A Message of Hope.

I got an unexpected email today from a stranger that touched me.  Her name is Heather, and she is a cancer survivor of mesothelioma who at the time of her diagnosis had a newborn.  Now, 7 years later she is using her experience to share to the world a message of hope.

Please join me today and take a few moments to watch her story.  It is one that shows us all that love, hope and a strong can do remarkable things.  I am encouraged and inspired by this woman who shines like the brightest light.

I hope it helps your own light burn a little more today.  Life is beautiful!

Thank you Heather.

WATCH IT HERE

New Wine Faves 2013

A couple of weeks ago we had wine festival here in Montrose, CO.  I discovered some amazing wines.  They have this really cool app that you can add to your phone and then just scan the barcode in front of the wine that you liked.  It stores all the info and the label photo.  Then all I had to do was to take my phone to the liquor store and ask for an attendant to help me.

I don't know if you have ever been to a grand wine tasting but it can get pretty crazy.  At the beginning everyone is somewhat coherent and then by the end people are pretty much wasted!  I decided that this year I was going to actually taste the wines & find some new ones & remember them!!  It was so funny because on the way there my father in law gave us a ride and Andy's aunt said that the ride home was going to be a much different trip.  Hahaha, And that it was!

Andy and I towards the end of the grand tasting.  Smiling and Happy :)

Here is my favorite Red:

Villa Antinori Toscana Italy

It is smooth and easy to drink.  It is a tad spicy and rich but the mellowness makes it easy to drink just by itself.  It is also easy to pair with meals too.  The price is good around $20.00 a bottle.


My favorite White:

La Cappuccina Basaltic Sauvignon Italy

This is an organic wine from Italy.  I loved how much flavor and boldness it has without being too dry or too sweet.  It's a good porch wine but also very versatile when pairing with food.  It also was crisp and a great value at $15 a bottle.


Here are the other favorites of mine.  Also, the Toffoli Prosecco Valdabbiadene was amazing!!  I kept coming for more.

Montrose Wine Festival Favorites 2013

Ankle Strap Sandals under $50

The ankle strap sandal is the latest trend these days.  I have been looking for just the right pair for me.  Ones that aren't too pricey, versatile, classy, unique and comfortable.  I don't usually go for the ankle strap choice because they are a pain in the butt to get on.  I actually have to sit down and finagle with them.  And who has time for that with three kids?  But, alas, fashion wins!!

Here are Marmie's picks:

Rocket Dog $39.95

Sole Society Sandra 2.0 $49.95

Zara $49.90

Modcloth Sweet Soiree $49.99

Zara Studded Flat $49.90

Yesstyle Smoothie $27.00

Mossimo at Target $16.99

Director of Memories

Just a thought that I wanted to share with you and see what you think about it.  Eckhart Tolle writes about memories and how we have the ability to control them.  I really think it is a fascinating look into the way our minds work.

Envision your mind as a video store.  Think about a memory as a movie on a shelf in your "store".  You have the ability to control what movie you choose to watch in your head.  If you don't like what you are watching then just change the channel.

It sounds kind of weird but try it!

Eckart says to experiment with actually pressing the Stop/Pause button, Rewind or Fast Forward button when viewing your memory.  You can actually visualize your memory as a video that you are in control of.

When I tried this with my memories, it was so empowering to me.  You can get so bogged down in memories that I think sometimes they distract you from the present.  Being able to do this video imaging to your memory allows you to give the memory less power to your consciousness or your present self.  I also think that you could even add silly things to some memories to show yourself how they can be distorted.

Ultimately, this tool shows you that YOU are in CONTROL of your own thoughts.  We all have the ability to change them.

Just press the stop button and live in the present moment.  You have the power over your own mind.  How cool is that?

Source

Strawberries with Sour Cream & Brown Sugar

Source

Strawberries are in season right now and you can get oodles of them for super cheap!  Ever since I was a kid, I loved having them with sour cream and brown sugar.  The combination is so simple and oh so good.  We also substitute sour cream for plain yogurt too.

It's super simple.  Just dip in the cream and then dip in the brown sugar.  Or you could stir the two together to have one dip only.

I hope you guys enjoy this treat as much as our family does.  We can go through an entire package of strawberries this way in just one sitting!

I have always loved these pictures of my girls with some strawberries.  Circa Spring 2010.

Licor 43. A Spanish Milk Cocktail

My mother in law came back from Puerto Rico with a new cocktail.  And she doesn't even drink!  It is so delicious and so unique.  It contains a liquor called Licor 43.  It is an aromatic vanilla type liquor from Spain that dates back long long ago.

I have been trying to look up the official recipe and name for her concoction but the closest I have found is Spanish Milk or Mother's Milk.  Other drinks with Licor 43 has coffee or chocolate in them.

I am going to call this Spanish Milk.  It tastes like an alcoholic horchata.  It is the perfect after dinner drink.


Spanish Milk

Licor 43
Milk or Half n Half
Cinnamon

I don't really have exact measurements here.  It just depends on your glass size :)  But I use an old-fashioned size cup.  I put one part Licor 43 to two parts milk over ice.  Then dust the top with ground cinnamon.


Enjoy!!

Espalier Fruit Trees. Spring Pruning

Several weeks ago we heavily pruned our fruit trees to train it to grow in an espalier fashion. We have a limited space on the side of our house that is the perfect spot for a wall of fruit. The cherry and peach tree are 3 years old which is the perfect time to cut them back since their roots are well established. The plum tree was planted last year so I am hoping the trim won't shock it too much. I am confident that it will be fine if it is given lots of love this summer. The time to prune your fruit trees is in March in Colorado - right before it starts to bud & bloom.

Andy was very nervous about cutting the trees back so severely but I promised him that they would put out lots of new growth this year. This year we will definitely suffer a loss of fruit but it will be worth it after a couple of years. We had to really cut a lot off to train it to grow in a two dimensional plane.

Please see my last post on all the info you need to learn how to espalier.

Over the summer I will continuously prune & train the trees. Don't forget to water and fertilize your trees!

Here is a picture of them last summer before they were trimmed up.

Here are what they look like now after a hefty haircut.