Okay..I have what most people call, a cast iron stomach, I very rarely throw up. In fact, I can't even recall the last time I did. But that's not what this post is about. I love salsa. I was raised on salsa...the hotter the better. In fact, my mom made the salsa so hot, we'd make sure there was kleenex on the table for the runny noses and the sweats. I forget that my salsa is not for the faint at heart and trust me, I do try to tone it down. Tone it down means, two jalapenos and not three or four. I made salsa today with nectarines. I only used two jalapenos. I asked Boo to taste it and to let me know if I needed to make it hotter. He said, "It's up to you." I decided to let the flavors blend in the fridge for a few hours before I added more peppers. Boo decided to snack on salsa while watching football. With the keen hearing that I have, I noticed that he was coughing like, ummm, every 5 seconds. I started to call out, "Are you okay in there?" but i...

I'm going to go out on a limb and make up my own definitions for these words. They are words that I discovered through word verification and I decided that I was going to use them. Lately, I've been acked (Simone's definition - filled with mixed emotions from surprised wordlessness to a sudden urge to go for a drive or eat a slice of cheesecake.) I'm glad that my Boos guest posted for me because, 1) They did great and 2) I needed to step back for a moment. Thanks to all of you for your sweet words to the both of them. The endless job search often brings me to being acked. I never expected the helplessness to hit me so hard. I refuse to give in to the fear that has woken me up the last three nights out of a dead sleep. I know that God has a plan for me and I'm trying so hard to be patient and wait. But the greatest feeling is being phoosed. (Simone's definition - surprised when you least expect it...similar to walking and finding a dollar on the ground.) I was ph...

When I saw my mom recently to celebrate my birthday, we went through my baby book together. It was so amazing to see that someone cared about me enough to keep a diary of all the little details of my growth. A few of the stories made me feel very sentimental, some made me smile, and some even made me laugh at their irony. Some of my old habits as a baby have still remained the same. The book said that when I was a baby, I would often start crying whenever my dad held me. As a result, my dad would become annoyed and often bitterly call me a crybaby. I laughed and made a (inappropriate) joke saying "Wow, even as a baby I was smart enough to know not to trust him." This is Single Boo's perception of my parent's divorce. I was 16 years old when it really began to end, but I think it started much earlier than that. I remember wishing my parents would divorce long before they did. But back then, it was more so because as a little girl, I thought my daddy was strict and me...

Hello, Chocolate Covered Daydreams readers. My name is Ev'Yan (known on my blog as Apricot; known here as Married Boo) & I'm writing on behalf of my mom today. Thanks for having me. :] A lot of you wanted to know about things regarding my & my sister's life as we grew up. Homeschooling, family memories, & how we dealt with our parents' divorce seemed to be the most popular inquiries... but there was also questions of interracial dating & vegetarianism, too. I had planned on combining all topics into one large, in depth post, but I got my mom's okay to make this a series of sorts. So, today is part one of Life as Married Boo Knew It. Today, I'm talking about my parents' divorce. ------ When my parents announced that they were getting divorced, I distinctly remember that my response was, in my head, Thank God . I was tired of watching my father destroy my mom's spirit, & their divorce to me was like a white flag. It was like they final...

I was drenched in sweat and trying hard to catch my breath. It was so hot! Why is it so hot? Where's the light? Then, I realized, my head was under the covers of my bed. All I needed to do was remove the covers and find cool air. When it's cold, I will usually find myself buried underneath the covers. But, you would think that I'd have enough sense to stay out of covers when it's hot. Apparently, I don't (have enough sense that is.) That's how life can be sometimes. You know what's best for you, but you head in a direction that either feels safe or comfortable. The only thing is, is it? I stayed in a marriage because I thought I was safe and comfortable and loved. I had no idea that my world would come crumbling down. I didn't even realize that my head was buried under the cover and I needed to come up for air, until IT happened. The reality hit when I was doubled over, crying. There was no more he and I. All along, it was a facade. This 4 year journey h...

1) Jello is NOT a vegetarian food. It has meat by products that are found in the gelatin. It could be pork, beef, chicken, and who knows what else. (Little harmless fact I learned from Married Boo, the vegetarian guru.) Why do they serve Jello in hospitals? 2) The worst part of summer is that I sweat above my upper lip. 3) Mice not only like cheese but they like to eat books. One of my favorite Bible story books that I had when I was a kid has been destroyed thanks to Mickey. If he truly wants to get closer to God, I will help him see the light. 4) Ants have keen noses. They can smell a picnic at least 10 miles away. Obviously, they have poor eyesight because they can't see the Raid can in my hand right by their trail. 5) Who is responsible for making up rules for the NBA? I mean, whoever heard of a loose ball foul? I think they should recruit me to make the rules. I'd have a no cursing on the court foul and a help each other up point advantage. Why is it that football and base...

Thank you for all the great happy birthday wishes for my baby girl. She had a wonderful 21st birthday. Her and her sis and I had a girls only slumber party at a hotel here in my area. I was flattered that Single Boo was willing to spend her birthday with me, her mom instead of hanging with her young friends. But, I'm thrilled that I was included. I learned so much from the two of them. I don't know how they do it but they can eat and then an hour later, they are both hungry again. If you've seen my girls, you know that they are both very tiny. I'm here to say that they do EAT and they eat a lot. Single Boo and I polished off a medium pizza (4 slices a piece) because we didn't want it to go to waste. How much you want to bet that it went straight to my butt and thighs and she probably coughed and the pounds disintegrated. When the snoring gets too tough, sleep in the bathtub. Married Boo disappeared in the middle of the night, only to find her sound asleep, blanket a...

by this precious bundle of pure cuteness. The moment you were placed in my arms, all 6 pounds, I knew my life would never be the same and I was so right! You have taught me so much about life, love and courage. You were tenacious in spite of some tough challenges you faced as a little one. I remember when you were 3 months old and the doctor put your leg in a cast to help straighten it out. You still learned to turn over and even crawl a few months later. I still remember how you cried each time the cast was removed and a new one was put on. My eyes filled with tears right along with you. You never allowed fear to stop you from doing anything. I remember the many times you ducked under the water in the bathtub. You never came up sputtering. You would laugh and do it again. Even to this day, I have no idea how you learned to swim. You just did. You jumped in and away you went. I have adored your heart for people and animals. You never want anyone to hurt. I have wonderful memories of yo...

The week is flying by quickly and I'm sure not complaining. I'm ready for the weekend! 1) When my twin sis and I were little, certain things had huge gross out factor. So, when I went fishing this past Memorial day and came upon this sight below, I knew that the kid in me still lives. Ewwwww. (It's just mud but it looks gross!) 2) It's better to kill with kindness and an apology, even if you feel you aren't the one in the wrong. 3) My adversities are God's universities. (So hard to accept but so very true.) 4) There's some new additions to our household...they have eight legs (or is it six) and hop. They are hopping spiders. Apparently, Charlotte the spider had babies somewhere and they are forever jumping on me. I'm not amused. In fact, I've given Charlotte and her kids an eviction notice. 5) My puppies Sam and Selah have the ability to be totally cozy on their beds but this is how they choose to sleep. 6) I hate when a celebrity or someone "fa...

I've just started reading a book called Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke. It's geared for women who are on their second half of life and finding that there are adventures and joy that are on their way as we dive head first into our 40's and beyond. I have to agree. I didn't even look at my life as if it was the "second half". Now I do, I discovered that there are some great points to living my second half. Here's some of them: 1) If I were younger, I probably would've cried when I realized that the ice cream maker was broken AFTER pouring the liquid into the ice cream maker. Yesterday, I laughed. Boo and I just stuck it in the freezer and stirred it every now and then. 2) Eating a powdered donut and dealing with allergies can be comical. After using the same napkin to hold the powdered donut, I got up from the table and wiped my itchy nose. Then, realized that I resembled a cocaine addict with white powder everywhere. I don't think I would...