Glammy Jammie Oscar's Party

We watched many movies.

We sent out invitations.

We shopped for months for just the right jammies!

We cooked for hours, preparing the best foods!

And finally, the (second annual )Glammy Jammie Oscar Party began!

Smoked Salmon Pizza (cream cheese, capers and dill)
Meat Roll-ups stuffed with Herbed Goat Cheese wrapped around Feta stuffed Olives
Focaccia with Rosemary and Grapes
Bruchetta
Crostinis
Rotel Cheese Dip with Frito Scoops
Veggie Tray with Fancy Ranch Dip
Pineapple, Gala Apple and Seedless Green Grape tray with Honey Cinnamon Yogurt Dip
Wheat-free Crackers and Sundried Tomato Hummus
White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
Star Punch (Fuzzy Navels with Star Fruit!)

Jade and I worked together very well in kitchen. Her dots helped a lot, too. Assistant made the Focaccia and Dot made the Meat Roll-ups. The food was beautiful and delish!

I suppose the most touching part of the night for me was Marion Colliard's acceptance speech for winning Best Actress as Edith Pief in La Vie en Rose. TT, Dot and I loved that movie (remember our affection for Paris) and were taken with her humility and joy.

Jade, friend and dots have been here since Thursday nite. We have enjoyed every second. This morning it was hard to say goodbye, but knowing we will be together in NYC in six weeks eases the pain of separation.

Next goal. . . working off the extra winter pounds and poufs around our middles!

Living

Life is simple now that I have learned how to live happy .

I came home from work tonight and Kalena and I made "brinner". (that is breakfast for dinner) We all watched American Idol together. Brinner on the couch. The kids were doing acrobatics in between asking, "Miss H, did you like her, do you think she will get voted off, are you gonna vote for her?"

Little D not only ate everything on her plate, but she went back for seconds! OMG, that was a record worthy of Olympic coverage! She was so proud of herself. She came and whispered in my ear something, and I said, "I love you, too, D." She said, "No, I said I love my EGGS!!"

After eating, little D got out my brushes and combs and barrettes and proceeded to coif her mother's hair and mine!

In between, both Dot and Jade and Assistant were texting me their Idol opinions! And god-son continued asking me if I was gonna vote for the Rocker Nurse!

At the end of the show, Dot texted me to tell me to get outside to see the lunar eclipse. Sure enough, the moon looked blood-red. It looked apocolyptic.

Then Jade called to talk about when she would arrive tomorrow nite. OMG, how exciting that she and the girls will be here for our Glammy Jammy Oscars Party!

Cheese Omlette, Heart-shaped Waffles, Bacon, American Idol, two god-children, a very good friend, a new hair-do, kids eating their entire meal, texts and calls from grown daughters and a lunar eclipse. . . what a very happy night!

Does living get any better?!

Forty Twelve!

It was one of my happiest birthdays ever! I told TT that I have never had a birthday with so few material things AND so much love.

Everyone is rather tight (eeeeek) on money right now. So, I asked for dirt for my garden! I am planting an herb garden on March 20. Last weekend, we emptied out the 25' x 2' planter and lined it with weed matt and rocks for good drainage. I want this Miracle Gro Organic Garden Mix dirt that is $7.77 for a two cubic foot bag! It will take about fifteen bags to fill my planter!

So, everyone gave me dirt! And I am thrilled!

Dot, Assistant, Kalina and mom-of-squishy-baby came over with lovely foods for brunch and mimosas. Dot should go into catering (and modeling and makeup and dancing. . . she is just so gifted and beautiful).

In the midst of it all, I got to talk to KE, my best friend from high school and exchange texts with daughter Jade. I later got to talk to her and we excitedly made plans for her visit next weekend with her girls and her good friend (so the gift continues, I will get to see her and my grand-dots!!!) Son-in-luv came over later in the evening and was a walking birthday card. What a beautiful thing to have him sit and tell us just how much he loves our daughter and how much he loves us and loves spending time with us.

After eating and opening cards and gift cards for dirt, somehow we got into my storage stuff and got out a couple of my mom's square dance dresses. Only Dot and Kalina have the 24 inch waists to fit into her tiny clothing. Dot even busted out Mother's petticoats!

Our home was filled with love, laughter, children playing, food, friends and family. It was a lovely, sunshiney, sparkly day. Inside and outside!

Just Plain Happy

I thank God for my priest telling me the way out of depression was to compromise my expectations and get HAPPY with my reality.

It resonated with me how much of my life I have spent miserable over what would later ammount to nothing. I have always been a "make a mountain out of a molehill" kind of person. Oi.

When I decided to get happy, nothing much had changed. Funny, the changes came later.

God gave me the amazing grace to forgive a huge debt. As I held the debtor ransom, my heart was in bondage. I was playing Christmas music from our old church, Brownsville and the Spirit of God swept my heart and I knew the way out of the torment. . . forgive it and let it go. I was free as soon as I said, "Yes, Lord, I release and forgive."

Soon after that, TT, Dot and Hub would go to Orlando and stay with Jade and the children. Gloriously, I was given back my heart-daughter. Dot is my blood daugher. My beloved firstborn.

When I was in my first marriage, I told him I wanted us to pray for the Lord to bring us an older girl to adopt so Dot would have an older sister. He thought I was nuts. Really, I did too.

We divorced two years later. And along comes TT, my knight in shining armor. And Jade. I cut her hair one afternoon. And fell in love with her. God had prepared my heart for her two years before. That is why I call her my heart daughter. She helped TT and I get together. She started calling me "mom" before her father and I even married.

Dot came to me and said, "Mommy, I want Jade for my sister and TT for my daddy."

There was alot of love among us. Why it fell apart is history. How it came back together is a miracle. I can't forget that it happened AFTER I forgave the big debt. Like forgiving was the token for the richness of a healed family.

I love Jade. Deeply. Dot and I are twins in many areas. But in many, we are opposite. And that's where Jade and I are alike. I feel like my heart has warm honey flowing over it. I have both my girls. I need them both. Dot tried to fill the gap and be all for me. She couldn't. I will never forget that she tried.

When she and Jade got reconnected, I told Dot, "Now I can die in peace, knowing you won't be alone, you have your sister." She said, "I thought about that."

I am in no hurry!!

I have had a broken heart over not having more children. I decided to believe God would fill my life. Now I have many! Two twelve year old god-daughters, an eight year old god-son, a five year old god-daughter and a twelve year old and six year old granddaughter!!! My arms are rarely empty and my heart stays full of joy.

Every day I go to work to a full schedule of fabulous clients/friends. Work is a JOY! How is it legal to have so much FUN earning a living?

My husband is a loving, caring, kind man who makes the best spaghetti in the world and who keeps me sane in the mornings when I can't decide what to wear and need my lunch packed. He loves me, through and through.

I have decided why waste today worrying about tomorrow? "For I have been young and I have been old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging for bread," says the psalmist.

Life is seasonal. I spent a decade in lonely agony and disappointment. How I pictured my life and how it has been are worlds apart. TT and I lost the excessive riches of this world. But we have gained the better. We share a magnificent faith, a deeply loving family and dear friends. Like I heard at Thanksgiving, "Thank You for friends that are like family and family that are friends." It is so wonderful to be in this happy place.

Tomorrow is Valentines. Thank You Lord for how You have poured out Your care and love into my life.

SUPERbowl!

This was one reason I got the TV for TT. He loves watching football with his best friend. BF LOVES NewYork Giants, so we had the SuperBowl party!!

I made Black Bean Chunky Beef Chili, mini hamburgers (Sliders), oven roasted french fries, Jade's Macaroni and Cheese. We had sour cream, chopped dill pickles and salsa to top the chili. Friends brought Hot Wings, Deviled Eggs, Veggie Tray, Individual CheeseCakes, Cookies, Chips n Guacamole. . . I may be leaving something out. It was a FEAST!!

Had leftovers tonight! That's a nice reward.

While this picture looks pretty quiet, we had a rip-roaring fun time. And wasn't that an exciting game?!!

Don't tell me people never change. I was screaming right along with them at the final touchdown!!

I am a convert. Gotta go study up on the Gators for next season!!

growing

I just wanted to see if it really does look longer! Once every decade, I stupidly cut off all my hair. This has been the least traumatic for me. Not so insecure as I once was. Better styling tools now.

Read the book HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD, at the suggestion of Beth Minardi, the hair color guru I will be studying under in a year. That book confirmed what I knew. Too short (or too long, for that matter) is O.L. (old lady!!)

I have instructed all my clients that I need their first comment to be, "My goodness, Hattigrace, your hair has really grown fast!!" I take Biotin daily to help it along!

You know I stopped smoking cigarettes September 23rd-ish. Have not had ONE!! Getting through January was a big deal. That was when I caved last year. But New Year's Eve and my friend's birthday, I had a cigar!! No inhaling, so I thought I was fine.

Then, I noticed I was craving cigs more. TT reminded me how the mouth absorbs nicotene. Hmmmm, I forgot about that. I was only thinking about my lungs and not inhaling. So, this is most likely that last cigar I will have. Didn't really enjoy it that much anyway.

Well, this is a deep and thought-provoking post!!!