words of wisdom

okay...i've been called an angel...again

On Wednesday, Nick and I went to our favorite local restaurant for lunch.  It’s a small place owned by the nicest couple we’ve ever met.  Originally from Mexico, they have really struggled in this country and struggled to make this restaurant work plus they’ve have recently branched out into catering.

While eating our absolutely delicious lunch, the owner’s wife asked me in her beautiful accent, “You don’t know anyone who wants a job, do you?”  And then she stated, “We can’t find anyone who wants to work here,” with a sigh.

“What kind of help do you need?” I asked.

They actually needed several types of workers: a hostess, bartender, wait staff and people with experience catering.

I looked at her with a big smile on my face.  “Today is your lucky day!  I don’t have a job right now, I’ve done all those jobs before and I’d be happy to help!”

Nick quickly looked up from his lunch at me. 

“Can you come tomorrow at 11:00 to talk with my husband?” she asked excitedly.

“I’ll be here!” I smiled.

“Thank you!” She leaned down and hugged me.

When she walked away from our table to go back to the kitchen, Nick simply said, “Viv…”, while giving me the cocked eyebrow.

“Nicki, they’re so very nice and look around! They desperately need some help. I’ve done all these things and I want to help them.”

He looked down at his plate and smiled.  “All right, baby. If it’ll make you happy.”

When I went in at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday to have a “formal” interview with her husband, who is the chef for the business and the owner of the restaurant, he looked over my work experience and very humbly and quietly stated in his beautiful Latino accent, “You have so much job experience.  I don’t think we can afford you.  How much would you want to work with us?”

Knowing their back-story and what a difficult time they’ve had, I smiled at him and replied, “I don’t care about the money.  You tell me what you can afford and I will work for that wage.  I just want to help you out.”

He looked up at me as if he were shocked by my response.

“I know how hard you and your wife work. I’ve seen it. I know you have two small children.  I want you to be successful and if I can help get you there, I will do whatever it is you need me to do,” I stated sincerely.

This man, who worked very hard to become a legal citizen of this country and who was a US Marine that was injured in Iraq and discharged for medical reasons, shyly smiled at me.  “You…would do this…for us?” he asked.

“I would!  Happily!  I’m doing this because I really WANT to help you.  Please let me help you,” I replied.

He smiled a great big smile and excitedly hugged me.  “I believe God has answered our prayers and put you in our path.  You are truly an ANGEL!”

“Okay, honey, just DON’T call me that and we’ll get along fine!” I chuckled.

Little does he know, I’M the one who feels genuinely honored and privileged to work with him.

all right, already! i'm a housewife now!

I told Mary I was making broiled salmon filets with a glaze of lemon, butter and fresh basil for dinner tonight.  I’ve not made them before but it sounded yummy so I thought I’d be adventurous and try.

She asked if I got my mail today???

When the mail arrived I burst out laughing when I opened it.  Since I’ve gotten into all this gardening and cooking and being a stay at home mom, she gave me a one-year subscription to Better Homes and Garden magazine.  The gift card had a note from her stating: “Break out the pearls, honey!”

LOL!!!  She’s killing me!  ;D

Thank you, Mary!

"isn't he sweet?"

“It’s kinda nice to go to the grocery store together.  Everybody is lookin’ at us,” Nick leaned down and whispered with a chuckle in my ear this afternoon.

“Maybe that’s because you have your hand on my ass!” I quietly replied with a snicker as I pushed the cart forward.

“Is that where I put it?” he smirked and slid his hand up to my lower back.

A very nice elderly lady in the canned soup aisle asked us with a smile, “Are you two newlyweds?”

Nick looked down at me with a grin and responded, “You could say I got a reprieve in life and we’re gonna enjoy every single minute of it!”

“Isn’t he sweet?” she smiled at me.

“He has his moments!” I chuckled.

Nick laughed as he swatted my butt with his hand.

a lesson for ashlee

“Mom, why are we doing this?” Ashlee, our ten year old, asked me today while I was teaching her how to plant a container garden.

“Because your daddy and I like to cook with fresh herbs,” I smiled my response.

“Can’t you just get these at the grocery store when you need them?” she asked with a sigh.

Nick smiled at me from the chair he was sitting in next to us on the deck.

“Monkey, where do you believe fresh herbs come from?” he asked Ashlee.

“The grocery store!” she innocently replied as if saying, Dah, daddy!

He chuckled and took a sip of his iced tea.

“Fresh herbs are grown in the ground or in a pot, baby girl. They’re planted just like your momma is showin’ you how to do right now,” he smiled at her.

“Mom?  When are you going to get a new job?” she asked with another sigh.

“Why?” I chuckled my response.

She shook her head and replied, “You’re being home means too much work for me!”

Nick and I both laughed.

our 2012 garden

A Fairy Garden to honor my friend Lisa - breast cancer survivor.

Purple is her favorite color.

the subaru verses the redhead

What an adventure today was!

Nick left early yesterday morning for a meeting in Washington. He’s returning home tonight.

I, being the lovely, devoted, and thoughtful wife I am, decided I would take his Subaru Forester to have it detailed before he gets home.  Let’s face it: he’s a man and his vehicle was a completely filthy mud hole.  I thought I’d surprise him by having it all sparkly and clean and looking brand new when Ash and I pick him up tonight.

Well kids…the surprise was on me.

Ok, so I’ll admit I don’t drive his vehicle - hardly ever.  Just once in a great while.  And, embarrassing as this is to admit, I’ve never had to put gas in it before.  Our guys have always done it or Nick has.

I’m not a princess.  Really, I’m not.

Early this afternoon when I got in his Subaru, I noticed his gas tank was just above “E” (for “empty”).  I figured I’d stop and get gas on my way to the detail shop.

And this is when my adventure REALLY began.

I pulled into my neighborhood gas station only to find the Subaru’s gas intake is on the passenger side of the vehicle.   No problem.  I pulled out and turned it around.

I got out of the vehicle to fill it and I couldn’t figure out where the release for the panel that covers the gas intake was.  I drive a Ford Mustang and all one has to do is just open the panel manually.

Oh no.  Not on this one!  I looked everywhere and couldn’t find the release.  Finally, I broke down and pulled the owner’s manual out of the glove box to look up where to find it.  It was on the floor next to the driver’s seat.  With all the bells and whistles Nick has, I assumed it would be on the dashboard control panel somewhere.

In my haste, after wasting ten minutes of my time and amusing all the other people filling up their gas tanks, I jumped out of vehicle again, filled the tank with gas, paid and went to get back in.

Well, guess what folks?  It’s a “smart car”.  Obviously the car is much smarter than I am as the doors had all locked when I got out.  All the doors.  And my purse and the car keys were sitting in the driver’s seat.

Oh crap.

So…I ended up having to use the phone at the gas station to call a locksmith to let me into Nick’s vehicle.

The young man from the locksmith company was trying not to laugh when he arrived.  I say ‘trying’ as if he were actually thinking he could hide his chuckling and amused smile from me.

Less than a minute and $52.00 later I’m off to the detail shop a few blocks away…where I hop out of the car, shut the door and realize I’ve just locked myself out AGAIN!

And the very same guy, who had unlocked the doors for me at the gas station moments earlier, just shook his head and laughed when he arrived at the detail shop.

I’m not blonde.  Really, I’m not.

leader of men

On August 21, 2009, my husband was abducted, tortured and held hostage while working in Mexico.  When he was finally found in the early hours of Thanksgiving Day in November of 2009 and brought into a military hospital, his chances of survival were less than five percent.

Nick survived and he overcame every single obstacle doctors told him would limit his physical capabilities for life.

While I know this man has nothing to prove to anyone, he still feels he does.  Or did…

We have a wonderfully talented and devoted group of men who work for us.  Nick informed each of them he would never ask them to do anything he wasn’t capable of doing himself.  When he first told them this it was after a year of spending time in a hospital recovering from his injuries.  At that time, he was close to fifty pounds underweight and still using a cane just to be able to walk.  

Had you seen him then, you wouldn’t believe what he is capable of doing today. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have believed it myself had I not seen it with my own eyes and witnessed this triumph of his.

A couple of weeks ago he gave our guys an extreme challenge he agreed to participate in and he accomplished every single physical challenge he asked our guys to do.

To say I’m so very proud and in awe of him doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel. 

(That’s my honey pictured at the top of this post in the red shorts and black bandana…doing push ups…with a fifty pound pack on his back.)

sweat, sheets and the law of the house

“God damnit, I don’t understand why this keeps happenin’!” Nick sighed loudly as if defeated.

Nick had an absolutely terrible night last night.  He was having horrific nightmares and major night sweats.  He completely soaked all the sheets and blankets right though.

At 4 a.m., at my instruction, he took a quick shower to relax while I changed the bedding.

When he finished showering he came back into the bedroom while I was putting a fresh blanket on the bed.

“I’m sorry, baby!”  He wrapped his arms around me from behind me and kissed the top of my head.  He just hugged me for a minute.  “Don’t you get tired of havin’ to do this every damn day?” he asked.

I looked back up at him and smiled.  “Honey, don’t apologize!  Right now, it’s just the way it is. I know it won’t always be like this and even if it is – so what!  Now maybe you understand why we have the ‘world’s supply’ of blankets and sheets, Mr. H!” I chuckled.

He’d teased me a month ago about the number of sheet sets and blankets I’d purchased.  We have fourteen of each, in total. He called it the “world’s supply”.  I tried to explain to him then that when you have to change the bedding at least once a day – sometimes twice a day – you need a lot of sheets and blankets.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, put his face in his hands and let out a muffled groan of frustration.

“Nicki…” I climbed into bed behind him and wrapped my arms around his chest.  “It’s ok, honey.  You have PTSD and this is just a part of it. The doctor told you it would take awhile. You’ve been doing so well! Baby, just be patient. This will all work out in time.”

He removed his hands from his face and snorted. He sat there for a moment looking down at the floor and then slowly turned his head back to look at me.

“My brother was sure right about you. You really are the sweetest angel, ya know that?” he stated quietly and kissed me.

I shyly returned the smile.  “All you need to do right now is to relax.  Why don’t you get back into bed?”

He slid back and pulled his legs up onto the mattress.  I stayed behind him while he leaned his back against me.  He used my raised knees on either side of him as arm rests. Gently, I massaged his shoulders and neck.

“Ya know, Viv…” he started to say and paused for a moment, “maybe it’s best we not take that mystery trip right now.”

“All right, honey!” I leaned over and kissed his cheek.  “You’re the law of the house and what you say goes.” I smirked at him.

“I am, huh?” he chuckled.

“Well…when I let you you are!” I snickered.

“When you LET me?” he chuckled and turned his head to look at me.  “Do I need to show you who’s boss, woman?”

“Think you can?” I snickered my challenge.

“God damn! You are just a mouthy one tonight, ain’tcha? Come here you evil woman!” he laughed and kissed me.  And he kept right on kissing me.

And yes, we’ve established he’s the law of the house all right…when I let him be.  ;D 

road trip!

Nick surprised me today by telling me we’re going on a road trip tomorrow.  

Always the King of Vague, he won’t say where we’re going. Just that it’s a “surprise”.

His “surprises” can sometimes be pretty damn surprising!  I have NO idea what I’m in for this time.

Oh boy…