Happy 4th of July, 2011!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

to all my family and friends back home in the US of A!

I was falling into a deep case of Homesickness this morning.  I got to bed around 1am (early as I have been going to bed between 4:30am to 6:30am) and slept through until my alarm woke me up at 8am!  Yes!  I hope I am on a roll now!

I have been thinking how hard it is to be an American living in another country.  I just want to be with my Mom and Dad and Sister and her family.  My BIL's family is a lot of fun during the summer holidays and if I am not with them; I would be with my best friend since our University days and her family where I grew up in a different State.  This would also be a lot of fun as they are my second family.  Alas, I am here thinking and posting about it!

I have ruined my nails scrubbing the stove this morning.  I was getting madder and madder at my kids as they are cooking now but they don't clean up after their messes.  This perturbs me to no end.  I have to figure out a way to get the message across!  I think with Amal I will take away her most beloved items and that is all three of her instruments.  Her Oud, Guitar and her Flamenco!  With Ali, I will have to take away all his tech toys and the TV.  No laptop; Nintendo and whatever else the kid has.  They are lucky today is a holiday.  I mean business!

I'm on my third load of laundry and thinking of my family back home and how they are busy cooking and preparing BBQ and going to the Lake.  Well, they will be in about 9 hours.  Not sure what they are doing this year.  Last year we all went to the lake.  Lake Erie that is. We could see fireworks from the coastline of different towns for miles and miles.  Cool!

Anyway, I was in the laundry room when I got a text message from my friend.  She invited the kids and I to a BBQ tonight and I started crying!  I was so happy!  It will be fun.  She is American and a great friend here in Oman.  Her hubby sings and his friends play instruments so I hope there will be that kind of music tonight!  Yay!  The kids will go swimming too!

So, here is a little picture of Peaches.  Poor thing, I got a hold of her and just showered her with affection earlier in the morning!  It is so hard to get a cat to pose!

Yep, pink!

Here is a picture of my 4th of July quilt I am working on.  Actually, it is a Mystery Quilt and I am seriously behind.  I will be working on it this summer at some point.

So, off to the store I go to get ingredients for a dessert for 10 people and also to get stuff for tomorrow's Book Club Americana themed meeting.  I will be in the kitchen for a good part of the afternoon!

Have a safe holiday today for those celebrating!

To my family:

Los extrano a ustedes muchisimo y deseo que ustedes gozan el dia y que piensan de mi y los ninos. Abrazos de Diana