With All This Rain...

One of the things, that I miss the most, with living on the East Coast, are the big rainstorms. Here in the Southwest, for almost 2 months, we get those late afternoon storms. The ones that instantly cool the summer heat. And add life to the desert. The storms that I grew to LOVE with all of my heart.



Yes, I'm a fan of all those late afternoon, and evening rains. I almost die with excitement, over rainy nights. And with all of these rains, another love of mine, pokes it's head out. Rain boots! Yes, I'm a big fan of the rain boots. Something about today, makes me want to run outside in my rain boots. Just 'cause I can. And because it just rained!

XOXO

♥D

Oh the Memories!

I must really like this topic. Because this is the 3rd time I type this up! Yes, thanks Blogger. For always making life a little tougher. But I'm not giving in. I'm fighting back! :)

Earlier this week, my friend and I start this 2 hour long convo. What about? All about Kool Aid! Yes, that sugary drink, that we all enjoyed as kids. :) In my family, it was all about the lime flavored Kool Aid. But I favored the more exotic flavors like black cherry, strawberry banana, and tropical punch. Yes, we were a Kool Aid family!

And this silly convo, lead to my friend and I, heading out to buy Kool Aid. Did I mention the ridiculous rainstorm? And how the streets were flooded. But we still went. And we returned with a HUGE supply of Kool Aid! It was delish! And even my friend's wife, she enjoyed the yummy sugary drink with us. We finished off 2 pitchers before dinner. :)



Do you remember these bad boys? Oh ya! My mom used to collect "Kool Aid points." She had a special jar,were she would put them. And we had 2 or 3 sets of these pitchers and cups. I might have also had a t-shirt, or 3! Yes, my mom still has some fun Kool Aid memorabilia. Too bad the Kool Aid company was sold to Kraft. A few years ago, all of these fun things, well, they went bye-bye!

I have so many fun memories that involved Kool Aid. Big Mason Jars filled to the top, on a hot summer day. Those ridiculous red 'stashes you'd get, after say, 2 glasses of Kool Aid. Making Kool Aid pops with my friends. All of these things, just make me smile!

But I do have a secret to share. When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, it was the cool thing, to bring powdered Kool Aid to school. The pre-sweetened kind. We'd fill up a baggie, and sneak it to school. Yes, our entire grade! And at recess, we'd eat it. :) All you had to do, was cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. And suck. I probably ate 10 lbs of Kool Aid, that school year!

It's funny how one thing, brings back so many memories. I can still see the big cans (that my parents would buy at COSTCO) under our kitchen counters. In our house, we'd have Kool Aid 3 or 4 times a week. And honestly, since moving out of the house, I haven't really had Kool Aid. Like in years! So on this day, it was so nice, to enjoy a large glass, of my favorite sugary drink. :)

XOXO

♥D

Redheads

I'm a redhead. Naturally. All of my adult life,I've sported the ginger hair. My childhood days, were filled with blond hair. But as an adult, the red hair just appeared. And stayed. These days, there are a few grey hairs in the mix. But thanks to the red color, you can't easily see them.

Earlier this week, I came across this article. I read it. Laughed. Went on with my life. It was funny. At least I thought so. But I didn't grow up as a redhead. Did that make my life easier? I was a boy, not a girl. Did that make a difference? I'm not sure. But the "trauma" that the writer is trying to perceive, I don't get it. Why blame red hair for so many problems?



With all of that said, I can't understand this article. Is being a redhead that horrible? I think not. It's interesting. There are some good jokes out there. They stereotypical stuff about redheads, I personally know, some are true. I know this. For example, I'm left handed. But traumatizing?I don't think so. As someone who is in the public eye, I've never had to deal with crap, related to my hair color.

This article, I'm not buying it. I had an interesting childhood. Struggled to be in the "cool" group. Which I was never a part of. At least until I was an adult. And my career got moving. But it had nothing to do with my hair color. It was other things.

What do you think? Am I nuts? Am I not getting something? Do I see things differently, because I didn't grow up as a redhead? What I do know is this, life as a redhead, is fun. Interesting. Full of good things. Why not embrace your natural hair color. Whatever it is. We all go through crap in our lives, so why blame it on our hair color. I just don't get that. D

Girl Time

I spent a couple of hours with D's sister and nieces yesterday. It was so much fun! We ended up doing some really fun things. And it was like medicine for my soul. I am not joking!

First we went to this fun Antique/Thrift shop. We were actually on our way to go get ice cream. And I saw this cute little store front. I am a sucker when it comes to places like this. So I pulled up to the store. It was off of one of the smaller highways around here. Almost out of sight. And once inside, it was like a treasure box of things from our past!

The girls picked up some old Barbies, dolls, and cases for them. They were so thrilled about them! D's sister found a fun chair. It was so her! Cushy and soft. I found so much! I almost felt guilty about everything that I bought. ALMOST! I got 5 hats (from the 40s/50s), a 50s luggage set (train case, hat box, and suitcase), a handbag, a set of 50s turquoise mixing bowls (5 in the set) and 10 broaches. Yes, 10 broaches! I know. It seems like a lot. And it was A LOT! But I just couldn't help myself. To top it off, as I was paying for everything, we saw a stack of paper dolls and cookbooks. We couldn't resist and ended up taking all of them as well! In total, we only spent $71.35. That is including the chair! I almost felt like we were stealing all of these beautiful treasures!

Our fun didn't end there. No way! We headed to the ice cream shop. The girls got sundaes that were much bigger than themselves! Shh...don't tell their mom. She was at work! :O) D's sister settled for a chocolate milk shake. Let me tell you...it all looked so good. But I thought I shouldn't push it. And I settled for a popsicle. Not too bad.

We ended our adventures with a stop at the salon. Why? Because no Girls' Day is complete without some nail polish. The girls were just too excited to get their nails polished. They both picked the brightest pink at the salon. D's sister had the full manicure/pedicure special. Gorgeous French tips on her fingers and fun chunky pink glitter on her toes. I stuck with just polish...red on my toes and almost nude on my fingers.

It was a GREAT day! Something that I really needed. Actually, this could be one of my favorite days ever. Because it was about fun and family. I really do feel like I am part of D's family. They love me like I am their own daughter, granddaughter, sister, and auntie. Our day was not about how much money we spent, but about how much love we shared!

XOXO

♥D

My Sister's Birthday

Today is my sister's 38th Birthday! I cannot believe it. She is the youngest of my 3 older sisters. But I still can't believe she is turning 38!

It has been such a long time since I have talked to her. J seems to just be doing her own thing, conquering the world. I am proud of her and her accomplishments. But I was just thinking about her today.

Not that long ago, my Mom and I were talking about when J was born. It was a cute story. And although my Mom was only 19 at the time, she really did love J and tried her hardest to provide the best for J and our brother M. Most of all, Mom just loves J. I think she secretly wishes J would come around more often.

I remember when I was younger and how cool I thought it was to spend time with J. J used to surprise me at school with a quick visit to my class. Always bringing me something cool. She had a VW Bug, a red one with cow print seats covers. We would put the top down and go cruising. It was always so much fun! And we always went to eat at D's. My sister has worked at 3 restaurants...D's, Q's and G's. I would always get so excited to go see her.

But today is about J. I hope she knows how much I love her! Because she has a very special place in my heart. Happy Birthday Jay-Jay!

XOXO

♥D

143

Something that I admire about ♥D is that she always shows you how much you mean to her. This morning I woke up to find her gone. I looked out to our private little beach area to find the perfect breakfast set up, ♥D in the most incredible red bikini, and the message she left for me in the sand. 2 hearts, on inside the other, with 143. I send her that message a 1000X's a day. No, really I do. But to see her leave it for me. That was priceless. ♥D...143...D

Finally!

For weeks...maybe longer...I have been trying...to get a hold...of a close friend of mine...from back home.

I don't know exactly what was going on, but I finally got to talk to her a few minutes ago. Seriously, it had been forever. I had called...and called...and called! My last bit of hope was to send her a note last week. OK, so it turned into a couple of notes. My friend J did good, he actually mailed them for me earlier this week.

Anyway, I got to talk to M. It was only for a few minutes. But hey, we talked. She is a very close friend of mine. Someone that I normally talk to 3-4 times a week. When I am home, I try to have lunch with her. At one point, we would have lunch together 4 times a week, if not more. We were in college...or at least I was. And life was simple. After my classes, I would meet her for lunch. And we would talk...and talk...and talk. Literally for hours!

But since summer started, well it has been almost impossible to talk. Until today. It was kinda our of the blue. But D decided to head off to get something...and I decided to call M. Things are good. We even planned to meet up for a "Girls' Day." An entire day of hanging out together next week. Everything from breakfast to shopping to lunch. I cannot wait!

XOXO

♥D

Questions Welcomed

OK, so we have been getting a lot of questions on blogger. I don't know how many people actually read "Our Little Blog." Because no one leaves comments. But I have other blogs...so I know all about the lurkers who just like to read. I'm actually one of those people too!

Anyway, D and I have decided to host a question blog every once in a while...maybe once a month? I don't know for sure, we will just have to see how it works out. So if you have any burning questions, all reasonable questions only please, send us an e-mail at dsquaredhearts (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have already sent us a question on blogger, please e-mail us so that we have all the questions together in one place! We will compile a list and post a blog with our answers.

XOXO

♥D

Going on a Vacay

We are going on vacation today! Woohoo!!! OK, we will be gone roughly a week and a half. All I can tell you is that we are going somewhere tropical. Yes, nice and warm. Lots of sun, clear water, and sand. I can already feel my feet in the sand...and we are only on the plane. :O)

We are going to enjoy the sun and the sea...

A few tropical sunsets...

Maybe even playing in the sand...

Oh yeah! We enjoyed a good breakfast with V and her fiance this morning. It was nice to just remember the good times at college. V, E, and myself were interns at the same hospital, in the town we went to college at. We were pretty hilarious! The song Unwritten was like our "Theme Song." It really did fit us at the time. V left for Dallas about 6 months after we initially started our internships. She graduated and had bigger dreams. That and she is originally from Texas.

E and I probably worked together another year. Then she graduated and got married. I was her maid of honor. They had a cool 50s type of wedding. 50s cars included! Then they moved to Florida. Her and her husband were in grad school there. They are actually thinking about moving back to our small college town. They miss it. And now E has a Master's Degree in Nutrition and her RD. Her husband has a PhD.

I think D loved hearing about the silly things we did back then. I am the youngest of the three of us, and definitely got picked on more. D liked hearing about the crazy things I used to get into at work. Especially the story of me breaking my finger when I worked at Hooter's. :O) It was a long time ago, I needed a job, and in a small town...you can't be picky!

And before I could leave town, I had to stop at this adorable stationary shop. I bought a bunch of notecards, pens, and stationary. All of which I didn't need. But it definitely brightened my day! I gotta go people...we are going on vacay!

XOXO

♥D

Cuppy Cake Love

I seriously LOVE me some Cuppy Cakes! They are too cute for words. A small taste of heaven. I get so excited talking about them, that I can barely form words. Much less talk in complete sentences. Cuppy Cakes are perfect little packages!

Whether they are drawn pictures....Walking cupcake people...Crochet cupcakes...Colorful cuppy cakes...Every day cupcakes...

Cuppy cakes in ice cream cones...

Or Birthday Cuppy Cakes...

I seriously have a deep and emotional LOVE for cuppy cakes! And I have spread it over to my nieces and nephews. So much so, that whenever I go to family-get -togethers or parties, they expect cupcakes. I am also known to send them some cupcakes when I am not around. :O)

When I make them for my nieces and nephews, I make a shorter cupcake. Then I load them up with icing. All the way to the sky! The icing is always brightly colored. Sometimes I add some sprinkles or candy. Something to make them special. And more importantly sugary, candy, icing filled bites of heaven!

OK, so they eat the icing and candy, then feed the dog G the actual cake part of the cupcake. Sometimes they will give them to my older brother J to eat. It just depends who is around and how many cupcakes they are "eating."

Today something happened that I did not expect. My nephews J and E called to Thank me for their cupcakes. They were so excited about them. And the Sprinkles! Which my brother J thought they were saying sparklers. Like the kind you light on the 4th of July. No bro...sprinkles. AKA Candy!!! E had 3 and J had 2. My brother ate J's 3rd cupcake!

I am glad they enjoyed them! And I am so glad I have these itty bitties to spoil. One day I know I will regret filling them up with sugar. Imagine what my family is going to feed my kids? But it is nice to be able to share my love of cuppy cakes with the next generation!

XOXO

♥D

She's 16!!!

I still cannot believe today is my niece E's 16th birthday! It completely shocks me to my core. And makes me feel like I am 100 years old! I was just 10 years old when she was born. And it seems like yesterday. My parents and I had decided to go to the cabin for the 4th of July. My grandparents lived across the street. A dirt road actually. Early in the morning, my grandma came to tell us that E had been born. It was a girl! S had a new little sister. We were so excited. It would be a few days before we got to meet the newest addition to our family. E would remain close to us, all these years later. Going to the cabin and claiming her very own bedroom.

The memories I have of E are all too hilarious! Her first visit to the cabin left E sleeping in a dresser drawer. We pulled the drawer out, emptied it, placed a few blankets inside, and she slept soundly through the night. Her first Christmas, her family came to visit us at the cabin. She wanted to see the snow falling. All at once, she knocked S (her older sister, 2 and 1/2 at the time) off the small step stool and into the Christmas tree. All you saw was the tree fall down, S hit the floor crying, and E proudly perched on the stool looking out the window.

A few years later, we took E and her younger sister N to the mountains for a few days. It was summer time. My mom and I decided to bake cookies with the girls. At the time they were maybe 3 and 4. We were going to make peanut butter cookies and M&M cookies. Immediately the girls were fighting about who was going to make what. E had already chosen to help my mom. My mom was making the peanut butter cookies. E was not happy at all! N was so excited to be baking with the mini M&Ms. My mom tried to show E that you get to make designs with a fork for the peanut butter cookies. She was not having it! Not even when my mom showed her how to dunk the warm cookies in sugar.

After the baking was done, and we had had dinner, the girls proudly gave grandpa a taste of their treasured cookies. We all tasted both kinds. Everyone seemed happy. They went to bed quite happy that night. Only for me to find N sitting outside their shared bedroom crying. E had thrown her out. I picked up N and took her to my room for the night. E was all too happy to have the bed to herself! :O)

I think about the things she did as a kid. They still make me smile. How many times did she button the top button of my Dad's shirt? I always remember her sitting at the kitchen table working hard at her homework. And that proud day she graduated from the 8th grade with honors.

Her life has not been easy. She had a tough start to life. At one point, we didn't think she would see her 1st birthday. E spent so much time in the PICU. She struggled with an illness for years. Her parents separation, and the fight over her and her sisters. Which ultimately ended in the separation of sisters. It has been a tough road. One in which she has overcome so very much! I am so proud of E. She is now a slimmer version of herself, much healthier I might add. She is in high school, and on the Honor Roll. E even works at a hospital. I am so very proud of the young woman that she is becoming. Now we just need to schedule a "Girls Day" to celebrate 16 wonderful years!

XOXO
♥D

It's Always a Challenge

Coming back here that is. There is so much history here. For me, for my family, with ♥D. Every time I come here, I remember. I remember the good times, and the bad times. But I try to focus on the good times. The good memories shared, a time when my family was at a happier place. I guess you could say, I long for a simplier time in my life. A time when I knew which way was up and which way was down.

It's early out. A time for me to think. To think of all of this. ♥D provides the stability in my life that I need. I cannot believe that it has been a year since I first shared this place with ♥D. It is still something I struggle with. But there is something about that tiny hand of hers when it holds so tightly to mine. I feel like I can live through this.

I don't sit and talk about these things with people. I don't usually share my thoughts about this topic either. I guess it is something I should do more. I would probably work a lot of my problems out just by discussing some of this. But ♥D understands it. And at some level, she has gone through it as well.

Although this is a mentally and emotionally difficult time for me, I know I will get through it. I have the love of ♥D and my family to help me through the quiet moments. The moments that take me back to a time that was lost and person who was taken away to early. D

I'll Be the First

To write a post. ♥D pretty much agreed to do this with me. I have been talking to her about doing something a little more "public" for a while now. You see, I am in the "public eye." To protect ♥D, we keep our relationship on the DL. But I always feel bad about that. Bad that I cannot have her by my side for work things. Bad that I cannot take her out to a nice dinner. Instead we order in a lot. Usually when it is my night to cook. We don't get to do a lot of the "typical" couple things. I just want to show her how proud I am of our relationship.

But ♥D is amazing about it. She is never upset about it. In fact, she understands. Most of the secrecy is to keep her protected from the public. Some of it, is to well, help me too. But we are working through it. Key members of my inner circle know. A few friends of hers know. That's it.

I first met ♥D when she was performing in Vegas in Dec '07. It was a trip to the City of Sin with my buddies. Finally some time off. We drank, gambled, and decided to see a show. There she was in all her glory. Singing it like no one else. All smiles, all legs, and all curves. I couldn't believe it! No. I. Could. Not. Fellas, I had to pick my jaw off the ground. Her group started to perform to the song Dangerous. I didn't know that we happened to be at the "Lucky" table that night. Man, it was good. I noticed some of my buddies checking her out. But there was something in that look of hers. Before I knew it, I was on stage and she was singing Danger. Lyrics are almost too perfect.

After the show, one of my buddies talked to the owner, AKA ♥D's boss. He was pretty pumped that we were there. He more than welcomed us back stage to meet the lovely ♥D. For as courageous and outgoing as she is onstage, she is pretty quiet and somewhat shy in person. But we hit it off. Talked for a long while. Unfortunately, I failed to get her number. I was just so taken aback by her. My buddies and I headed off on vacation, but ♥D never left my mind.

Time went by and all I could think about was ♥D. I finally grew a pair and called her boss. I knew that she played in a band. I knew the band was good, fun, and full of energy. I got the contact info and gave them a call. It was all lined up. A gig at my joint in the spring. I wanted to request a few songs. The band contact gave me ♥D's number and told me I would have to talk to her about it. Not going to lie here. I was nervous as hell. But I called her.

♥D did not believe it was me. Her exact words "Shut the hell up. Why would ____ call me?" She hung up. Did I dream up Vegas? I don't think so. I called again. This time one of her friends answer. Shut. The. Hell. Up. It. Is. J. A good friend of mine. After talking with him, he agreed to talk to ♥D. She finally agreed to talk to me. We picked right up where we had left off in Vegas. Roughly for 2 months we talked a few times a week.

The band finally came. It was April. I waited and waited for the date to come. Early that morning I fussed with clothes, couldn't get my hair right, and was jumping out of my skin. I felt like a girl. I was 4 hours early to the airport. It was like a movie when she walked out. Glorious. She was literally glowing.

From that point on, I knew I could never let her go. The band was staying at my place. But that 1st night I took ♥D out to dinner. Since then it has been a roller coaster ride. One that I am glad I got on. She puts up with me, my job, and my horrid schedule. I am one lucky guy. I learned that you will never know when your life is going to change. That trip to Vegas with my buddies forever changed my life for the better. D