Iwanna Wednesday - I Need a New Chapeau!

Hey all...another Iwanna Wednesday post! Wow! I'm amazing even myself. I thought I was all done with wanting things but I'm backkkkk! 

So a little update on what an Iwanna Wednesday is. To make a long story short, I want everything I see, whether it's in a store or on someone else or in someones front yard or on TV. My mom and my sister Lisa started noticing that the second I walked into a store I would see something I wanted and I would say, "Oh wow, look! I always wanted one of these!" So they nick-named me Iwanna because I wanna everything!

My Iwanna cravings got so strong that they started involving others. My daughter April bought me many of the things I would post. My sister was constantly looking for things for me to post. Even my cousin Stella, all the way over in San Diego got in on the act and on one of her road trips she found this!

She told me that when she saw it she knew it was meant for me. She mailed it to me letting me know she wasn't sending it to me for the bracelet attached, but for the little cardboard sign which is perfect for me.

So perfect in fact that it's going to be my Iwanna Icon/Banner for my Iwanna Wednesday's! Cute right?

So for a long time I did a post every Wednesday of things that struck my fancy and that I wanted. I did a bazillion (94 to be exact) Iwanna Wednesday posts. I had kind of strayed away from Iwanna Wednesday for a while because of a bunch of things but lately I've been noticing I'm getting that Iwanna bug back.

This weekend I took a little road trip with my sister Lisa and her friend Lupe to the Morro Bay Avocado and Margarita Festival! Doesn't that sound like fun? It was!

Here's a picture of my sister and Lupe and me of course. See anything missing in this photo? No? C'mon...look harder. All right, let me just tell you. If you look, my sister and Lupe are both wearing Chapeaus! Hats! Lids! Headgear! Millinery! Toppers! But not me...nope, no hat for me, which is why I'm sunburned today!

So I was telling my sister that I really want to get a hat for our next trip and she told me big, floppy hats are in! But...um...I don't see her wearing a big floppy hat. Nope, I see her in a cute cowboy-ish kinda hat. So I went shopping online to see if I can find a cool hat!.

I knew kinda what I wanted, which is what I call a Mennonite Straw Hat. We live in a small town that has a pretty big Mennonite community and they all wear these hats, especially when they are out gardening!

Courtesy of Shoebuy.com

Here's another one that caught my eye. I really like this one but I would want to be able to change out the hatband to something more colorful when it suited me.

Courtesy of Shoebuy.com

But I'm thinking Iwanna one like the one my sister and Lupe are wearing, kind of a cowboy-ish kind of hat. So I found this one which I love! 

I love the way it's rolled up like the one my sister had. I love the color of the headband and the ribbon that hangs off the back. Really, really loving this one, but at close to $85...I don't know!

Courtesy of Shoebuy.com

So maybe it's best to look for a floppy hat, since my sister says they are coming back into style. I found a site that had some really cute ones at a reasonable price. This one is $7.90 American Dollars!

Courtesy of AliExpress.com 

So I am seriously going to be searching for a hat. I've never considered myself a hat person but everyone seems to be wearing them! And Iwanna be just like all the cool kids.

Do you wear hats? What kind? What would you recommend?

Hoping all your Iwanna wishes come true!

Wait...wait...wait...hold the presses! I think I have found the perfect hat! My favorite color, green, it's cowboy-ish and Iwanna this one with my whole little pea-picking heart. *sigh* Isn't it dreamy? Sad thing is it's out of stock but I'm entering my email so they can let me know when it's back in stock!

Courtesy Overstock.com 

 

Road Trip! - Morro Bay Avocado and Margarita Festival

In my world there are two things that go hand in hand, just like bread and butter, burgers and fries, fish and chips...I'm talking about avocados and margaritas! Nothing I love better than a delicious Margarita with some avocado turned into yummy guacamole. That's why when my sisters' friend Lupe suggested we take a road trip to the Morro Bay Avocado and Margarita Festival I was all like, "Yep...count me in!"

So yesterday we made the little trip from Wasco, which is where Lupe lives, to Morro Bay. I say little trip, but it's actually a little bit over two hours away. But when you are in good company a long car trip is just the ticket to get caught up on girl talk and snacking!

And that's what we did. We stopped and bought Cheetos, Beef Jerky, M&M's, Fritos and Diet Pepsi's and we laughed and talked and shared memories and gossip until we got to Paso Robles. Even though this was not our destination we stopped at a TJ Maxx to shop a little. Shoes were purchased and the bathroom was used and off we were again to do one of my favorite things and one of Lupe's favorite things...shop the local Goodwill! Yay! I finally found another bird of a feather!

See, my sister is not a big lover of Goodwill or any thrift store for that matter, in fact she is not a big lover of shopping of any kind at all, although she does indulge me quite often. But Lupe loves to shop the Goodwill's and she knew exactly where we could find one in Paso Robles. Yay! Treasure Hunt!

It was not my day to find a lot of treasures, but I did find this cute little lady. I know she's kind of odd looking, but I just love the little spider and her cute purple hat with the little pink flower and her little curly hair and her precious smile with that very bright red lipstick! For a mere $1.00 she was mine! Can't wait to display her at Halloween!

Lupe found some treasures as well, but the one that found the most was my sister Lisa. Funny how she dislikes shopping at Goodwill yet she always spends much more money than I do!

From there we headed to San Luis Obispo, which was about a 35 minute drive through some beautiful scenery. Once there Lupe took us to another Goodwill where I found a black sweater that I love and Lisa again stocked up! 

After this one Lisa drew the line and said NO MORE! I AM HUNGRY! So we decided to head on over to the Avocado and Margarita Festival in Morro Bay which was about 25 minutes away. We made a quick stop at a campsite along the way as Lisa and Lupe are both infatuated with camping!

Once we got to Morro Bay we realized that this was a huge event and thought we would never find parking! But we did, a few blocks away and it was such a beautiful day we didn't even mind the walk and we stopped to take pictures along the way.

My sister and her dear friend Lupe. No...that is not our Rubicon,
but I thought they looked great standing next to it!

Another great picture of Lisa and Lupe with Morro Rock in the background. More information on "the Rock" coming later! Aren't they pretty? Love these girls!

Hey! What about me? I want a picture with my sister!

And one of just me! Love the background!

Then it was time to continue our walk to the festival itself. A salesclerk in one of the little shops we stopped at along the way told us that Morro Bay has a population of about 10,000 people and that the Chamber of Commerce was expecting about 12,000 people for this event! 

For the price of a whole $2.00 each we gained entrance and it was packed! Barely room to turn around in. Everyone was walking around with paper plates filled with chips and avocado...not guacamole because the star of this show was the avocado so it was virgin avocado, no salt or onion or jalapenos, just the pure taste of creamy, buttery avocado mixed with the crispy texture of a salty tortilla chip! Yum! 

Sad to say I didn't get a picture of the avocado and tortilla chips because we were starving and devoured them. But here's a picture of another delicacy we tried a little later on. Bacon wrapped hot-dogs!

These were so good. We only bought one and had them cut it into thirds, but we piled sliced avocado and onions on it! 

And after all the saltiness of the chips and the bacon wrapped hot-dogs we were a tad parched. We soon found refreshment!

I think they call these Corona Beer-ita's!
The cup was filled with Lime Margarita on the Rocks and then using a special lid on the cup a small Coronita Beer is turned upside down, mixing the margarita and beer. Then you sip with the straw and it's delicious! They also made a strawberry version, but we stuck to the original. ***My sister called me after reading this and said they are called "Corona-ritas"***

We wandered around the various arts and craft vendors, we people-watched, we chatted with strangers, we listened to music, we ate kettle korn and bought big containers of fresh fruit salad and just generally had the best time ever!

Because it was standing room only, we finally got tired of all the standing and walking and decided if we stayed any longer we would only end up eating more, so we left and walked down the embarcadero wandering in and out of shops.

We saw some seals and watched them for a while. People were barking at them and little kids were getting such a kick out of seeing their daddies barking like dogs! It was hilarious!

Then we did another couple of things that are a MUST DO when you visit Morro Bay. One is eat fish and chips and the other is visit THE ROCK!

My photo of the Rock!

Official photo of THE ROCK

A few details on THE ROCK

Sunset at the Rock!

At the entrance to the rock is this power plant which plays a large role in Morro Bay,
and in providing electricity to the Central Coast and the Central Valley of California (primarily Fresno and Bakersfield). Due to its tall smokestacks,
it is known locally as "Three fingers".

After having seen and done almost everything there was to see and do in Morro Bay we three ladies headed over to Cayucos to watch the sunset.

Lisa got poetic on us and remarked that we will each see many more sunsets, but at this moment, at this time, on this date, the three of us shared a sunset and a day that we will never forget and that will be one of a kind. Love you my sister and love you too Lupe! Hope we do this again real soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tired, sun-burned and happy, we three ladies made the long drive home glad to have been able to make wonderful memories and already making plans for our next "road trip!"

 

Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys…Let them grow up to be Gentlemen instead!

So my co-worker came into work the other morning frustrated and disgusted with the fact that traffic was so horrid and how people have no common sense and no manners.

I have to agree with her. You used to be able to drive into work in the morning and have a reasonably pleasant commute. But now all you hear are people honking their horns because you don’t turn fast enough or you don’t take off fast enough when the light changes to green.

 Then you have those people that think they are Mario Andretti or

Jeff Gordon because they zip in and out changing lanes willy-nilly. Many times I will see someone coming up behind me and I know that he’s going to zip in front of me and he’s not going to make it if I don’t slow down to give him enough room…so I slow down and Voila!, he makes the lane change safely without clipping me or the vehicle in front of him. I’m sure he drives on to work thinking “Damn, I’m a great driver!” But if not for me being a defensive driver and slowing down to make sure he doesn't ram into the back of the big rig in front of him he would be toast!

But anyway…that is my co-workers rant for today; I’m just empathizing with her. My rant today is boys/men that don’t open the door for a lady.

Ok…I know that during the hey-day of the women’s movement it was frowned upon to open the door for a woman. Many women were known to become outraged at the common courtesy because they can open their own doors.

I’m not arguing that point. I’m simply going to tell you a story of what happened to me the other day. During the lunch hour, I had to run to my local bank to make a deposit. Usually I do all my banking in the ATM or online or on my smart phone, but I had cash and that meant a trip to the bank itself.

After I finished my transaction with the teller I stepped back to turn and head out the door. At the next window there was a boy, about 20’ish and he stepped back as I was behind him and he almost knocked me down. He kept going and didn't say anything. My reflexes moved me to say, “Excuse me”. I didn't say it in a sarcastic tone, I said it in a sincere tone like I say when I cross in front of someone, it’s just reflex to be polite. He said nothing and continued to the door.

The bank has two sets of double doors. The first double doors open into a small foyer where there are two ATM machines, and then there is another set of double doors that lead to the outside. When we got to the first set the boy opened the door and waited for me and I said “Thank you” and smiled. Then we got to the next set of doors and the boy stood to the side…I kid you not…he stood to the side and looked at me as though to say “Ok…it’s your turn to get the door for me”. I just stood there, unsure of what to do, but he wasn’t going to open the door, so I opened the door and held it for him and he walked outside without a thank you or a have a nice day or anything. He just walked out. . .

I thought about beaning him in the back of the head with my purse, Gladys Ormphby style…but then just shook my head and got into my car and wondered why it bothered me so much.

And I think anyone that is old enough to remember Gladys Ormphby should have the door held open for her! Am I right?

 

Every Child is Unique - From Left to Write

This post was inspired by the memoir Raising My Rainbow by Lori Duron as she shares her journey raising a gender creative son. Join From Left to Write on September 5 as we discuss Raising My Rainbow.  As a member on the online book club, From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book for review purposes. 



If you have brothers and sisters, or you have more than one child you understand my title, Every Child is Unique.

There has long been the discussion of Nature vs. Nurture. Are children more affected by genetic inheritance of traits and characteristics and is that why they grow up the way they do, or can you change a child's traits, characteristics and path in life through the way you nurture that child?

A question as complex, compelling and unanswerable as "what came first, the chicken or the egg?"

My 27 year old son that has not seen his father since he was age 7, yet he displays so many of his father's mannerisms and has so many of his same interests, especially in the music he likes. Nature right?

This same son also has a heart filled with love for his family. His father obviously lacked that. Did my son grow up family oriented because of the way I raised him and because he grew up surrounded by family? Nurture right?

Maybe it's both, nurture and nature, hand in hand. All I know is each child is unique and should be loved and protected and nurtured and praised for the individual he/she is. No labels, no expectations, just a helping hand to keep them safe and make sure they are successful, happy, well-adjusted adults.


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Martinis anyone? Iwanna Wednesday!

The other day while out on a little shopping excursion I found these pillows and had to take them home with me! And I knew once I did that a friend of mine would love them as well. He's a big lover of the Martini. We will call him The Martini Man or TMM for short. The pillows had some smudges, but the cover is removable and I knew they would come clean in the wash.

I posted them on Facebook and I was right, TMM loved them and wanted to know wherever did I find them? I told TTM that I found them at TJ Maxx but they had been clearance priced at $12.99 each and I didn't know if he would be able to find them at his local TJ Maxx (I don't even know if they have TJ Maxx in Arizona where he lives).

So I let my fingers do the walking and figured I would combine TMM's love of Martinis' and my new pillows and created an Iwanna Wednesday post because the amount of Martini pillows and other paraphernalia out there is astonishing!

This pillow was my favorite! Something about it just speaks to me...lol. I think I love the simplicity. It's price is not simple though, this one was $63.95! You can find it at zazzle.com.

This next one is so cute, but I doubt TMM would like it as he's a guy...but maybe he would like to display it so female friends that come over can gush over it. I know I would! This is another zazzle.com pillow and it can be yours for a mere $105.00!!! Yikes!

Alright! I think I found the perfect one for TMM and even I would like this one! Goes with everything! I gotta be honest with you though, I think I would be 1 Martini, 2 Martini...floor! I wouldn't even need the 3rd one. This one comes from Pillow Buy and is definitely affordable at $12.99!

Here's another one that I love! Just adore the little penguins in the background. Another inexpensive one also from Cafe Press for $19.99.

And once you find the perfect pillows to put on your couch and you are ready to invite your friends over for cocktails you need the perfect Martini Glass right? And TMM would probably love any of these that follow, I know I would. They are fabulous!!

Aren't they fabulous? The third one down is my favorite. It's called "Hookers Delight"...hahaha! There's a gold fishing hook that you hook your olive on. Now that one is truly unique! Oh...and the 5th one is not a real Martini Glass, it's a $50 dollar bill folded into the shape of a Martini Glass and it's only $85. Yep, buy a $50 bill for $85...this guy is a genius!

So that's it. I think that gives TMM much info on where to find the perfect pillow, although honestly I'm thinking I should send him mine as house warming gifts. We'll see if I feel as generous tomorrow.

So happy Iwanna Wednesday and may all your Iwanna Wishes come true!


 

It's About the Journey, Not the Destination

Yesterday, my sister and I took a day to ourselves to spend the day saying goodbye to our daddy our way. We did one of the things that my dad loved to do...we took a road trip.

Beginning of our journey, my sister took this picture of us turning onto Highway 33 to Ojai.
Dad would often tell us that someday we should take this road. He and mom had taken it and loved the trip. So we took this road and dad was right as always...it was a wonderful journey to take together for my sister and me. 

Back when we were all little kids, my mom and dad used to just pack us up into the car on a Sunday and take off with no real destination in mind. The whole thing was about the journey and what we would see and discover and the memories that we were making without even realizing it.

Getting closer to the mountain. We would have to cross over this one and a few others to reach our final destination. Dad had only told us that it was a winding road, he didn't tell us how winding or how long or how beautiful it would be, but we felt that he was with us, guiding us on the way and showing us the beauty of the land and seeing it again through my eyes and my sisters eyes. 

I remember one particular trip that we took on a Thanksgiving Day. My parents didn't even realize it was Thanksgiving Day and they just packed us up and off we went. Road Trip!!!  Back in the day (when I was a child), there were no stores or restaurants or fast food places open on Thanksgiving Day. Everything was closed! Everything!

We saw so many beautiful sites along the way. This was one of the first, a little farmhouse off in the distance. I could imagine us living here with dad. He would have loved it! Dad was a farmer and we always lived in the housing provided by the farmer that dad happened to be working for and it was always out in the country. Country living is in my heart, thanks to dad and his love of the land.

So here they were, far away from home with four little kids...four little starving kids, and no where to buy food!! They had not planned for this. Luckily dad found a little store that happened to be open and they stopped and bought a loaf of bread, some bologna and some chips. That was one of the best meals ever! I can still taste the saltiness of the bologna and the chips. Dad always provided. 

That little farmhouse in the earlier picture was left far below as we climbed higher and higher. At the highest point I believe we were 3000 feet above sea level, at least that is the last sign I remember seeing with an elevation. The view was breathtaking and my sister and I kept seeing beautiful spots and stopping to snap pictures. We imagined how nervous our mother must have been to be on this winding road but knowing she was safe because dad was at the wheel.

Another time I remember Dad taking us to visit my mom's family in Arizona. They had just bought a new car. I think it was a Ford Crown Victoria. A very fancy car. My dad got it into his head to pull over at a little fruit stand to buy a watermelon. Then, to my mother's shock and anger, he proceeded to slice the watermelon in the car and give all his little chicks (us...his kids) a slice of watermelon. My mom got so angry, but dad knowing he had whetted our appetite for watermelon was not about to let his little chicks down. He withstood my mom's wrath and his babies ate watermelon in a brand new car!!!! You can probably ask my mom about this little story and she would tell you it was not one of HER fondest memories! But it is a memory that we...his baby chicks, will never forget.

We felt filled with peace when we rounded a corner and saw these big fluffy clouds and just knew that dad was with us on this trip. We've all felt his close to us since his passing, helping us to heal and letting us know that though he is gone he is still with us in spirit and we never have to feel alone.

One of my best memories of the road trips with dad was his stories. At that time I believed every word that came out of his mouth. I didn't realize that many of the stories that he told us were made up just to keep us all entertained so we didn't start trying to entertain ourselves by using each other's heads as volleyballs or whining "Are we there yet?" Dad would tell us stories of when he was a fighter pilot in the army or he would tell us about when he used to suck honey off of the butts of honey ants in Mexico. We loved his stories and we loved when he would sing. Dad would often tell people a funny story about how when I was little I once told one of my aunts, "My dad is a beautiful singer, he sings as good as the radio!" He would laugh so hard when he told that story.

We reach the top and it's time for the driver to take a little break (and truth be told, driving those winding roads sometimes with sheer drops was a little nerve-racking! I wondered out loud to my sister if my dad had been as nervous as I was, but then we said Nah...cause Dad was and is our hero and he was never scared and always brave!
Right to the very end.

We had a great day and it was just what we needed, a healing trip, just my sister and me and our Wing man...Dad. Love you dad, miss you more than words can say. . .

Another beautiful shot by my talented photographer, co-pilot and best friend, my little sister. Love you sis and will always protect you from the vampires :)