To be happy, one must find one's bliss!-Gloria Vanderbilt

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During the month of December I have joined the Reverb 2011 Project.  Some of my posts will require much courage as I will be answering as truthfully as I can, brutally honest, reaching deep within my soul.  Something that I have been refusing to do for years.

17. Bliss

ImagineGolf

What are three things that make you feel the most blissed out? What can you do in 2012 to invite more of that into your life?

“Now a soft kiss - Aye, by that kiss, I vow an endless bliss.” 

― John Keats 

Relaxing on the ocean gives me great feelings of Bliss! The warm breeze, watching the seagulls and birds flying in the beautiful blue sky, hearing the waves hit the shore and the hot white sand between my toes are a few of the things that create peace within me. 

Where we currently reside there are no warm white sandy beaches!  The Pacific Northwest is beautiful but their beaches are lacking in that department! Therefore in 2012 there would need to be either more traveling to the Caribbean or maybe a move to a beautiful tropical island! Being loved and spending time with my family also creates feelings of Bliss and Joy in my soul. 

18. Ordinary Sparkling Moments

Image via Wikipedia

Reflect on the ordinary moments that bring you joy (e.g., the tea pot whistling, the sun setting). What moments would you like to relish in the coming year?

The first thing we do in the morning is have a couple of cups of coffee. Despite my Latin background, I never drank coffee before I married my husband.  The day just feels odd if we haven't done our java ritual!


When it is sunny and warm here in Seattle, we love to sit outside and drink our coffee. Sitting between the hummingbirds and butterflies fluttering around the flowers adds that perfect ambiance to our morning!


To be able to relish more of these moments it is looking as if maybe we should make that big move. As I write this, I am beginning to see a common thread! Will we actually make the move we are always talking about? Only time will tell...

19. Joy

Photo Credit Adriana Negron

What does a joyful life look like for you?

Overall a joyful life is one filled with gratitude.  I always love to say, "The best gift in life is when you recognize all the blessings that surround you!" 

When you are able to be grateful and recognize all these blessings as soon as you open your eyes in the morning, your day can only get better from that moment on!

For me to be surrounded by a husband that truly loves me, the blessings of my children and grandchildren help create a joyful life! Again with my theme, living near the ocean on the Caribbean, is the dream location I would love to be spending my joyful life!

20. Community

Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2011? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2012? (Author: Cali Harris)

These are a few online communities which I love.  My goal is to be more active in some in the upcoming year.

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REVERB 2011~Days 1-11

As usual I am a little late to the party! I had not heard of Reverb 2011 until today on my friend Anna's blog, Be healthy, well & inspired.  The Daily Prompts are for the month of December. Since I am starting a little late I will enter all my posts through today December 11th. Please visit Carolyn Rubenstein's Blog  for additional information on this activity. 

DAILY PROMPTS

1. One Word 

El Morro Puerto Rico             Image via Wikipedia

Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

Gratitude would be the word I will choose. On December 1st my son called and spoke to my husband.  He is in the Navy EOD and we hadn't seen each other in 6 years.  He wanted me to go with him to a family reunion in Puerto Rico on December 2nd! I had been praying about going on this trip for months. I wanted to go so badly. It was also my Aunt's 82nd birthday and her and my Uncle's 60th wedding Anniversary party. At the time I didn't know that my husband and my son were discussing this trip. I had been so sad that I wasn't going to be able to go. However, I kept praying for something to happen. The party was on December 4th and I still didn't even have an airline ticket! I finally got the go ahead and purchased the ticket at 8:30 that night, leaving the following day! I thank God in Heaven for making this happen. There are too many circumstances to discuss, but this trip was truly a miracle!

Nicole, Debi, Uncle Abe, Titi Chelo, Me and Chris

The word I would choose for 2012 would be Freedom. For the past 3 years I have been not working due to an illness. So I am hopeful as God answered my prayers this past week, if it is His will, He will grant me the freedom from this illness so that I can return to work. 

2. Writing

What piece of writing are you most proud of from 2011? How does this piece differ from your other pieces? 

I feel that my greatest work has yet to be written!

3. Year in Review

As you reflect back on the happenings of 2011, what were your high points and what were your low points? What do you notice as you look back on the year as a whole?

My high points were when I felt loved and cherished by my husband. I am grateful for those days even if few and far between. Another high point was finding the Neurologist at the University of Washington who knew what my condition was and how to manage it. Living close to my son and daughter-in-law and our sweet granddaughters. They keep a smile on my face and laughter in our home. The joy when I received the call from my son and the return  to happiness that I could hear in his voice when he spoke. 

The low points were when I was too sick to get out of bed and wishing I was back to normal. The moments when I was grieving the loss of the person I used to be and the things I used to be able to do.  But those feelings are short lived.  I always try to focus on the 90% good instead of focusing on the mere 10% of not so great that happens during one's day!

4. Beauty

How have your standards of beauty shifted in the past year? 

As I get older I am more accepting of the changes that I am noticing about my body. I am embracing the little smile lines that I am seeing. That means that I have smiled more in my lifetime than frown! I notice the beauty around me more, the new blooms in my garden, the birds and butterflies that roam our yard, the happiness of our pets when they see us, the innocence of our granddaughters and their sweet giggles is beauty to me. 

5. Reading

What has been your favorite book (or books if you can’t pick just one) that you’ve read this year?


I normally love reading mysteries and romance titles.  I have read a few books this year but I had the pleasure of reviewing a children's book recently. The author's message is so important.  
"My Feelings are Hungry" by Ava Parnass is a book I would recommend to anyone with children. I wish I had had this book when I was raising my children. You can read more about this book on my blog.  
  
6. Ease
What can you do to add ease to 2012?

The best thing I can do is to have faith.  Faith that the upcoming year is going to be a great one, that my year will not be defined around my illness and what I can't do but of the blessings God will grant of me and for me. 

7. Giving

“The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.” (David Viscott) What is your gift to give? 


One of my gifts is to share with others.  Now that our granddaughters are getting a little older I want to share with them some of the things I learned from my grandmother and mother. 

8. Limits
We often learn about our limits the hard way. Were there any limits you realized this past year? Alternately, what self-imposed limits were you able to move beyond this year?  


There were physical limits. However, I learned to get around them! The self imposed limits that I overcame was realizing that despite the limits given to us, miracles do happen! 

9. Superpower

If you were a superhero, what would your power be?


I would love to be Tinker Bell, there is something about Fairy Dust that I love so much more than dust bunnies!

10. Soul Food

How do you nourish your soul? What activities are essential nutrients for your soul’s well-being?

Spending time with my family and quietly thanking God each morning. The best gift in life is when you recognize all the blessings that surround you! 

11. Anticipation

What is the one thing that you are most looking forward to in 2012?


I am looking forward to spending more time with my children, family, friends and be able to travel more. To be the person God wants me to be. 

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Martha Stewart said You Can't, but I Found a Way!

Washed and ready to be pared, cored and cut!

As a native of Florida and the Caribbean I didn't know much about growing apples! However, when we moved to Seattle it bothered me that most of the apples from our trees were being wasted or given to our horse and Labradors as a snack.  I would pick the apples I needed for my pie, but what about all the rest?

A few years ago I was watching Martha Stewart and one of the audience members asked her if  you could freeze the apples for pies and desserts.  Martha said no, however, I knew better.  After years of seeing them go to waste, I decided to see what would happen if I froze them already seasoned ready for each pie.  Here is what I do using my mom's Perfect Apple Pie recipe!

Recipe Card Maker

Get your freezer bags dated and ready to either mix directly in each bag or in a bowl. Mix the sugar, flour, spices and salt.

Mix those seasonings either in each bag or bowl!

Mix enough for each pie separately.

Pare, core, and cut 6-8 tart apples for each freezer bag. There are several types of coring tools on the market, like the one you see pictured here.

Apples seasoned and ready for the freezer!

The apples do not need to be defrosted prior to being placed in the pie crust.  Just take the bag out of the freezer and pour the contents into your crust of choice and bake!  The apples have been as tasty year-round as when they were freshly picked in the Fall!

Enjoy!