Jennifer Apodaca's Blog, page 53
April 10, 2022
Weekend Roundup
Hm, there’s not much to roundup this weekend. The highlight was that we went out to oldest son’s house for hamburgers Saturday evening. We played with Turbo (of course!) and hung out with CPA Boy and Special K. It was a nice kickback evening. Turbo and I had a big adventure going behind a shed in their back yard. This is NOT a place I wanted to go. It’s basically a narrow, dirt strip between the shed and the fence. But Turbo said, “Grandma Jen, please?” Then he held my hand.
Being the brave and fierce grandma, I battled the snakes and spiders slithering around in my imagination, and went with him. There in his secret tunnel we discovered a magical kumquat tree (branches hung over from a neighbors yard), and guess what? Grandma Jen was actually tall enough to pick the fruit! Turbo was impressed and excited to get two paper cups full of his treasure.
Nor did we die from the imaginary snakes and spiders in my head.
FYI, Wizard knew what I was thinking though and made smirky faces at me behind Turbo’s back. Which is why I ate a cupcake when he was playing with Turbo and didn’t tell him about it until we were driving home. Teach him to smirk face me 
I will get revenge with baked goods.
Also, four year olds are awesome! It’s so easy to make anything a fun adventure.
The rest of the weekend was unremarkable. How was yours?
The post Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.
April 7, 2022
Friday Five
TGIF! Friday keeps showing up like a regularly scheduled thing Time it share five random things about our week. Here’s mine:
I will read more books by this author.Yesterday was a Maggie Marathon. She had her vet appointment in the morning (to prevent another abscess). She’s so vocal at the vets, talking to everyone while half scared and half loving people. She also met her newest boyfriend there, I think his name was Monroe. If was a bulldog, and the only dog I’ve let her meet on leash in a vets office. In general, that’s too high stress an environment, but this dude walked in totally chill and casually ambled close enough for the two of them to sniff. She was thrilled. Later that day Maggie went to her groomers for a bath and a puppy pedicure. Which meant two car rides in one day, life just doesn’t get any better for Maggie May By the way, did you know that Maggie’s initials are MMA (as in Mixed Martial Arts)? That’s hilarious because she’s such a submissive little scaredy cat of a dog. She crashed and slept after she got home!I ordered a summer dress from Amazon that actually fit. I’ve been looking for clothes with a bit more coverage and comfort, and I think I’m going to like this one. Now I’m on a roll, and ordered three pairs of sandals from a department store, hoping that one or two actually fit comfortably. I have super comfortable flip flops but I wanted something one degree nicer but still comfortable. It’s hard to tell by pictures, but even harder to drive to store after store and find nothing since stores carry barely any stock these days.We are tentatively planning to see Turbo this weekend, and next week is supposed to bring some cooler weather. We’ve had to run the air conditioning here the last two days.So that’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours! Hope everyone has a happy and healthy weekend!
The post Friday Five first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.April 5, 2022
Don’t Blog the Crime or You’ll Do the Time!
I just saw an article about a romance author on trial for the murder of her husband. The article related that the judge in her case had ruled that her blog titled, “How to Murder Your Husband” could not introduced in the trial. (Link to the article here).
I swear, we just can’t make this stuff up. I mean if we write a story with a killer who wrote a blog about how to kill first — we’d get reviews saying no one is that stupid.
Real life can be weirder than fiction.
Now I don’t know if this author is truly guilty, but that headline sure grabbed my attention. And here’s why: We don’t see our own flaws and often can’t even recognize our own mistakes, like blogging about a murder then actually doing it. But we can sure see those mistakes in others! And we can often see them more clearly in fictional characters as they live out their lives on the pages. I could actually write a villain that’s so arrogant, he or she’d be sure they could convince the jury that they would never write a blog like that if they were going to kill their spouse, and therefore he or she had to be innocent. They’d be convincing too, and even the reader would wonder…was that true? Were the police and D.A. wrong?
Or was that person truly a killer that thought he was smarter than everyone else? The reader would hopefully begin to see how that killer is manipulating other’s emotions and influencing their thinking and ultimately their decision.
That’s what makes fiction so compelling; we can mirror both the good and the bad of mankind. We can show how rational people are swayed by con artists and killers, or how the day is saved by a smarter and more prepared prosecutor or maybe an average juror who rises to the challenge of sticking to the facts. We can show it all, and because it’s fiction, readers will follow along without the defensiveness and preconceived ideas that often comes into play in real people. Or in a romance, we can show the power of love even to the skeptic if the story is compelling enough.
I love fiction. I like nonfiction too. But the power of story can transcend our defenses to teach us so many things about ourselves and those around us.
Circling back to the original point of this article, if I ever had a criminal intent, I sure hope I’m smart enough not to write a blog about it first, LOL! But I might write a character who does…because fictional characters can be as fascinating and flawed as real people!
The post Don’t Blog the Crime or You’ll Do the Time! first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.April 3, 2022
Weekend Roundup
To sum up, it was a dreary weekend, both in weather and just stuff. Plus I’m cranky cause I can’t do yoga. I normally do power Vinyasa yoga about four times a week (sometimes three), to give my joints and muscles time to rest between practices. But I must have pushed a little too hard in the last couple weeks, causing RA and Age gang up on me and register a formal complain that’s annoyingly painful. Right now it’s in my neck, spine, left elbow and hips. Nothing is seriously wrong, but for the time being I’m sticking to some light walking until the complaints dial down to a mummer. I love yoga, can you tell??? Not doing it is adding to the dreary feeling.
Moving on, I made Wizard a thick rich cheesecake and hope it came out okay. Since I haven’t made this recipe before, it’s hard for me to tell if it’s done or overdone. I guess we’ll find out today, LOL. Then because I’m know he loves strawberry cheesecake, I decided to making a strawberry glaze topping late yesterday afternoon. He was so happy when he came home and found out!
The Walking Wino’s group didn’t quite work out for me this time. I guess the main coordinator is on vacation, so the backup chose a winery that is not at a vineyard but rather, in a tourist spot. I made an attempt to go anyway just to meet people, but I couldn’t find a parking spot. Very frustrating! And since this was a tourist spot with lots of drinking, I decided not to risk park a few blocks away and walk alone to the meetup winery. But I’ll try again next month! They have other walks, but those are located at lakes and parks, and I’d like to meet the people in a public place first before I go to the other locations. I believe women going to these places alone should use some common sense caution.
One good thing about this weekend is I found myself thinking about book ideas Just thinking about it is a good step for me.
Finally, today should be a very good day because it’s Wizard’s birthday! We’re going out to breakfast, making his favorite ribs for dinner and having cheesecake with strawberry glaze and whipped cream! Not a bad way to start the week
So how was your weekend?
The post Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.March 31, 2022
Friday Five
TGIF! Where do the weeks go? It feels like it’s Monday and I have the whole week in front of me, then I blink and it’s Friday. Anyhow, it’s time to share five random things about our week. Here’s mine:
Maggie is slowing down just a tad. She still loves going on walks, but she’s wearing out a bit faster. If we’re doing a second walk in the day (if it’s a nice, not too hot day) I probably go close to a couple miles. By the time we get home, she’s begging to go inside. She recover find after she drinks water and rests a bit. I’m mentioning this more as a reminder to myself to make sure I don’t push her too much as the weather warms up. Dogs can and do have heat stroke. But an hour after our second walk, she was running around the back yard chasing two randy pigeons off the fence, so clearly she was fine! By the way, she was very proud that she ran those pigeons off. They were really, um, amorous.Oldest sent us a video of Turbo writing his name on a white board. Then he had his dad spell out “dad”, “mom” and my name, “Jen” so he could write them. I think he wrote Wizard’s name too after the video ended. It was so danged cute! He knew all the letters, except “n” for Jen. But daddy showed him, and he did it. I love how excited he is to learn and try things. Writing words when he just turned four is cool, but much more important thing is being willing to try and learn.Yesterday I bought a few herbs, and planted them. Keeping in mind that we’re likely moving in late summer, I only got four plants: Basil, Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano. I have these herbs right outside my door off the kitchen so it’s very convenient.Wizard’s birthday is next week and he wants “a real cheesecake.” He means homemade, lol. I will happily do that for him. I had to order a new springform pan. It was delivered yesterday, and Wizard was excited when he saw it
I hope the cheesecake turns out well. I’ll make it Sunday or Monday.If it works out on Sunday, I’m going to try this walking group that I found. Wait until you hear their name: The Walking Winos. ROTFL!!!! The meetup this weekend is at a winery where they’ll do a walk through the vineyards (I think) then a wine tasting. Since I’ll be driving, I won’t be wine tasting, but this sounds like it could be fun. It’s worth a try to see if I’m a good fit. But at the same time, my plans are a little fluid this weekend due to birthday stuff, so we’ll see if I can make it.That’s my week, now it’s your turn to share! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
The post Friday Five first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.March 29, 2022
So Many Questions About The Slap Heard Around The World
NOTE: If you don’t know what happened, here’s a link but be warned there’s bad language. Because we live in a world full of judgements, let me be clear, I’m NOT making fun of autoimmune diseases. I have lived with RA for two decades and generally I don’t laugh at sick people. But human behavior? I will laugh or wield sarcasm so I don’t cry in despair.
So onto my questions about or related to The Slap:
Why wasn’t Will Smith removed from the stage at the Academy Awards by security after the slap heard around the world?
Where the heck was security?
Was security even there?
Is slapping only wrong if the slapper or slappee isn’t famous?
Do two wrongs make a right now? Or not? I feel like a really need clarity on this point, because my mom insisted two wrongs did not make a right. If she was wrong, I need to know that before I see her again in the afterlife because I want to tell her she was wrong. Wait, oh crap, I think I taught my kids the same thing. What if I was wrong and they find out???? I’ll never hear the end of it. I’ll never live it down!
How am I supposed to take Will Smith seriously as an actor when his solution to a cruel joke is a slap in front of millions of viewers?
And exactly what kind of jokes did The Academy, the rest of the entertainment industry and viewers, expect from Chris Rock? I mean he isn’t known for dad jokes or knock knock jokes, right? I didn’t watch the awards because I had zero interest, but I got a news alert on my phone about the incident. (And sadly, I clicked on the replay, so I’m part of the problem, I guess.)
Which brings me to another question: What is happening in this ridiculous world when that’s the breaking news alert on my phone when there are real problems happening daily? Women are murdered by husbands, children are abused and killed by parents, scammers are stealing retirees life savings, and oh yeah, there’s a dangerous war happening…but I get breaking freaking news about two children dressed in suits playing grown ups on TV. One mouths off, the other one slaps and I’m supposed to care…why?
Was this event staged for attention because the only way to get coveted recognition for overblown egos in a world inundated by desperate people vying for notice is to be outrageous rather than good at something, or you know, just a decent, respectful, and kind person?
I just have so many questions. How about you?
The post So Many Questions About The Slap Heard Around The World first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.March 27, 2022
Weekend Roundup
Saturday, we took Maggie with us and went to our lot. They’re doing rough plumbing, so they have pipes laid and sticking up in key places, and board outlining the house around piles of dirt. This was a bit of a reality check for us. We knew intellectually that we are downsizing our outdoor space significantly.
But knowing it is one thing, seeing it is a stark reality check. I remember the same mental adjustment when we moved into our current home which has about half the backyard of our first home. In the new house, adding the sunroom and patio cover really reduced the already small yard we would have had, but they are a better use of space for us. Like I said, we chose this lot knowing all this. And the good news is that there won’t be any homes build behind us, and the house on either side of us are terraced which gives us more privacy.
Maggie was interesting when we were walking around the lot with Wizard. She’s used to walking all over with me, but she was anxious when we went specifically to out lot. At the time, I assumed it was because she didn’t know how to navigate the open trenches and around the piles and piles of dirt. I led her safely from the front to the back and returned to the front again, and she was better but not totally relaxed. Then on a walk yesterday, we went up to the house from the back side and crossed onto the lot. She effortlessly followed the same path I’d showed her to the front with full confidence. So either she was just unsure the day before, or she was misreading Wizard’s intense concentration as anxiety while he was walking through determining each room and layout. I suspect it was a little of both. It’s be so cool if they could just tell us their worries so we could help them But it’s my job to figure it out.
Otherwise, the weekend was just a weekend. The highlights were a long walk with Maggie and stopping by youngest and his wife’s house to visit for a short time. I got to play with my grand dog Phoebe as a bonus. You guys had to see her work out what to do with her beloved ball when I offered her a carrot (she loves carrots). She finally chose to put the ball down, but her golden retriever brain had to ponder the impossible choice for a few seconds, LOL. She’s such a character and I adore her.
So that’s my weekend, how was yours?
The post Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.March 24, 2022
Friday Five
TGIF! Time to share five random things about our week.
Dang it’s hot here. The birds have been loving it, chirping a cheerful song from early in the morning and throughout the day. Maggie’s been enjoying her favorite hobby of chasing lizards. But we’re supposed to get some desperately rain next week.We are all up to date (at the moment) on all the design upgrades and signing docs for our house. They “broke ground” on our lot this week.We bought a new desk chair. It sounds boring, but our old chair was shredding, and both of us were picking up pieces of vinyl between vacuuming every danged day. I don’t know why we let the chair get so bad, but we finally went to Staples to buy a new one, and paid a few extra bucks to have it assembled. Wizard can and does usually do that, but he’s been doing so much on our landscaping (normal stuff he does every year at this time) that I made an executive decision before he could even answer the guy. Totally worth it.I’ve been looking for a new desk. I have a huge oak desk that I have treasured for decades. We bought this whole oak set– desk, credenza, filing cabinet and two oak bookcases customized with cupboard doors on the third with my very first advance. But it’s time to downsize, so I’m looking for a desk and it’s not going well. I want to find a desk so I can figure out if we’ll keep the bookshelves and filing cabinet (maybe sand and paint) or I can sell it all as a set. There’s no rush, but even if for some reason we stay here, we will downsize the desk to fit our current lifestyle. On the other hand, nothing has to be done. We could always move the bookshelves and filing cabinet, and use a card table until we find something.Yesterday I helped Wizard buy bags of mulch then we spread it in the back planter. Maggie thought that was great fun. In fact, I’d gone in the house to put a roast in the crock pot real quick before helping in the spreading part, and when I came out, I found Maggie curled up outside the door waiting for me with her very own chunk of mulch by her. It didn’t look as if she’d chewed on it, so I guess she was just curious and brought it over to her spot. Maggie isn’t one to carry things around (except lizards or feathers from dead birds, LOL), so I’m always surprised when she does. She’s such an easy dog.That’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours! I hope everyone has a great weekend!
The post Friday Five first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.March 22, 2022
The Romantic Bed and Breakfast
I just read a cute little romance where the heroine inherited a bed and breakfast on the beach in California. She’s thrilled, this is the answer to her lousy jobs, crappy ex fiancé and aimless life.
And I’m over here going: Who in their right mind dreams of running a bed and breakfast that requires daily cleaning and dealing with customers????? And how is a bed and breakfast romantic? I’m not drawn to it even as a guest as it feels like I’m a guest in someone’s home rather than a paying customer in a hotel with a certain expectation of privacy and boundaries. That’s probably because I’ve never stayed in one and therefore could be simple ignorance on my part.
For the record, I’m all for inheriting a beach house! If I have any unknown relatives living in a beach house looking to pass it on soon, I’m wilding waving my hand. Unless it’s a bed and breakfast that I have to manage, then I’ll politely pass
That’s just me, though. I know lots of people have this romantic idea of a bed and breakfast. I see this whole “heroine inherits a bed and breakfast” set up a lot in romances (or it feels like a lot to me) and I usually mentally roll my eyes because I consider it hard work, not romantic. But I have to admit, this book sucked me in anyway. I actually wanted to go to the character’s beach house bed and breakfast for a writer’s retreat or something like that, LOL.
Of course it’d help if I was actually writing, but I digress.
The point is that the idea of owning and running a bed and breakfast is a major NO for me. I’ll read and enjoy the story in a romance, but I’m not going down that road in real life. What about you guys? Would you ever be interesting in running a bed and breakfast? And/or do you find bed and breakfast lodgings romantic to stay in?
The post The Romantic Bed and Breakfast first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.March 20, 2022
Weekend Roundup
Good weekend!
Friday, Wizard and I went to lunch. It sounds like a small thing, but we realized we hadn’t been doing that with each other lately. It was nice and we talked about doing a wine tasting weekend soon. It doesn’t matter if we actually do it as soon as we hope, what matters is taking a little time out of our day for each other and making plans future together aside from the house or around the kids/grandkid.
Saturday I worked on the cake for Turbo, and I made some non-dairy cookies for Youngest. I don’t have to make anything extra for Youngest, he’d have been fine. I do it because he seems to appreciate it so much. Plus those cookies are pretty easy, I made the dough on Friday, put it in the fridge, and baked them Saturday when I was done with the cake.
Here’s the cake designed exactly as Turbo asked:
He really liked the cake! He ate Marshalls leg, a chocolate paw print and reasonably small piece of cake I was thrilled. It was a homemade chocolate cake with a cookies and cream filling. Turbo loves both chocolate and cookies and cream I was also thrilled because it’s the first time middle son and his wife had seen any of my cakes in person, and they were surprised. Middle knew I was doing this stuff, but he said, “Seeing it in person is a lot more impressive.” I was honestly and happily surprised at their reaction. But mostly I was happy that Turbo was happy
As always, it’s nice to be with family.
How was your weekend?
The post Weekend Roundup first appeared on Jennifer Lyon.Jennifer Apodaca's Blog
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