to wait for two hours at Big O Tires! We spent the time playing Monopoly on his cell phone and I won!!! Of course he helped me to win and when I was almost losing he bankrupted and gave me all his money and property. Wasn't that nice of him?

Sunday I went on STRIKE and said I was not doing anything the whole day...and I didn't. I just watched movies on NetFlix and played on the computer and watched TV and read my book and chillaxed all day. My daughter's little puppy Chorizo was as exhausted and I was and laid on the little bed we've set up for her in my bedroom. Doesn't she look comfortable?

So today, the whole world went back to work...but not me :)

I decided to spend the day putting up the Christmas Tree and decorating the inside of the house. This year I decided not to put the Martha Stewart ribbon and garland that I love, love, love. I decided to try something different. I don't like it! Not sure if I am going to do it over or just live with it as-is for this year, but it's just too plain! I do love that where I put the tree this year it's reflected in the mirror, double the lights and sparkle....love that!

So tomorrow it's back to the real world and for once I'm not really looking forward to going back. I had a great Thanksgiving and a wonderful time being off. Can't wait for Christmas and tamale making and Biscocho baking!

How are your holidays shaping up? All your shopping done? To tell the truth I haven't even started, so don't feel bad if you haven't either.

 

A Face that is Pleasant and a Face that Apparently is Not!

The other day my sister Lisa and I went to Denny's for pancakes after a difficult day. Actually we had pancakes and Nachos. Actually Lisa had pancakes and Nachos, I had french toast and Nachos...and decaf coffee. That's right, it's Friday night and the "sistas" are living the dream! Out on the town in the Big City (Bakersfield).

We walked in and decided to go to the bathroom and wash up first before being seated. When we came back the Host/Greeter, the guy at the front behind the register told my sister, "Don't I know you from somewhere?" My sis says, "Well I don't know, have you ever had insurance, buried a loved one, bought a casket or a John Deere tractor or been to Shafter?" (Actually she named all the places she's ever worked and then the tiny little city we live in.)

Mr. Greeter said, "No, I haven't ever been to any of those places or that small town, but I swear you look familiar, maybe it's just cause you have a pleasant face?"

A pleasant face. Hmmm, well yes, my sister does have a very pleasant face, she is always smiling and she does have a lovely smile. She's a good-hearted, caring person that will give you the shirt off her back (as long as she's wearing a t-shirt or camisole underneath) so yeah...I guess you would say she has a pleasant face.

But if I had a dollar for every time someone tells me that my sister and I look the same, or are we twins, I could buy...well I could buy French Toast and Nachos at Dennys! Anyway...it happens a lot.

So I tell Mr. Greeter, "Well what about me? Don't I have a pleasant face?" (In reality...Mr. Greeter hadn't even noticed I existed.) So he turns to me and stares and then mumbles something that sounded like, "Umm...yeah, I guess your face is pleasant too?"

What the heck! My face is pleasant too??? With a question mark at the end? Hesistantly like he didn't know what else to say? Dude! My sister and I are basically the same person! How can her face be pleasant and mine not? And to make matters worse, she fell in love with my glasses and recently she ordered a pair EXACTLY like mine! We have the same glasses!

It was all I could do to suck down my french toast, nachos, eggs, hash browns and bacon (included with the french toast thank you...I didn't order extra!). Then Mr. Greeter has the nerve to come over to our table to make sure all is ok and he starts quizzing my sister again on where he knows her from cause she just has this very pleasant face! Too bad he wasn't our waiter because then at least I could have had my vengeance by not leaving him a tip!

Me..........................

My sister................................

Almost twins right? Ok, well when you put our photos side by side like this I guess we're not exactly the same person, but I think we both have pleasant faces. Don't we?

Iwanna Wednesday

Believe it or not, last week I didn't Iwanna anything!

I know! Hard to believe huh? I thought and thought about it, but couldn't come up with anything...so I guess Iwanna'd to not blog :0)

But there is something Iwanna this week, something that I have been lusting after for a long time. Something that I get green with envy just thinking about.

O! beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.
~William Shakespeare, Othello

What is this item that has me quoting Shakespeare?

It's this. . .

This beautiful plant that we call the "Arizona Plant"

A plant that belongs to my sister . . .

A plant that she has grown I believe from seeds my mom and dad brought back from Arizona.

A plant that she keeps promising me she will give me seeds for, but never has!

And Iwanna this beautiful plant. Iwanna it bad. I don't know where I would put it in my yard because it requires full sun all day long. I just know Iwanna it.

Believe it or not, it's not even in it's most beautiful, full bloom mode. I missed that by a week or so because last week it was more beautiful.

We call this the Arizona plant because our relatives in Arizona had this plant, which is where my parents got the seeds for it, but it's actually I believe a Caesalpinia pulcherrima.

There is more information on the website for the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension.


Just a little FYI, this plant and it's flower and seeds is thought to have medicinal purpose. The juice from the leaves is said to cure fever, the juice from the flower is said to cure sores, and the seeds are said to cure bad cough, breathing difficulty, and chest pain.

So there you go! Today's Iwanna Wednesday also taught you a little bit about this beautiful plant didn't it? Who says that my Iwanna'ing things was selfish?


Oh, as long as I'm busy Iwanna'ing things today. . . notice in the pictures above that there is a metal windmill in some of them? Well many Christmas' ago my mom and dad bought each of their kids one of these windmills. Each of their kids, except me :-(


You know why I didn't get one? Cause I didn't have a house and lived in an apartment and where was I going to put it??? Duh, I had a storage closet off the patio in my 2nd floor apartment. I could have stored it! Now I have a home and no windmill, no Arizona plant, no nuthin!


Ah, woe is me! Summer is come and gone, But grief returns with the revolving year.
-Shelley, Percy Bysshe

Disneyland was Great!

Last Saturday I went to Disneyland. I hadn't been to Disneyland since my daughter was in the band in high school and she's now 28, so it had been quite a while. I really hadn't had any interest in going to Disneyland but when my daughter texted me and asked if I wanted to go I figured why not? It would be just her and I and if I got too tired we could just come home.

Then she told me that she invited my nieces, Alicia and Beatriz and I thought, well that's great. I would love to hang out with them as well and if I back out at the last minute April will still have someone to go with.

Then she told me that my brother Fred, his wife Norma and little Fred and baby Melissa would be going also and well that cinched it that I was going to have to suck it up and go. And I'm sure glad I did, because we had the BEST TIME EVER!!! We opened and closed the park and it was so great to see little Fred and Melissa enjoy their first time at Disneyland.

Here are some pictures because as the saying goes, a picture is worth a 1000 words. . .

First off the gang on Main Street, April, Beatriz, Alicia and Little Fred

First ride...Jungle Cruise. Here's Melissa and her daddy Big Fred. Now those are the faces you come to Disneyland to see. Just look at those smiles!

We ended up in a separate boat from Fred, Norma, Little Fred and Melissa. Here's Alicia, Beatriz and April ready to set sail for the Amazon Jungles of Disneyland!

After that ride it was time to split up. Fred, Norma, Little Fred and Melissa took off for Toon Town, Small World and the Tea Cups. They promised to wait and ride the Tea Cups with us. Here's the girls outside of the Indiana Jones ride. This one was fun! I was amazed that I wasn't scared to get on them because I usually don't like the fast, scary rides and prefer to sit them out. I was feeling particularly adventurous this day :-) I rode Splash Mountain and Space Mountain as well.

Mother and daughter! I know I look drunk, but hey, it was barely 9am. My eyes are actually just trying to refocus after that ride! Seeing April smiling made this whole trip worthwhile! Thank you so much April for wanting to drag your tired, old mom with you! xoxoxoxo

Ok, I look a little better here. Here I am with my namesake, my niece Alicia.

And I can't let Beatriz get away without taking a picture with her Tia Ale as well.

Here we are waiting to ride the Tea Cups. Melissa is eating Cotton Candy. You haven't had fun until you've watch her eat Cotton Candy. Her big sissy, Alicia actually sticks Melissa's whole hand in her mouth a little later to clean off all the pink, gooey, sticky, yummy mess! She's a great sissy-poo.

This next set of pictures are my favorites. Here's Melissa looking a little leery, wondering what in the heck this ride is all about. She's got her hands on the wheel in the middle, but she really doesn't know what it's for just yet.


Check out the closeup...is this a face or what?? Beautiful!

Ah Ha!!! She figured out what this whole thing is about and is this a face of sheer joy or what? This is what makes Disneyland worthwhile!


Here's the gang in the other Tea Cup. It is just too funny to watch grown men sitting in these Tea Cups!

Uh Oh! I think Fred has had just about enough of this spinning around, don't you think? Although April, Beatriz and little Fred seem to find Fred's discomfort rather amusing.

Awwww, how cute is this?
Here's Melissa telling Daddy it's ok after his scary ride on the spinning Tea Cup.

Mother and daughter yet again. A little more tired, hair a tad messy after the water ride. Let me warn you, Splash Mountain should be renamed "Come out totally soaked" Mountain, there is no splashing...there is drowning! But I loved it. Thank you April. Love, Love, Loved Disneyland and love you too!

Next time someone invites you to Disneyland, Go, Go, Go. It's so worth it!

Weird Sitings on the Road

Back in October my sister took a picture of this on the commute home from work. We thought it was pretty weird. Recently we've seen another weird object that is unexplainable to us and we've tried to take pictures as we drive by with no luck.

This Saturday while I was out by myself thrift shopping, I drove over to where this object is and took these pictures for my sister. A winged horse? He's beautiful and someone obviously took a lot of time to make him...it's driving us crazy why. Lisa says she's going to call them up and ask, so if she does I'll let you know what he's going to be used for. Righ now he's just the Guardian of Route 99 in Bakersfield.

Not sure what this was made for or what it's going to be used for...but it's so beautiful. I love it!

Spring and Easter Tablescape

A while back I wrote this post about a blogger who does tablescaping. I did my first tablescape for Valentines day and now I've done one for Easter. Hope you like it.

The plates were purchased Friday on my lunch hour at Dollar Tree for $1.00 each. The small square plates in the middle of the larger plates were given to me at Christmas by my daughter April. The spoons are those beautiful jeweled spoons that I almost didn't end up with, you can read about them here. The gold napkins are from the American Cancer Society Discovery Store. The centerpiece was bought for me at Goodwill by my wonderful mother who knows my love for pink and totally unnecessary items. And the champagne glasses were another gift from my very generous daughter April. The table runner is actually a scarf my mom gave me right after my surgery when I was so traumatized about the scar left by my surgery.


Here's a closeup of the centerpiece. I love the way the easter grass hangs over the sides...

And here's a closeup of the plates, I forgot to take a picture of one though, or maybe I deleted it, but there are four place settings. Don't you love the plates? And for only $1.00 each!

I'm ready for Easter...except for the food. Pizza anyone?

Treasures found for Spring

Saturday I woke up and debated...should I spend the day cleaning house and doing laundry or should I go hit all the Goodwill's and some yard sales and see if I can find any treasures? Guess which idea won out?

If you guessed Goodwill and yard sales you win! So what do you win? Well the only thing I can offer is a peak at all the treasures I found and some pictures on what I did with them.

My first stop didn't prove to be too fruitful, but I did find these little gardening bunnies. All total they came out to $2.52 and the funny thing was that was exactly how much money I had in my purse!

After leaving that Goodwill and heading to the next one I kept an eye out for yard sales. I only found one on my way and almost didn't stop at that one...but I'm glad I did, look at what I scored:

When I got to the yard sale I saw a lady pick it up and ask the man how much he wanted for it and he told her $3.00. She walked around with it for a bit and then put it back down and I snatched it up and went and asked the man how much he wanted for it...and he told me $1.00!? Kind of weird huh? But I didn't ask any questions, just figured it was my lucky day and snatched it up.

Here's a picture of where I hung it in my bedroom. I love this wall because it's the one I look at when I first wake up in the morning. The picture that says "It's a Wonderful Life" was a gift from my sister in law Connie and family. It's just what I need to be reminded of every single morning. The little bunny picture was a thrift find which I found at the American Cancer Society Discovery Store.

At the next Goodwill I found a set of dishes with a grape design that I haven't photographed yet, but I will once I get them hung up in my kitchen and another bowl that I bought just because of the beautiful colors, but I also didn't photograph it. It's more autumn colors.

Then I went to my favorite Goodwill. This Goodwill has mostly books, but a few knick-knacks and pictures. I found a few more things for a Spring and Easter display.

First this aluminum bucket I guess is what it is. Here it is empty...

And here it is after I decorated it with some Easter grass and small colored eggs.

Then I found these beautiful nesting boxes. The all fit inside the big one and you can display just the big one, or all three of them. These are yours April...I remember how you once told me you wanted Russian Nesting Dolls and these are sort of the same thing, but different. But you can't have them yet :0)

I also found this little bunnies tree house decoration...


These bunnies I picked up on my lunch hour Friday at Dollar Tree. Their faces look a little big more like sheep than bunnies, but they have ears and sheep and bunnies are both for Easter so that makes the Easter Bunneeps or Sheennies.

And here's my Easter Mantle display. For less than $20.00 I was able to put this together. The Easter Bunny Garland in the background was purchased last year at an after Easter sale and this is the first time I've used it.

Tomorrow I'll show you my Easter Tablescape.

I love thrifting. These are all unique items that I will enjoy for years plus I spent a great day searching for them.

Oh, almost forgot. I also found these beautiful butterflies that match the colors in my bathroom which are baby blue and baby pink for some reason. I just hope they don't fall off the wall when we close the bathroom door...they seem so fragile.