I really enjoyed my time up in NoVa, although I could have stayed longer. There was so much that I still wanted to do but did not have enough time. I'm so glad that so many of my friends got to meet Randy. Now Randy has a face to put with all the stories (don't worry, good ones - lol) that I tell him about and all that I miss from Va. He can see why I miss everything. It was so nice to be back!! I really wish I could have made it to Irene's ritual (I feel so spiritually deprived in FL - blah!) but there will be other times.

Next time I come up I'm planning on making it out to W.VA to visit my aging G'ma. She's the last of the elders that I have around, so I really want to catch up with her before too much more time passes.

I'm so glad that John and Lisa tied the knot -- they truly are a beautiful couple!! The reception was spectacular! The food was fantastic! Usually reception food is good, but this was scrumptious!

I got to see my Dad for Father's Day :) Yea!! That was really good. He was very happy to see me, which makes me very happy! At lunch, dad's best friend, Jack, says to my dad, "hey you should get a pic of you and your future son in law!" My dad's expression was priceless! I wish I could have gotten a pic of that! However, my dad did lighten up and seemed to warm up to Randy after that. :)

This weekend, I'm making mead! Oh Yes!! I've got the water from the grotto, so I'm so making a new batch! Got some catching up to do. I have not made mead in almost a year and a half! Way too long with nothing in the works!!

So it's been long over due, and looking forward to the rewards...

I ran across this wonderful cook book on Thai cuisine called, Perfect Thai. The way the book is set up it has over 100 essential recipes, featuring the recipe directions on the left side and a picture of the end dish on the right side. When I was thumbing through the book, I ran across so many dishes that I would like to try and make. I didn't plan on buying anything when I went to the store, but I knew that I just couldn't put this book back on the shelf so I bought it and now I can't decide which dish to make first!! The recipes sound so good, and the pictures look so yummy! By the time I got to the end, I'm so starving! I feel as if I could eat the pages!! lol!! Fortunately, my sweetie is going to cook a yummy steak dinner! However, next week I'm gonna cook some yummy Thai food. I will have to keep you updated on how it turns out. Yea!! On with the adventures in cooking!!

As we swing into August, the major astrological focus is eclipses. The month kicks off with a dramatic solar eclipse in Leo on August 1, followed by an equally dramatic lunar eclipse in Aquarius.

An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's shadow crosses the Earth's surface, and a lunar eclipse is just the opposite, when the Moon moves into the shadow of the Earth.
So what do these attention-grabbing eclipses mean for you? Leo is known for being quite dramatic, and solar eclipses are known for their emotional intensity. With the solar eclipse occurring in Leo, expect bold headlines and plenty of 'breaking news.' All eclipses occur at a new Moon -- a time of new beginnings -- making this a truly important event. The word 'eclipse' means that something dramatic or attention-getting has occurred, captivating our attention enough to pull it away from something -- or someone -- else. Knowing where this eclipse lands in your own chart and what planets are touched by it will give you information about an important area in your life that deserves your focus.

Lunar eclipses are visually dramatic -- and they portend dramatic earthly events as well! The lunar eclipse in Aquarius on August 16 is no exception. There are dynamic aspects present in this eclipse, including a Sun/Neptune opposition and a Mars/Pluto square. An 'explain yourself' Saturn/Mercury conjunction also shows up. Watch what you say, because somebody takes the gloves off in the midst of a rather confusing situation!
The above was taken from Astrology.com.

The outside of me may look healthy but the inside isn’t as healthy as I would like it to be. Lately, I’ve noticed that every once in a while I would get a pain in my heart. Since heart disease is the number one killer of women, and there is a history of heart trouble in my family, I’ve decided that I need to do something proactive about my heart health.



I’m working out at Curves which is a facility designed for women. The machines are so easy to use! There are no weights involved. The machines use hydraulic resistance, so the faster the movement the more resistance. Since the facility is made for women, the machines are comfortable and so easy to use.

I also like the fun atmosphere. I feel really comfortable working out with a bunch of other women and we all give each other encouragement. I have lots of trouble with this machine called the Dip/Shrug and so does my friend Cindy, however Mary has trouble with the Leg Curl/Leg Extension so we cheer her on with the one she has issues with, and she cheers us on with the one we have issues.

It feels really good to watch your results go up and with someone occasionally saying that your doing good, and cheering you on, it’s that much better. My workout almost feels like a social event! That’s not to minimize the work out, it’s not easy!

You get a good workout but without that muscle soreness. You get muscle soreness from the actual lowering of the weight, but since Curves uses Double Positive Resistance, you are always working the muscle in the proper positive form (not lowering it). By not lowering the weight, you do not get the ripping and tearing of the muscle. Instead you get long and lean, beautiful muscles such as swimmers would have.

I’m gaining muscle mass, and a pound of muscle burns up to 50 calories per day. I’ve increased my metabolism by increasing my muscle mass, so I’ve been eating more protein (meat, fish, eggs, chicken, and a few protein shakes here and there) so that I have strong muscle. It’s important to eat protein within an hour after working out. The meat protein not only helps my muscles, it also helps with skin elasticity. Since I live in Florida, I care about how my skin looks!

I’m really enjoying my time at Curves. It’s a lot of fun, and I love the way my body is starting to respond to the workouts!!

I got an update to my email that said that Katie's birthday is tomorrow.  I figured that I would wish her a happy birthday and also make a update to my live journal. 

This used to be my fav place to do blogs.  Then I kind of got away from it, and migrated to the dark side of MySpace.  LOL!!  Now, I'm kind of feeling the urge to blog again.  Blogging is more of a live journal thing than a myspace thing, so I will be back on here soon :)

I also miss everyone and it will be nice to catch up :)  Looking forward to it!! 

It's been almost a year since I've updated anything on Live Journal. This used to be my favorite place to hang out and blog. I think I got sucked into the black hole that MySpace can be sometimes. It's been fun being on MySpace, but I don't do nearly as much blogging as I used to. ((edited out some randomness that some how seemed to be posted on here... hum... odd...))

I am so grateful that Irene showed me how to make mead!! I bottled my meads last night with the help of Dean, and they turned out so wonderful!! I can’t wait to share them with friends and family!!

8/1 Wed, I was grateful for a nice trip up the road in the car. I had a husky dog, a rat terrier dog, and two birds in tiny travel cages and a really big cage that took up most of the back seat, and 5 gallons of mead seat belted into the last little bit of room in the back seat. It was like a mobile zoo, but a nice trip none the less!!

8/2 Thur, I was grateful for the Lammas celebration, rain crystals and meeting up with good friends/classmates. It’s so wonderful to come back and see everyone!! Hugs to you all!!

8/3 Fri, I was grateful for seeing Cassandra Syndrome play at the RnR lounge. It was so wonderful being up here and able to swing by and see their performance! Very, very cool show – as always!!

8/4 Sat, I was grateful for hanging out with my very good friend Kevin that I have known for about 21 years now. We watched movies and just caught up on all the stuff that has been going on lately.

8/5 Sun, I was grateful for going to dinner at the Bonefish Grill with Gary and see the movie, Borne Ultimatum afterwards.

8/6 Mon, I am grateful for the little bit of rain that we have received here and there over the last few days. I hope we get more because we really need it, however I am very grateful for the little that we have had.

Hi Everyone!! Sorry I haven't been on in soooo long. I haven't forgotten about you, just been really busy.

I went through and updated my friends list, and added:
Witchwantabe, Tlruval and Druidfox. Welcome, and very glad to have you on here...

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. I ended up going to a party, which didn't turn out to be the way that I had expected... but oh well. Got to see some fireworks and talk to some people, which was nice.

I've been sending my resume out everywhere. It seems to be taking a lot longer in Florida to find a decent HR position, but I have faith that something good is going to come along soon.

I made a new batch of mead, Orange Blossom. It's sitting beside me bubbling away.

I'm really not liking the whole Mercury in Retro... I wish it would switch back now.

My best friend and her boyfriend broke up two days ago. Now it's just Petra and I at home. Petra's kids are visiting with their dad up in VA. It's been kind of nice hanging out with her, and not having a million things going on at once.

I've been dragging Petra out of bed in the morning to go walking. It's part of the whole getting healthy thing that I'm pushing. It's finally starting to sink in and she's more or less on board with it now. At least this morning she was ready to be woke up, which is a really nice change!

Finally things are 100% squared away with the bronze/granite grave marker for my mom. What an ordeal that has been getting all the kinks worked out!! It takes 12 to 16 weeks for production though... Augh!!

I'm going to be going back to VA to visit after Petra's birthday. I didn't want to leave her all alone just after her break up. So, my visit is going to be delayed by just a few days.

Well, that's about it that I can think of.

Alex wanted me to post a message on Live Journal about the beautiful antique wall candle sconces that he ran across at work. He doesn't want them but doesn't want them to just go into the garbage. He sent me a pic of them, but I unfortunately can't seem to transfer the pic from my phone to the internet (this phone doesn't do the things my old phone used to do so easily!). I will do my best to describe them though. They have covered glass (it's not open), and kind of looks like the lanterns that would hang from a horse drawn carriage to light the way.

There is 8 all together.
One extra large,
two large,
three medium
and two small.

Please call me if your interested.

The sun goes up
The sun goes down
Yet still I wait
When will love
Come and rest
Loves sweet kiss
Loving embrace
Enraptured bliss
Oh how I miss.

I’ve decided to make dandelion mead in honor of my mom, and it should be pretty good. I picked dandelions from our yard, my recently passed aunt Kitty’s yard, and along the pathway in which my mom used to walk daily. I meet three people on the way, and one of them used to make dandelion mead in Japan. It was really neat to talk with her and she said to use the whole flower including the green part since it’s so healthy and good.

I’m meeting with Irene tomorrow to go and get stuff from Flying Barrel, and then to grab a bite to eat downtown. It’s gonna be so nice hanging out with her and getting the things together to make mead.

There were nineteen flowers (flower arrangements and a few potted plants). The casket flowers that dad and I got as his mother's contribution to the flowers, makes it an even twenty. All of the flowers are so nice. I gave a potted plant to Steve, and saved another one for our neighbor Jean that was really close to mom. The last potted plant that my dad's boss sent; he wants me to take it with me. It's a giant Peace Lilly. It's really monstrously big!!

I’ve got to do something with all the plants that my mom had because dad has no interest in keeping up with them. It takes 12 gallons of water to water them all!! So, I’m gonna see if anyone at class wants any of them. I think I’ll have good luck with finding them new homes since most everyone in class seems very interested in plants. These ones are very well established but are a bit neglected since the move.

The viewing was on Monday evening, from 6 to 8. There were so many people that came to visit. The funeral was Tuesday morning at 10. My dad and I handled the viewing and funeral rather well. I cried a few times, but for the most part it wasn’t too bad. The thing that was the saddest of the whole situation was with my grandmother on my mom’s side of the family; during the funeral when we were walking away from the site, my grandmother totally broke down and really started crying saying that it was her baby and that all had left her (her mom, twelve brother’s and sister’s, and her daughter have now all passed). It’s really hard on a parent when they outlive their children. Gloria, Ginger and I rushed to her side and said that we were still here but she was lost in sorrow at that point. It was hard to console her and the reality of it was really too much for her to deal with. She calmed down and handled the reception pretty well.

There were several people that came that really meant a lot to my mom and dad. One of which is Tony, the son of Chip and Kitten. (Chip being the one that my dad had all those issues with in court). It meant a lot because Tony was able to set aside all the issues that his father has with my father, and just come to see our family. We greeted him with open arms and were so glad that he was there. It is so nice that he still calls my dad, uncle Jack! I remember such good times with Kitten, Mom and Dad and Tony… and their big dog named Bruno, which pushed me into the pool! LOL!! It’s funny the things that you remember from your early childhood.

Our family was especially grateful for the time which we got to spend with Marie, from Florida. She was able to get time off from work and got to spend four days with mom, which were probably the four best days out of the whole time she was in the hospital. It was nice to get her opinion on the care that mom was getting and also some tips on how to better care for her when she was in the hospital (how to move her using the sheet, etc.)

My mom passed away on 4/19. This day seems to stick in my mind where as all other days seem now to blur into each other. I’m so thankful that I came to visit my mom when I did. I arrived on Tuesday evening and she passed the next week on Thursday. It seems like such a short period of time, but it was so nice to spend it with her. I know she is in a much better place right now. I feel as if my granddad and my great aunt Ida were there to help guide her and help her through her transition. My granddad was a very take charge kind of person in his life and I’m sure that carried over with him! Ida always cared so much for my mom and had anticipated my birth but passed right after I was born so she never got to meet me. I’m sure that mom and Ida will have a happy reunion and have lots to talk and catch up on.

Thursday, I had driven up to Pennsylvania to get some sacred water from the grotto. I lit candles for my mom, dad and friends and then headed back to meet dad at the hospital. I told my mom that the water is supposed to have special healing powers. I said that I hope that it would make her feel better. She drank some of it and then said that she could go now. She held out her hands took my dad’s hand and mine and said that she was good and she was gonna go now. It was a really touching moment. We both kissed her and said that we loved her. She said that she was tired and wanted to sleep now. The nurse came in after that and administered a morphine drip. We sat and watched her sleep for many hours. She passed in her sleep, restful and at ease.

My dad is trying to protect me from the pain that I’m going to go through when I see my mom, but there is no protection from the inevitable. I know I’m going to be devastated when I see my mom. It’s going to be horrible and I’m going to be flooded with that horrible feeling of the future being cut short and good times robed.

The doctor did further tests and found cancer to be through out her body, (lung, spinal column, liver, spleen, etc.) My father was trying the poor doctor’s patience by trying to get them to do chemo treatments. The doctor’s keep insisting that she is past that point and finally got it through to him that she is not at the beginning, middle or late stage; that she is in the end stage. My dad reasoning is that she’s going to die, why not try something that would give her a chance at life. The doctor’s wont do it because it will just make the last part of her life horrible, and still the end result will be that she passes on anyway. It’s all just very rough on him since he feels as if he can fix or have control on the outcome of most things in life. This is one thing that is out of his control and in the control of fates now.

The doctor has full confidence that he can treat the cancer in her spinal column and eliminate the pressure on her nerves which will give her back the mobility in her arms, and make her more comfortable. Monday evening she goes for the first treatment. The doctor told my dad that there will be a small window of time in which she is at her best, and then things will deteriorate quickly. I think my dad’s trying to time my arrival with my mom being at her best. I don’t think I’m going to worry about that since David, Petra’s fiancée, says that radiation treatments are very harsh and it’s going to take a heavy toll on her, so I don’t think I’m going to wait too much longer. I’m going to go up next week on Tuesday. I’m going to make an easy drive up, and listen to lots of relaxing CD’s on the trip. I’m going to leave early in the morning so that I’m not driving too late in the day.

It’s really nasty weather up there too. It’s very cold, and snowy. I’m not looking forward to that, but I do want to see my mom even know it’s going to be really rough. I want to spend some good time with her before she is too far gone. I’m just so worried about breaking down. I talked to her last night on the phone and it was almost too much. I finally had to ask mom to give the phone to dad. It was like something deep inside my soul started to break. I was over come by a sorrow that can’t really be put into words.

I guess with my mom going through the different stages of coming to terms of the inevitable passing over, those around her also have to go through the stages also. It’s just so hard, and so sad. I cry all the time. I’m going to miss my mom so much. I’m not going to regret. I learned that lesson with my grandfather. I have no regrets other than the natural wish that things would have been better considering how hard I tried over and over to make things better. However, you can lead a horse to water but can not make it drink. Despite everything, I really enjoyed the time that I had with my mom and am going to really miss her when she’s gone.

I had miss understood my father when he told me about the second opionion treatment. The doctor can not treat the cancer -- they can only spot treat the nerves that are being pressed on by the cancer. By doing that it will help to alleviate some of the pain and make her more comfortable.

Augh! I had hoped that the treatments would go really well, and that she could be ok. Now, I'm just really, really sad :(