It is all in the name

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

William Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet"

So today I have turned over a new rock. I have changed the name of my blog. So let me explain how this all came about. When we got our first home computer way back in the stone age I signed up with Yahoo and I needed to come up with a user name for my new e-mail. Purple was my favorite color and I LOVED angels. So I tried PurpleAngel, but since I was not one of the pioneer users of the World Wide Web it was not available (Surprise). So I decided to go with PurplAngel. So it has followed me ever since...from my best memory it would be around 12 years. PurplAngel has been my online identity for a LONG time. I can't count the number of times that I have said "PurplAngel that is Purple Angel without the E in Purple" when giving out my e-mail address. So today when pondering my "online life" I decided that I really like blogging and I want my blog to have the same name that I have uses. I want people to know that it is me. So today this blog is being reborn. A new look and a new name...and hopefully there will be more content. I love to read and in going back and looking I have noticed that I have not talked about and of the books that I have read. So keep checking back...and let me know what you think.

And the Beat Goes On…

Okay, so my grandfather use to say “Don’t put the cart before the horse” and I use to think that it was funny when he would say it. I use to laugh because WHO would put the cart before the horse? I mean only an idiot would do something like that…right???

Well today I my friends have officially put the cart before the horse. I always right my blog posts first. Then, after reading them I try to come up with a clever and appropriate title. It was always the logical way for me to do it. I mean sometimes I would sit down at the computer and not even know what I was going to write about. Like so far for today’s post I would title it something like “Cart Before the Horse” or “Don’t put Your Cart First”. But I didn’t title it that I titled it “And the Beat Goes On…” and you may be asking why I would have done that and I will tell you I DON’T KNOW. I just really wanted to call it “And the Beat Goes On…” So now I need to figure out what to write about that goes with that title. Oh god the pressure!!!

Today is Monday and I feel like I was in Malibu about 2 months ago. My daily life and the things that come with it have effectively removed the relaxed feeling that I had when came back from my trip. A week ago today, as a matter of fact at almost exactly this time, I was getting in my rental car and driving from the Burbank Airport to Malibu. I feel like everything is going a little bit faster then it was when I left. Summer seemed so far away before my trip and now it is rapidly approaching (proof was in the temperature this weekend). My birthday is coming and with that my sisters will come (she is turning 21 this year). My Vegas trip will be at the end of July and as much as I want to go on it I don’t want it to fly by. So as my title states (which I picked before I decided to write about this), “And the Beat Goes On…Getting Quicker Everyday”

Have a Beautiful Day!!!

7 Years!!!!

Today is my husband and I's 7th Wedding Anniversary. 7 years ago today in a backyard in Clayton, CA we were married. There were only 12 people there and the ceremony only lasted 15 minutes but was a wonderful day. About a year and a half later we were married in the church in front of 150 people. I have to be honest I think I may have liked the first wedding better. Either way I have been married for 7 years. I wont lie and say they have all been perfect. Anyone who has been married knows there are ups and downs, but I know that he loves me and I love him. We have a wonderful son who we love and I can't imagine being raising him with anyone else. Happy Anniversary Baby...I love you and thank you for all that you have been to me!

Our Family Trip....

This picture was taken when we went to Disneyland in January. We had just arrived and went right into the park. My mother and husband and went to the restaurant to get us a table and my Son and I took this great picture and it turned out to be the best picture of the trip. Sadly this trip ended when I became sick but at this point all was well.This is a great picture of my husband and son. They both love race cars and were so excited to take this picture with McQueen.
This is a great picture of our WHOLE family. Don't we look happy! I love this picture and have gotten so many compliment on it.

...and life goes on!

My time here in Malibu has been wonderful. I have enjoyed my time here so much that if I did not miss my family so much I would hide away here longer.

I was just sitting with the Friars as they ate dinner (I am going out to dinner) and telling them about my blog. They were interested in the idea and wanted to know how it worked. I explained as best as I could. I hope that one who was particularly interested (and I found out later that he is writing a book) would try it himself. I find blogging to be a wonderful outlet and an amazing way to share my life with those who are interested. I also enjoy reading other peoples blogs and have found many that I read daily.

Okay now back to my trip to Malibu....I arrived here Monday afternoon and had a meeting from one to four. I was nervous about the meeting because I was giving the presentation by myself for the first time. But all of my nerves vanished as I drove throught the Malibu Canyon. WOW.....I know when you think of Malibu you think of beaches and the ocean but the Canyon is equally amazing. Maybe because I did not expect it. I felt a calm and was able to enjoy the rest of the drive. The meeting went well and there were no problems, so I found my room and exchanged my work clothes for jeans. I grabbed my camera and decided it was time to explore. One of the friars told me dinner was at 5:30 so I stayed close to the dinning room. But even with the short amount of time I had I was able to find some really amazing places. As you see in the pictures I posted yesterday it is beautiful here. I feel so safe and calm almost like I can see the world but I am in this little bubble that the outside world does not effect. I like it!!! I woke up this morning and went to mass with the friars. I had breakfast and then went back out to take more pictures. One of the friars here took me to the Las Angeles cathedral today. It is beautiful.....on the inside. I went through and saw all the art exhibits and read about the artist. I enjoyed going down to the crypt, where Gregory Peck (among others) is buried. After the cathedral we went to lunch at Pink's Hot Dogs. It has been in business since 1939 and has won many awards. My hot dog was good but I am not sure it was worth the 45 minute wait in-line. After lunch we came back and I rested and read my book for a while then got ready for dinner. Now I am sitting the the garden waiting for the two friars I am going to dinner with.

I know that tomorrow I must leave my little bubble and go back to the real world. I miss my son and I am sure that there is work to do on my desk. I am content today where I am and tomorrow I will go home....and life goes on.

Serra Retreat

These are some pictures from the retreat center in Malibu that I am staying at.
I hope to have more time to write later.
ENJOY!!!

A Prayer for the Dying

As I was sitting at my desk this morning there was a commotion by in the hall. When I looked up to see what was going on I saw the Vicar Provincial rushing out the front door because one of the friars at the care center up the road was dying. Now this is the 5th death in the last two weeks, so at this point one may be numb to it but I am not. To top it off this particular friar (who at the time of this post has not died yet) is special to us. He is the oldest living friar in our Province (A Province is a group of Friars in a particular area. Ours covers CA some of AZ, WA and OR) he is one month for his 100th birthday and just recently celebrated his 75th Anniversary as an ordained priest. So forgive me if I go all religious on you and write a prayer for Fr. Emmanuel.

Dear LORD
Please take Fr. Emmanuel into your loving embrace.
Help to heal his pain as he passes from our world to yours.
Please hold the friars who love Fr. Emmanuel in your arms and help them through this loss.
LORD I thank you for all that you do for the friars and I ask you to continue to shine your love and healing on them.
AMEN

A new career as a barber...

So when I was driving into work today I was trying to decide what I wanted to write about today. I was thinking about writing about April Fools day jokes that I had heard about or been a part of, but none of this gave me inspiration. Then an experience I had last night popped into my head. Last night I cut my son’s hair for the first time. That is not to say that my son’s hair had never been cut but I have never done it myself.

On the way home from work I looked at Ben in the rearview mirror in my car and realized that he really needed a haircut. Last summer we gave him a buzz cut cause he has such think hair and I don’t want to him to get to hot. So I decided cause it was getting that time again that we would buzz his hair. Then in my mind I was trying to decide when I had time to take him to the hair salon. It then occurred to me that I could cut his hair. I mean my stepmother use to cut my brother’s hair, how hard could it be. So when I got home I talked my husband in to going to the store with me, and buying a set of good clippers (which were on sale for $14, and that is a $1 more than a hair cut for little Ben). When we all got home little Ben made it clear that he did not trust me with the clippers but I bribed him with a brownie. So into the shower my son goes with only his underwear on. I put the #1 setting on the clippers and my husband freaks out telling me that will be way to short (this is my first time with clippers, how was I to know). So he tells me to start with 5 (way to long) I try the 4 still to long and finally we settle on 3. Then the fun begins after 20 minutes my son is done being patient my husband is trying to be a perfectionist around the ears and at the back of the neck. They are both yelling at each other and my son picks-up a big chunk of his hair and throw it at my husbands face. I dissolve in laughter and my son crawls into my lap, a safe haven from his father. Needless to say that was the end of the haircut. For the most part his hair looks good. Around the ears isn’t great but otherwise I feel good about it. And if I use the clippers one more time I will have saved money.

I want to cut my husbands hair but he won’t let me. I am thinking since he is such a heavy sleeper that if I get the clippers out while he is sleeping and do one buzz down the middle of his head then he will have to let me do his whole head. We’ll see….


Rest In Peace Fr. Lester Mitchell- You have served the Lord well, now it is your time to go home and rest. Smile down on you Brother Friars and know that you are loved by many.

Here Comes the Bride….

I have wedding fever. Granted I have been married for 7 years and can barely remember my weddings (I had a civil service and a catholic service). But it is that time of year when spring is coming and with it a bevy of new brides. I have two brides-to-be in my life. One is my cousin’s fiancée Amber; we love her and are so happy that John has found someone. They are having an intimate backyard wedding at her Aunt’s house. The other bride-to-be in my life is one of my best friends Wendy. She is getting married next April in what is sure to be one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to (no pressure Wendy). Wendy is an event planner for a non-profit and will be marrying Dan a wonderful guy. They are both very lucky. Wendy and Dan will be living in the Bay Area but will be married in her hometown in Ohio. The place she picked for the reception is beautiful and I can’t wait to help her in anyway she needs. So as I look forward to these two wonderful weddings I think back on the weddings I have been a part of including mine. Wow how the years fly by. The first wedding I remember was my Aunt Chriti and Uncle Mark’s. I was 6 and I was the flower girl. I got to wear a lavender taffeta dress and fell asleep during the ceremony. Thankfully so I have evolved and I am able to stay awake during the ceremonies now. Two years ago I was in my best friends wedding in Sacramento and that was fun cause I got to go up early and help with all the last minute details.

So to all of those out there who are planning a wedding just remember this it is the MARRIAGE that is most important not the wedding and your day is what you make of it.

Good luck to Amber and Wendy two of my favorite Brides.

M