Oh My Gosh!!!!!

All I can say is "Oh My Gosh!!!!"

After seeing "I Am Legend" we decided to go see this humongous building right next to Victoria Gardens and I was taken aback (and that's putting it mildly) by their interpretation of the "Great Outdoors." There's stuffed animals everywhere and I don't mean the cutesy ones, I mean the real ones - taxidermied -- or they could have been to make it look like real ones. There's a small lake in the middle of this store with bass and catfish swimming around. You can take an elevator down to the side of this lake and look right at the fish, but then you can do that from the outside, too. That was cool. The gun and rifle area is quite another experience with lots of animal heads jutting out of the walls. Some rifles cost 42,000 dollars!!!!!!! I did, however, thoroughly enjoyed shooting a rifle at the shooting gallery -- that was quite fun!

Coming from Idaho - growing up there all my young life, this place was very amusing. It's amazing what they can do with a tumbleweed....

We did, however, say we'll go back just to try out the restaurant which is said to be a setting like the Florida Keys.

So people, if you'd like to have a good laugh or cry (because of all the "stuffed" animals) then this is the place to go. :-)

Thoughts . . .

Some more thoughts. . .

I don't know what it is about beginning a New Year -- I think it's the remembrance of years past that causes one to think and be grateful for a new year and the fact that we are still here. This last year was a difficult one in some respects. We lost our beloved Mr. M. in a tragic car accident. We helped my mother-in-law move all her belongings to the home she shared with her mother, our grandmother. We've been helping to get her home in order. Someone stole my identity-bummer! But working my way out of that one. It's just been heck, but look on the bright side -- we have our health, my kids are doing so well, and we're here.

My mind goes back to our first New Year's together as a married couple. We lived in a little one-bedroom basement apartment across from RCC in Riverside. We were so young with a little baby. She was such a cutie and we marveled at this precious little thing. Her daddy made her a small crib out of bamboo because we couldn't afford a store bought one. But you need to remember that this was back in the early seventies and we were considered "flower children or hippies" -- so it was an appropriate little bed for our little girl. Sometimes our car was not in working order, therefore, going to the store to buy necessities was an adventure. I would say the store was maybe a mile or two away. Her daddy would strap on a carrier to his chest and we would put her in there and away we went. We walked up and down grassy hills and busy parking lots, across streets talking and laughing all the way with our precious little girl fast asleep in her carrier. This little apartment and this time holds many good memories for me. It was the beginning of many new years together.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's everyone!

I've begun to put away all our Christmas decorations once again in preparation of the New Year. It's a chore, but I enjoy it because each ornament is a memory. I clean and dust them off in preparation for the next year's Christmas.

Today we took my father-in-law out for breakfast-lunch (brunch?). We took him to San Manuel's Indian Casino. He was like a child, waiting for us -- he was all dressed up and had a backpack ready with necessary meds and a water bottle. He was so happy that we were taking him somewhere. My husband and I have never been to this casino and I was very impressed. It's a different world, it's gigantic and colorful, there are all kinds of people, and the buffet was delicious! I was taken aback by the courteous staff everywhere. I played all of $6. Ha! Didn't win a thing. My honey, however, won $40 with $3 of play. It was a lot of fun. The only downfall- people are allowed to smoke. I came home smelling like a cigarette. Straight to the shower!

I'm so glad we took him -- I think he was very tired when we got him home. He's getting older and more feeble. I gave him a big hug and told him how much fun we had with him. What a good way to end this year. God bless my father-in-law.

"Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

Sometimes life will throw us a detour to help make us a better, kinder, more compassionate person. We go through life trying to do our best by helping where we think is necessary and important without thinking of the outcomes.

I feel the hurt that my daughter has gone through recently especially in the death of their kitty. She's always been a child so in love with every little animal that comes around -- "Can I keep it?" As a child we let her keep so many animals. At one time we had chickens, ducks, goats, a pony, a peacock, cats & dogs. She had a name for all of them. It would break my heart whenever one of her "pets" died and her dad and her would go bury it in the very corner of our acre plus land. She'd make a little cross or marker to let us know they were there. The next few days, she had another little animal to help heal her broken heart. And now they lost Timba. But he's ok, spiritually he is still around and someday she'll see him again. I know.

Then there's the episode of the "curtains." "Dad" in his infinite wisdom blessed by God said we should have taken Grandma to pick them out that way they would have been her choice and no one could have disputed the color or design or fabric or length or ANYTHING!!! Ha! That's why he took her to pick out her carpet. Like he said, "She picked it out!" Ah, but we didn't think.

Nevertheless, it's ok. Family is family and we love them. We must not let our hearts become hardened because then we lose sight of God's meaning for our lives. We need to stop and listen to His voice and understand what he has planned for us which definitely includes Him. And He is Love.

Mija, all I can say is you did good, you are blessed and we love you. Best of all you have new curtains in your living room!!! Alright then!