Close Fortune

“The one you love is closer than you think.”

I am pretty sure that the one I love is pretty darn close…I have three kiddos that are my world, a wonderful hubby that supports me (and all my craziness) and a devoted dog.

How much closer can the one(s) I love get?

I always tell me kiddos, “I am always with you, no matter where you are I am there – in your heart, in your mind.” I tell them that they are always with me, that I am always thinking about them and they are in my heart.

The ones you love are always closer than you think. Even if you are across the country (I keep telling myself that as I prepare to send my son to college), even if the person you love has left this life – they are closer than you think. I don’t just say that to comfort myself or to comfort anyone else, I trust that God’s here with me and that my loved ones are, too.

If you have faith (and really even if you don’t), they are there.

This is going to be a short post, it’s been a long week dealing with work issues, some health issues (I have fibromyalgia and have been in a flare up), and my BABY turning FIVE. I will be spending tomorrow catching up on my reading and hopefully get a couple of book blurbs in, possibly mixed with Fortunes – that is SO much fun to do.

I hope that you all have had a good week – anything special you want to share, anything you would like to see from me?

Next week will prove to be a crazy week as well…but, hopefully I can get my Yoga in as I need to and work on taking better care of myself!

Live, Laugh, Love~

Vanilla Mama

Feeling Lucky? 16, 19, 25, 29, 30, 40…if you feel lucky, share!

Worthy Fortune

“Past experience: He who never makes mistakes never did anything that’s worthy.”

Boy, I have made some mistakes in my life!

What have I learned? Never, Never believe the color that is on the box (esp. when you buy it on clearance it Kroger), never drink cheap wine…never do them both at the same time! There is nothing worse than a hangover with orange hair.

I have made worse mistakes to be sure, but most of them I am not willing to share in open company. But, what I will tell you is that from these mistakes I have grown as a person.

There is no better teacher than experience, sure there is a lot you can learn from books…but, unless that book hits you upside the head and takes you down a notch will it actually help you move forward in your life?

Maybe…maybe not. Same can be said for making a mistake, can you learn from a mistake? Maybe…maybe not.

It depends on if you are open to even admitting that you’ve made one.  

Accepting responsibility for a mistake is something that has become as rare as a day without a reality tv show in the primetime lineup. To grow, to move forward, to do something worthy after a mistake requires that atypical step of taking the blame…and the consequences.

Past experience, something worthy?

I will say that my past experience has brought me here…I have three wonderful children, a wonderful hubby, a great job and I am writing this blog…is it worthy, I hope so! I am a product of everything I have done, and all that I have been through…so, I will...

Live, Laugh, Love~

Vanilla Mama

Will my mistake be not playing these numbers? Maybe, but I will try to learn from it –

3, 20, 14, 5, 42, 10

PS - Gotta give a huge shout out to Jen over at Makobi Scribe who featured me as a guest post! Check it out by clicking here.

Book Blurb #9 - Down by the Water

Down by the Water

18 years ago before she went away to college, something magical happened down by the water, Emily saw Carlos. She was resentful that someone else had discovered her secret place, her own escape, until she saw he was crying.

Without a single word, she walked through the shallow water at the base of the gentle falls and held him while he cried. When the tears were finally spent, she walked away in silence.

Carlos knew that he had to find that girl, she held his heart while it was breaking after his father died. Who was she, how did she know about this place? Why can’t he find her?

Each time he returns, he hopes to see her, but in the years since that moment he has not.

Now, after a bad divorce Emily has moved back to town…will Carlos and Emily find each other again Down by the Water?

What is Book Blurb Friday? Why am I playing catch up? Have fun, click through and find out, and join in ~

Vanilla Mama

Gift of Fortune

Birthday Fortune –

This last week brought a milestone for me – a BIRTHDAY! I have not hit the big 4-0 yet, but it is not far around the corner…but, as I have told my whole family, I will not celebrate any more birthdays. I will celebrate anniversaries of my birthday! Next year will be the 1^st anniversary of my 39^th year of birth – hahaha!

In all seriousness I do not have a huge hang up about my age. I have always felt older than I am, maybe that is because I had kiddos younger than most people my age. Maybe, it is because I have had health issues. Maybe I just am one of those people that feel OLD.

That being said, I am not stodgy or prudish…I just feel old.

My wonderful hubby went all out and put together a gift for me, yes – I asked specifically for this gift – but, he made it happen. Ordered pieces from 3 different companies, shopped at a couple of different stores, found something SUPER cool that was delicious.

What did I ask for, a necklace and on this necklace I asked for, a disk that says Live, Laugh, Love, a key and a fortune cookie charm. I really did not think it was going to be as hard as what it turned out to be! Three different internet companies had a piece each, a separate store for the chain. A couple of false starts with 2 other internet companies…I have 3 really cool keys that I can wear separately and a TINY fortune cookie charm that is so incredibly delicate that I have not decided what to do with it yet.

But – CHECK this out!!

The fortune cookie even has a little fortune in it – it says “Like You” too cute!!

The other really cool thing he found for me and TOTALLY surprised me with was a GIANT – and I DO mean GIANT Fortune Cookie from Sumo Cookie. Yes, it is in a PIE PLATE and 8 INCH PIE PLATE! All I can say to it is YUMMY!!! It did not last the evening, we ate it and ate it and ate it.

Yes, it is covered in CHOCOLATE and BUTTERFINGER!!

Wonderful hubby got to make up a fortune to put in the cookie –

“Ancient Chinese Secret: The key to the Fountain of Youth is to Live, Laugh, Love.”

I always say Ancient Chinese Secret (from a commercial back years ago…bonus points for anyone else besides me that remembers it!), the key (like I asked for in my necklace) is a symbol of all the sayings for key (key to happiness, key to success, etc…), Fountain of Youth – well, that one is obvious (also refers to Pirates of the Caribbean latest movie), and of COURSE my personal mantra. There was also I bottle of Sea Glass wine, chocolate thins (YUM), sea glass beads and larger sea glass pieces and a BAG of Fortune Cookies.

Went to Mom and Dad's for dinner the night before, I got to sleep until 11:30am the next day, did not have to cook, went to dinner at Rainforest Café, had a lot of Fillings over with Pop and Tart (Frosting is too little for Fillings to stay the night)…in fact 4 of my favorite fillings!  

Anyway…I also have a TON of new fortunes to write about as well and some of them are silly as all get out! Can’t wait.

Long post, can you tell it’s been a good week!

Live, Laugh, Love~

Vanilla Mama

PS – No lucky numbers…but, you should take your birthday and your loved ones birthdays and come up with your own.

Book Blurb #8 - Reflection

The Reflection -

Kayla knew that something was wrong when she found Miles’ aviator sunglasses laying by the pool, but she had no idea that another world existed in the reflection.

Picking up the discarded glasses and looking at her own reflection, the world tilted and Miles was there to catch her.

Kayla and Miles must race against the clock to discover the source of power that turned a simple mirror image in a pair of sunglasses into a nightmare to escape. In a topsy-turvey world where nothing is what it seems, they must not lose track of sunglasses that brought them there.

As the only normal people in an opposite world, how can they make their way back through the looking glass? Or will they chose to stay and embrace the wildness that ensues?

What is Book Blurb Friday? Why am I playing catch up? Have fun, click through and find out, and join in ~

Live, Laugh, Love ~
Vanilla Mama

The Lost - Book Blurb #7

Book Blurb #7 –

(Speaking of Finish Lines – I think this one is going to keep moving!)

The Lost

The statue was missing from his mother’s yard. A silly stone statue that she had purchased at a local craft fair…gone.

Then pictures of it began arriving in the mail, one a week, every Friday.

A 250 pound solid stone statue. Pictures every Friday…then one Friday it was back in the yard, wearing a baseball cap with a note attached.

“Where have I been? Find out and collect your prize.”

Stephen and his mother, Jean, are totally puzzled. Pulling out the photos they realized there were subtle clues left for them to follow.

“Mom, I’m on this.” Stephen has no idea the crazy quest he has undertaken, fueled by his desire to claim an unknown prize for a mother he has put through hell, he is blind to the challenges ahead. With nothing but a series of photos and two years of sobriety under his belt, he is off.

Wanna read more? Me too – I am saving all these blurbs, some will make really cool short stories, others will blossom a little more.

What is Book Blurb Friday (the ever moving finish line) all about, click here and find out!

Live, Laugh, Love~

Vanilla Mama

Finishing Fortune

“Never give up until you reach the finish line.”

I am trying, boy I am trying, but it really seems as if the finish line keeps moving? Or maybe it’s not that but that I have so many different finish lines.

Every day is a series of deadlines of some sort. There is a flight to book, a contract to write, a web page to update…that’s for one job. There are shipments to receive, guests to help, sales to make…that’s another job. There are kids to get to school (work), dinners to make, scholarships to apply for, insurance claims to file and follow up on, and time to spend with them all before everyone grows up…that’s a whole other ball of wax that I call my life.

At this point the only finish line I seem to be focusing on is the one that hits at the end of each day. You know the one…BEDTIME!! Glass of red wine, pajamas, kiddos to bed (hopefully), computer shut down, TV turned off and audio book in my ears to fall asleep to.

“Never give up until you reach the finish line.” Since for tonight my finish line is bedtime, I will never give up until that time hits. One more load of clothes in the dryer, a load of dishes to put away, one last webpage to tweek, one final email to send off…I won’t give up until I reach the finish line! (I just need to stop moving that one back!!)

Live, Laugh, Love~

Vanilla Mama

PS – Wouldn’t you love to reach your finish line with the winning lottery numbers, I might push bedtime back and make the drive to Austin for that!!

41, 25, 27, 52, 11, 24

Book Blurb #6 - Now What?

Now What?

I found my husband with my best friend on my 40^th birthday. There was not enough alcohol served at my party to help me forget it.

The next day I was on a plane to Italy.

Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Life crises, road trip?

I wasn’t counting on them following me and her turning up dead in Florence less than 72 hours later.

Stuck in a foreign country with an adulterous soon to be ex-husband and a dead body, what am I supposed to do now?

Somehow the romance novels I used to read never covered this!

A comedy and tragedy, my life in a nutshell. Will I find love while finding the killer with a mysterious stranger? Will I murder my miserable excuse for a husband or rediscover the spark while trying to find the real killer?

What is Book Blurb Friday, and WHY is Vanilla Mama SO far behind?! - Click here to find out...

I also have to say THANK YOU for a Blog award....From the - http://www.thewritingnut.com/

She has a really neat blog that I loved reading while she was traveling! - Check it out!!

I will pass this award onto - Lisa Ricard Claro at Writing in the Buff! She is the host of the Book Blurb Friday and supplies the photos that we write to. I love reading her blurbs...and she is patient with me playing catch up!

Live, Laugh, Love~

Vanilla Mama



Fearing Fortune

“Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.”

Can I PLEASE get this on a T-shirt for my 4 (almost 5 year old)?

Honestly, I am thinking about getting it made for him. He is always worried…

We watch fireworks last night, “Mom is that going to happen to me?” Umm…what, get blown up into the air and turn into a cascading mass of sparks set to music?! Really…NO!

Most of you are familiar with Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles (if you are not, just nod your head and then GOOGLE it!), there is a short film called Jack-Jack Attack. The little baby that they think has no super power ability, gets powers while the babysitter is in charge…seriously you gotta watch it, too funny…however, my sweet boy now wants to know, is that going to happen to him.

“Frosting,” I tell him trying not to roll my eyes, “you are not going to float into air, burst into flames or shoot lasers from your eyes.”

With eyes totally round and sincere, “Are you sure?” How exactly do I reassure him without making him feel silly?!

He watches a show with a bad guy… “Mom, are there bad guys? Is a bad guy going to get me and turn me into a skeleton?”

This is a harder one, where is the balance? How do I reassure him while at the same time making him aware there are dangers in the world, and not scaring him to the point he can’t sleep? Which, by the way, he does not sleep all night in his bed, he gets up and comes to bed with us almost every night…he is scared.

“Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.”

How do I help him understand? How do I keep him safe with a healthy fear…how do I not freak the ever living snot out of him? My heart aches for his fears, I understand (most of them), I know the feeling…don’t get me started on bridges and swimming in the lake…I know how difficult these fears can be. How can I get him to understand?

Realistically, we all have fears. You have yours, I have mine. Frosting has his. I wish that my fears were as simple and baseless as some of his…he will never have lasers shooting from his eyes, but don’t we all still worry about the boggy man?

What keeps you up at night? What do you fear beyond understanding?

(Besides the new Smurf movie?) - shuddering!

Live, Laugh, Love ~

Vanilla Mama

PS – I fear never winning the lottery (which, if I played I might have a better chance!)…1, 17, 29, 35, 38, 44.