You are all invited!!

OK. Today I bought the winning ticket to the Kansas Lottery. I wont really know for sure until tomorrow night, but I feel veeery good about this ticket! I have said before that I will buy a beach home in Llanes Asturias when I do win. Maybe somewhere near this photo. Don't worry, I will have a big house warming party! Songnatrice, I will need you to drive down from Italy please... you must come! Jennie Boo can you bring a really big batch of choco-chip cookies and your beautiful personality? Passionate Palate, will you come early and help me choose the cerveza and vinos for the guests? Frances you are our leader so please come and lead us..... ( to the bars, beach, restaurant's etc...) Fernando, we will need you to bring your prescription pad and dispense hangover cures and antacids for over-indulgence!!! I will see you all at the PARTY! BESOS...Jannis

"El Che"

This is an image of "El Che Guevara". It is very common to see images like these and Communist symbols since the Communist Party is part of the political life in Spain. There are actually some Communist Bars where you can have things such as homemade Mojitos and Cuban rum (Extremely Illegal in the United States). Regarding "El Che", I highly recommend the movie "Motorcycle Diaries" that presents the life of Ernesto Che Guevara before meeting Fidel Castro and starting the Cuban Revolution. Whatever your opinion may be about Cuba and the Revolution, this movie is definitely worth seeing.

The good old days....

It is August and it is 102 degrees, that can only mean IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL! Yes , we do have air conditioning but the temperature is tightly regulated from someone somewhere whom I can guarantee is sitting at his desk drinking cold beer with his coat on(not really)Oh well, in several months it will be 10 degrees and we will ALL be in classrooms in coats. This year, every school entrance and school bus will display the NO GUNS ALLOWED HERE sign. Don't even think about packing punk! I have already experienced one all school lock down in my school and one in my youngest sons school. Both were handled very professionally by the administrations. WAY BACK WHEN I was in Jr. High and High school all the boys proudy displayed their shot guns and rifles on gun racks in the back window of their trucks. The more guns the bigger the stud you were ...During the winter months the boys would display the game that they shot on the way to school in the school parking lot.....and than a T-Rex would appear from the forest and eat one of the students....... those were the good ole days huh! Besos.

How I met my husband

No this is not my husband. This is the best friend of my husband, and the man that introduced us. Meet Fernando! In 2001 I was very blue over the fact that I still had not traveled to Ireland. It had been at the top of my to do list for many years.( I need to add that I hadn't traveled anywhere!) I found a lovely chat room Gallway Chat and visited with locals about everyday things, what they had eaten for lunch that day, the weather etc... During my visits I chatted and became friendly with a Spaniard that had better English than me! Over the months we exchanged photos via e-mail of our homelands, as Id never been to Spain nor he to the United States. He had sent me pictures of him and his friends in front of various castles and climbing Roman gold mines and drinking wine in outdoor bars... I sent him pics of main street USA etc. Anyway, one day we were chatting and he said "my best friend is online , would you like to meet him?" Miguel and I talked for maybe 8 hours that 1st time and everyday after that for several months. Eventually it was agreed upon that Miguel and I couldn't live without each other and it would be easiest for him to come to Kansas. He came with one suitcase. Within 90 days his visa was up and September 11th happened. (huge story here but no room.) Miguel and I would have gotten married anyway but the events of 9-11 and the panic it caused over people that looked different from Americans led to our marriage after only 3 months. Hey Fernando if you read this blog THANK YOU! MEETING YOU CHANGED MY LIFE. te echo de menos mi amigo.

Can I borrow a Euro?

Its been quite a few years now since I have seen a cigarette machine in the United States. My girlfriends and I would purchase them for 50 cents a pack and go smoke them in the park, thinking we were very grownup and elegant. Looking back to how dumb I was as a kid, its probably a very good thing we didn't have these self serve cerveza dispensers standing next to the cigarette machines! I have no idea if other European Countries have Beer machines, If anyone reads this let me know. I don't care for San Miguel cerveza but I bought one anyway.....How many times in your life do you come upon a beer dispenser at the top of a mountian in Spain? (by the way, it was one Euro and fifty cents.) Mi gusta la cerveza y mi gusta España!

Covadonga

My dad and I both agree that this is one of the prettiest places on earth. The Reconquest of Spain from the Moors started here in the eighth century AD and ended in the year 1492; same year of the arrival of Columbus to "The New World". Legend is that Pelayo the 1st King of Asturias and his small army defeated the advancing Moorish Army from the top of this mountain. I found it interesting that so many children born in Asturias today are named Pelayo and Covadonga. Besos para mis amigos en Veguin.

Yes. Its what it looks like!

If anyone has spent very much time in Kansas you realize that its not a liberal state. Just a year ago we were allowed to buy beer and liquor on Sunday. Most of you take for granted purchasing your wine or liquor in the same shop that you purchase your food. Here liquor is strictly regulated and can only be purchases in a LIQUOR STORE. No other items may be sold such as soda , ice , lottery tickets, tobacco etc.

We have no beaches here, but we have a few small lakes. God help the woman that would be so sinful as to take off her swim suit top. I'm sure that its illegal here, like everything else.

Imagine my surprise when my cousins Berto and Carmen Maria took me to the Jurassic museum in Lastres, and this giant display met me at the entrance! Wow.... dinosaurs. Doing it.

Spain is so liberal. The difference between where my husband comes from and where I come from is huge. I love it! Besos

Raphael (Rafael en España)

Rafael está creciendo pero no estamos progresando en enseñarlo donde hacer sus necesidades. Siempre quiere dormir con nosotros en la cama y si lo ponemos en su casa no para de llorar y ladrar así que tendremos Raphael para rato en nuestra habitación.
Does this look like the type of animal that would poo in his crate and then toss the poo out of his crate onto the floor? He was in the crate because Mom lost her temper when he peed on the floor for the 3rd time this morning. My last dog was a Great Dane, I cannot remember it being so difficult to potty-train him.....(SIGH) Speaking of dogs. We are going to my fathers home tonight for rib-eye steaks, garden tomatoes and vino tinto (red wine.) He has a beautiful deck but due to the massive amounts of mosquito's and 100 degree heat I'm sure we will eat in the kitchen and look out at the deck! My dad raises Greyhounds, he has too many to count. I love to go into the kennels and pick up the puppies and smell them! OK that sounds odd doesn't it? I plan on taking Rafael with me tonight, God help him if he pees on Grandpas carpet! Besos!

La Loca

Yesterday I broke my front tooth. I was chewing on my fingernail contemplating a nervous breakdown. I have only myself to blame. I wanted him, I thought I was ready for him. Yesterday my sister stopped by, my first words to her, "do you smell pee ?" I have to think positive so I made a list. I made a list because sleeping is no longer an option. 1.peeing and pooing constantly is a healthy thing....2. my wood floors needed redone anyway.... that's as far as I could get with the positive. My dentist cant see me until Thursday morning so I will be in seclusion today. I called in to Applebees, as the only tips I would get today would be "get your teeth fixed" I have to go now as its suddenly very quiet and that can't possibly be a good thing!