Call me author! (continued)

     Hi. I am not sure exactly what happened in my previous post, but it's missing the ending that's for sure. I didn't even catch the mistake until today. Point is I have written a couple of poems and started a couple books here and there, the key word being started. This time I have finally completed a book all the way through. It's a childrens book and I love it, although I must admit I'm not sure I would be the best person to judge my own book. The illustration is another story.. I can't draw if my life depended on it, so I need to work on someone illustrating it and go on from there. I re-read some of my prior posts and then it dawned on me... I don't have a job lol. God is very funny this way, he brought me out here to write and then didn't give me a job to pay for illustration and piblishing. Great sense of humor God! I still love you though. So the wheels in my brain are hitting overtime until this whole thing is figured out, because I'm sure there's a way. Until next time... cross your fingers and pray my wheels don't spin out of control in the process.

Call me author!

     I've always been a strong believer of the saying, "everything happens for a reason." I whole heartedly believe that God has us all where we need to be although it may not always be where we desire to be. It's easy to have faith when everything is going according to "YOUR" plan, but true faith is entrusting God has everything under control even through trials and tribulations. For those of you that are asking why I am talking about faith when it is irrelevant to the title of this post? It's because to me it has everything to do with faith, giving credit where credit is due is one of the easiest ways to show gratitude. God has never failed me and for that I am grateful. I might not always understand God's ways but I know that if I wait and have patience he will provoke an undeniable "aha" moment.  Living up here in the middle of tall brown mountains, covered in a blanket of green trees and under an umbrella of clear blue skies surrounded by natures soundtrack, is natural inspiration desired by so many and for a multitude of reasons. What for some brings about a way to feel closer to God, nature and the important things in life, for others that same thing can be artistic inspiration, a sense of self enlightenment or the key to writers block. Who would have thought that there could be anything but happiness in paradise.  I have often found myself lost in such a serene, peaceful paradise and although in the last blog the pros outweighed the cons, it is innevetable to feel a sense that I should be doing something more. I lack the feeling of self accomplishment, I have 3 beautiful children and a handsome husband that I continue to raise successfully on a daily basis and that in itself is a beautiful feeling, but the hollow in my heart burns with an unreplaceable desire. So with the intention to fill this empty space in my heart, I unsuccessfully started my job hunt (hey don't judge me, it's a start). Turns out I live a little far from the nearest "real" city to get a full time job while not neglecting my motherly duties. The hunt for a part time job followed with no more luck than the first, the money would barely cover gas money and little profit.... I literally brainstormed every possibility and they would all lead to the same lonely, sad dead end. I felt a little defeated and desperate at times, then I reminded myself that God had me in this exact place in this particular place in my life for a reason... and I had to do my part and figure out what that reason was. Obviously a nine to five or a part time job are not the reason. God talks to us all the time, although sometimes we look for his answers to be brought down directly by "the man" or to be spelled out in the clouds, and we overlook his answers, like the little voices in our head or the signs we pass off as coincidences.

Worth it.

     I always get asked if I get depressed, because we live in the middle of a forest, truth is I'm not sure. I have always lived in one of the busiest cities in the California, so I would be lying if I said I didn't notice a difference. I admit that maybe being far away from my family and only seeing them every 2 to 3 weeks is a lot harder than I anticipated, its hard when your accustomed to getting together with the family every weekend. It's even harder when your family is loud and wild which is typical with big latin families. I can truly say we went from one extreme to another. I am pretty sure I have at one point or another been through some sort of depression. I wish we lived in a family compound.... not the cult kind. I could imagine a large piece of land with animals and houses spread out through the land, my parents and each of my siblings in their house and we could have a common room. That would be awesome. That would also be the only way that I wouldn't feel down and out every once in a while. So I guess what I am trying to say is that yes I do get sad to be away from my parents and siblings, but no more than I would any other place. If we had not decided to move out here our children would have not been able to enjoy snow days, a white Christmas, nature and animals in their natural habitat. I like that they walk into any store, bakery or gas station on the mountain and their is bound to be someone they know, a friend, principle or teacher. My kids get to live a different lifestyle than we did as we grew up. I had a good childhood, but it seems like more and more kids are getting less play time after school and more homework. They are growing up so fast and I want them to enjoy their childhood. Summer is just around the corner and swimming, tennis, basketball and all the amenities the club house offers are around the corner and a definite pro is I get a lot of reading done sitting next to the pool. We are far away from big grocery stores and malls, but with that we are also away from all the hustle and bustle of big cities. There's just a sense of tranquility that you cant get in the city. As I put the pros and cons on a balance I honestly have to say that the benefits for us in this point in our lives outweigh the cons. As for my parents and siblings, we could continue taking turns visiting each other and having the best of both worlds. What would you prefer?

Bears, bears and more bears

      Those dang diggidy bears must not have face book, I remember posting not wanting to run into any for lack of space in my "seen out my window" list. I guess they didn't read my post. It seems as though this past summer I saw the bears more often than my family, they were everywhere. I must admit, seeing a momma bear watching over her cub while he played with an apple as though it was a ball was a beautifully touching sight. That beautiful sight sure did turn into a nerve wrecking one when momma bear stood on her back legs to check me and my cubs out. That  statuesque posture she held while making sure we were not a threat was enough for me to put the petal to the metal and haul ass up the driveway. As beautiful as they are and as mesmerizing as they are to watch from a distance, I wish I don't see any this summer... , did you hear that cute, fluffy bears? Come again another year. Thank you for reading my post, make sure to give it a like and if you really did like it make sure to share. Until next time.

Crazy bird!

     I have seen a couple of beautiful birds up here, they don't seem to be very shy. Among those birds their is one species that just seems to be abundant on these mountains, and is also now one of my favorites. The male is blue and black with a big Mohawk on his head, the female does not have a Mohawk instead her belly is a whitish color. I've been trying to get the perfect picture of it, and have had many opportunities. Problem is that these little birds can't sit still enough for me to snap the picture at the right angle. It always flies off from tree to tree, all within my view. It doesn't seem like it's trying to hide at all, but mock me! This bird can always make me smile, it has so much spunk and personality. I see him running across the yard or street all the time like a roadrunner, and think to myself there goes Nathan. Nathan's my nephew, he is soo funny and has his own crazy personality oh and coincidently he wears styles his hair in a Mohawk every now and then. I was thinking to myself how could an animal remind you of a particular person and then remembered that my daughter Kayla commented to me one day that their was a dog that reminded her of her uncle. LOL They do say kids don't lie right..... I'm not sure if that counts because she's a teen, and we all know that it's second nature for teens to lie! Before we stray away from the topic too much I want to go back to wild personalities and crazy hairstyles, everyone has been asking me why I died my hair.... So I guess for the sake of not feeding into the possibility of cabin fever I'll distract myself by writing another post this week of where my crazy hair decision came and why not...... along with a picture! Till then here's a picture of the little crazy bird with the bad ass hair style. Till next time, the crazy hair lady!

White Christmas

My 1st white Christmas

     I always wanted to have a white Christmas, and was finally able to have one. I always imagined how beautiful a white Christmas would be... in a cozy cabin in the woods, with a warm fire in the fireplace and a small tree with presents underneath. I am happy to report that my white Christmas went beyond my expectations, granted it is now spring and I am still nestled in that cabin in the middle of the woods. The snow has come and gone..... on more than one occasion and we are probably looking at having our first white Mother's day! Yup way more than I could have asked for lol. The bear sightings have been posted on the local facebook page with more frequency and now we have to be a little more of aware of our surroundings, since the rattle snakes tend to come out around this time. I've been asked by many people if I have cabin fever yet... The truth is I'm not all that sure. I still look out onto the mountains facing my living room windows and am blown away in how beautiful God has made the world. I still run to the windows when I hear the sensor alarms, to see the chipmunks hiding their acorns in the ground, and maybe just maybe deep down inside hoping that one of those times I catch a glimpse of a bear walking across the mountain.

     I don't know whether at one point or another I have gone through a little cabin fever, but I'm sure that if I have.... it has not lasted long enough for me to notice. It's still as beautiful, serene and exotic as when my family and I first fell in love with this little hidden treasure. I must admit, I do need to find a hobby.... I have gained 15 pounds since we moved here. Not joking or LOL.  

The list

Hey everyone,
       I'm writing this post sooner rather than never due to popular demand.... Alejandra Z. your name is now "popular"! ROTML (rolling on the mountain laughing). I know if anyone is reading this post it's probably out of mere curiosity to see if any of us have become "bearsnacks". Well I'm posting this blog to point my finger at you 👉 stick out my toung 😝 and say....HAHA I haven't seen a bear thus far, although I must admit I'm not at all dissapointed, I do have to confess I have started a list of other animals that I have come across. The "seen out my window" list, consist of; mountain lion, cayote, racoon, bobcat, bunnies, squirrel, chipmunk, deer and birds. There is definitely no more room to add a bear to that list, as I want to keep it at under 10..... I just hope the bear knows that and respects my wishes. On that note please share and like this post, in hopes that with a wider audience, the bear might read it and decide to visit the next door neighbor instead. I have soo much I want to share with you, only I don't want to overwhelm you with too much vital information in fear that you might not read the next post. A post which surely will be just as exciting as this one or even better, that is if I remember to bring my gloves next time I decide to sit in front of this beautiful scenery for inspiration.... my fingers are beyond frozen! Now if you excuse me, while I drink my delicious bear claw mocha and eat my tasty croissant!
Until next time "popular" requests another post, this is your accidental mountain mom saying, "bundle up" ❄🗻.