Look for the Joy

 

Everything That Could Go Wrong Did

 "When you lose touch with your inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world." (Eckhart Tolle)

 

Hello my lovely friends!  

    How are you all doing on this lazy Sunday? Yesterday felt like a script written by the universe specifically to torment me. If there was a day for everything to go wrong, that was it. You know about the Twilight Zone marathon I host on Twitter – and yes, I'm sticking with that name! Our usual routine involves nominating and voting on a monthly theme, then gathering on the last Saturday to stream 11 episodes and chat. But yesterday? The wheels didn't just come off; they were actively sabotaged. Absolutely everything that could have gone wrong did.

 

    Starting at 2 PM EST, noon my time, meant my morning routine was already in full swing. As always, I set up my command center: both bedroom computers on, one for the main event, the other for everything else. I'd been up since 8:30 AM, showered and in the kitchen by 9:30 AM, aiming to get dinner prep out of the way. Tostadas were on the menu, requiring a pot of beans to cook on the stove. While the beans simmered, I prepped the fixings – chopping vegetables and grating cheese. With dinner well in hand, it was finally time for breakfast.

 

     Since my mom was still sleeping, I got her breakfast ready to the best of my ability. Then I made mine: a bagel with cream cheese and coffee. After that, I checked the time – only about 20 minutes until it started. I decided to eat my bagel and coffee in my room. Mom woke up and I checked if the breakfast was okay, which it was. She asked where I'd watch, and I said my bedroom, like always. However, she had things to do upstairs, leaving the downstairs TV open. Since I was making a pot of beans, I could watch there instead.

 

     The problems started here. The show I normally stream free on Prime was gone, now requiring a Paramount+ subscription – something I wasn't willing to pay for. My next thought was PlutoTV, which I knew carried it with ads, but that simply wouldn't load for me. Already five minutes late and frustrated, I'd been trying to fix the TV issue while working on my laptop. I decided to try an older laptop with some free streaming sites I knew, but then the internet itself became the obstacle. Now an episode behind, I finally got the show to play, only to be plagued by constant buffering and freezing, making it impossible to actually watch.

 

    By the third episode, the situation had devolved into a chaotic mess. I was relegated to listening on my laptop, simultaneously attempting to keep up with online comments and a television stream that was relentlessly buffering. I think this is where the sheer absurdity took over; everything was going wrong, and all I could do was laugh at the technological disaster unfolding before me. Relief finally arrived two hours into the marathon when I discovered PlutoTV through my cable apps, and it actually worked. At that point, the accumulated frustration had me feeling the intense, almost destructive urge to take aim at the TV, the laptops, and the computers. 

    By that time, my frustration had completely vanished; all I wanted was for the marathon to end. Still, I did get to watch the last two and a half hours with everyone, which was just pure craziness.

 

    Switching gears to something more solemn, we watched the recorded Pope’s funeral last night. It was an amazing and deeply moving experience to witness. As Catholics, we found ourselves naturally participating in the service along with those on screen.

 

So, how's your weekend going? 

 

 Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!

 

Just the Facts #11

 “What is a mom but the sunshine of our days and the north star of our nights.” (Robert Brault)

Hello, my lovely friends!

    Welcome to another Friday Funday! This week, our focus is on my mom. With her birthday having been on Tuesday, it feels like the perfect time to dedicate this post to her, especially after featuring my dad a couple of times.

 

1. She saved my life, truly. I was maybe six or seven, visiting a neighbor's cabin with a pool. I'd been taking swimming lessons in a pool that was only three feet deep, and we didn't realize this one was marked at three and a half feet. I stepped down the stairs and immediately went under, the panic overwhelming me. My mom, still dressed, dove straight in and pulled me to safety. I was trembling afterwards, but I was okay.

 

2. Before I reached junior high, my mom was a stay-at-home mom, and her special touch was evident in every classroom party. She was the go-to cake artist, always creating and decorating the most incredible cakes. I remember one year, I was home sick on the day the class chose party contributions. That afternoon, my teacher called, ostensibly to check on me, but the real reason soon emerged: the kids had voted for me to bring the cake! It wasn't a surprise, though, because everyone knew my mom's cakes were legendary.

 

3. My first taste of heartbreak came in 6th grade with my first boyfriend. When he ended things, the thought of school was unbearable. Tears streamed down as I confessed to her what happened, and she understandingly allowed me to stay home. We spent the day together, our hands busy making tortillas. The simple act brought a surprising sense of comfort and helped mend my fragile heart.

 

4. Halloween meant one thing: witch. My mom was the costume architect, and each year she'd conjure a new twist on the classic. One year, my hair was a wild, frizzy tempest, braided and untamed. Another, long, black, wicked nails completed the transformation. And then there was the year of the green oatmeal concoction, slathered across my face – a truly memorable, if slightly lumpy, special effect. Those were indeed good, fun times filled with creative Halloween magic.

 

5. My mom's Christmas shopping strategy has always been a marathon, not a sprint – she'd shop all year long (and bless her, she still does!). Her process involved a rigorous system of buying, wrapping, and then employing top-secret hiding places around the house. The only kink in her otherwise brilliant plan was her uncanny ability to forget where those top-secret places were by Christmas morning. One memorable year, the main gift-opening was done, dinner was eaten, and I was waist-deep in suds at the sink. Mom was chatting away when her eyes suddenly widened. She zipped off and reappeared moments later, triumphantly holding a forgotten gift she'd clearly hidden even from herself!

 

6. My mother was my first culinary instructor. Growing up, dinner was her nightly ritual, and I was her curious shadow in the kitchen, a whirlwind of "Hows," "Whys," and "How longs?" that she patiently answered. Later, when she took a job as a grocery store cake decorator and I was about twelve, the roles shifted slightly. I became the after-school chef. She'd lay out all the ingredients before heading to work, and my initial microwave creations gradually transitioned to oven-cooked meals within a year, guided by her voice on the phone each evening as I called for instructions.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!

A Little Chit Chat

 

 

"Rest but never quit. Even the sun has a sinking spell each evening. But it always rises the next morning. At sunrise, every soul is born again." (Anonymous)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

     I hope you all had a lovely Easter, however you chose to spend it. I was truly saddened to hear of the Pope's passing; I admired him greatly. We've been watching the special coverage about him and I plan to record the funeral service on Saturday to watch later.

 

     Our weekend was a real test of endurance and planning! Between two plays, Wrestlemania, and making time for Easter, our schedule was completely full. It's hard to believe we pulled it off, but despite the packed itinerary, we managed to have a lot of fun.

 

     We spent our Friday preparing a delicious Easter dinner, complete with homemade fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and a delightful caramel apple no-bake cheesecake. This allowed us to enjoy a special meal without the rush and avoid having to buy dinner out both nights of the weekend.

 

     On Saturday, we attended a performance of "Gutenberg! The Musical!". It was a hilarious show with some delightfully cheeky moments. The intimate theater, which seats just 225, was a new experience for us. It felt much like a dinner playhouse, as drinks and snacks were served right to your seat throughout the performance. The entire cast consisted of just two talented men playing all the roles. I'm so glad we went; I found myself laughing out loud consistently throughout the play.

 

     Guess what I finally saw this Sunday? "The Wiz"! I've been counting down to this show since we got our season tickets. You guys know how much I adore anything connected to Oz – "The Wizard of Oz," "The Wiz," "Wicked," all of it! So, I had high hopes, and let me tell you, this production knocked it out of the park. It was just amazing! The whole cast was fantastic, but the Scarecrow totally stole my heart; his voice was out of this world good. Seriously, the acting, the dancing, the singing – everything was absolutely first-class. We went on the very last day, and my mom was bummed she couldn't see it again, which tells you how good it was! It was also really sweet seeing all the little ones dressed up in their Easter best. If "The Wiz" tours near you, promise me you'll go! You won't regret it – it's pure joy and you'll definitely leave with a huge smile.

 

    Looking forward to the beautiful weather this week! I'm planning to take advantage of it by getting out in the front yard – the grass needs a cut, and I need to get some weed and feed down to battle these persistent dandelions. We also finally received our new compost bin from the city, which is fantastic for handling all the yard clippings and such.

 

    Still working through spring cleaning, though I definitely feel like I'm the main one chipping away at it!

 

    Shifting topics a bit, Mom is exploring the possibility of getting her knee surgery done relatively soon. We're really hoping that helps alleviate some of her pain. She also has some health goals she's working towards – specifically getting her numbers lower and losing some weight – which is necessary before she can resume her back treatments.

 

    Keeping busy with everything happening! What's new with all of you?

 

 Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!

Happy Earth Day

 “Mother Earth is very near to man. From her we get food; upon her we lie down. We live and walk on her. We could not exist without Mother Earth.” (Katharine Berry Judson)

Hello, my lovely friends!

    Happy Earth Day! I always remember this day because it's my Mom's birthday as well. In honor of Earth Day I thought I'd post something that you can do to make the Earth a little bit better than what it was yesterday.


Here are some things I found that you can do to help Mother Earth out.
1. Swap out your light bulbs. Why? Compact florescent light bulbs use less energy than regular old light bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to ten times longer. They also save money in energy costs. Another reason these bulbs are super cool is that they generate less heat than other bulbs; making home cooling costs significantly less in the summer. How? It's easy! Most stores are carrying them now, right next to the old kind of light bulbs.


2. Plant a tree or three. With Arbor Day (April 29th) just around the corner from Earth Day (April 22nd), this is your chance to practice planting a fruit tree or any other kind of tree! Why? Trees remove CO2 from the air and help fight global warming. They produce oxygen, give us shade in the summer, and provide a home for your neighborhood birds. Need another reason? Plant a fruit-bearing tree and you'll have a yummy reward for doing so! How? Check out your local nursery. They will be able to help you pick one out and give you planting advice. Within a few years you may have enough shade to drastically reduce your home cooling costs and some tasty fruit to boot!


3. Curb your junk mail. This not only saves tons of paper, but you'll save time by not having to fish through a sea of junk mail to find your personal mail and birthday cards! How? Pull out the pre-paid stamped envelope in your junk mail, write "please remove" on the envelope and send it back to them - on their dime. In the long run it helps everyone -- they don't have to pay for future mailings and you are no longer buried in piles of junk mail.


4. Turn off lights and unplug cell phone chargers. This one couldn't be simpler. Walk around your house, notice any unnecessary lights that are on and turn them off. Don't forget to unplug cell phone chargers, mp3 player chargers, etc. Your chargers are using electricity even though your electronic devices are not connected to them.


5. Try doing "conscious" laundry. Instead of saving those piles of laundry for your Saturday or Sunday afternoon, do it at night when energy costs are lower. If you have to do laundry during the day try hanging your clothes outside in natures dryer. Also try some eco-friendly laundry products.


6. Drive the speed limit. This one may be the hardest one. Driving the speed limit increases your miles per gallon, in turn saving you dollars at the pump. You can also minimize unnecessary miles by stacking errands in one trip. This just takes a little bit of planning, but with rising gas prices your wallet will thank you!


7. Carry your own water bottle. Reduce the amount of plastic water bottle waste in the world by carrying your own. Stainless steel and polycarbonate drinking bottles are both non-toxic and super-durable. 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!

Finding Joy

 

Happy Easter Everyone!

 

Just the Facts #10

 “If Friday were a rainbow, it would be a double one.” (Keith Wynn)

 Happy Friday Funday, my lovely friends! 

 

    Can you believe Easter is just a couple of days away? I got curious and dug up some totally wild and wonderful things that happened on Easters throughout history! 🥚✨ Before I spill the beans, tell me: What's the most memorable Easter you've ever had? And more importantly... did you ever catch a glimpse of the Easter Bunny?! 🐰👀

 

1.  Alright, gather 'round, because let me tell you about the night I ALMOST caught the Easter Bunny red-footed! Picture this: the night before Easter, I'm tucked snug in bed, practically vibrating with anticipation. My room was basically Ground Zero, right next to the living room. Well, nature called super early the next morning, and as I tiptoed past, I swear on a stack of jellybeans, I saw him! Right there in the middle of the living room, a fuzzy, floppy-eared silhouette. My heart did a thumpy-thumpity-thump against my ribs, and I dove back into bed faster than you can say "chocolate bunny." Sleep? Forget about it! I was too busy replaying the sighting. The next morning, basket overflowing with goodies, I breathlessly told my sister I'd seen the legend himself. She gave me that look, you know the one, but I knew. Oh, I knew I saw the Easter Bunny.

 

2. Okay, Easter Egg Contest memory time! Our community held one the day before Easter – kids only, one egg decoration. My sister, age eleven, was intense. An hour at the kitchen table with paints and brushes, creating egg perfection. Me? Seven years old and firmly entrenched in outdoor playtime until Mom finally corralled me with ten minutes to spare.

My egg strategy? Grab, smear, done. It was a chaotic, colorful mess – definitely not winning any artistic achievement awards, but it was decorated!

We entered them, my sister's flawless egg next to my... abstract expressionist take. They'd call the winner. Fast forward a few days, phone rings, and against all parental assumptions (they totally thought it was my sister), I won!

The prize? A glorious, shiny, BRAND NEW blue bike with training wheels! Best prize ever, especially for a kid used to hand-me-downs. The best part? The reason I won! The guy said my egg looked like a kid actually made it. Apparently, all the other "perfect" eggs looked too much like adults helped.

So, yeah, sometimes embracing your inner messy kid is the winning strategy!

 

3.  Picture a tiny, relentless me, around five or six, driving my dad up the wall with Easter eggs. It wasn't enough to find them once; I needed the thrill of the hunt, apparently on repeat, endlessly. Poor Dad was on egg-hiding duty number four, five, maybe six – bless his patient soul – when genius struck. He sends me to my room with a knowing smile, promising to perform the ultimate outdoor egg-hiding magic trick. I'm practically vibrating with excitement in my room. Little did I know, the magic was happening inside! He literally just put the eggs back in my basket, fluffed the plastic grass over them, and called me out to search. I was on a serious, focused outdoor mission for a good five to ten minutes, scanning every possible hiding spot, before the dawning, hilarious realization hit me: the treasures I sought were cozy in my own basket all along. Got me good. LOL!

 

4. My teenage years? Basically lived at McNichols Arena, fueled by a steady diet of hair metal and questionable fashion choices. Easter of '87 was particularly epic: Whitesnake and Great White tickets burning a hole in my pocket. Thankfully, family dinner was an early escape hatch around 2 PM, leaving ample time to prepare for the main event with my concert crew. I swear I saw steam come out of one aunt's ears when she heard my parents were letting me attend this 'devil's music' convention. Back then, these bands were considered a direct pipeline to the underworld, and the parking lot was a battleground of rock fans vs. soul-savers. The ultimate cosmic joke? You can now hum along to those very same 'sinful' anthe while picking up toilet paper. LOL

 

5.  Fresh out of my teens at 19, I traded familiar surroundings for Florida sunshine and resort life, conveniently joined by my sister and her husband. My first major holiday away from the family homestead? Easter! While my poor BIL was stuck on resort duty, my sister and I hatched a plan. We started the day right with church, then hit the road for an impromptu Keys adventure! Forget ham and mashed potatoes – we celebrated with a glorious lobster dinner, the ocean practically our dining companion. Yeah, it wasn't the usual family circus, and maybe a tiny violin played for a second, but honestly? Kicking off my Florida life with an Easter road trip to the Keys for lobster with my sister? That was pretty epic, and definitely still counted as family time!

 

6.  Easter in Florida got a serious upgrade when my mom sent care packages that turned out to be full-blown Easter baskets! There was one for me, and another for my sister and BIL. And get this – the tradition stuck! To this day, I still receive an Easter basket from my mom every single year. One glorious year, she even found the perfect one adorned with a bunny, and that's the basket I proudly use year after year. Proof positive: you are absolutely never too old for the Easter Bunny to hop by!

 

 Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!

Miss You Everyday Daddy

 

Well That Was Unexpected

 "There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life." (Anonymous)

 

Hello, my lovely friends! 

 

     I've been in a bit of a wrestling match with a cold for the past few days, but I think I'm finally pinning it down! Yesterday was a bit of a blur thanks to the cold medicine (you know how that goes for me!), so I spent a good chunk of the day in a cozy, sleepy haze. I was trying to play detective and figure out how this sneaky little cold snuck in, and then BAM! It hit me. The dentist trip we had on Monday. While Mom was getting her pearly whites taken care of, there was someone in the waiting room putting on a truly impressive (and slightly terrifying!) coughing concert. I bet that's where this unwelcome guest decided to set up shop!

 

     On Thursday I could feel something trying to creep in and decide to run to the store and get some things for a weekend of fighting a cold. I’m going to rest today as well, we’ve been watching all the Biblical movies this past week. Tonight we’re going to watch “Ben Hur”, my mom even has Mike watching it with us. 

    Oh my goodness, the weather here in Denver has been keeping us on our toes! It feels like Mother Nature can't quite decide what season it is. Just last weekend, we were bundled up with snow, and then BAM! Yesterday, we were basking in a record-breaking 86-degree heatwave! And guess what? There's a chance of snow again on Monday. Talk about a rollercoaster! That's just springtime in the Rockies for you – always full of surprises! We did manage to sneak in a few glorious days of open windows and fresh air though, which was absolutely wonderful.

 

    Tomorrow marks the eighth anniversary of losing my dad. It's hard to believe it's been that long – it honestly feels like just yesterday. You know how it is, you can't help but think about all the moments and milestones he's missed. My mom's been feeling it extra hard lately, and I'm sure the approaching date has a lot to do with that.

 

    I was talking to a friend recently who lost his mom back in October, and he asked that big question: does it ever get easier? It's such a tricky thing to answer, isn't it? I told him it's a yes and no kind of thing. Some days you're okay, and then out of nowhere, it can just hit you, and you're right back in that moment. Sending love to everyone who understands this feeling.

 

     Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be feeling top-notch soon! We've got such an exciting week ahead with two plays and, get this, Wrestlemania! Hope your Sunday is a good one!

 

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope your morning/afternoon/evening is extra cozy and delightful. Until our paths cross again!