Time Flies.....

RIP Pumpkin

Wow, I just realized that I haven't blogged in over a year...time flies!!

So what is new? Everything and nothing. We lost our Pumpkin, the "Little Lion" on September 9th, 2009, to renal disease. I do believe he lead us to Farley cat, also called "Far Far", on October 6th, 2009...hours before he was to be euthanized at a "kill shelter". During this time, we were hit with the H1N1/Swine Flu...and, yes, it WAS as bad as it was deemed to be. There were times I wished someone would just shoot me to get me out of my misery...obviously, this did not happen as I am still here to talk about it! I had a spiritual awakening which has, I believe, made me a better person...yes, I am "born again" but I won't be shoving religion down anyone's throat so don't go running away quite yet. I got sick of weight gained after 2 years of non-stop illnesses....if I was going to gain weight, I would rather have eaten bon bons and candy and pizza and more. I SLOWLY started an exercise program and have slowly but steadily been losing it and toning up. Bringing sexy back haha...well, maybe not but I do feel and look better. My Dad turned 91 on July 1st...what a milestone! I am Blessed he is with us but, the last year, he has declined and I've started having to take care of things for him...hiring a housekeeper, gardener and cooking meals so he doesn't eat canned soup. Believe me, I'm not complaining...I've got the best Dad ever and whatever he needs, it will get done for him. I've also seen him decline physically which pains me but he is such a trooper and never complains. His knees both him, injections didn't help nor did a cane so we got him approved for a "Jazzy"...which he got last week. He hated the idea at first but now is having fun with it...no popping any wheelies yet haha! He only will use as needed but it will help immensely at times. Saw Huey Lewis and the News at the Silver Legacy in Reno...what a fun day! Met other Hulettes from the forum for a pre-show dinner and the concert rocked!! On the way home, stopped at Boomtown and won $150...nice way to end the night! Recently, went to Monterey/Carmel for the day...I never tire of the scenic CA coast. I always come back feeling so refreshed and had a winderful dinner on Cannery Row at a restaurant called The Fish Hopper. Good food, nice atmosphere and a beautiful view of Monterey Bay.

Other than that, still fighting ailments but meeting many others online who have CFIDS, EI and Fibromyalgia...wonderful to have a support system after so many years. Still love music and am addicted to MP3 downloads...there goes the bank account. Still love taking pics with my digital camera...very amateur, I'm sure, but I enjoy the creativity of just the right shot. Still spoil the pets...Far Far and Brat Brandy, hard to believe Brandy will be 11 in one day! Still married...25 years and counting. Having a blast with watching baseball...my Giants are in the first series of playoffs, GO GIANTS. Sometimes I think life could be better...and it could. But, overall, life is really good :)

Happy 90th Birthday, Dad!

As usual I am running late, but I wanted my July 1st blog (I know, it is now July 2nd, 2009) to be dedicated to my Dad who celebrated his 90th birthday today :)

My Dad has always been a source of inspiration to me...he worked hard to keep the family going and at the same time stayed in the Army Reserves after WWII and retired as a Colonel. Because he had to go on "active duty" every summer he never was able to vacation with us but made sure we always got to go on vacation to our favorite spot, Disneyland. He lost the love of his life, my Mother, January 6th, 1984. Never a person to show alot of emotion, he ended up with an ulcer less than a year later. He has remained single but has had two special "lady friends" since then...Lois, who passed on, and Nancy whom he has known since college. He worked till he was 67 because he wanted to. He then retired but kept busy traveling and being active in many groups for retired military personnel. He has stood behind me when others didn't and has taught me the meaning of "unconditonal love".

So I celebrate his 90th birthday and realize how blessed I am :) Here's to a celebration this weekend and the American Idol concert on July 10th. Yes, he IS a fan and will be rockin' out in the 6th row with us!! Love you more than you'll ever know, Dad!! xoxo

REAL Men Wear Pink :)

Shirt given to Scott MacIntyre by his Wild Angels

Okay, the debate has gone on for many years to the question...Do REAL Men Wear Pink? Everyone has their own opinon but you are probably wondering why I've brought this up at this point in time.

I'm a fan of American Idol and during this season contestant Scott MacIntyre wore pink pants for a performance, in the picture below they look light pink but those in the studio said they were bright pink. Now, Scott didn't know he had them on as he is visually impaired and they were picked out by a stylist (Motown Week so we're guessing the stylist was going for the "retro" look). Scott was not told until 10 minutes before showtime of the color. A lesser man would have asked for a quick change into jeans, Dockers, or anything NOT pink. But Scott went out, performed and then joked for viewers to "Vote for the pink pants"...gotta love it.

He caught a lot of flak for it, some reviewers were downright cruel, but it brought the "Do Real Men Wear Pink" issue to light once again. In solidarity of Scott wearing pink, several fans on the AI Scott MacIntyre forum chipped in to buy a "Real Men Wear Pink" t-shirt and sent it to him (see the shirt above). Although he has not been spotted wearing it, his brother Todd has (we'd love a picture of that) and when Scott's church in AZ honored him he pulled out the pink shirt & pants, woot!

So, why is pink such a threat to some and draw such a negative reaction? Let's look at some published facts that show just the opposite. Pink is psychologically known to have a calming effect. It is also a color that goes with most skin tones and is easy to blend with almost any color. Men who wear pink exude confidence yet sensitivity. And, lastly, women LOVE it when men wear pink! I know I love it when my husband does :)

So...I thought I would see what male celebs I could find wearing pink. Here are a few and some may be surprising :) Let's start with Scott ~

AI's Scott MacIntyre...A "Real Man" who wore pink pants in front of millions on TV, got votes for it AND won our hearts for it :)



Elvis Presley ~ "The King" of Rock'n'Roll wore pink, 'nuff said!!

Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues...Man enough to not only wear pink BUT wear it on the cover of his "Live In San Juan Capistrano" CD. Go Justin!

Hot actor, Gale Harold, wore pink in one of this year's episodes of "Desperate Housewives"...if it is good enough for the millions that watch DH, it must be good! Gale has also been seen sporting a white suit with pink shirt/tie....he knows a good thing when he wears it :)

Now have a TRIPLE dose of Huey Lewis, Leader of rock group Huey Lewis and the News. This last year he favored wearing blue BUT he did wear a pink lei..."The Flower Of Love" haha!




Here's Huey again, looks like a retro-patterned shirt but the main color is PINK...this man exudes confidence on the stage AND in PINK, BOOYAH!





Three's a charm so here is Huey's third Pic in Pink...looks like around the era of the hit record "Sports" and he is sporting Pink Plaid. God love ya Huey! The News are having a good laugh...but not about pink :)


More rockers in Pink!! Here we have AMERICA's Gerry Beckley circa 1977 looking sexy AND sultry in pink overalls (and posing by pink flowers, too). He was HOT and he knew it...believe it or not, women STILL fantastize about the pink overalls :) How do I know...because I follow the band and have heard people ask at meet/greets if he still has them LOL. I'm not telling......

Rich Campbell, bassist for 10 years for AMERICA, followers Gerry's lead..no pink overalls but a pink shirt seen at many concerts. These rockers know what women like and give it to them...in PINK !

Aw, true love with "TomKat". Tom Cruise was up to dancing in nothing but socks, briefs and an open shirt in "Risky Business" but me thinks Katie fell for Tom's pink tie. She's a woman that knows "Real Men Wear Pink" and snagged him for herself :)

Latin hearthtrob, Antonio Banderas, not only kicked butt in such movies as "El Mariachi", "Desperado", "The Mask Of Zorro" (to name a few) but he knows what women love...PINK. Here he wears his pink plaid proudly...STRUT IT, Antonio!

Lastly, we have Gangsta Rapper/Actor/Author Ice-T & wife CoCo wearing Bright Pink...come on, if a Gangsta Rapper wears it anyone can!


Enough said and enough examples...Real Men DO Wear Pink and wear it proudly. An American Idol (and his brother), Rockers, Actors, Latin Hearthrobs, Gangsta Rappers and even "The King"of rock'n'roll love pink and wear it proud!! So any man reading this, just GO FOR IT, but don't go THIS far haha.....


NO Pink Cars, Please :)

*DISCLAIMER*...I did not take these photos, credit goes to those who did and if anyone objects to their use please contact me, thank you :)

Patches 2 Year Angel Day 6~18~2009

Beautiful Patches Sunset ~ 6/18/2007

Two years ago yesterday, we had to make the dreaded decision to put our beautiful Patches to sleep. She was suffering from dementia and ARF (Acute Renal Failure) so it was the best and most loving thing to do for her but the hardest thing for us. We had found her as a very scared stray 14 years before, someone else in the complex had sold their condo and left her behind. I will never understand the mindset of someone who can get a pet, have them spayed then just leave them behind like garbage to fend for themselves. But, if they had not left her behind, we would never have had her for those 14 years.

After love, a good diet and grooming, she was a beautiful tortoiseshell cat (offshoot of calico) with big green eyes. She was VERY territorial and would terrorize any cat that dared come near "her" home or deck. She was also a skilled huntress. She taught us that it is true that we don't "own" cats, instead we are their "servants" :) She used up most of her 9 lives and her Mommy always nursed her back to health.

We will always love and miss her. I especially miss when I am on the coomputer, in a bid for attention she would jump in my lap and "stomp" me :) She also tolerated that I would hold her like a baby and sing to her at bedtime...only because she would get treats afterward. Much love to my "booty cat"....you earned your wings, fly free and high Patches!

Love & Light ~ Mommy

Monterey in May :)

Wild California Poppies at Pebble Beach Golf Course

In May we had an early heat wave and since it was near my birthday what better excuse to getaway to the Monterey Peninsula. It is one of my favorite places on earth...Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and Lover's Point. Of course, I also love Carmel which is just a short ride away.

We did not stay away as long as I had hoped but it was simply gogeous and refreshing while we were there. I've always enjoyed photography so while there I tried to get in a few good shots. Love my Kodak Easy Share with 10x optical zoom! That being said, I am an amateur..I've never had any sort of lessons. But I snap away and love scenery shots...I definitely prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it (although, I did do some modeling in my younger day). Here are a few, hope anyone viewing enjoy them. I really do have to get to the Monterey Peninsula more often.

Love & Light ~ Wild Angel Joy


Simply Gorgeous & Serene...

Love This Path...And I Wish I Had One Of Those Homes...

A Little Gondola at Lover's Point Beach...

Lone Sea Gull at Lover's Point...

Sea Gulls, Rocks and the beautiful Montery Bay at Lover's Point...

Little Gray Squirrel at Lover's Point...

Sunrise over Monterey Bay at Lover's Point...

Point Pinos Lighthouse at Pebble Beach Golf Course...

Momma Goose & Baby at Pebble Peach Golf Course...

Carmel Beach

Deer are abundant and fairly friendly...

RIP Watson Sunrise 5/24/2002 ~ 6/14/2009

Maybe now I know why Angel was on my mind so much yesterday, my dear friend Riccardo (Richard) emailed me with news that Watson had passed. Watson was his beloved kitty, last of a trio (RIP Mutch & Otius) much like my Pumpkin is the last of a trio (RIP Taffy & Patches). Watson had taken ill suddenly and had been ill less than a week. I couldn't stop crying after I read his email, I know the hurt of losing a beloved companion. Anyone who says "It was just a dog" or "It was just a cat" I feel sorry for....they don't know the meaning of unconditional love. I will probably write another blog tonight, but I wanted to dedicate this one to Riccardo & Watson...

R.I.P. Watson Sunrise 05/24/2002 ~ Sunset 06/14/2009

My First Blog

My first blog...now what to write :)

As it is late, I will keep it short. I've been thinking about, and missing, my late mini-Dachshund Angel although she passed in 1999. We had a bond that even death cannot break and so I dedicate this blog to her. My love, soul mate in canine form, companion, "Sweetie Pie"...you showed me unconditional love, when it is my time be waiting for me at The Rainbow Bridge. Heaven (if I make it) wouldn't be heaven without you :)

Love & Light ~ Mama.Wild Angel Joy