Category Archives: Just The Two Of Us

Monday to Monday

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Good Monday afternoon!  Where are the days of spring going?  That’s what I want to know.

Gone are the days and weeks that seem to take forever to move forward.  And welcome to the months that seem to turn the daily pages of time at record speeds.

Last week this time I was admiring these guys that came in for a little visit.

Last week this time I was shopping for more clothes.  I didn’t find a thing last week.

Last week I admired how far some of our fruit and flowers have come along this spring.

Last Friday, I was thankful for the sunshine burning off the haze.  And very thankful I turned away the candy bowl at our auto mechanics.

On Saturday I was thankful for a pretty day in the backyard.  A day we were looking forward to.  A day where we had planned out our evening meal a week ahead of time.

Our meal – From a 24 hour citrus brine (all citrus and rosemary handpicked from the garden) to the dinner table, our meal Saturday evening was so yummy!  I think the hardest part was allowing it to rest for 15 min at the end.

Hubby and I were also able to firm up summer vacation plans.  Airline tickets were purchased, hotels were booked, rental cars were reserved and fun things were planned.

And here I am, back to Monday.  In true Monday fashion (like last week) I went back for more at the shopping mall.  Unlike last week, today I came home with 4 brand new outfits.  One being a dress I need for a wedding this summer.  It feels so good to have this behind me and on to the next thing on the agenda.

I’m thankful for a day well spent.  Now I’m considering a little afternoon siesta before hubby gets home from work.

‘Til next time,

Blessings – Debbie

Cajun Shrimp Toes

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It may not be what it sounds like, but it sure is a pretty color.  Meet my new polish.  My toes are beach ready this week.

The polish this week turns out to be the brand OPI and color “Cajun Shrimp”.

The components used for the Monday morning home pedi.  I think my pumice slid out of the picture.  But it did make a squeak of an appearance there on the far right.

Clearly the star of the show.  Need I say more?

A few do’s and do not’s that I’ve made a note of in times past.

  • Do make sure it’s a beautiful day when painting those toes – Check, lovely sunny 71 degree day = Perfect polish weather.
  • Do polish the toes in the morning – Check
  • Do not polish late afternoon/evening – See below
  • If I do polish in the evening, make sure it’s a night where I will be up all night long.  And if I do go to bed, just know those toes will turn out with sheet lines all over them come morning – Not today!  But I can’t say the same the last time I polished them.
  • Which reminds me, do not wear socks or shoes all day.  Hate it when I do that – No need for socks on this beautiful day.
  • After polishing, make sure you prop up for a little while to give ample drying time – I propped up an hour longer than I intended.  I got caught up on some much-needed blog reading and time slipped away.  Double bonus!  I think this is going to be one of those home success polish stories to go down in the history books, for me.

In other news:  Our weekend was very low-key.

  • Hubby was sick all weekend.  His head was full of a cold and he just didn’t have the energy to do much.
  • I worked on editing pictures and played in Lightroom a lot.
  • Our printer broke – I think we’re getting a new one today.  Yay!
  • And we talked a lot about our summer plans and trips we plan to make this year.  That was a lot of fun.
  • I picked up some graham crackers thinking they would be a fun snack.  Turns out I can’t control them past the just a snack part.  No more grahams in the house when this box is gone!
  • Turns out I’ve opted for grahams instead of breakfast the last two mornings.  They are quick, easy and oh so yummy with my cup of coffee.  Big No-No!
  • Grahams and all, I still managed to stay within my calories every day.  I just hate it that I would substitute my fruit/veggies for a graham.  For shame!  So yeah, no more grahams, for reals.

And now I’ve blinked and it’s 2 pm on this beautiful Monday afternoon.  Where is Monday going?  It’s time I get the rest of the day in gear, run to the grocery and meet up with the hubby (later) for a little printer shopping date.

Blessings – Debbie

Fire ~ Smoke ~ Wind ~ Rain ~ Hail

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That’s a large portion of what our weekend looked like.  And it felt like the dead of winter.  However, we did have the bonus of a little sunshine ~ grilling ~ and patio eating before the blustery winter set in.

First off, our weekend started Thursday night when hubby walked in the door from work.  We always enjoy these longer weekends every other week.

There was a nip in the air and a fire seemed to be the thing to have in the home.  So hubby got started on it right away.

It was the perfect way to chill or shall I say relax all evening long.

When Friday morning dawned, another fire seemed the likely thing to have in the home while sipping that first cup of coffee.

The crackle, glow and warmth was much better than the heater.

But look out!  Friday afternoon we had the most amazing sunshine along with (it seems) every window in the house open.  From the screen doors to windows, the breeze was sheer bliss.

In springtime fashion, we lit the grill fires and enjoyed dinner on the patio.  The new favorite thing on our baked potato is that peach mango salsa.  So Good that we don’t need butter and all that high fat/calorie stuff on there.  P.S. My plate is not the huge dinner plate, rather a small salad plate.  And those are gilled onions there in the back with a small 2.5 oz serving of grilled chicken.

Saturday morning mother nature greeted us with some pretty massive winds, rain and hail.  She was on a mean chilly winter streak and we San Diegans thought we were in the dead of winter.

Another fire was in the works but this time, I think that crazy wind affected the chimney and it literally blew the smoke back at us, filling our little warm nest with smoke.

Every window in the house was quickly flung open and soon winter greeted our toasty warm bones with a chill.  True, it only got to 65 in the house, but for us, it felt like winter for hours as we continued to air out the house until the fire died.

We bundled up and puttered around getting a few more things crossed off the list.

As the evening hours settled in, we, in true hubby and wifey fashion, watched a few flicks and settled in for old man winter.

Winter lasted thru Sunday with more cold and rain outbursts.  And I can still hear hubby say “I can’t wait for it to warm up.”

I have a feeling we’re becoming San Diegans having forgot what winter really means.

So this Monday morning, the weather man forecasts partly cloudy skies for this area and it still feels like winter.  I think after a few days of winter, we will gladly take back our beautiful weather.

The good news, our apricot trees are in full bloom and I’m looking forward to more fruit in the days/months to come.

After this last spell of winter, I’ve already decided what I’m going to do in the next week or so.  But it has to be a day filled with abundant sunshine.  I can’t wait!

Blessings – Debbie

Hubby was Mad at Me

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Hubby got mad at me in the wee hours of the morning.  Our 3:30 AM conversation went like this.

Hubby: Honey, we were on the Titanic!

Me: We were?

Hubby:  Yes! I told you to get in the life boat and you wouldn’t.  I got mad at you.

Me:  But Honey, I could never leave without you!

Hubby:  You’re a stubborn one.

Me:  Yes

We must have gone over the above for at least 10 or so minutes when he said, but I could never stay mad at you for long.

Whether in his dreams or in real life, this makes me so very happy.  And sometime just after our little round and round we heard a sweet little melody from a bird just outside our window.  We laughed and closed our eyes and carried on with sweet dreams thru the remains of the night.

As the morning sunbeams danced around our room this morning, we stretched and opened our eyes just a bit slower than usual.  It was a morning where things went at a slower pace.  A morning that didn’t require the extra effort for anything.

Morning coffee was leisurely sipped.  And the peaceful relaxation was just what we needed.

But this relaxation won’t last for long.  We have a list of things we want to accomplish by days end.  And the melting and relaxing will not achieve these goals.

Cheers to Saturday morning relaxation and an afternoon full of things to accomplish.

Blessings – Debbie

Finding My Routine

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Happiness is, finding my way back to a routine after our move.  There were days that a routine looked for packing more boxes, staring at more and more packed boxes and wondering if we would ever get moved.

These days, we are beginning to look at fewer boxes and the house is beginning to take shape.  But with every move, we still long for day in and day out routine.

Today I was delighted with my brand new hiking path/aka our new neighborhood.

It’s fresh and new…

…with so many wonderful things yet to discover.

And as I sit here putting this post together, I long to be right back out there.

I’m thankful for beautiful places to hike and double thankful I don’t have to get in my car and drive to a gym.  I just don’t stick to gyms very well and I much prefer the great outdoors.

I wish I knew the names of every single flowering plant, bush, shrub and tree in this area.  But I’m learning.

Learning, like this morning.  A gardener noticed my enthusiasm for photography.  He stopped in his tracks and officially introduced me to these amazing African Daisy’s.  We had them at our old place, I just didn’t know what they were called.

 

I met a wonderful neighbor.  She would have had me in for tea but she had to scoot to the Dr.  She said, “Next time, we’ll have tea”.

I just finished an amazing lunch date with my dearest.  And next on the agenda, we could be meeting hubby’s friend (who is in town) for drinks.  Should be a fun afternoon!

Blessings – Debbie

What A Weekend Is Made Of

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Good evening friends!  I can’t express the amount of joy coming from my being, but know it is there.  The reason?  The blog silence has lifted!

I hate it when I get behind, behind on anything.  When things begin to snowball, I’m left feeling a bit overwhelmed.  And I don’t know why that is and doubt I ever will.  Just know I’m happy to be back!

  • We made progress in the house.
  • I caught up on the blog – 2 months worth of information crammed into approximately 6 posts.
  • We enjoyed the most amazing BBQ brisket ever.  Love those kind of dates with hubby.
  • We indulged with a little sweet serving at Cold Stone, Friday evening.
  • All that and I managed to lose 2.2 pounds this past week!
  • And the icing on the cake – As of this morning, I’m down exactly 50 pounds!
  • Today was relaxing and peaceful around the house.
  • I enjoyed a nice visit with my mom over the phone while sitting out by the pool.  I love that we have such a great connection.  I just wish we didn’t live worlds apart, or so it seems.

Now if I could only attach another day or so to this weekend.  Then again, I’m thankful and blessed for the weekend we were given.

Blessings – Debbie

I'm All About The Sale

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I love when I discover a sweet sale on something I need.  Especially when it’s 80% off!

Shoes are one of the things I need most.  I have very few in my collection as I’m just not a big fan of shoe shopping.  I won’t get into it now, but, trust me when I say “I have an old faithful pair from 2000.”

My 80% off deal of the day!

When hubby asked tonight what all I gathered for myself this week, he jotted down every little detail.  I had no idea where he was going with this, but, I soon learned.  Next thing I know, this became his FB status.

My wife Debbie is ready for our Christmas vacation.  She has:
  • A new dress
  • New necklace
  • New shoes (80% off she reminds me)
  • French manicure with a “fine sparkly silver line” ($2 extra) …
  • Pedicure done in “Christmas Red”
  • Hair is died and cut (again)
  • She has a pretty flower in her headband

How much did this all cost?  It doesn’t matter.  We’re ready

I love how he celebrated my excitement this evening.  I’m still excited over my $17 and change dress and the necklace I snagged from the clearance rack.  ‘Course I didn’t think (at the time) to tell him about all my deals or those would have made the headlines too, I’m sure.  But, I’m not sure he’s as giddy as I am over the sales as much as he’s genuinely happy with my excitement.  Either way, I’m one happy lady, he made my night.

Blessings – Debbie

Today We Celebrate Us

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In the beginning, there was a Christmas party, December 13, 1997.  From this day forward, we would never be without each other.

Today, tho it’s cool and rainy on the outside, the homefires are burning on the inside.

I made an early morning shopping run as I tried to dodge the rain drops.  I was hit by a few drops, but overall, I’d say it was perfect timing considering it rained on and off all day.

Hubby and I shared a simple lunch date mid day.

And the pool table is already set up and I’m so ready to sit, chill with a cup of coffee and play our favorite games into the night.

Blessings – Debbie

From the Kitchen Sink

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Last week revolved around the kitchen sink while preparations went into organizing a party in our home Saturday evening.

White elephant gifts were purchased and wrapped for the party.

And candy canes were sprinkled around the tree.

By the time Friday rolled around, the kitchen was in full swing.

On Saturday the kitchen was in complete shock with loads of dirty dishes and mixing bowls piling up.

Hubby in true hubby fashion swooped in and kept the kitchen clean All. Day. Long.  And  just like magic he had everything organized and the hors d’oeuvres and dinner items had name cards in front of each dish.  I love it that our day was completely enjoyable and totally stress free.

Soon the guests began to arrive.

Folks mingled, played pool, the wii and xbox 360.  Hors d’oeuvres were served at 5, dinner at 6 and around 7ish the white elephant  gift exchange commenced and lots of fun was had by all.

But the sad part about the entire evening is this “I have no pictures to show for it”.  The special moments visiting and playing games defined the night.  I was so wrapped up in fun that I was afraid to start taking pix as the moment would have been lost.

Guests stayed and played with us ’til the wee hours of the morning as Texas Holdem’ Poker was the last game played amongst friends.

Hubby and I chilled in the family room ’til around 1am when we both decided it was time for some much needed sleep.  I put blinders on to the huge mess in the kitchen and decided the next day would be the perfect time to handle it.

Sleep soon came, but much too early hubby slipped out of bed Sunday morning.  That’s when I tugged on the covers and with a kiss on my cheek from hubby, I was out like a light ’til 11am.

And just like that when I entered our little world, the house was completely clean and all put back into place.  The dishes and mess in the kitchen was just a memory as hubby totally whirled his magic wand and made the mess disappear.

As I repeatedly thanked him for all of his help, he was thankful for me getting lots of rest and not waking until he had it all cleaned up.  He rocks my world even if he had left it all for me as I try to tell him “It’s my job”.  But I do love his eagerness to surprise me and his desire to make all the days of my life happy.

Blessings – Debbie

Better Days I Can Not Remember

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Finding the love of my life brought new meaning to love.  Marrying the love of my life has given new meaning to happily ever after.

This is the ornament that held my engagement ring all those years ago.  It has such special meaning and will always be treasured.

It was a wonderful surprise on Christmas morning when my boyfriend asked “will you be my wife”.  Words can’t begin to express the joy we’ve shared as a couple thru the years.

I was quite surprised this year as hubby wanted to upgrade my rings.  He forced me to LA (the diamond district) a few weeks ago.  And I kinda liked it.

We became so familiar with the area and spent a total of 3 weekends there.

This is the set we had made and picked up Saturday.

We shopped the top rated places we found on Yelp and did lots of research in between.

Lots of thought went into these.

When we finally found just the right jeweler, he made all of our dreams come true.

He made drawings of the rings in 3D – then stereolithography molds were made. I was impressed with the technology to get all the right measurements.

I’m beyond thrilled with its beauty.  But beyond that, grateful for the love we share.  Love truly is the Greatest Gift.

Saturday, the 26th, was the exact day we picked up the set.  As we were on our way home that evening, we stopped for this amazing sunset.

This was hubby’s post on FB that evening.  It’s worth repeating on the blog.

“What a great way to end a great day with Debbie. On our way home down I-5, just as the sun was setting, a sign appeared up ahead. Vista Point, next exit. It was a beautiful sunset on the Pacific. Better days I can not remember.”

Blessings – Debbie

A Thanksgiving To Remember

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Hubby and I have a Thanksgiving tradition.  The tradition revolves around sleeping in, getting all pretty and driving to the place where our reservations were made.  I suppose it has to be one of my/our newer favorite traditions.  Here are the perks:  no cooking ~ no leftovers ~ no mess ~ no clean up ~ where the two of us enjoy each other and the day.  I’m so happy we started this tradition a number of years ago.

Where hubby and I spent our Thanksgiving, The Hotel Del.

I was able to catch a break in the clouds when the sun came out for a spell.  May I insert that it was so cool to be barefoot on the beach on Thanksgiving?

Blending Christmas decor with Thanksgiving seems the thing to do and now I can’t imagine not blending the two.

 

The food was amazing!

In fact, there wasn’t room enough to try everything.  But I’m sure it was all cooked to perfection.

The dinner music was so lovely…

And the ambiance was perfect.

Hubby and I were lucky enough to have this window seat, looking out to the ocean.

There was ice skating in paradise.

And a very happy couple.  We spent a good 4 1/2 hours and enjoyed everything all the way around…

As I wake from fond memories of Thanksgiving, I’m so thankful we have no treats lurking around to tempt me.

I’m thrilled to announce that I lost a little more weight during Thanksgiving week.  To be exact 2.2 pounds!  I also measured my waist this morning to see how I’m coming along.  Turns out, my waist is a whole 5″ smaller so far this year.  I’m so thankful for that too!

It’s been a great year and so far, I’ve reached my weight loss goal and then some.  This was done by setting mini goals + reaching them + continuing to set mini goals = success.

But the most exciting key I have in my pocket is the fact that hubby is right here doing it with me.  He’s my biggest fan and for that, I’m grateful.  I wouldn’t be where I am on this journey without him.  We both look forward to reaching our goals and keeping this healthy lifestyle for life.

May we continue to give thanks long after Thanksgiving.  May we continue to love and appreciate our loved ones.  And may we never forget WHO has given us these blessings.  Thank you Jesus!

Blessings – Debbie

The Full Value Of Joy

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“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” – Mark Twain

Pic taken in the garden and toyed with in Lightroom.

I’m blessed beyond words to have the love of my life.  He sprinkles my days with love and paints the most brilliant of colors into all of my days.

Today, just because, he treated me to a wonderful lunch date.  And just because, he tells me I’m beautiful and that he loves me.  It’s so special to me because I feel it so deeply day in and day out.

Because of him, I never feel alone and I feel so blessed to get to divide our great adventure with each other.  I personally can’t think of a better way to express joy, thank you Mark Twain.

Blessings – Debbie

About Last Week

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Last week was the week when the Christmas Spirit hit.  And this is the way Monday morning took shape.

The sentimental ornaments we’ve collected over the years were all given a special little place to hang.

The nativity nook was created while other areas were decorated.

The stockings were hung and by Thursday, everything had a home.

By the time the weekend rolled around, hubby made big plans to take Friday off and take me into LA for a nice couple day weekend.

We enjoyed amazing views from the Hilton penthouse spa.

Plans were made for Korean BBQ in Korea Town.  We enjoyed this little sit down Friday evening.

This has been a wonderful week all the way around.  It’s nice to have everything in place for this Thanksgiving week.  I’m so ready for it to get here!

Blessings – Debbie

On a Cool Wet Autumn Day

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Good evening!  What a crisp ~ cool ~ wet ~ autumn day it has been.  But it did not dampen my spirit.

  • Coffee was sipped while in my jammies early this morning
  • I enjoyed a wonderful lunch date with hubby
  • The house was cleaned
  • My laundry baskets are empty
  • The ironing pile is finished
  • I’m sipping on another cup of coffee this evening
  • Hubby is due to walk thru that door any moment for the weekend
  • Yes, indeed my spirits are pretty high about now

Lunch at Panera Bread: Chicken Noodle Soup + Chicken Salad Sandwich + Baguette = Goodness.

Cheers to a pretty Cool Happy Friday! ~ Photos taken from the backyard this morning.

Blessings – Debbie

Weekend and Monday Joy

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Long weekends…When hubby has a Friday off, it’s a little extra special.  And I can still hear him ask “what would you like to do this weekend”.  I believe he asked either Thursday evening or Friday morning.  I replied, “I would like to climb that mountain”.

On Saturday, this is the mountain we climbed.  Of the pictures I posted yesterday, most of them were taken from the top looking out in all directions.  Here’s one taken today from a distance, to fit the majority of the mountain in the picture.  My legs are still talking to me today, but I hope we climb it again one of these days.

I did get about a mile worth of exercise in this morning.  This is the path of choice today.

It was a beautiful morning and to this day, we’re still breathing in So Cal.

On a whole different subject – I talked about giving up coffee a couple/few posts ago, I won’t get into it again.  What I will say is that I have a yearning to sip on something warm…

While grocery shopping, I lingered on this isle.

The more I lingered, the more I knew the feel of my old mug (even if it is my coffee mug) would be most welcome first thing in the morning.  I forget exactly what tea it was I purchased (some sort of Green Tea) but it was quite soothing.

Does it replace coffee? I won’t go that far but it was nice.  I may even have another cup this evening.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of making the most of things.  In the end, we may come to realize it’s not so bad after all.

Blessings – Debbie