We Are Blending

Wahoo!!!  News just in: Afternoon naps boost brain power, study finds."

In my secret fantasy world, one of many, many scenarios involves sitting down to a delicious al fresco lunch with friends and family (instead of downing a protein shake) and then taking a luxurious siesta.  Wouldn't it be glorious to stuff in some earbuds, hang a "do not disturb" sign on your office door, and snooze away for a while?

Fantasyland movie clip now commencing ...

Better brew some tea and get on with business -

Happy Monday!

For reasons that are too distressing for me to ponder, our puppy Picasso raided the dirty laundry basket and purloined another pair of my favorite panties.  He managed to completely digest the essential zone from a particularly nice pair.  Well, it used to be nice.

Adding insult to injury, Picasso chose to flaunt his crime by leaving them under my bed, which is clearly visible from the powder room. This means that during and after his chew-fest my kids (and their friends) could be treated with a view.  I was oblivious what was going on, guessing that the random light colored something was more shredded paper, when Dear Fiance grabbed them out from under the bed and waved them at me to show me what the dog had done.  This is not the stuff of romance novels.

It does however, teach me two very important lessons.  First, I should stash the dirty laundry in a more secure location. And second, I have GOT to start wearing my glasses!

Tonight I want to tell you something amazing.  Jake and I got engaged!!  For those of you who know me and Jake, you know that this really isn't his name.  But Jake is such a good name to describe him that I'm sure you'll forgive me.  It's manly, hot, and let's face it, Jake is a pretty fun and interesting character in the Eclipse series!

It was so natural.  We were talking and he simply asked me to be his wife.  For one stunning moment I couldn't answer.  Jake started to tell me I didn't have to answer him right away, when I just pressed my finger to his lips so that I could finally say "Yes!"

This picture was taken at the jewelry store where we found my ring.  He got down on one knee and proposed all over again. It is truly the most exquisite ring and I couldn't feel more lucky.

But there's so much more to tell, Dear Reader.  There's a wedding to plan, and there are two households to combine.  Jake needs to meet my Mom and extended family.  I need to meet his extended family.  Dogs must be trained, kids must be cared for sensitively, and I can't stop working out every day just because there's more to do in a day than there used to be. And most challenging of all:  I gave up coffee the day after Thanksgiving. Caffeine had been the love of my life before Jake.

So for tonight, I wish you pleasant dreams, wishes that come true, and a steaming cup of caffeinated goodness in the morning.  Tea lattes, anyone?

It's raining outside and I'm sitting here at my desk, coffee nearby, wondering how to describe what it is that I'm doing with this project.

My ex-husband is out of the house running errands in preparation for our dinner tonight. At dinner there will be me, my ex-husband (who sleeps upstairs when he visits), two of our three kids (one is serving in the Navy in Guam just recently), my boyfriend, and a long time friend of my daughter's who will be spending the night.

Does anything here look strange? I can tell you that it feels strange, but it also works very well and feels right. Well, most of the time it does. There's always going to be a sense of unreality and discomfort, I suppose, but it's so much better for all of us than the Jerry Springer show styled alternatives. It's not perfect and there are a lot of questions to be answered as we go along, but so far so good.

Three years ago I got divorced while going back to college to earn a second degree so that I could be more marketable professionally. Communcations, my major, is a lifelong passion for me, so getting a degree in it was fascinating, even though the experience of going back to college full time as a single Mom of three is another story for another time. Boy is it ever!

The question is: How does this work, blending the lives of me and my (serious) boyfriend, three kids, and their Dad? And let's not forget all of our common friends and extended family, because since we tend to celebrate all the major holidays and birthdays together, this means that all of us are going to be going out or cooking together.

And while I'm on the subject, cooking is another grand passion of mine. I believe that well prepared food in a pleasant environment has the power to bring people together. This is one of the ingredients that's being blended into this mix.

So I'm going to share about what it's like to bring together a new kind of family, new kinds of partnerships, with a little cooking thrown in, because I can't restrain myself. Besides, maybe in the cooking and the posting and the pictures, you'll be drawn into our little blended family project, if only a little.

Meanwhile, I wish you every happiness and thank you for stopping by my desk. The cappucino there is steamy and waiting to be sipped. Care for a cup?