Bradley and Isaiah Sleepover with Us

The Crud Caught Me

Sorry I have been MIA.  The crud finally caught me and I am down for the count.  Hoping to get back to blogging on a more regular basis soon.

A Part of Who I Am

   One of my favorite things to do is look for "treasures" at the thrift store.  You know, those things that you don't need but enrich your life.  ;)  I am always on the lookout for good Hawaiian music and am thrilled when I find it.  Yesterday, while looking through a stack of CDs that had yet to be shelved, I found this amazing Brothers Cazimero CD in like new condition.  I quickly picked it up, thanked God (yes, I thank God for putting it in my path) and showed it to my husband.  He looked at me and said "That's great, it's a part of who you are!"

   My hubby is right, Hawaiian music is a part of who I am.  It soothes my soul and takes me back to my childhood.  I grew up listening to the artists above and to many other wonderful Hawaiian musicians.  I danced hula and Tahitian.  I attended concerts.  My memories are filled with gentle ocean breezes blowing as the sun sets and the sounds of the musicians at the resort my father managed playing guitar and ukulele and singing beautiful songs that tell the stories of my island home.  They are filled with golden days at the beach, playing in the surf and listening to C and K.  I can still hear the drumbeats from the luaus at night.  My mind also wanders to my Polynesian Music and Dance class in high school where I again learned more hula and enjoyed dancing with friends.

   When life gets stressful, I reach out for my childhood music.  It transports me back to a time and place that calms me.  It reminds me of how I used to go to the beach to clear my head and wash the troubles of the world away.  There is nothing like sitting on the warm sand watching and listening to the sounds of the ocean.  That is what Hawaiian music does for me.  It is a part of who I am.

Truth!

I found this gem on Facebook and it describes exactly how I feel.  It is not the "things" we have in our lives that matter, but rather the relationships with the people we love that are our true treasures.  I am a truly rich woman because of the people that I have in my life!

Rain Drops on Windows and Warming Soup

    Rain, it seems to be the theme for this very early Spring we are having.  The ground is beyond saturated and feels like a squishy sponge.  There are flood watches for the rivers and streams all around us.  True, we need the moisture, but we need it in the form of snow pack in the mountains and sadly, that is all melting off.  I fear we are in big trouble here and that is is going to be a horrendous fire season.

   My poor driveway is a muddy mess.  The tree and most of my roses had to be taken out when we had to trench not once but twice when the main waterline to our home broke and had to be replaced.  We have been watching the dirt settle and if the weather ever cooperates and things dry out, we will rent a skid steer and fill in the sunken areas and terrace the hillside garden area next to the stairs.  Then, and only then, will we be ready for at least one huge truckload of gravel to fill in the driveway again.  The driveway is also being expanded so that our wonderful neighbors can back their boat into the garage much more easily.  Right now it is hard for them to do it because of the angle.

   With all the cold and wet weather, warming and hearty soups have been making a regular appearance on our menu.  One of my favorites, pictured above, was the result of trying to use some things up before they went bad.  The soup was made with Italian turkey sausage, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, chicken stock thickened with a rue, some red pepper flakes and some garlic salt.  I added some freshly torn spinach to the bottom of the bowl and then ladled the hot soup over the top of it.  It wilted the spinach but did not make it "slimy".  My hubby proclaimed it a huge hit but did prefer his without the spinach. ;)  For whatever reason, hot soup on a cold and wet day is just so comforting to me.  With the weather forecast being what it is, I think we will be having lots of soups in the foreseeable future. 

Things I Wish Young Men and Women Would Consider BEFORE They Get Married

   Wedding Season is quickly approaching and we already have received a wedding invitation from a precious couple whom we love dearly.  We are thrilled for them because we know that they both are entering into this marriage as mature responsible adults who have many life experiences behind them and each of them know who they are as a person.

   Right off the bat, I am going to admit that I was pretty young when I got married.  I met my husband when I was 19, got engaged on my 21st birthday and married the following Spring.  We will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary next month.  Both my husband and I have worked hard and continue to in our marriage in order to keep it strong.   We have grown together because we are committed to one another and our family.   Looking back at our marriage and those of others that we know and love here are a few things that I believe are crucial to the success of a marriage:

1.  Each person should have enough life experience behind them to know exactly who they are and they should feel good about themselves.  That does not mean they are perfect by any means.  We all have flaws and areas we need to work on, but we need to "own" those flaws and be comfortable and confident in our own skin.

2.  Each person needs to be a mature and responsible adult.  I'm sure that most of us have done questionable and maybe even stupid things in our past, but it needs to be left there...in the past.   Some examples of these things are going out partying frequently, not being financially responsible, getting in trouble with the law, going out to "play" instead of taking care of things that need to be taken care of on a regular basis, being selfish, etc..

3.  A marriage should never be entered into for the following reasons:  to escape something, so that someone will take care of you, because you are lonely, or you feel like this may be your only chance at getting married.

4.  A marriage should be about two people, who genuinely want the best for one another, who build each other up, who are willing to not only put 100% into it at all times. but are willing to stick to it when times get rough.  And trust me, times will get rough.

5.  You should NEVER marry someone who makes you feel small, stupid, unloved, unwanted or who is controlling, manipulative, abusive (verbally or physically) or who you find yourself afraid of, nervous around or unsure of.  If you have any doubts or concerns in any of these areas....run the other way fast! Also, if you doubt their, or your ability to be faithful, don't marry them!

6.  The person you marry should be your best friend.  They are the one who you feel the most comfortable with, the one you trust unconditionally, the one who has proven that they are there for you  and you for them.  You should be able to talk about anything and everything.  You should have lots of things in common with one another and the same core values.  You should agree on important things like whether or not to have children, discipline of those children, finances, budgets, your faith and how that will play out in your marriage, especially if you come from different viewpoints.

7.  You are willing and ready to make your relationship a top priority.  This means that your marriage comes before your relationships with friends, other family and even work.  If you put those things above your marriage, it is doomed to fail. That does not mean that your friendships, work and other family members are not also important, but it is a balancing act, with your marriage relationship weighing in heavier than other relationships.

8.  You are ready to really sacrifice for your spouse and for your future children, should you have them.  You will have to give up things that you may enjoy in order to make ends meet financially.  You also will have to put things on hold for awhile, in order to meet the needs of your spouse and children.

9.  You are happy just to spend time together.  It does matter where you are.  You don't need to be going out all the time to have fun.  You are perfectly happy to spend a quiet evening at home.  Just being together is what matters.

10.  You are committed to this person for your life, through good times and bad.  You do not go into it thinking if it does not work out, you can get a divorce.  We live in a world where divorce in commonplace but people do not consider the damage that it does.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when divorce is necessary, like in the cases of abuse, or infidelity, but if you really know the person and have considered the reasons above, then you have more of a chance of having a successful marriage than someone who has not.


   I really hope that if you are reading this, and you are considering marriage, that you take these things to heart.  I would love to see more people go into marriages with their eyes wide open and knowing beyond a doubt that they are marrying the right person for the right reasons.  May your future be bright and very blessed!