Despite the fact that we saw very little of the sun today, it was a beautiful day. Although my favorite type of rain is the kind that makes a statement (you know the kind… it will make the roof of your house sound like a rhythmic poetry club), the little pattering of rain drops this afternoon was the perfect backdrop for a lazy day. There wasn’t any wind, so Duchess could still sit on her window ledge without getting wet. Three loads of laundry warmed our apartment so it was cozy. We finally bought a legitimate, not purely decorative lamp, so there is soft white light keeping the dark paint of our living room from looking like a brothel 
We still walk in our door everyday and love to see our home.
Tomorrow I start work just an hour earlier than usual. I never mind going to work early because I know that the day will end sooner. I almost always love people, but I’m not sure all customers in a retail store qualify as “human”… just mini dictators in their own right, haha. The more time I am working with the store doors locked, the less time I offer myself to potentially condescending shoppers. More often than not people are nice.. but when they are not, it makes me want to pull them into any sort of conversation where I can rub their nose in their ignorance 
Categories: Just Us
For a very long time I have had an imaginary farm. Whenever I meet people that stand out to me as great people, I put them on my imaginary farm with all the other great people I have met in life. Now, I share my farm with Tomis. Whenever we meet people we will look at each other and say, “I think we should put them on the farm.” haha… our farm is brimming with inspirational people.
Anyway, tonight we got invited to a BBQ by the Captain of Tomis’s soccer team. We had a GREAT time. His wife is full Korean and made an AMAZING meal for us to munch on in their Portland backyard surrounded by blossoming blue hydrengeas. The conversation took on every range imaginable, and was purely enjoyable. Jonathan and his wife (whose name I would use if I didn’t want to butcher the spelling of it) did a spectacular job, and their children were sweet and truly entertaining. The whole lot of them are now on our farm Welcome!
By they way… if you are reading this post, you are very well on our farm as well
Now, Tomis and I are enjoying what we think is the most inspired living room ever created. We used manila rope to create a border around our ceiling, filled a vase with tall bamboo, hung Morrocan lamps with fishermans rope, painted the wall behind our couch a deep green (that we thought was brown when we bought it), painted the rest of the walls a soft latte color, put up shelves, added pillows and a new cover to our couch, and added all sorts of trinkets to match our personality and style. We LOVE it. Every time we come home we have to comment on what a good job we did. The pictures don’t do it justice since we can’t get far enough away to get in the full effect.
Our hanging lamps. They are really pretty when they are lit up.
Our little hammock full of wicker balls.
The shelves above our fireplace. You can see the rope we bordered our living room with as well. The camera flash alters the color of the paint… it is a bit darker than what the picture shows.
The bamboo beside our re-upholstered couch (I used a bed sheet and office supplies to get it on) There is a wedding picture sitting beside the couch as well. Tomorrow we will print out more copies to mail to Croatia this week
Little bit of art for the entrance way
Our living room
Categories: Posts with Pics
Yesterday my mom and her brothers and sisters went to a special church in the Philippines to pray that my grandma soon finds her peace. Her body is fighting death, but her soul needs release. She has been in a coma for a bit now. There is nothing medically that can be done for her. Tonight, I will add my prayers to my family’s in hopes that God will do what is best for my grandma. If anyone else sends out nightly prayers… I would love it if a thought for my grandmother and her children be included (particularly for my mom, who is having a rough time with it all).
My dad had another visit to the hosiptal today. He underwent a small procedure to help loosen his kidney stones enough to pass them himself. He is in good spirits though… just not when he has to use the restroom. Any man that has had kidney stones can probably relate. My grandma (dad’s mom) dropped by today to make sure dad was doing okay. She brought cookies and a nice meal. Dad was able to enjoy the meal so he isn’t in a state that we should worry ourselves about too much (that means you mom). He even made jokes when I called him on my break, and he was chatty, so he wasn’t in horrible amounts of pain.
To my family… this time will pass, and we will have restful nights soon enough. Stay strong. We are lucky to have each other, and soon the days will be full of laughter again.
All my love to my family…
Categories: David & Lucille · Grandma Betty & Grandpa Byron
I can’t believe what a little bit of paint will do to make a house feel luxurious. One or two more tiny projects and our living room and dining room will look like it cost thousands of dollars. I am debating whether I should post pictures until the effect is complete…
I can do some description in the mean time though We went to our local Ross and picked up a few tasteful pieces and added fresh coat of paint to create a focal wall in our living room. Tomis and I are so excited about it we have been viewing it from all angles… we looked at our living room from the kitchen, then from outside our front door, then from the patio through the window, then from outside the fence through the window… haha, we are crazy, but we loved it from all angles. If Home Depot didn’t close at 8pm I would be shelling out $10 for the finishing touch for our ceiling!! Tomorrow evening the living room will be missing a lamp, and that is it (it is quite dark in here)
Hope everyone enjoys their living room as much as we enjoy ours!!! PUSA!!
Categories: Just Us
Some people paint as a profession… I paint for fun Tomis and I have a half-painted apartment that needs just a little bit more in the way of warm tones in it to be as cozy as it can be. However, we are keeping my color whims strictly confined to the living and dining room areas. Our bedroom has one simple purpose… to house our bed, haha. That is literally all that is in there if you don’t count a thin layer of ever present animal fur on the carpet. If there is a vacuum cleaner out there that can keep up with our animals shedding capacity there is no amount of money we won’t pay for it. I will put my spleen on layaway to purchase it, haha. Anyway, it would be pointless to get artsy with a room with a mattress on the floor… especially when 99% of the time we are in that room our eyes are closed
Categories: Just Us
Duchess found a new place for cat naps… my bra box. As adorable as she may be, I wonder how cute I will think she is when I am all sorts of itchy tomorrow, haha.
After cooing over Duchess, Guinness decided he needed love too. Our little family is sweet
Categories: Posts with Pics
My grandma can really be a tough cookie. She is a mid-western farmer’s daughter, and could probably survive a tornado with an umbrella and a raincoat. I have never seen her face a tough situation with anything but strength. She combats tough situations with compassion, yummy baked goods, and a positive outlook… never tears. It is possible that I am the granddaughter of the best grandma who ever lived. Today she drove down from Washington with meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, brownies, corn on the cob, fresh strawberries, and sponge cake for strawberry short-cake. After my dad’s stint in the emergency room she made sure her son and grandson had a home-cooked meal in their stomachs in a house that smelled of home. She TRIED to get my dad to allow her to take care of him for a week, but of course he declined. Poor dad, we are all smothering him. It is because we love you Doodle
So after Tomis and I got home from a late lunch with my family, I wanted to keep the feeling going. Tomis and I had a gourmet meal… asian chicken salad, chicken rotini alfredo, and a nice Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling. Outside the leaves are rustling from a strong cool breeze and our apartment is rich with the smell of a freshly cooked meal. The walls of our apartment are warmed by our choice of paint and art, and the animals are sprawled about as if they found a piece of heaven. Life isn’t good… its great!
Categories: Food or Recipes · Grandma Betty & Grandpa Byron
This week has been a roller coaster. My dad had to go to the ER Wednesday morning. Don’t worry, he is okay. He had kidney stones, but it is never nice to see someone you love lying in a hospital bed. Now we are all smothereing him with phone calls making sure that he is doing okay. Mom left for the Philippines Thursday. My grandmother will be taken off of life support, so her children in the U.S. hopped on a plane to ensure that her last moments of life are filled with the lives she created. All 9 of her children will be together to be present when she finds her peace.
Mom… if you read this, we love you and are thinking about you back home. Be strong. Grandma will love you beyond life, and would only want you to be happy. Even though we will miss her, we will celebrate her life.
On what seems like a really insignificant note given what was just talked about, Tomis and my bank is still holding our money hostage. The inconvenience was truly unwelcomed given our heavy week. That accounts for the missing blog posts this week.
To end on a happy note… our animals decided to brighten our day by being adorable today. The cuddled on our couch this morning, despite the 94 degree heat.
Categories: David & Lucille · Posts with Pics
Ajvar… just one more reason why I can’t wait to go to Croatia. Tomis found a little jar of it at our supermarket and we are currently slopping it on slices of garlic chicken pizza. Wow… yum. I have been told that Zlatko’s homemade recipe is in hot demand. I am sure what comes out of his kitchen is better than what we are eating out of a jar, and let me tell you, what we are eating out of a jar is pretty good.
Anyway… onto way Tomis assaulted me with a camera today Tomis: and now you all going to see why..;-)
As the fashion seasons change, my work encourages us to buy the latest trends by offering a 50% discount on some select items. Being that I work 40-45 hours a week, and I am a manager, it is expected (although unspoken) that I sport the latest style as well. Apparently the latest trend of the season is lumberjack meets stripper pole
(It really is that short… I didn’t pose to get it to look that way. I am really embarrassed posting this. I never thought anyone would see that bruise on my leg but my husband. BUT Tomis said it would make everyone laugh. Guess I’ll take one for the team, haha. By the way, I never sit at work, and that dress is longer when I stand, so it isn’t quite as bad as it looks)
Now this skirt I had to buy a size bigger than I wear. When it fit properly it looked TOO good, haha. Let’s just say “my size” looked like denim skin.
Thank god I don’t have little girls… if they wanted to shop where “mommy” works, I would have a heart attack on the spot. Pray that I can pull off these clothes long enough to get promoted, haha.
Categories: Posts with Pics · Stefica & Zlatko
Before, our dining area was pleasant…
Now though….
We LOVE it. It is night-time now, and our dining area looks regal It took us only a few hours to paint. Now we are paint crazy. The wall behind our couch will probably be the next victim in our interior design escapades. Sunday we will have pictures…
Work tomorrow. Night!!
Categories: Posts with Pics
