so far my favorite meatless meal

Pita with goat cheese and portabella and tomatoe

see recipie at www.myrecipies.com

Lazy Summer

Summer seems to be flying by! With a list full of things that I wanted to get done (fun and not so fun), the summer is going by without a one thing done. Going to Ontario for my grandfathers funeral took so much out of me but I am now recovered. From here on out I plan on getting a grip and doing some of those things on my to do list.

The highlight of my summer is Johanna's tap/ballet class. Claudia gave me Fiona's old tap shoes and I thought I would make good use of them.

Oh and my other accomplishment is going meatless two days a week (despite extreme complaints from my husband!)

My go to

When I am feeling down or blue or that things are out of control, I go to the one thing that I can control. I decide where the pictures go and what to put on this page. I am also reminded of the good times and the joy in the faces of whom I am scrapping. This was a slow morning that we just hung out on our front patio on a hot July morning of last year. I love my daughters faces in this hat it really shows her personality.

I hand-made the flowers and "distressed" them for an old fashion look.

So Proud

In the last two months we have had a chance to go on two vacations with Madalyn, my stepdaughter. The first one was to Monterey where she lives and goes to college. I love it there. We went to the aquarium, beach combed, and went to the pier. It was a nice visit. I have longed to be able to say those words about my stepdaughter. It has been tough being a stepmother. Those of you who have done it can understand. Madalyn and I have had many obstacles and forces that tried to push us apart. But I can see a definite change in her, a maturity that I am proud of.








The person who she once was disappeared for so long and now it is coming out of her.











She is able to show the kids her love.

She is able to accept that there is more than one point of view.

I am so happy to be in this place with her! Yaaa

I will....

Have you ever gone to dinner with someone who complains about everything?... The prices are too steep, the waiter isn't very friendly, the food is too hot, etc. etc. Have you ever been around someone who looks at life as "the glass is half empty." I have been exposed to this of late and have decided on some things!

-I will choose to look on the bright side of things, "the glass is half full"

A pessimist see the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty- Winston Churchill

-I will choose to be a light in the dark world we live in

-I will choose not to let others criticism bring me down

-I will choose to raise my kids how we think fit and not how others think we should raise them

-I will choose to be myself even when I don't fit into the mold of what the world wants me to be

The wind will blow us this way and that but we can choose what attitude to take when we are blown from here to there.