I am one of those people. You know the ones that hate the color gray. Loathe a day when the clouds hang in the air but nothing happens...no rain, no snow, no sleet...just looming there with nothing to show but more gray. And inevitably, that makes me hate January.
Oh I want to like January very much. I really do. But I can't. And I try every single year to get into January's claim of a fresh start a new leap on life...{sigh}...I can't do it. January is gray and tortures me with loads of gray as if to say..."just taste it again and see if you'll like it this time." But I've tried it all. And there is only one very solid part of January that I have to like. And that is, January always leads me to February.
So when the calendar turns its page I can't help but want to scream THANK YOU!
This particular January has been rough. And I mean that. Our whole family has been sick with flu bug after flu bug. Even now I am hacking and sneezing my way through this little blip on my blog. And this all comes from January...so you can see that it is lingering still.
Want to know what I miss the most? I miss contact with my friends on the web. You know who you are. (Dear Laney, I owe you a sweet email in reply...so when you read this, know that I got your precious note in January...but I was so bogged down in my hate of January...that I didn't even respond. Sorry babycakes. I am still here!)
Friends of the web world, where are you these days? Can you pop in and tell me if you hate January as much as I do? Or have you found a remedy for the blues it causes? What makes you smile in February?
This is what I am looking forward to as February passes by....
My home as the days get warmer and its ok to play outdoors again...
My family in the sunshine...in short sleeves and no jackets!
Bare feet in the grass....
Fun in the pool...
And the ease of knowing...January is still very far away.
(feeling tired of snow...puffy jackets...gray days and flu bugs)
I am still laughing my butt off (only figuratively I can assure you!). I bumped intothis blog post last night. Here's what Kelly, the writer had found:
There is such a thing as too much love
Want to thoroughly creep out your loved one this Christmas? Get him or her a set of Smittens!
I would seriously barf all over
anyone who ever tried to give this to me. Did you notice that there are
even two different sized loner mittens for the lady's tiny hands and
the man's big hands? Somehow that makes it even more "eww" to me.
Kelly, well actually...you're not crazy for being creeped out. I
imagined holding my husbands hand in the gloves and then something
comes toward us...at a high rate of speed. I can't get my freakin hand
out of the glove in time to seperate from him, so we both get
clobbered!
See? You're not wacky.
(Had to share! I just HAD TO! Tell me you're bustin up too!)
You know how everyone has a thing? I don't mean a thing, thing. I mean, everyone has something that they must have. For me...its a good hair-dresser and red toe nails, to name two of my "things".
While talking to Mr. G a few days ago, I realized that he has a "thing" too! (oh knock if off...I know where your mind went!) I'm talkin about chilly feet. The boy just can't seem to keep those toes warm. Nope. Every single winter I can tell you exactly where he is in the house, based on the shufflin' sounds of slippers schoooshing over the wooden floor. (yeah I made that word up...you get the point though.)
So I got to thinking about the hospital stay that's coming. No doubt he's going to have cold feet in that bed of his. So hmmm. Wool socks are NOT quite the ticket. It takes too long to get the toes to heat up and stay that way. You know what I mean, right? A warming blanket is too big and probably not hospital gear. So what to do?
Google the problem, girlfriend!
I did! And this is what I found. Check these out divas. HEATED SOCKS! Yes indeed!
"While out in the cold, keep your feet warm and
dry with the Lectra Battery Heated Boot Style Socks from Nordic Gear,
Inc. These heated socks feature a recessed channel built into the leg
and toe area which keeps the heating unit invisible and flush with the
sock."
Don't ya just love the little battery pack on the side!? I think they made this pair look so McGyver...which will be right up Mr. G's alley don'tcha think?
So I am off to Modell's for a little heated sock present for my guy. Oooh I can not wait to give him something a little extra for his stay. And why prey tell don't they have some of these in red and white polka dots for the girlie-girls?! Like maybe these socks...wouldn't they be so cute with heat!?
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Even Ms. my-feet-are-usually-pretty-warm, wants in on some of this action, HEAT included.
(wondering, how would you wash electric warming sock exactly? anyone?)
September 08, 2008
"And there she sat...staring at the screen. Blankly."
Those just happen to be the overly dramatic words that pop into my head today for blogging. (Drama Queens live in the same house as Dreaming Divas, ya know.) I keep asking myself, where did the Juicy girl go?! I feel certain she's in there. Trapped perhaps beneath 5000 pounds of words just waiting to leap onto the page in front of me but that same Diva lacks the inspiration to push up and get on top of those words.
If you have a blog, no doubt you understand this mini-plight-of-sorts. It isn't exactly writers block. I think it's more like...a question. That is, "What do I have to tell the world today?" And frankly, when you've been away for a while, that question seems so much harder to answer.
Of course, three wildly busy boys and a hunky hubby, all home for the summer did put a bit of a crick in my plans to continue my blogging obsession. (do you know what I mean sistas?)
The good news is this. School is back in session! That means schedules can return and life can be managed with calenders and planning. I love that. (Ohhhh, girlfriends....how I love that! Have we raised our coffee mugs high into the air in confident celebration yet?)
I digress. [sigh]
The point is, babycakes, this Juicy Diva is trying to come out again to write and share in your juiced up lives. I will start again. I am here trying to do just that. And in all honesty, God always has bits of inspiration for me when its time to write. I have a feeling that it just might be time again. There is a strange stirring up on the inside....its a feeling of words beginning to bubble toward the surface. And that generally means...watch out girl...you're about to find your passion for writing, met with something wonderful in the world to write about.
I am officially on the look out!
In the meantime, I would LOVE to hear from you. Send me your favorite blogs, posts and creative thoughts. Perhaps it will give me the push to start dishin the words.
Juicy Friends...Oh I've been a bad blogger I know. But you'll forgive me for not writing I'm sure. Simply put, the summer with hubby and boys at home has been taking all of my free time.
We just returned from a much needed vacation to Puerto Rico. We sat. We indulged in the pool, the ocean and the beach. We sat some more. We breathed in the air. Forgot the rest of the world. And it was good. Very very good. So badly needed.
(This is the pool area at our hotel).
I was thinking about the relaxation and how it inspires me to reconsider what it means to just sit. Do I so easily forget what kind of amazing goodness is in solitude? YES sistas, I sure do. So I decided to hold onto my relaxation pose for a while yet...and I sat at my computer this morning, "Stumbling" through pages on the internet. Quietly. Still. No other sounds.
I realized that there is some relaxation in surfing the internet aimlessly. And I thought perhaps I'd share two very special spots that bring out the feeling of "Ahhhh" for me. Both are intensely gratifying for the eyeballs. Somehow I always walk away feeling quite happy after a browsing on either site.
I am here. And soon I will be back...but summer fever has taken hold and I am off doing and seeing and running. Just one more week of school for the boys...and then we will "Ahhh" and relax.
I am new to this Twittering business. But I just don't think I understand how to use it to its full potential (this Diva has to be in the KNOW).
So help me out here babycakes! Send this juicy dreamer, some serious comment love and tell me about your Twitting...or lack there of. Give me the scoop and introduce me to your world! And if you're NOT a Twitter...is there a reason why?
Surfing through the internet one day, I stumbled right into her...(grace is not my middle name). She hosts a bright pink polka dotted blog that instantly stole my reader heart. The blog is run by a darling southern girl (well... she sounds southern) named Amy Beth.
Every single day, she cracks me up and stirs up the juicy girl in me. I sip my coffee and read about her daily tromps through this life and lately I've been swept right into her oh so creativesaga videos... that somehow seem to make the old movie "The Birds" seem sensible and completely well-founded!
Being the juicy girl that I am, I absolutely love it when a friend shares a snappy fun-fest with me, so I want to share the wealth. I'd like to introduce you to Ms. Amy Beth! [drum roll, rounds of applause and screaming not required here but most enjoyable for any diva...even if you're alone at your desk..clap on baby, clap on...]
Click on the webpage above and meet the juicy Ms. Amy Beth!
And bring your wellies...(AB, that's a rainboot..yes?)
A Juicy diva knows, (deep inside she always knows), gratitude is KEY to a fun and fabulous life. And if, by chance, you're among the delicious group of women who are attempting to "Dust off your Diva!" then I'd like to suggest today, that you let your diva tell you how grateful she is. I mean really, divas do have so much!
My juicy girl, (aka inner Diva) woke up buried deep inside fresh sheets that I put on the bed last night. The unbelievable feeling of sliding my legs over the soft, sweet fresh-scented cotton...was enough to send a relaxed, "ahhhhh", type of smile streaming across my face.
The sunshine was already attempting to peek around the curtains...preparing to beam boldly into my room. I could feel Spring's hands pushing there way into my world, with a consistency that I have longed for, throughout the long winter months.
When I looked to my right, I found my one year old little Jack, staring at me...batting his long eyelashes with the innocence only a baby can boast. He instantly grinned when he saw my face. I grinned back. And then turned to look to my left...where I was face to face with my 7 year old Matt, who was tucked up next to me. Somewhere in the night, he had found his way into my room. There he was...deep into his sleep and scrumptious as a button....snoring. I laughed. Which made Jack laugh. So we, my baby and my inner diva, laughed together.
As I sat up, I felt a firm lump of something heavy on my foot. I smiled again...it was my very loyal and immensely kind pup, Pete. His face and tail always say, "I am so happy to see you mom!" There isn't a dog in the world who could take his place. So I lathered him with hugs and cuddles. In return, I received a rush of endorphines the size of the Bellagio Fountians! It was "Diva-Grand", as my friend Chris might say.
Somehow, I feel that I am never officially awake, until after my first cup of strong caffeine-infused coffee. So, I scooped up the baby and walked downstairs to the kitchen to make a pot. As I came into the office, I sat down and looked out the window by my side...and found that everything looked brilliantly green and clear. (Whew... God sure knows how to start a diva's morning!) I cracked opened the the window and felt the crisp morning air that didn't require down jackets. Oh how I adore days like this! It is always so rewarding to have days like this after a harsh winter, wouldn't you agree?
Feeling my gratitude in all its magnitude, this is what I chose to listen to in the moment:
Oh darling divas, if you don't feel grateful after listening to the breathtaking Chris Botti with his trumpet, and the staggering vocal chords of the legondary Andrea Bocelli, then darlings your diva is nearly dead! We need to bring her to the Diva E.R. immediately! Email us quickly.
The thing is darling divas, my day has only just begun...I still have much to see, do and feel throughout this gorgeous day. Some of which includes, welcoming home my truly remarkable husband, who's absence is felt at the core of my heart whenever he is away on business. No doubt, he will be grateful that my fiesty, flirty diva is alive and well to do the welcoming...yes?
I suppose that I am riled up, because this is the truest part of me. My inner girl is much happier to be bold and living out loud. The truth is, I am a diva on a mission! I am so grateful for all that I have in my life. And I want you to join me in the contagious act of being grateful, on this beautiful morning. Together, we can create a slow but growing rumble of happy homes and delicious divas!
If my inner girl can show me how much I have to work with...and through this gratitude, my juicy girl gets all revved up with places to go, then what can your inner diva point out for you?
So, what will you have? A sour day with grumbles and cold water? Or would you like to join me for a cup of coffee and simple, sweet gratitude?
(feeling particularly Grateful that my God would allow me to live this life as a Diva!)
Now I told ya, we're about to get your Diva all riled up..just yesterday. And I mean it! Are you ready to meet a Diva whose got it goin' on and is strutting it beautifully?
Ok babycakes - if the Diva in the spotlight inspires you in anyway...Darling Diva Code says..GO TELL THEM or leave a comment here! (Keep in mind that whatever you do to another person in this life, will come back to you one day...if you want the good stuff, you gotta go give the good stuff! It even says so in the Bible, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.Galations 6:7" If God says it...whoa nelly, I'm on board! I really do want the good stuff!)
The girl I want to introduce you to is a true Darling Diva! Her name is, Staci and when I tell you the gal is talented...I mean it. She's an artist to the core. Staci has worked on paintings, carvings, sewing, floral designing, and she is a graphic designer as well. (Oh how I love the patient Divas...as I personally would rapidly mangle anything on a sewing machine after 5 minutes! Not the patient kind here...nope.)
Oh I am dying of laughter here! TOOOOO FUNNY! And perfectly written up. Well done!