insomnia - it's a bitch -

yep, no matter how much xanax, food, self loathing, boring tv, -- nuthin is helping me sleep lately.

it's no fun.  none at all.  it's always the same- lay down near 9 pm. or soon after - down some meds, maybe have a snack, play words with friends, turn on lame late night tv... yet still, no sleep.  just my head spins in into buttah. and i remain sleepless.

yeh, that's a laugh, much easier said than done.

but, i do love it - and really am way past overdue in gettin  it hung on my wall.  soon. very soon.

among other things that i manage to put off until a million other unyielding tasks.  that either never get started/ finished/ or put off until a million tomorrows.

BUT i do maintain my priorities - until i til i forget the order in which they are to be accomplished.

number one - tomorrow - bright and early - soulkid has an early appointment for all 4 wisdom teeth to be be pulled.  fun fun.  i can't put this off one more day. as her 18th birthday is on 3/9.  which is also the day that her health insurance will be torn away from us.  oh the joy of it all.

i am only hoping that her teeth and mouth will be all healed up in time to sing, for the x-factor thing on march 22. nothing can stop her !

ok guys -- i'm finally feeling the tired - better jump on that on -- before it pulls out of the station...

damn i'm tiahd folks.

hoping y'all sleep like some babies todays.

i hope to talk to yall tomorrow -

soul out - for now

latah 

g'nite all

hugs yall-

New Photo Challenge Post - a few of my favorite things

i'm happy that the photo challenge is back in full swing.  this in itself is a favorite thing. also - hard to keep on top of.  i'm gettin better tho.  still a little late tho.  i'll get better - soon as life slows down.

as for now?  the challenge is ' a few of my favorite things'  - i think most of my regular peeps know most of them .. but have a look anyhow.  when the weather gets nicer , i'll be hopefully getting out more and taking more 'fresh' photos.  as for now, i'm pretty much into my archives .

here they are - in no particular order -

above - is me and my soul sis - 

a fave of mine is meeting face to face with blog friends!

try it sometime!

above is my knucklehead kitties playin peek-a-boo !

i have two dogs and one more cat - but no good pics i could find fast enough of them.

yup my pets are another of my favorite things

no explanation required here - is there?

this obviously should have been on TOP!

my hubby and my soulkid

this was at last years X-FACTOR auditions (Galveston, TX)

remember that face - she's changed a bit -- she will be 18 on 3/9 !

sooo weird.  but she will always be my baby girl.

y'all pray for her to be confident, in the Austin auditions, please. the girl has a voice like no other.  born natural talent.  last year she got through all the auditions - four or five of them.. just not the final one that would have got to the 'main judges - simon cowell, etc.  she has the voice for it -- it's just her main stage for practicing is the shower !  she has improved a lot since last year -- and they did tell her to come back this year.  

overall guys?  soulkid is my favorite thing.

happy saturday !

i shall be cruisin your photos soon.

soul mess

ola folks -

what's happenin in your worlds these days?  i would like to say the same ole 'not much in mine' - but i'd be lieing.  it's about all i can do to not cry 24-7 these days.  i try to be tough ole soul and hold it in - when that fails - i get in the tub -- for about an hour - or more and just get wet with the rest of me. in an attempt to fool even myself.  i'm a mess.  i know i shouldn't be.  i guess i just can't help it anymore.  the worst part?  nothing is going on that hasn't gone on before in my life.  i guess it's all happening at once this time.
well, the new thing is that i have learned that my husband is not invincible.  i have never been faced with him having health problems.  until now. everything is borderline.  but it is all very serious.  recently, we have learned that he is 'pre-diabetic'.   i reckon it can be 'postponed - or reversed. by diet and exercise.  but since it does run in his family - i am very concerned as to his pre disposition, and current 'condition'. it just may be inevitable for him.  that 'diagnosis - plus his recent EKG - showing a 'possible - 'blockage -  the reality that he might become ill at some point - rocked my world.
he had a 'stress test ' this morning -  the initial report - came back 'ok'.  but i'm not feeling so steady yet with that.  we still have to wait for the final report . 
then there's his 'foot'.  i mentioned that he had surgery on his foot a while ago.  the worst part of that was he accidentally bumped the dishwasher only days after the surgery- and the 'pin' got bent, and had to come out weeks sooner than planned.  well- now - he has to have the surgery repeated .  very soon, and this time- because it didn't heal properly - even worse than planned .. it will be SIX weeks NO weight bearing on his foot !  that is gonna be a major issue with work -- and everything else.  the date isn't set yet for surgery -- but it is inevitable - and must be done ASAP, due to vacation plans and other things we have going on.
all this -- and we are in the worse financial situation we have been in since i can't even remember.
BUT --- here comes some GOOD news !!!!!
you ready ?  (it is stressful for me - due to my level of pain - but we all know i can handle that - even tho i'm worried to death of it--- BUT

the soulkid is going back to audition for x-factor !!!!  yup it's all planned out and reservations are made for her and i to go to austin in march for her to try again !!!!  i have no doubt that she will make it this time! last year i watched the show and i was so mad that they had such bad people on that show -- she is so much better than that .  my faith in her is over the top !
my faith in me?  has me in tears.  i am afraid i will embarrass her in some way.  i think i will need some sort of walking aid.  a push walker- with a seat, or a wheelchair - maybe even a electric scooter.  i so hate the idea.  i just can't do the lines etc.  i cannot stand up that long.  and i hate that - for her.  i 'look' perfectly fine.  but i'm not.  i tried to talk to her about all of this today .  her reply was ' if your this worried i would rather go alone'  wow.

i'm just a mess.

but that's why ya haven't heard from me -- lots goin on.. but not much to say really -- without sounding like a mess.



i just wanna be normal --
i wanna go out to lunch --

delight your sick valentine with this yummy dinner

yes, i know - i'm late in posting -- again.  but here i am.. with my sick hubby valentine dinner i made for soulman.  i guess we've been blessed all these past years, because all i can remember eating on valentines day has been big fat rib eye steaks ! my all time fave . weather it be at home on the grill , or out in a nice restaurant,  that's one thing i can always count on for our valentines dinner.  until this one.  hubby had some kind of somethin goin on, and was sick sick sick.  not only for valentines day -- but for many days.  so, on  valentines  day i was left wondering ' what does one do with a sick valentine' ?  well - chicken soup for the soul , right? hmmm.. ok - but not just any soup will do for valentine's day.  so, i went on the hunt -- and found the perfect soup for my sick valentine...  tortellini chicken soup ! and for dessert? well, i winged it ..  we had some 'stuff .. and i ended up turning it in to - a 'sweet valentine treat for a sick man tummy'.  all went over well, and it was actually good, and not bland sick food. it was fresh, pretty, and very tasty.
want to see it?

here we have the chicken tortellini soup- with fresh veggies

here is vanilla bean ice cream, strawberry slices, a rice crispy treat, covered in melted chocolate

it was much appreciated -- and beat the hell out of caned chicken noodle!

i used this recipe --- 

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/california-chicken-soup/detail.aspx

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/california-chicken-soup/detail.aspx

California Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 2 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 dash garlic salt
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 (9 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring the broth and water to a boil in a large pot, and mix in chicken, onion, and carrots. Season with lemon pepper, oregano, and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 25 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.
2. Stir the broccoli into the pot, and cook 10 minutes. Stir in the tortellini, and continue cooking 10 minutes, or until tortellini is al dente. Mix in the Paremsan cheese just before serving.

 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

but of course i tweaked the seasoning - and used a lot more. -- it was a lot better than some of the reviews show on the original recipe. - most saying it was bland.. i used

 'refrigerated 3 cheese tortellini' - nevre al dente - that is raw to me -- i cook my pasta , also i used 'powdered chicken bouillon', used a bit more spice than called for, added lemon juice,and  rather than dried oregano i used fresh basil.

it was a hit !!!  and i must say -- i had some for lunch today -- and it's even better the second time around!!!

so -- a sick valentine - doesn't mean no valentine

Happy valentines day to my soul peeps

I couldn't think of anything to write for today, without getting sappy, in a way to remind y'all that even though you don't see me much - you all have your place in my soul

Happy valentines day!!! I hope it's a special one for all of you!
If it's not- just think like i do... It's really just another day :))

Ok, it's whatever you want it to be. For me, it never meant to much, but we usually make it ' whatever we want it to be' - even after 20 years. As for this one? Hubby is sick, and i'm playin nurse - hmmmm chicken soup by candle light ?

aawwww

Photo Challenge Post - Memories -

howdy folks -
as usual, i'm late getting my post up .  i just can't remember anything these days .  not that it's a new problem.  it is a problem though.  i didn't remember it was time for this, even though i had been looking forward to it for a few weeks.  do you think i was prepared early? nope.  maybe next time. ok.. for sure next time.

moving on to the photos - the topic for this challenge is 'Memories' , and after sifting through many  photos,  and favorites, i have got it down to a handful.  not an easy task for a picture taking fool, such as myself.

 here we have my two most loved dogs of my life.

"Midnight, and Chicklet"

 i took this pic on a overnite concert trip with soukid-

when we lived in NM, she was obviously thrilled to go to her first 'Big concert'

'Fall out boy'

daddy daughter fishin smiles :))

one of my favorite photos ever of them together

we lived in KS, and this was a FUN camping trip

a very relaxed and even sexy soulman :))

(he woulda been in jeans - but he just had hernia surgery)

another fave -- just the kid havin fun and bein silly 

thanks for stopping by - i'll be around your places soon to see what your favorite memories are