VEGETARIAN TACOS

VEGETARIAN TACOS

1 large sweet onion

1 red bell pepper

1 can black beans

½ cup frozen corn

4 tomatoes

2 zucchini

1 small can tomato sauce

½ packet taco seasoning mix

Olive oil

Corn tortillas

Sliced avocados

Slice onion and red bell pepper into thin strips. Cook in olive oil over medium heat until onions are translucent and soft. Add frozen corn. Rinse black beans with water and drain. Pour in tomato sauce. Add ½ packet of taco seasoning mix. Cut tomatoes into eight pieces and add to skillet. Simmer until tomatoes are cooked. Slice zucchini and add to skillet. Continue cooking until zucchini is crisp tender.

Serve with corn tortillas, sliced avocado and salsa if desired.

Restore Previous Session

I wish it were that easy. Last week my computer crashed and after several days of going back and forth with tech support, my hard drive was totally wiped out and I had to start over. I learned an expensive lesson in the process; never, never throw out old program CD's thinking you won't need them again. After searching for my Microsoft works CD in every spot I could think of, a tiny memory in the back of my brain began to grow, telling me I'd thrown it away the last time I loaded it onto a computer. For $149.00 I was able to buy a new Microsoft CD and load it back. During this process I was frustrated, angry at the computer gods, sad at the items I lost that can't be retrieved, and grateful that I did have most everything backed up.

The process also got me thinking about how my life has been lately. I crashed. My mother died. No matter how prepared you think you are, you're not. No one can take the place of Mommy. Especially when you had a really good Mommy who turned into a really good friend later in your life. Now I have to figure out how to rebuild my hard drive and get all the programs reinstalled. Some of them are lost forever, I'm sure. I'm grateful for the items that can be reinstalled. It's going to take a lot of work, I know. I doubt that I will emerge the better for it...so far my computer isn't better, in fact it's no where near where it was before. But who knows? Maybe I'll get part of my previous session restored.

99 cent ebooks on Kindle. New book covers!

Here are my new book covers for two of my existing Kindle ebooks. I love them! They were created by GRAPHICZ X DESIGNS. www.graphiczxdesigns.zenfoli.com. email: graphiczxdesigns@gmail.com.

My ebooks are available exclusively at www.amazon.com. Kindle. 99 cent only! Such a deal!

THE NADS INVADE TEMECULA. GO NADS!

WE HAD A GREAT TIME IN TEMECULA THIS PAST WEEKEND WITH GOOD FRIENDS, OLD AND NEW. WE GOLFED, ATE A LOT, WENT WINE TASTING, AND OF COURSE LAUGHED AND LAUGHED. SOMEONE ALSO FORCED EVERYONE TO WATCH A COUPLE OF VIDEOS ON THEIR IPAD. NEW HOBBY...MAKING VIDEOS ON IMOVIES. (GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER).

HERE WE ARE ON OUR WINE TASTING EXPEDITION WITH "KING TOUR WHERE WE TREAT YOU LIKE ROYALTY". SOME OF US CHOSE TO TASTE OLIVE OIL AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR INSTEAD OF WINE. HANGOVERS SEEM WORSE THE OLDER YOU GET.

IT WAS A FUN WEEKEND AT THE TEMECULA CREEK INN.

GO NADS!

WE'RE NOT DEAD...OOPS, OLD YET!

I'm back home after five days in Palm Desert with Hubby and three days in La Quinta with friends. I had a lot of time to relax and reflect, and one of the things I reflected on was this "getting old" thing. I used to chuckle to myself when I'd hear "old" people say, "I don't want to live in one of those senior places with all those old people". Now I understand completely. I'm still 40. Well, not really, but in my mind I'm 40 and 40 I shall stay. Actually, 50 was okay, too, so if I have to age I'll get to 50 and then stop.

Awhile back I changed my status from "working part-time" to "semi-retired". Right about the same time I joined a swimming aerobics class that consisted of primarily "really retired" seniors. I also started taking courses at the local university in their "gerontology" program for seniors. I dropped out of both and have taken up art classes in a private studio and spent the summer there with children and younger women. I'm soon going to start a "low impact" aerobics class with my former trainer who told me I can't call it the "old people" class. I'm also going back to "working part-time" status. Why? I'm not old, that's why.

This weekend in the desert was a "blast" to quote my nearest and dearest. Our friends, Rich and Teri, invited us along with Tom and Darlene and Tom and Amy, to stay in their lovely home in La Quinta. We ate, drank a little wine, laughed, bobbed in the pool, talked for hours on end about anything and everything, and played lots of cards. I think we solved all of the world's problems this weekend, if they would only listen to us. Yes, we talked about social security and medicare, and a few aches and pains, but it really wasn't much different than when we were all young and talking about things that went along with earlier ages. All of our conversations were spirited and lively. It was great fun. And the weekend proved that we're not old yet. 

Labor Day Boomer Weekend

No, I didn't go to Yellowstone this weekend and I didn't take this picture, but isn't it gorgoeous? I just might have to paint it.

Okay, big weekend in boomertown OC. Friday night we went to "the club" and had dinner with Tom and Amy in celebration of their 39th wedding anniversary. We sat out on the patio, listened to music, and visited with various other friends, then we went in to have a lovely dinner. On the way to "the club", hubby and I had a little discussion about, "Did you every think we would be Country Club People?" Actually, I never did. I didn't even give it a thought. I grew up in a working class family and we lived from paycheck to paycheck. Funny thing is, when we talk with others at the country club, we all grew up the same way. Boomers kind of fit into that era where we were able to work hard, make lots of money, and live the life our parents weren't able to. Interesting.

Last night we went to dinner at a lovely couple's home in Laguna Niguel, where two other couples joined us. They were high school connections of my "hubby". Wonderful people. We sat on the balcony of their home, drank our cocktails and watched the ocean sunset, then went in to one of the best dinners I've had in a long time. I did tell "hubby" he'd better start saving some money because we're due for a major remodel in Fullerton. Especially after seeing this house. OMG!

Tonight I cooked dinner for two former colleagues of my "hubby" and their wives. We had a great time eating, drinking, laughing...we seem to do that a lot in the OC.

Tomorrow the familia is coming over for dinner. We're BBQ'ing tri-tips. One for Andy and one for the rest of us. Hey, that's the way it is when there's a teenage football player in the family.

Lovin' life in the OC. 

BLUE BOOMER

                I had a nice week and weekend with the golf group. The guys played in a three day tournament and the girls were invited to join them for dinner two evenings. It's a great group of people and we talked, laughed, ate, drank, and whiled away the hours sitting on the balcony of the country club. Since we're boomers, the guys sat at one table smoking their cigars and telling golf war stories, and the girls at another talking about our lives as empty nesters and retirees or semi-retirees.

                So why am I feeling so down in the dumps today? I hate to even admit that I am down. I have so many things to be grateful for, but once in awhile I just can't help it. I've done a lot of thinking and I've decided I'm not so alone in feeling this way. I kind of got the feeling from some of the other girls that they feel a bit the same way.

                I miss a lot. For some reason I'm really missing my dad today. And I miss my kids. They're all grown up and living their lives and I miss having them around. I miss taking them to their ball games and practices. I miss the noise in the house and the chaos. It's just too quiet around here. Even my dog is a senior and he sleeps most of the day.  I miss the big family celebrations we used to have. Everyone crowded in together all talking at the same time.

                I've thought about how it was to be a child without responsibilities and a senior without responsibilities. As a child, I didn't remember wanting anything more than to just be able to play with my friends, read my books, run around outside, and go to school when I had to. If I had free time, the more the better. I didn't long for anything else. As a senior, I have the freedom to play with my friends, read my books, walk around outside, and go to school at the senior center when I want to. But now I find all of this freedom sad at times. I suppose I should be enjoying it more, but at one time I was needed...a lot. Not so much anymore. But now that I know what it was like to be needed, I really miss it a lot.