corner view "favorite hangout"

I know it's Thursday and I'm a day late on this post, but I really wanted to join Christina for the "simple things" day in the blogosphere yesterday... so better late than never right?

Here is my corner view.... "favorite hangout"...
Well I'm a bit of a homebody lately... grief with it's many stages and faces doesn't always agree with social situations and crowds. And even though I have ventured out on several occasions, I have to say for the moment home is my favorite hangout...

my morning coffee as the rising sun warms my skin..

my late nights curled up on the bed surfing the blogosphere

my sunrises..

my sunsets....






and my kitchen where I bake to comfort my soul....

Yes home... for me really is where the heart is at the moment...

Stop by Jane's for more corner views...


love...peace..joy...

simple things..

It's time again for the simple things... Christina over at Soul Aperture is hosting it and this time for a really good cause, for every blogger that participates her family will donate a $1.00 to doctors without borders for Haiti relief. What a noble idea, doesn't surprise me...she has a heart of gold and a soul that soars miles high... Thank you Christina, love you :)

So here is my list of the simple things that make my soul sing each day...

sunlight as it changes through the day..
peaceful moments..
a stranger's smile as they pass you by..
the scent of nature..
shadows as they dance on the walls..
memories that warm my heart and make me smile..
a good laugh with my boys..
movie nights all cuddled on the sofa..
walking through isles at the bookstore..
the boys gravitating to the kitchen as I cook..
long conversations with a good friend..
five extra minutes of sleep in the morning..
my 16 year old blowing me a kiss as I drop him off at school..
the colors and textures on oil paintings..
and a few kind words exchanged amongst strangers..

Please play along today...and stop to appreciate the simple things in your lives..
Stop by at Christina's for more simple things


love...peace...joy...

please let her know if you are playing along so that she can link your page as well :)

love..

I wasn't brave enough to post this here, so instead I shared my deep thoughts on facebook with family and friends a few days ago. Not that I haven't poured my heart out on these pages in the past, but somehow this felt too personal and intimate. However I realized that all you lovely blog friends who have been so supportive and have given me so much love and strength needed to hear this too, so I want to share these thoughts and this powerful message today about .....

LOVE...



ok... i admit i miss my husband like crazy... i feel lost without him...

perhaps an intimate photo..yes, one that i'm not sure i feel comfortable sharing here... BUT... i want you all to see my pain, i want you to feel it deep in the crevasses of your souls, because then and only then will you understand and embrace my message. this message that i want to scream at the top of my lungs, these words that i share with you today as my tears roll down my cheeks and as the pain in my heart cripples me...

PLEASE...DO NOT WASTE A MINUTE OF YOUR LIFE, OF YOUR LOVE, OF YOUR SEARCH FOR LOVE! DO NOT MISS AN OPPORTUNITY OF A KISS, OF AN EMBRACE, OF A FEW WORDS THAT COULD MEAN SO MUCH... DO NOT LET MOMENTS, DAYS AND YEARS GO BY WITHOUT LOVE...THOSE FORTUNATE TO HAVE IT...HANG ON TO IT, NURTURE IT, FEED IT, LET IT LINGER IN YOU MOUTH, YOUR HEART, YOUR SOUL... THOSE IN SEARCH OF IT... DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE...

let this image and these words penetrate the depth of you hearts, don't forget them, let these be the reminder everyday that a life without love isn't much of a life...

what we had together was priceless... it was so deep...so solid...so real...and now that he's gone...all i have left is the LOVE and the memories... these memories that are my heaven and my hell, my pain and my relief, my joy and my sorrow...but they are real...they are mine...and they are all that's left of our love, and these memories are what give me the strength to live on, and be the solid pillar of love and hope for my boys...

think of these words today...live and love fully



love...peace...love...

corner view... our style

this weeks corner view is about what we wear...
our style...

well here I am my friends...

with cowboy boots and chucks...
warm woven hats on my head...
soft scarves that wrap around my neck...
dangle charm bracelets...peace and love everywhere...
Buddha around my neck with a good luck key...
sunglasses to hide my tears at times...


hope you enjoyed, stop by Jane's for more corner views

love...peace...joy...

look for it...

yes, it's raining...

it's wet, dark and gloomy...

and still...

we manage to find beauty....

and comfort on this day....

we should...
we must...


look for it...
find it...
embrace it...
enjoy it...!

love...peace...joy...

six word saturday..

BREAKFAST MADE BY MY SON....PRICELESS!!






hosted by Cate at Show My Face

love...peace...joy...

rant...nothing to rave about...

I have no idea what "stage" of grief I'm in right now... it's all kinda blurry at the moment, but anger comes to mind... I'm not angry at Gag for jumping off the ride so early, or God, or life in general... but I'm just pissed off on some days... It's a good thing I'm not taking it out on the kids or my loved ones around (though my brother would perhaps say otherwise :)... but my anger seems to be directed at random things and people....like when my stupid remote doesn't do what I want it to do only to find out later that I was pushing the wrong button...wow. And since I don't have a punching bag or anyone around I can punch or any plates I can brake (like some therapists have prescribed to people in my shoes..) I've decided to let off some steam here, some of you have a "rant and rave" day on your blogs... but no "rave" subjects come to mind at the moment..

So... let the ranting begin...

First I'd like to announce that drivers in LA become morons on rainy days and on Sundays... (ok..so maybe I fall in that category at times too). What pisses me off is when you give someone the right of way... there is no thank you wave to follow at their end...or when they cut you off there is not even a sorry look on their faces. Oh and one of my favorites, don't you just love it when you are in a bit of a rush and somehow you always end up behind the person that has decided not to drive faster then 5 miles per hour...Ok, but this one is easy, I just yell out some obscenities or give em the old flip of the finger...anger taken care of...steam let out...

On to the next rant... why is it that people are in such a hurry at the supermarket while they are shopping but take forever to pay at the check stand... they decide to go deep into their huge bags fishing for the exact change... just get on with it already!...makes me want to (punch them in the face) give them the damn change... see you can't just flip them off, it's not that easy when you're standing right next to them, trying to not look bothered...(although I'm sure I've falling in this category too at one point or another).... whatever!

Moving on...PEOPLE!!!! when you are picking up your kids at school...there is a line of cars with eager parents all there to pick up their kids too, what makes you think that you can just cut everyone off to get to the front of the line then wait for your kid who by the way is still way over there chatting with his friends... is it really gonna make that much of a difference if you get to your child 2 minutes later?? does it make you the better parent for being in such a hurry?? I mean what are people ON these days?... geeese! The line is moving forward just fine... be patient and you'll get to pick up you son or daughter eventually, no..they will not end up stuck in school for the rest of the day and just in case you were wondering no one will give you a medal for getting to him/her first... ok enough about that! Rant point well made... (hmmm trying to think if I've ever done that before... I may have... oh boy am I in this category too?)

Ok, last one I promise... I think we should include Banking Transactions-101 as part of the curriculum in high school... because people seem to think that everyone loves standing in line forever at the bank. Some idiots chat on the phone or text while in line, then start filling out their deposit slip when they get to the window... MORON! How about you get your transaction ready before you get to the window... huh, there's a brilliant concept! Thank goodness for the merchant line, though it seems whenever you're in a rush, just want to get in and out... you end up with the teller who seems to be more interested in the way her hair looks...(constantly pulling her scrunchy off and tying it back on..) instead of your transaction... huh what's the screening process anyways when banks hire tellers...hmm..ok now I'm getting too mean...well at least I don't think I fall in this category...whew I was beginning to think this anger was directed at myself...hmmm

Anyways...I feel much better now :) Hope you all had a good laugh on my account...go ahead I don't mind, as long as you don't cut me off on the road... we're good.

Oh and feel free to rant about stuff in the comment box, go ahead let it all out.


love...peace...joy... and a good rant session at times

corner view "holiday"

"Holiday" means something different for each of us, the word itself can be used with different meanings... a favorite holiday, a celebration of things, perhaps a travel to a far away place...

As I thought about today's post and the topic of this weeks "corner view", the word holiday meant a warm and special feeling I had in my heart... To me it means a visit to a friends home and the surprise of a home made treat all tied in a pretty ribbon to take home with me... warmth...love...





stop by Jane's corner for more corner views, glad I finally got to play along.

love...peace...joy...

LET'S EAT!!

When we talk about "fresh" food...right away we think of vegetables, fruits, a nice fresh tossed salad.... simple ingredients prepared in the simplest way, and as good for us it is to eat veggies and fruits, it gets challenging in the winter months... who wants a cold salad?...when the weather is cold we crave more hearty, warm and comforting foods. So, with our "fresh" theme today...seeing as how we are still in the winter and most of you live in pretty cold areas.... the dish I'm going to share with you today is a little bit of both, it has simple ingredients, packed with nutrition, plenty of veggies and is served warm to satisfy that hearty warmth that we seek in the winter. (Although here in LA, the weather's been pretty nice and warm.)

warm lentil salad with balsamic dressing

• 1 cup brown lentils cooked**
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced ( I prefer red onion here)
• 4 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 zucchinis, trimmed and diced
• 1 cup of green beans, cut into short lengths
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• cilantro (optional)
  

** Rinse and drain lentils, in a medium pot cover lentils with plenty of cold water and bring to boil. Boil for about 10 min, then simmer for another 15-20 min, till they are tender but still have a bit of a bite. (I throw a bay leaf in the pot, gives it more flavor) Drain and move to a large bowl, set aside.

*In the mean time prep the veggies.



*Heat oil in pan, add the onions and celery first, saute for 2-3 min, till soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic, zucchinis, and green beans and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

*Add the bell peppers and saute for another couple of minutes.




*Stir in the mustard and balsamic vinegar and mix well with the vegetables.

*Pour the warm vegetables over the lentils, toss to mix well, season with salt and pepper, I like to add some fresh cut cilantro at the end too, ( nothing says fresh like fresh herbs). Serve warm with some crusty bread.





I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as we have and decide to play along, just let us know here, so we can stop by your corner and see what's cooking as well.

Enjoy!!







love...peace...joy...

LET'S EAT... coming up

Just a quick reminder... our next LET'S EAT day is next Monday the 11th, the theme this time is "fresh". Hope you guys play along, start looking for recipes to share :)

Have a great weekend everyone, looking forward to it.


love...peace...joy...

right foot forward...

This was the first sunrise of the year and of the new decade we entered. I sat in my balcony, had my coffee, on that morning as the sun was rising... and promised to start the year with a positive attitude. Not that I've been negative throughout this difficult time in our lives. But...as time goes by, it is proving to be a bit more challenging. I find myself dragging out of bed on some mornings, I feel drained and lack energy and motivation. Naturally.. I miss him more and more, the reality of it all is really sinking in, the wear and tear, and the emotional stress of the past two years is starting to surface, the worrying about the future of the boys and the shop consumes most of my thoughts, and therefore not much space is left for being positive....

Ok, this is not sounding very positive at this point I know... but I feel unless we recognize the things that stand in the way of our happiness, we can't really address and overcome them. So perhaps by seeing all the negatives we can really appreciate the positives...
In our culture.. when we visit someones new home or are entering a loved ones house for the first time in the new year... we enter with the right foot first... I know it sounds silly, but don't all superstitious things? Anyways, it's meant to bring good luck and happiness into the home, by doing that you are hoping that good things will happen in that house, and that there will be much joy and love... does it really work? Who knows... I don't think people keep track.. but, we still do it because we hope that it works... On that note... I've decided to enter the new year with my right foot forward, and hopefully with all the tough times that lay ahead still I'll be able to stay strong and positive.

So, I think staying with the positive subject...it's time to schedule our next "LET'S EAT" day, I really wanted to have one before the holidays, but naturally I wasn't feeling up to it. Start looking through your recipes... the theme for this month is "fresh" for a fresh new start...
Let's start the year with a fresh and positive attitude and hope for a great year, I'm looking forward to more blogging and getting to know all of you better and hope to find some new friends in the blogoshpere..

Mark your calendars, get your recipes ready.. the next "LET'S EAT" will take place next Monday the 11th. Looking forward to it.

I hope you all start the year with your right foot and have a happy one.


love...peace...joy...