Round Cucumbers...?

I went picking some fruits of my labor the other day, and found the strangest thing! Maybe I thought I knew it all, but now I realized I don't. I found the most interesting looking cucumber, it was round and instead of the usual sharp little bumps it had thin hair like around it. So I left it alone and let it go for a few days, but then I just couldn't resist myself and picked it. I googled and learned that there are round cucumbers called lemon cucumbers and boy they are so sweet. I was just amazed, and in my salad it went that night. The taste was excellent to say the least and we couldn't get enough of it. I wish I had let it grown a little longer, but I just can't help myself. Once again, I went inspecting my plants to see if there are any more growing and to my surprise there are more blooms.

Aside from cukes, I have been able to have my tomatoes nearly every day. The plants have turned out to be very productive, but now I feeling the summer nearing an end and I am hating it. But at the same time glad because the kids will be back to school :D and I've had the opportunity to learn a little more about planting and where I could get a better crop. I now know where I get the most out of the sun and so that is where my plants will be next spring. We also had a chance to build a raised bed, and hopefully we can get to work on a few more. It has taken a little longer than I wish but I also want to make sure that we use recycled materials. Wood that otherwise would have ended up in the trash, of course free of paint and chemicals untreated wood. 

In other topics, I haven't been updating my blogs for the past week and I feel so bad about it. But I have and excuse ;) I have been working on the Real Housewives of Bravo website and also completing the training for my interpreting job. I start working next weekend and my shift goes from 7 pm to 3:30 am. That promises to be exhausting for the first few weeks, but I suppose I will get used to it. If you are bilingual and are interested in working from home, I can hook you up! Just leave me a comment, and I'll give you all the info. You need to be very well spoken in both languages, and it helps if you have a cultural background in the target language. Learn more about interpreting here and what equipment is required here.

Tonight is the first part of the Reunion episode for The Real Housewives of NJ and I should have a post up tonight. I didn't get a chance to watch last weeks episode of The Real Housewives of DC, it is on my DVR to be recorded tonight and I should have a post on that tomorrow. And well, I think that is all the updating I wanted to do for today. Hope you all have a wonderful day today, it is sunny here so I know I will.

'Til next time,

Lina
xoxo

Real Housewives Blogging about The Real Housewives

It's been a few days since I've blogged here, but you know my other blog is giving me quite a bit of work ;). With all the Housewives craziness who can resist writing about it? It's worth mentioning that the housewives blogger community, while small is a really neat one! Everyone has their own outlook on The Real Housewives, each has their favorite, each has the one they hate, and it's nice to see how we all gather on twitter going bananas over the show. Wouldn't it be nice if we created a Real Housewives Blogger Club, and we can all gather bounce ideas around and create a new blogosphere revolution? Just a thought :D. Just wanted to give a warm shout out to one of my tweeps @HousewivesTalk she has her very own take on the housewives. Check out her blog and give her a shout out too!

The "Real" Housewives Blog

I have also been actively posting some articles on HubPages and will be moving The Real Housewives of Bravo to its own domain really soon! This is really exciting news because I really want to add new features and make it an inviting place to all the housewives fans. So stay tuned for that!

'Til later,

Lina
xoxo

Home Office Furniture from Craigslist

Who ever said you have to be well put to get nice furniture? In this day and age we can't afford to put money down the drain right? With an economy that continues to plummet  and businesses going bankrupt, Craigslist is the one stop shop to all your furnishing needs. It is very easy to find local people trying to sell their stuff, either because they are moving or simply because they need the money. With that in mind, you have a lot of room for negotiating and shopping around. So lets say you are on a tight budget, have a tight space and would like an antique look. Can you get your office going for about $200? I think it is doable. Here are some pictures of some items you can put together without breaking the wallet:

Here you have a really great parlor chair, with casters on the front legs and a very bright sunflower colored upholstery. This chair can be easily reupholster to suit the color scheme you want, and it is in very good shape. The asking price for this chair is $125, but I bet that a few emails back and forth you can get it down to $100. 


For desks, I have you 2 options. We have an antique secretary; it has 3 drawers, glass doors, and a roll up drawer for your laptop. This piece needs some TLC, but can be easily brought back to life and refinished to match the chair. Asking price $80, compare at $400 for a similar piece. The second desk is a nice mahogany color, it definitely needs some refinishing but for only $40 (I am sure this price is negotiable) you have plenty left on your budget to work on it. Also, always check the free section of craigslist. There is always something there to be gotten. It is a great way to recycle and keep more stuff from landing on our landfills. 

A few pointers to keep in mind when shopping from craigslist:

• If you are not familiar with the location or are afraid because you do not know the person, always go with a friend. I say better safe than sorry! 
• Be sure to inspect all furniture for bugs!!! Yep, the last thing you need is to bring new tenants in with the new furniture. Check small cracks and crevices, this is were they tend to hide. 
• Also inspect for damages. If the item seems in worser condition than you had in mind negotiate the price or walk away! 
• Be aware of scams out there! Stick to local listings to avoid these, and do not pay until you have inspected and agreed with the seller on the item.

Depression hurts... Cymbalta can help

OOh well maybe Cymbalta can't help but depression does hurt. What is it about life that we know we have all we need; love, family, health but we are not completely satisfied? That something maybe lacking, or not necessarily that, maybe a traumatic or stressful situation triggered it, or financial struggles is getting the best. But whatever the cause maybe, when is it time to reach into the medicine cabinet? When do you recognize that there is a problem and that you need help? Or when is a problem small enough that a pill isn't really necessary? In a generation where medications are constantly shoved down our throats and the pill knows it all, is it hard to figure these things out? I have seen friends instead of fixing the problem they just suppress it with a handful of Xanax. Guess what? once that wears out, the problem will still be there!!! It isn't going anywhere, and will not got anywhere until you make it go.

Why am I writing about this, you might wonder? I was talking to a very close friend of mine and the subject came up. We were both complaining about life, about how depressed we were, and how much she missed her old friend (me!) and how much I missed my old friend (her!). Before you even think anything, I do not take any medications, I have refused to, I try to fight my demons on my own, and I just hate the thought of taking anything. But I have come to the conclusion that depression can be physically debilitating, and that when you reach that point where you can no longer fight your demons it is time to get some help. I have days that I cannot even move off my couch to do the simplest day to day chores, I might start something and not finish it until the end of the day, I complain about my weight and yet do nothing about it, I find no motivation even when I have the most important things in my life standing right in front of me. I go to work, but that's about the only thing that I feel motivated enough to leave the house for. I tell myself maybe meditation can help, maybe in the quietness of my thoughts I can find the answer but I hardly ever stop thinking!! Sometimes I am yelling at myself in my thoughts, be quiet, stop for a second, it will come to you! But I am not patient enough for it to come to me. And NO I am not postpartum, I think I am way passsst that stage. I am still traumatized from an accident my daughter had 9 months ago. And although I tell myself things could have been worse, its hard to really believe that and it is hard to accept. So here I am, writing about this, hoping that if there is anyone else out there feeling the same you will know that it is time to get help. The answer may not be in a pill, but maybe just having the chance to tell some one how you feel, and releasing all that tension can be of help. Emptying the bottle that you have suppressed for so long may be the release to all that has been choking you, and you can finally see the beauty in life and all that loves you.

It's time to pick up the phone and taking the first step to getting better. Life is to wonderful to let it go right by you, take a deep breath and enjoy the tiny little things in life that no one else takes a chance to notice. If you can do that, then you will find that a little at a time you can come out of it stronger, because taking a pill will not make your problems go away it will only soften them. But in the end you will still have to deal with it.


'Til next time,


Lina
xoxo

Just Another Random summer Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday we headed out to the yard and ended up putting together a 4'x8' box that will serve as a raised bed for our garden. It was a hot and humid summer day, so after we were done with that we decided to just relax and let the kids run the backyard. And then it was grilling time! Threw some steaks on the BBQ, made some mash and salad, and figured lets just eat outside. Take that back! the flies had a better idea. The minute we sat down to eat, these flies started coming out of nowhere. And hubby was enjoying killing flies more than eating his steak. So in we ran with dishes, drinks, and kids! Finally we could enjoy dinner.

After dinner we went back outside for a little game I call "if you land there I will plop you". Well you see, hubby was having a little too much fun killing flies that I just had to join in. Yuck, it is just disgusting, gross, but the more we killed these stupid flies the more that came. It was the flies massacre. EXTRA! EXTRA! This just into the newsroom of flytown_Be alert and stay away from Lina's house, the number of bodies is in the hundreds and rising! LOL! Seriously what a party pooper.

Anyhow, we were able to put the swatters down and let the kids have their fun_Smore time! We made them smores by the fire until their faces could not take anymore chocolate, and into the bath they went. After bath, it was finally hubby and me time. We watched the movie Brothers with Tobey McGuire and Jake Gyllenhaal. I was bawling! I seriously wanted hubby to skip the knock on the door part. Maybe I am too sentimental or emotional or whatever, but this sadness came over me. I mean come on now, its just a movie right?? It got me thinking our men and women (our children, spouses, friends, etc) are out there fighting this war, but how many of us really care? I mean REALLY CARE? We take our freedom for granted, as if it was this God given right. And these men and women come back from war, having put everything on the line, having lost themselves out there, and I ask you for what? Only they know what they have seen and done to give us the luxury we can today call freedom.

To all our troops and war veterans, I salute you, I thank you because without you we would have no freedom and for all we know we would be living hostages to terrorism and fear. God Bless You, and may you get home safe.

'Til next time,

Lina
xoxo

Career at a Crossroad

I haven't blogged in a few days, between work and Real Housewives blogging and my lately lack of sleep my brain has been kind of fried! I am sort of stuck at a crossroad right now, and I don't know whether to be excited or scared. I applied to get a position as a Spanish interpreter with Language Line and the interview process has gone smoothly. I am literally ready to be hired, but I wonder if I can really handle it all? It is a great opportunity, as I would be working from home. I have also picked a part time schedule that will not conflict with my job at the post office, but I still wonder if I am over loading myself. '

One thing I have learned from working at the post office is that I am at their beckoning. The pressures of having to commit to "when needed" has now proven to be difficult, especially when I have 3 kids, no family nearby, and no baby sitter. So the sound of working from home sounds sweet right now, but I hold on to the future I could have at the post office. No matter, I am considering continuing my position there and taking on the new job as well. This could potentially mean more time for blogging *with a sly smile* during the periods that I have no calls and less sleep for me. 

What to do?????? 

I have made some exciting changes to my blog. With the addition of a Store page where you can find some of my work. All of my work is made individually for the person ordering it, so if you have any specific colors you want or whatever the case may be just ask me. The check out is safe and secure through Google Checkout, but if you do not have an account I can accept PayPal. 

Garden update: Tomatoes are delishhhh but with the last rain we got the wind blew my plants to the ground!! No biggie I have left them alone and let nature take its course. The cucumbers are simply delicious and juicy and I couldn't ask for more! 

'Til next time,

Lina

xoxo