Happy Holidaze!

Well hello there my beautiful bloggy darlings!

How was your Yulemas?

Mine was pretty rocking!

Chilled with the fam and friends...

Drove to New Jersey - took me 3 hours to get there...

9 hours to get home!

I was NOT a happy camper!

Good thing I stopped and got hoagies for the boys!

(For those not from the Philly area - they are the most delicious "grinders" with hoagie juice - olive oil, oregano & just simple deliciousness!)

I ate one before I had to start looking under the seat for small morsles

of nuts or furry forgotton candy...something to keep me awake LOL

My babe's issues turned out OK. The entire homophobe thing was squashed....

I mean really dude - WTF were you thinking???

OK, maybe I still have issue with the situation...I am working on that!

Another issue was brought to the surface...

Some folks can joke around - but are bad when it comes back at 'em...

oh well... You live. You learn. Right?

But he is happy again... this makes me happy!

Thank you for listening to me gripe before the holiday!

You guys rock!

**hugs**

Can you believe it? 2010 already?!?

I am still waiting for nanobots, flying cars, silver lame suits - oh wait...the queens have that covered - right Ry?

WTF did the year go? In fact - where did the last 10 years go?!

Here's to you... my dear, dear friends...

May your life be filled with peace, love and light this coming year!

**hugs**

*grumbles!*

*grumble, grumble, grumble!*

Have you ever just had a week where people just seriously, and I mean seriously,

disappoint you? Not just one person... but several.

It sucks that it has to be around the holidays!

I freaking love the holidays! ...even my love for holiday music isn't working!

I try to always be upbeat...think the best of people...I am definitely a people person!

This week I just want to be as far away from people as possible! That is just NOT me!

There have been aligations tossed around about people that I love that could not be further from the truth and it has been bothering me for days. Things are "under investigation" and of course I am not allowed to speak my mind. That alone kills me! I have been working out and trying to sweat away these awful feelings...but I can't seem to shake the worry and "ick" feeling! Even shopping just makes me want to lash out at the stupid people! That is way, way, WAY not like me! I freaking love shopping! It makes me sad - which sucks since I am a happy person in general! I tried dancing... I tried farming (my mouse farmville click hand aches - some of you know what I mean) I have tried art, writing in my journal, I have cooked, meditated...

I need to break out of this mood!

Maybe a trip to Jersey to hang with some old friends for the holiday martinis will shake it!

Maybe I need an emergency Forest Folk peep hug!

Maybe I need a puppy?! LOL... I need something!

What do you do to shake shitty moods?

Tomorrow's journey

Tomorrow I start on "another" new journey for a healthier, happier life.

Sadly, I have been down this road so many times before...

The first time I lost 70 pounds...gained back 80.

Second time I lost 60 pounds...

someone showed me attention, I got lazy...

gained back 100.

blah - blah- blah, blah blah!

SO many times I forget the gorey details...

anyhoooooo....

Today I am 270 pounds and disgusted with myself!

Don't get me wrong - I love myself...just a bit disgusted... :p

Yesterday I went to sign up for a new trainer who will beat me into shape.

Sad thing is - I already know what he will tell me...

I need to control my portion size and eating habits...

I need to excercise more...

I need to drink less empty calories...

BUT

I absolutely have no (and I mean NO with a capital "N") Willpower!

...or so it seemed....

Tomorrow things are going to change.

I will ignore my demons... most of the time.

(baby steps - right? LOL)

I will live healthier.

I will be even happier - if that is possible!

I can do this!

So mote it be!

I squish you!

I was such a Kids in the Hall fan...

I loved that skit where they would hold their thumbs up and say...

"Nobody's home!"

or as I am doing to my sweetheart here..

"I squish you!"

I am guessing he is not amused that I was interupting

his Tiger Woods golf game for yet another blog post picture.

...or maybe he is just saying Honey, you are #1?!
Ha! I bet it's because I have been listening to holiday music since Thanksgiving!

*laughs*

What I was really taking a picture of is my burn...

You can kind of see it. It's a huge white bubble now on a

very important typing finger!

(yes folks, I am a 2 finger hunt and pecker!)

To top it all off I did it making a grilled cheese sandwich!

See, cooking is dangerous!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday night!

It's suppose to snow tomorrow night....

I love, love LOVE snow!!!!

**hugs**

Full belly..

It's 2 days after the big Turkey Day and I think my belly is still full!

As you can see below - we decided not to follow our yearly tradition.

Instead of going to a restaurant - we stayed home and cooked!

I am pretty thankful that we did!

I only got out of my pj's to take a shower - then got right back in them to go to bed!

Not to shabby for tossing it together last minute...

nothing too fancy...just the basics...and it was indeed perfect!

Sheldon was ready for some turkey!

Sheldon helping daddy carve the bird....

The best part of cooking at home...

TURKEY SOUP

Ryan made this kickin' turkey and rice soup with some delicious

home grown habanaros and delicious fresh avocado.

It was to die for!

Now we go into a 5 1/2 day work week through Christmas...

...gotta love retail! (NOT!)

Gratitude...

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

~Melody Beattie

I totally love that quote!

It's the time of the year to sit back and think about what you are thankful for...

I make it a point to pause everyday to thank the Goddess for my fantastic life.

I have so much to be thankful for it would take me all day on Thanksgiving day

...so I do a little everyday...

But, for the record, here are a few....

My fabulous friends and family.

Ryan - who has a bigger heart then anyone I know. I am truely lucky to have such a wonderful friend. I have found a soul mate in that man!

Shane - who loves me unconditionally. For the most part he "gets" me and understands me - which is truely remarkable since I rarely understand myself!

Mommie Dearest - I couldn't have asked for better! She taught me to be myself - no matter what, to be the creative, whacky individual that I am today - LUBBA MOM!

check Mommie Dearest out here: http://adrifinparadise.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-is-my-daddy-mom-brother-and-me.html

Marybeth - my lil'sister, my twin 8 years removed who is basically a mini me, sarcasm, wharped mind and all. Love you sis!

Anna Banana - the mailman's kid, or so Marybeth and I teased growing up. I am glad you have come come to the wharped side with us - soon you will be fully wharped. Love you sis!

My kickin' job and my employees (ok, most of them *laughs*) - which even on the worst day is pretty freakin' awesome!

My health & appearance - I may not be able to run marathons, there may be a little more of me to love then on some, I may have more then a "few" grey hairs now, I may have to worry about receding gums, my ahsma, menapause crap, Cyd the cyst (yes, I named my ovarian cyst - remember how wharped I am...) and whatever tomorrow brings... even if I am not Demi Moore...I am pretty damn gorgeous for 46!

Those are some of the things I am grateful for...

What about you?

But now I better get my tushy to the liquer store -

I am in charge of the cocktails for tomorrow's faux family feast

and I have to get Sheldon in his Turkey sweater from Auntie Joyce...

Oh - I almost forgot...

I am also thankful for all of you!

*WARM THANKFUL HUGS*

Brightest Blessings for a Terrific Thanksgiving!

A Celebration of Peace

Welcome my Coexist friends from Good Morning Glory!

http://www.goodmourningglory.com/2009/11/peace-coexistence-celebration-day-five.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+goodmourningglory%2FXSNA+%28Good+Mourning%2C+Glory%21%29
Dontcha just love Diane?
Want to win a Christmas Pickle like the one I mentioned in my post?

Leave me some bloggy love below and it could be yours!

*laughs* ...why a pickle?

A pickle used as decoration on a Christmas tree sounds odd at first, but it is an old German tradition. When decorating the Christmas tree, it is tradition to hang the pickle last, hidden deep within the branches. The first child on Christmas Day to find the Christmas Pickle receives a special blessing for a year and an extra gift.

A great tradition to share this year with your family & for years to come...

It just isn't Yulemas until you break out the pickle!

Now here's a little tune to get you in the holiday spirit...

Get those hips rocking and head bopping...

Let's boogie!

Forest Folk Slumber Party

I am seriously one lucky lady

I have the most fantastic friends!

This past weekend several of us Forest Folk peeps

all got together for a Pre-Winter Slumber Party

Fun, food and friends...

Seriously, does it get any better?

Not the most flattering of pictures of me - but I totally adore these people!
More meade please...

This is me explaining shopping for pants for my guy...

no, not Sheldon - my fiancee.

*laughs*

and since the finacee wouldn't come out and play...

My buddy Lenny got some lovin's instead!

of course Baby Sheldon joined up in his new festive sweater

a beautiful gift from Auntie Joyce!

uh oh - Uncle Bruce is taste testing....

perhaps there is a new meade in the works?

mmmm...salad anyone?

Sheldon was very helpful...

even though it looks like he hit Bruce's special home grown catnip

and decided to play with the garbonzo's....

What a great relaxing weekend...

I can not wait until we all get together again to play!

I effin' love you guys!

(Special thanks to Veronica and Jess - I grabbed your pictures since I was too lazy to take my own shots this weekend!)

Pet names!

Pets.... What is the next best thing next to their unconditional love?
Naming them of course!
Growing up we totally loved our freaky pets and we loved thinking up crazy names!
Mom's cat from before I was born was A. Squats - Alexander Quincy Squats in all his one eyed, balding, cauliflower eared, limping lovable goodness! (Pretty sure I blogged about him before...)
"My" first pet (next to the furry beach ball A. Squats) was a puppy my dad brought home from his gas station - ok, maybe not a puppy since she was the gas station watch dog... He asked what I wanted to name her and I started to sing "When sunny gets blue...her eyes get grey and cloudy..." Yes - I was a strange child...So we named her Sunny. I "hearted" Sunny!
When I was about 5 ( I am totally guessing - I know I was young)...
My mother asked me what I wanted to name our cat...
I started to sing the alphabet...
A - B - C -D -E -F & so on...(yes - I loved singing even back then!)
My mother said we will just name him AB...but what should those letters stand for?
We came up with Abraham Benjamin *laughs* I must have been learning about the presidents!?
Then came our next cat... CD of course! Clarence Darrow...what better then to name your cat after a lawyer who argued for evolution against creation...yes, what ideal Catholics we were!
Then came EF ... the hamster that brought all this nostalga up this evening... Enob Femur was his name... *laughs* It just came to me.... Femur... & bone backwards was enob - perfect - EF! Again...a strange child that was obsessed with Barnabus Collins, blood and bones!
Then we had GH... I was older and started loving old movies...so Gatsby game to mind.... no idea where we got Horatio... but it fit. Gatsby was awesome an loved to curl around your neck and suck on your earlobe. Sadly EF & GH met their fates in our house fire :( AB hid with A.Squats in the basement! Once the house was rebuilt we got our last cat before I moved out...
IJ - Icabod Jacoby! Jacboby was a killer Persian cat with golden eyes - truely beautiful....until his humans drove him insane...but that's a story for another blog!
*laughs* what fabulous memories...
What about you? What are the names of your pets?
and if you are interested - you can win kickin'skull headphones here...
http://skulladay.blogspot.com/2009/11/contest-win-set-of-ruffian-skull.html

Happy Birthday Lil'sis!

Today is my little sister's brithday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARYBETH!

Twins...8 years removed!

Ha! That works best for me when people think we are twins...

since I am 8 years older!
I am pretty sure I am pickled!

and this is pretty much the reason...

*lifts her Sunday FOotball glass of wine...

*cheers lil'sis*

Wish I could have come and visited for your day...

but you know how work works...

I love you and we will certainly catch up!

*great big birthday bear hugs!*
Here is how Shaney is spending you birthday celebrating...

LOL - Goddess bless him...

this is his idea of a romantic Sunday night!
(He did wake up to tell me to shut the light off and stop my camera nonsense)

Baby's 1st birthday....

Baby Sheldon's 1st birthday with us was on Samhain!

We adopted him last year right before a Halloweenie bash we attended...

Who knew we would fall so much in love with the little guy...

Here he is watching the World Series with daddy

in his scarey "real baby" costume....

Here we have Madonna and child....

(am I working those victory rolls or what?!) and a beautiful picture of father and son!

Happy Birthday Sheldon!

Mommy & Daddy love you!

You are the bestest skeleton baby ever!

Better late then never I suppose.....

Wow!

Can you seriously believe it is already freakin'November?

October has ended?!?

Effin'Christmas toy commercials are in abundance....

It is suppose to snow tomorrow...

(Ok, I totally love the snow -so that I am cool with!)

I am already thinking about my New Years party...

(which apparently I told everyone about during my drunkin escapades on Samhain)

and most important....

What will I be next Halloween??????

Here are some pics from the party...

we were all wasted - which is a good thing for stress...

but seriously shitty for picture quality!

Gotta love the decorations...pomagrantes...

Skull Head vodka...vampire teeth party favors...& so much more...

(Skull head for me of course!)

... and my favorite girls!
Roxy Codin, Voodoo Queen Rosa, Pandora Marybeth

oh my & the most yummiest red velvet cupcakes!!!!

Delicious and oh so tastey Demon's Blood Punch! *yum*

The crew!
(and me motioning to those hwo failed to make my wonderful party!)Me and my sweetie.....

My wonderful trick-or-treating sista...

(truely a the treat of all treats)
who surprised me by driving up after work for our little shindig!

What a fantastic Samhain!

There are so many more pictures I could bore you with...

If you want to see check out my Facebook page....

You can see all the glorious drunkin'pictures!

Off to start planning for next year!

*love * hugs to all!*

and the winner is...

Thank you everyone who entered my very first giveaway!

There has been so much going on this weekend with our party...

but Ryan and I did pick the winner last night

and the winner is

*drum roll please*

Pop Art Diva
http://themartinidiva.blogspot.com/2009/11/hand-painted-martini-glasses-one-of.html

You can stop by her cool blog...

Gotta love a fellow Diva who loves martinis... & popart!

Pictures of the party and stuff tomorrow...

(or at least within the next day or 2 - once I catch my breath!)

Check out OctoberFarm!

You need to click your tushie right over the Jaz's blog....

She is have the most kickin' giveaway!

For some reason I can't get the button to work on my side bar..

Yes, I am blog buttoned challenged, I fully admit this!
so here - click below...this one is not to be missed!

http://octoberfarm.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-giveaway-straight-from-salem.html

Meet the sisters...

Boobs - Breasts - Tits - Honkers - Melons

Knockers - Tatas

Head Lights - Fun bags

(LOL - last 2 were from my sweetie - Goddess bless him!)

Ryan refers to them as my over grown mammary glands...

I refer to them as the sisters...

Whatever you wanna call them -

These babies right here....

*laughs* and possibly the cut of the dress...

got me out of a kicking ticket today - maybe even several!

I apparently did not come to a "full" stop at a light

when rushing home to grab something for an event I was doing...

I had no license on me...

no valid insurance card

I do have insurance, but apparently all I had to give the officer

were cards from 2007 & 2008!

a neon green registration sticker that sticks out and says 14/09

...although my good sticker and registration were in my visor...

I have yet to get around to scrapping the old sticker off and put the new sticker on....

I got off with a warning!

LOL..and the cop said he called Geiko while in the car...

they will be sending me a new - up to date insurance card

I just wish he had one of those razor blade scraper thingies to put my new sticker on

- but that may have been pushing it!

*laughs* these are my "real' sisters - with the sisters!

Anyways...they rock!

The point of all this is....

It's Breast Health and Wellness month!

(Rose & I have renamed it from Breast Cancer Awareness - which sounds so negative..)

Have you had a good feel?

Check 'em out...for the good of all things sacred!

I believe mine are sacred- yours must be too!

Scars, lumps & all - they saved my a$$ today!

Save the Tatas!

**hugs**

October Goodies...

October Blessings everyone!

Here are some of our October kitchen concoctions...

Thanks Rosmari - we are fermenting fools now!

We have our sour dough bread starter in the back...

under the skellie towl is our sauerkraut...

our ginger beer bug...

(I am keeping my eyes on that...)

the kimchi we started tonight...

(I think something is trying to escape from it...)

the kimchi we started last week...

(With a side of scorpion & a friend checking it out)

and some fire cider on top of sun dried tomatoes!

Oh, and a travel bottle of delicious red blood!

Then Ryan made this cool smudging feather.

This feather we found on one of our many walks

is adorened by beautiful amber and jet glass beads

with silver wire accents...
...and guess what?

***DRUM ROLL PLEASE***

This is going to be my very first giveaway!

All you have to do is leave me a message telling me what

your most favortite October activity is!

All my followers will also have an

extra entry tossed into the cauldron!

Winner will be picked from the pot on October 31st!

Good Luck!

Welcome to my party!

Merry Meet to all my new friends from A Fanciful Twist!

Welcome to a Daily Dose of Diva.

A daily dose of my every day doings of a Diva - that's me,

The Queen - my very best bud & roomate,

and Grandpa - My fiancee who acts far older then he is...

oh, and we mustn't forget my very well traveled skeleton baby,

Sheldon.

(Sheldon's escapades are often a main focus here on a Daily Dose)

It has been a rainy, dreary day today -

I wanted to go out and take some pictures...

decorate a little more...

(other then my normal every day oddities)
But all I got done was a few mimosa's at my favorite restaurant...

You can see the kind of day it is here in CT below...

Sometimes we bake...
Sometimes we cook...
(Ok, the Queen does most of the cooking...)
But I made this yummy pumpkin bread
You can get the recipe from MrsB...
http://silvermoonwitch.blogspot.com/2001/10/october-is-definitely-month-where-i.html

It was a whole loaf -

but my boys devoured it before I got my proud moment picture!

I guess that means it was yummy!
and yesterday...

After my day in the park...

I took a walk out back and this is what I found

Pretty cool, right?

Here are a few pictures ...

I will be adding more as we get closer to our big Halloweenie Bash

here at la Casa Diva...

*laughs* yes - this is basically "before" decorations!
Just a few odds and ends added...

So please stop back and see us again!

You do NOT want to miss Sheldon's Halloween costume!

Until then...

Blessed Be!

oooo...I almost forgot...since I am really crappy when it comes to adding buttons and things...Here is the link to Venessa's fantastic party that you definitely do NOT want to miss!
http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/a_fanciful_twist/2009/10/a-hauntingly-magical-celebration-halloween-2009.html

October in the park...

*laughs* ok, blogging boo boo..

This is the dragon I speak of later in the post - I failed to load the picture...

and didn't notice until after I posted...too lazy to redo it and no idea how to place pictures in between others...

Now on with the story....

Today I volunteered my time...

(...which I have a habit of doing all too often...just ask Ryan)

To the American Heart Association Healthy Start Walk

In the beautiful Bushnell Park in Hartford Connecticut

ahhh...look at how beautiful the park is in October...

the colors were out of this world!

A calm, cool October morning...

and then came the masses...

Hundreds of them...

All with little ones with face painting and bouncy house needs!

Usually this would be my idea purgatory...
But it was a pretty decent Saturday...

even when all the older kids jumped into the dragon when the parents walked away

and it started to roll accross the field!

Sorry, I didn't have a chance to get pictures...I was busy tethering down

(or I am saying taming) a dragon!

...now who can say they did that on a Saturday morning?

You may now call me

Divaeva - Dragon Tamer!

This was my fantastic helper Danielle!

Thank you Danielle!

Had to have a picture of the fountain in the center of the park...

(The picture really doesn't do it justice - it is much more majestic in person!)

Told you...majestic, right?

More of the beutiful colors...
(and the bouncy thingy that didn't try to take off with children!)
This my friends is the capitol building in Hartford, CT
I would have to say it is my most favorite building in Hartford.
There are so many other beautiful structures that I couldn't get picture of...
they made me stay and play with the children *laughs*
Maybe...no definitely...another time!

This is how the day played out - when I was leaving the clouds stared to roll in...
it got dark and dreary...
(so I headed to the mall for some retail theraphy - nothing like some flourescent lighting to lift ones mood)

Just a few more cool pictures of the building I got to hang out with today!

Pretty cool, right?

When I grow up I want this to be my castle...

I mean I did tame the Bushnell Park Dragon for them after all!

I hope your Saturday was fun filled

& full of majestic splendor as well!

*hugs*