My husband, Dave and I live in Mesa, Arizona, a city just 20 minutes outside of Phoenix. Arizona touts, "It's hot but it's a dry heat," as if somehow, it makes the weather more tolerable. Actually, once you get used to the heat, it's kind of true.
I'll take 105 degree weather without the humidity anytime over 105 degree in 50% plus humidity! At that point, you walk outside and start dripping. It's lovely, like having your own personal sauna. The only catch is you have to wear all your clothes. Summer's not too bad, evenings it cools down to the balmy 90's, and the humidity climbs even more! Local merchants and restaurant owners will even add fine spraying misters to lure you outdoors to their patios. Mmmmm...nothing like a warm spray of water when you're already sweating like a wrestler, stuck in a half nelson, nearing unconsciousness because you can't breathe.
But, I have to say that most all of the homes in Arizona come equipped with central air conditioning and most all cars have cold a/c, as well. That being said, I'd take the dog days of Arizona any day over the record heat that is pummelling the central U.S. to the Eastern seaboard. Or the crazy tornadoes and hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast on up through the Mid-West. Dave loves the heat and says he'd rather be hot than cold. I'd rather be comfortable but, all things equal, I love Arizona weather.
The lightening and thunderstorms make the skies crackle and boom as if the gods were competing in a bowling tournament of epic proportions. The cloud formations take on the shapes of animals, people and mythical things. The sunsets rival that of any tropical paradise. And the winds blow and blow making the storms rather short and sweet.
So, here's to another balmy day, I think I will enjoy a book in the sauna!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Getmefit2!
Have you ever seen a beautiful thin woman in a restaraunt eating like a horse? Polishing off her food,a proud member of the clean plate club, and then ordering the warm, mouth watering tower of chocolate lava cake with a big glass of of icy cold, whole milk? Of course, you have. If not you've seen the little thin teen waifs in the blossom of their youth pigging out like there's no tomorrow.
I don't begrudge them. Really, I don't. I have never been that way. Ever. I am the first born child of a Hawaiian Dad and a Japanese Mom. They live to feed people. If you don't eat their food, you are insulting. Being young inexperienced parents they did what most first time parents do when their baby is fussy...stick a bottle in the mouth. I weighed like 30 pounds when I was 1. I looked like a baby sumo. I had baby fat until I was 31.
Needless to say, I've battled with weight issues all my life. I've tried just about every diet their is in the universe...low carb, no carb, South Beach, Pritikin, Atkinson, Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, Volumetrics, Paleo, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, Cookie Diet, Juicing...you name it...I've probably done it.
None of the above really matters because the bottom line is simply this, "Eat less, move more." So, I'm following my daughter's blog, Getmefit2, and at 53 am back at it again. Yup! And this time with a commitment to train for the Tour de Tucson Century Ride! I'm not going for the pencil thin look. I just want to look and feel healthy.
This will get interesting, so follow the scribblings of a starving scribe...just kidding. I'll be eating, just less.
I don't begrudge them. Really, I don't. I have never been that way. Ever. I am the first born child of a Hawaiian Dad and a Japanese Mom. They live to feed people. If you don't eat their food, you are insulting. Being young inexperienced parents they did what most first time parents do when their baby is fussy...stick a bottle in the mouth. I weighed like 30 pounds when I was 1. I looked like a baby sumo. I had baby fat until I was 31.
Needless to say, I've battled with weight issues all my life. I've tried just about every diet their is in the universe...low carb, no carb, South Beach, Pritikin, Atkinson, Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, Volumetrics, Paleo, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, Cookie Diet, Juicing...you name it...I've probably done it.
None of the above really matters because the bottom line is simply this, "Eat less, move more." So, I'm following my daughter's blog, Getmefit2, and at 53 am back at it again. Yup! And this time with a commitment to train for the Tour de Tucson Century Ride! I'm not going for the pencil thin look. I just want to look and feel healthy.
This will get interesting, so follow the scribblings of a starving scribe...just kidding. I'll be eating, just less.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Where did the time go?
So, it's been almost a year since I posted to this blog. But back from yet another ANWA Writers Retreat, I am inspired, recharged and ready to write.
To say that a lot has happened since my last post would certainly be an understatement. In the next few posts, I will take some time to review the past year's highlights.
August 2010, I was asked by Patti Hulet, outgoing secretary for ANWA, to run for secretry on the ANWA Board. After some arm twisting, I agreed. I talked myself into thinking that I would be just another name on the ballot but I was mortified to learn that I was running against a friend I had made at the retreat, Tiffany Williams. And would I please write a bio for why I would make a good secretary. Can I tell you? I have a weirdocity. I don't like losing. If I lose, it's because you don't like me. Fragile ego or what?! Whatever, here's what I submitted. You can laugh if you want. Just don't point AND laugh...that would be rude.
Deb Eaton is asking for your vote to Secretary in ANWA! Though she cringes at the thought of 'running for office,' (memories of being picked last for kickball), she feels she may have something to offer our wonderful team of women writers.
Aside from her being the mother of 7 children and the grandmother of 10, Deb has been the national V.P of Sale and Marketing for her family owned and operated company. She has also been the Secretary on the board of a national corporation. Deb currently serves as a technical writer for several companies and websites, but her passion is creative writing!
With your supporting vote, she hopes to contribute to the ANWA organization by encouraging more learning opportunities and contacts through live webinar classes by our own talented membership and other outside authors and professionals. From writing skills to social networking, or psychology to time management the ideas for classes and the ways for us to connect via Internet are limitless. Deb would like to see ANWA promote itself more so as to grow its membership, thereby deepening its talent and fostering an atmosphere of creativity and diversity. Finally, as Secretary, Deb promises more chocolate and longer recesses. ;0)
Despite the poor bio, I was barely elected as the secretary for ANWA. Tiffany is a bright, young, outgoing personality, who is a friend to all and she could as easily taken secretary and done a fabulous job. But, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.
I have made wonderful friends with so many women in ANWA not to mention our fantastic presidency; Faith St. Clair, Valerie Ipson, Krista Darrach, Marsha Ward, Cindy Williams and Patti Hulet. I have been inspired by their books, their teachings and their examples of service, love, and dedication to good works. I have the 2011 Writers Conference under my belt, where I met fabulous authors, agents, publishers, and editors.
This experience stretched me as a person while I juggled being mom and nana to a large family, served in my ward Relief Society Presidency, and continued to work in our family business. However, my life has been enriched and I am a better writer for it. Here's to another year in ANWA and much gratitude to those who have made this experience possible!
To say that a lot has happened since my last post would certainly be an understatement. In the next few posts, I will take some time to review the past year's highlights.
August 2010, I was asked by Patti Hulet, outgoing secretary for ANWA, to run for secretry on the ANWA Board. After some arm twisting, I agreed. I talked myself into thinking that I would be just another name on the ballot but I was mortified to learn that I was running against a friend I had made at the retreat, Tiffany Williams. And would I please write a bio for why I would make a good secretary. Can I tell you? I have a weirdocity. I don't like losing. If I lose, it's because you don't like me. Fragile ego or what?! Whatever, here's what I submitted. You can laugh if you want. Just don't point AND laugh...that would be rude.
Deb Eaton is asking for your vote to Secretary in ANWA! Though she cringes at the thought of 'running for office,' (memories of being picked last for kickball), she feels she may have something to offer our wonderful team of women writers.
Aside from her being the mother of 7 children and the grandmother of 10, Deb has been the national V.P of Sale and Marketing for her family owned and operated company. She has also been the Secretary on the board of a national corporation. Deb currently serves as a technical writer for several companies and websites, but her passion is creative writing!
With your supporting vote, she hopes to contribute to the ANWA organization by encouraging more learning opportunities and contacts through live webinar classes by our own talented membership and other outside authors and professionals. From writing skills to social networking, or psychology to time management the ideas for classes and the ways for us to connect via Internet are limitless. Deb would like to see ANWA promote itself more so as to grow its membership, thereby deepening its talent and fostering an atmosphere of creativity and diversity. Finally, as Secretary, Deb promises more chocolate and longer recesses. ;0)
Despite the poor bio, I was barely elected as the secretary for ANWA. Tiffany is a bright, young, outgoing personality, who is a friend to all and she could as easily taken secretary and done a fabulous job. But, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.
I have made wonderful friends with so many women in ANWA not to mention our fantastic presidency; Faith St. Clair, Valerie Ipson, Krista Darrach, Marsha Ward, Cindy Williams and Patti Hulet. I have been inspired by their books, their teachings and their examples of service, love, and dedication to good works. I have the 2011 Writers Conference under my belt, where I met fabulous authors, agents, publishers, and editors.
This experience stretched me as a person while I juggled being mom and nana to a large family, served in my ward Relief Society Presidency, and continued to work in our family business. However, my life has been enriched and I am a better writer for it. Here's to another year in ANWA and much gratitude to those who have made this experience possible!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Commitments & Goals: Fruits of the ANWA Retreat
Commitment (ke mit'ment), n. - 1. the act of committing. 2. the state of being committed. 3. the ACT OF committing, PLEDGING, or ENGAGING ONESELF. "Webster's College Dictionary"
Goal (gol), n. - a promise I make to myself. "Deb's Encyclopoedia of Life"
As a budding writer, those are the definitions that jumped off the pages to me as I pondered commitment and goals: to pledge myself to the act of writing...To make a promise to myself to nurture and grow the writer within me by writing daily.
Those thoughts were the fruit of the ANWA retreat! The retreat was nestled in a grassy mesa up in Clay Springs. Inspired by the presenters, the sisters in attendance and the Spirit of the Lord, the seed was planted to write!
I learned so much from each of the sisters there! I was, at first, overwhelmed by the talent that was gathered under one roof....from presenter to participant. But very soon, the Spirit of Friendship, Encouragement, and Improvement took over!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Happy Halloween!
I remember at the age of 10, finally, being deemed old enough to trick or treat with my friends and brother, all by ourselves! I remember the beautiful California sunsets setting the skies ablaze with deep hues of gold, orange, red and purple, waiting for the word that it was dark enough for us to go! The air was crisp and pungent with the smell of bonfires, and I would wheeze with excitement, as we scurried a block east to that first house at the end of the block. Not the bulkiness of my jacket and jeans with the store bought, brightly colored vinyl , sweaty, Yogi Bear costume, nor the plastic mask, with eye holes that didn't quite match, a deterrent to that one magical evening when with loose abandon we could run freely through the neighborhood, laughing, screaming trick or treat, singing Halloween songs and collecting candy all the while.
I remember the old lady at the top of the hill, she gave out whole Hershey bars! There were Sky Bars, Bit O'Honey, Good and Plenty, Pixie Stix, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Kisses, Jawbreakers, Salt Water Taffy in every flavor imaginable, Cherry Bombs & Lemondheads! Our pillowcases were stuffed with sugary, stomach-turning, tooth decaying, delectable delights!
Of, course there were the Moriarty's across the street, they gave out apples. Not very popular with the kids, until the next day when Patty's mom would gather all the caramels out of everyone's bags and melt them for dipping our apples!
Those were fun and innocent times. Tomorrow the grandkids will stop in with their parents. We will have some potato soup, decorate Halloween sugar cookies, dip apples, have treats, snap pictures and then they will go off to another set of Grandparents for treats and pictures. It is sad that they will never know the same independence and fun that we enjoyed, but at least there will be the dressing up and treats, and laughter with different memories of Halloween spent with loved ones.
Here's to a Happy and Safe Halloween...to the old, wonderful and warm memories of Halloween's past...and to new traditions in a different world from days gone by!
I remember the old lady at the top of the hill, she gave out whole Hershey bars! There were Sky Bars, Bit O'Honey, Good and Plenty, Pixie Stix, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Kisses, Jawbreakers, Salt Water Taffy in every flavor imaginable, Cherry Bombs & Lemondheads! Our pillowcases were stuffed with sugary, stomach-turning, tooth decaying, delectable delights!
Of, course there were the Moriarty's across the street, they gave out apples. Not very popular with the kids, until the next day when Patty's mom would gather all the caramels out of everyone's bags and melt them for dipping our apples!
Those were fun and innocent times. Tomorrow the grandkids will stop in with their parents. We will have some potato soup, decorate Halloween sugar cookies, dip apples, have treats, snap pictures and then they will go off to another set of Grandparents for treats and pictures. It is sad that they will never know the same independence and fun that we enjoyed, but at least there will be the dressing up and treats, and laughter with different memories of Halloween spent with loved ones.
Here's to a Happy and Safe Halloween...to the old, wonderful and warm memories of Halloween's past...and to new traditions in a different world from days gone by!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Here's to you, Stephen King!
I was told that Stephen King, the author, exercises his writing skills every day. He sits down at his keyboard and just starts typing whatever comes to his mind. He writes a minimum of 1500 words. and although most of the stuff ends up in the cirucular file, Mr. King finds that eventually stuff of real worth begins to surface.
So in honor of Stephen King, my scribblings will be about scaring people. I must admit that most of Stephen King's writings are way too scary for me, which is rather odd when you consider the fact that I grew up with a dad that loved to jump out from around corners and scare the crap out of me. He and my father-in-law continued this awful legacy with my kids. And then my Stephanie loved it so much that she would regularly terrorize our family.
Stephanie was pretty fearless, too! Unlike other girls her age, she LOVED spiders, bugs, slime, the dark, and monster faces. She had the patience of Job when it came to plotting out and waiting for her next victim. One time she must have laid in wait for at least 2 hours in the bathtub, an hour + under a bed, the broom closet, in the dryer, in the hamper under dirty clothes, and the list goes on. Oh, I chuckle now, but then?! Not so much!
Eventually the rest of our family united in trying to figure out ways to get Stephanie. We failed miserably! She had this uncanny sense of awareness. Stephanie just knew when we were plotting something and inevitably our plot would backfire only to have her scare us!
But we did have a few successes. One day I decided that our game closet needed to be cleaned out and reorganized. I enlisted the help of all my kids and everyone was pretty good to help out, everyone except Steph. Now, that same year we had a mice problem, it was pretty bad. The mice would actually come out and wave to us. It took us well over a month to get rid of them, hence the cleaning of the game closet.
Anyways, the crammed game closet was about 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 8 ft tall. It was located at the head of the central hallway which was only about 3 wide and about 12 feet long. Once we began, the hallway quickly became littered with bags filled with broken games and missing pieces, stacks of puzzles, games and toys. After several hours, we were nearing completion of this daunting task, when one of the girls complained that Stephanie had been no help at all. The youngest sibling suggested that we should get Stephanie by scaring her. We plotted and schemed, then preying on the fact that Stephanie was fearless to most anything, we called her to the closet, We told her that we had found a nest of baby mice and that we wanted her get rid of it. Gallantly, Steph rushed to the rescue, wiggling and jamming herself in the darkest part of the closet to retrieve the 'mice.' And then, I let out my loudest, most shrillest blood curdling scream, "Aaaaahhhhhhhh, it's a RAT!!!!"
In less than a nano second, Stephanie was out of the closet and in one leap that would have set a world's long jump record, she was down the hall screaming at the top of her lungs! The girls and I were laughing so hard that our sides hurt and tears streamed down our faces! High fives were exchanged as Stephanie returned with a sheepish smile on her face.
Stephanie's love for scaring people was not limited to our family. I'm talking anyone, and I mean anyone, that set foot in our home for any length of time was fair game for Steph, including my husband's foreman.
One time Lorenzo returned from Mexico with a stuffed Iguana. I don't mean like a cute plush stuffed animal, I'm talking the real thing...a full sized Iguana that had been to a taxidermist and was about 3 1/2 feet long from head to tail. He had bought it for her as a 'gift.' Now, Stephanie had a pet iguana, named Freddie, as in Freddie Kruger from the horror fillms. It was quite the contrast to see this cute little dark haired, freckled face, 10 year old girl carrying her beloved cool, green, scaly monster, which was a long as her 4 foot height. She loved Freddie and delighted in most people's knee jerk reaction of shock and fear.
As Stephanie arrived home from school, Lorenzo was waiting for her with this gosh awful stuffed iguana and told her he was sorry but that he had it with Freddie. Stephanie's eyes became as big as saucers and she took off screaming and running for the house in tears. The reaction really did ruin the joke, but when Stephanie came out with Fred things evened up pretty quickly!
I'm sure I'm not to my 1500 words but this has been fun, scribbling memories and practicing my craft. If you have a funny story about scaring someone, tell me about it. I guess I do enjoy watching someone get scared....BOO! Especially if it's not ME!
So in honor of Stephen King, my scribblings will be about scaring people. I must admit that most of Stephen King's writings are way too scary for me, which is rather odd when you consider the fact that I grew up with a dad that loved to jump out from around corners and scare the crap out of me. He and my father-in-law continued this awful legacy with my kids. And then my Stephanie loved it so much that she would regularly terrorize our family.
Stephanie was pretty fearless, too! Unlike other girls her age, she LOVED spiders, bugs, slime, the dark, and monster faces. She had the patience of Job when it came to plotting out and waiting for her next victim. One time she must have laid in wait for at least 2 hours in the bathtub, an hour + under a bed, the broom closet, in the dryer, in the hamper under dirty clothes, and the list goes on. Oh, I chuckle now, but then?! Not so much!
Eventually the rest of our family united in trying to figure out ways to get Stephanie. We failed miserably! She had this uncanny sense of awareness. Stephanie just knew when we were plotting something and inevitably our plot would backfire only to have her scare us!
But we did have a few successes. One day I decided that our game closet needed to be cleaned out and reorganized. I enlisted the help of all my kids and everyone was pretty good to help out, everyone except Steph. Now, that same year we had a mice problem, it was pretty bad. The mice would actually come out and wave to us. It took us well over a month to get rid of them, hence the cleaning of the game closet.
Anyways, the crammed game closet was about 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 8 ft tall. It was located at the head of the central hallway which was only about 3 wide and about 12 feet long. Once we began, the hallway quickly became littered with bags filled with broken games and missing pieces, stacks of puzzles, games and toys. After several hours, we were nearing completion of this daunting task, when one of the girls complained that Stephanie had been no help at all. The youngest sibling suggested that we should get Stephanie by scaring her. We plotted and schemed, then preying on the fact that Stephanie was fearless to most anything, we called her to the closet, We told her that we had found a nest of baby mice and that we wanted her get rid of it. Gallantly, Steph rushed to the rescue, wiggling and jamming herself in the darkest part of the closet to retrieve the 'mice.' And then, I let out my loudest, most shrillest blood curdling scream, "Aaaaahhhhhhhh, it's a RAT!!!!"
In less than a nano second, Stephanie was out of the closet and in one leap that would have set a world's long jump record, she was down the hall screaming at the top of her lungs! The girls and I were laughing so hard that our sides hurt and tears streamed down our faces! High fives were exchanged as Stephanie returned with a sheepish smile on her face.
Stephanie's love for scaring people was not limited to our family. I'm talking anyone, and I mean anyone, that set foot in our home for any length of time was fair game for Steph, including my husband's foreman.
One time Lorenzo returned from Mexico with a stuffed Iguana. I don't mean like a cute plush stuffed animal, I'm talking the real thing...a full sized Iguana that had been to a taxidermist and was about 3 1/2 feet long from head to tail. He had bought it for her as a 'gift.' Now, Stephanie had a pet iguana, named Freddie, as in Freddie Kruger from the horror fillms. It was quite the contrast to see this cute little dark haired, freckled face, 10 year old girl carrying her beloved cool, green, scaly monster, which was a long as her 4 foot height. She loved Freddie and delighted in most people's knee jerk reaction of shock and fear.
As Stephanie arrived home from school, Lorenzo was waiting for her with this gosh awful stuffed iguana and told her he was sorry but that he had it with Freddie. Stephanie's eyes became as big as saucers and she took off screaming and running for the house in tears. The reaction really did ruin the joke, but when Stephanie came out with Fred things evened up pretty quickly!
I'm sure I'm not to my 1500 words but this has been fun, scribbling memories and practicing my craft. If you have a funny story about scaring someone, tell me about it. I guess I do enjoy watching someone get scared....BOO! Especially if it's not ME!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Passwords, distractions, time & Joy...huh?!?!
So! I have been unable to blog because I couldn't remember my password, which is tied to my new email address, which I happened to forget as well. And the only reason that I forgot the new password is because someone hacked the password to my old email address . This necessitated the need for a new email address! And, YES! I Know, I KNOW!!!! I would have been happily blogging at my appointed time had I written the passwords. Sooooooo irritating because I had my little black book, in which I record all passwords, codes and other secret stuff, sitting right in front of me on my desk, WITH the new email and blogspot address SANS password . Mmmmm hmmm...you read it right, everthing but the passwords.
I didn't write the passwords because I was distracted. I was distracted by ringing phones, visiting grandkids, a home office in which I help run 2 businesses, my mom in law and dad in law, dirty dishes in the sink, an enormous dog that gets underfoot because he can't stand all the hectic activity, and a loving husband that relies on me to locate various sundry things that if were a snake would bite him! It's really pretty crazy...it's actually a typical day in my life.
It only makes me want to scream when I forget details that are vital to my sanity and time constraints. Time constraints...what a concept! I actually stopped wearing a watch years ago when I realized that time wasn't my own anyways! There were always interruptions and little emergencies. Then my daughter Stephanie passed away and I realized that not only was time not my own, but that every day was a gift, a very precious gift.
And though my life gets hectic and at times seems to run me to smithereens, there is joy amongst the chaos, deep love and appreciation for those I love, and laughter in the lunacy. And ultimately, isn't that what it's all about, finding joy in the journey.
I didn't write the passwords because I was distracted. I was distracted by ringing phones, visiting grandkids, a home office in which I help run 2 businesses, my mom in law and dad in law, dirty dishes in the sink, an enormous dog that gets underfoot because he can't stand all the hectic activity, and a loving husband that relies on me to locate various sundry things that if were a snake would bite him! It's really pretty crazy...it's actually a typical day in my life.
It only makes me want to scream when I forget details that are vital to my sanity and time constraints. Time constraints...what a concept! I actually stopped wearing a watch years ago when I realized that time wasn't my own anyways! There were always interruptions and little emergencies. Then my daughter Stephanie passed away and I realized that not only was time not my own, but that every day was a gift, a very precious gift.
And though my life gets hectic and at times seems to run me to smithereens, there is joy amongst the chaos, deep love and appreciation for those I love, and laughter in the lunacy. And ultimately, isn't that what it's all about, finding joy in the journey.
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