Life Is Precious

Today I attended the Life Celebration of my neighbor Trish. We have lived here for about 10.5 years and she was the first one in to welcome us. Without people like Trish my home would just be a place where we live. Having neighbors like her makes it a home and a community. I truly regret not having spent more time with her. She was so full of energy and was kind and helpful to anyone. She was a beacon for the whole neighborhood. I will miss her so much. Is it just me or does it seem like some really truly good people go early in life, while others seem to have longevity. Her celebration was wonderful. They had a slide show pictures as well as plenty of hard copy albums and collages. Many joyful and funny stories were shared about her too. The time that I did get to spend with Trish was memorable. We had talks sitting on her front porch or in the back yard or many times when she was walking their dogs past our house. It is so weird to think that I won't see her anymore. It does make me want to try to be a better neighbor and friend to the people in my life. She set a great example and I know to do so would honor her memory.

Has It Really Been A Month?

I just realized a couple of days ago that is has been way too long since I posted anything. We have had some painful family growing pains during the last month. There aren't really any details to share, as sharing them would cause more pain and just be plain old gossip. So for those of you who pray just pray for us.

It hasn't been all bad but it only takes one big spill to upset the balance of things. It seems as though last night I finally got back on track. I cleaned like crazy and got so much stuff done and caught up. We had a great dinner (Taco's). We have plenty of tomatoes turning red in our garden, because we planted late in the season this year. So I was able to put fresh tomatoes into the sate pan with the onions, garlic, and spices; and then fresh diced tomatoes to go onto the taco's too. Then I cleaned and organized some more.

Also the whole week at work has been really productive. Then tonight we had taco's and more fresh diced tomatoes mm mm. Also since the tacos were basically already cooked I was able to make brownies and we had them warm with vanilla ice cream. Now here is some new information on us. I am allergic to cows milk, both the sugar (lactose) and the protein (casein). I am also very sensitive to wheat. My husband is even more sensitive to wheat than me. So when I say brownies and ice cream... it means two kinds of brownies and two kinds of ice cream. My sister and kids get the regular kind of both. My husband gets wheat free brownies and regular ice cream. Fortunately for me the wheat free brownies (Trader Joe's Brand "Gluten Free Brownie Mix") are also dairy free and my ice cream is actually made from vanilla soy milk. So it is a little bit of extra work but it is worth it. When we were first adjusting the to food changes it totally stunk, but with a little experimenting I found really close delicious substitutes. It is worth it, we have seen quick and real health benefits from our choices.

So things are settling back to normal again and life feels better. My sister and nephews started school last week and everyone seems to be doing pretty well. The brownies were a celebration that everyone has gotten at least one A so far.

I also realized that tomorrow is 9/11, not a good anniversary, but a reality of life today. I was working in a brokerage firm when it happened. As a result the whole stock market industry had lay-offs and I was one of them. However I did not lose my life or any loved ones. Tomorrow is a day of remembrance and sorrow. It is also a day to remember who we Americans really are and to know that everyday is a chance to uphold the principles that this country was founded on. Long live freedom and individual rights!!