“The holidays are always a special time with family and friends. I have been blessed with the best of both.”
“You know what is even better than the gift of awesome girlfriends? Answer: Awesome girlfriends bearing gifts.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
**************************
Today, we celebrated our belated birthday for Sherry and our annual Christmas celebration with the TOTS. (Table of Talent Sisters) Lynne was out of town, but missed.
We met at a Tender Smokehouse in Celina, and the waiter was smart to put us back in the back corner because we make a mess and make a lot of noise.
So many awesome gifts, great food, and wonderful longtime friendships.
“The holidays are always a special time with family and friends. I have been blessed to have the best of both.”
“Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.”
– George Eliot
**************
Today, McKinney celebrated the first Día de los Muertos Festival on the Square. I wasn’t sure how well the turnout would be, as it was the first year of the event. It was fantastic. I was honored to be one of the judges of the costume contest, and I was excited to participate in making and decorating some of the crowns and prizes. So, I’ll just show you some of the cool pictures.
Winners of the Family and Catrin and Catrina prizesLos Bebes winners and other contestants.There were vendors, artists, food trucks, entertainment, and music. Lots of music.
There were a lot of people dressed in colorful costumes.A fun day with friends, music, dancing, and celebrating those who have gone on before us. “Never forget.”
Remember my friends, life is short, so enjoy every minute and celebrate.
“Did you ever have one of those days where there was just nothing on your calendar and nothing to do! No? Me neither!”
~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
***************************
An early morning alarm and 9:30 dentist appointment. I was getting my bite adjusted, meaning checking all the highs and lows and adjusting my over bite, under bite and in between bite. Hopefully, this will help with clenching and headaches. 🤞🏼
Dr. Do and the young technician, Alex, took very good care of me over at Red Oak Family Dentistry. I was there almost two hours.
Thank you Dr. Do and Alex.
The dentist’s office is just a hop skip and a jump from McDonald’s. This morning, I got an email reminder that Friday was free medium fries day with a $1 or more on-line purchase. You know me. I love free stuff, plus I was hungry and I’d never been to this new McDonald’s on 380.
I enjoyed my free fries and my $1 iced tea and called my sister and chatted a while before heading off to the bank and church.
Well, Friday frustrations at the bank…I received an email from Bank of America saying that my accounts that are in a Living Trust needed to be updated. I didn’t know if this was a hoax, phishing, spam, or what. So, I went in to check and take care of it in person.
The young lady assisting me checked my email and said it looked legitimate, but she would check the number given to call. I waited quite a while, but she came back and said it was correct. I asked if I could take care of it here, in person. She said, NO, they don’t have my information in the bank. I’d have to call that number. When I went home and called the number, the gal looked up my info and said that I had to take care of that at the bank in person. (See my frustration?) I was told that someone in the bank needed to change my Trust into a business account. I’ve had this Trust account for 7 years. (Ya gotta be kidding me!) Yikes!
I just took a deep breath and said thank you. I was pretty mellow and relaxed after spending a couple meditative hours at Adoration and sketching in the Sanctuary. (More on that tomorrow.)
After I got home, the lawnmower guys were mowing my lawn. They also mow three other neighbors. I try to catch them before they leave to give them a soda, snack or something cold. Today was pretty darn hot, so it called for ice cream sandwiches.
When I finally put my feet up with my iPad in hand, I checked my emails and Facebook. I saw in my Facebook memories that today was the anniversary of my divorce, 7 years ago. Plus, it’s Friday. A couple of awesome reasons to celebrate.
7 years ago? Time flies when you are free. Cheers, my friends! Salud! It’s also National Latina Day. It doesn’t get better than this! CELEBREMOS!!!!!
Now, that’s a busy Friday! And the day is still young.
“When you are lucky enough to have a couple good friends, you enjoy celebrating a couple of times a year. When you have a whole bunch of awesome amazing fantastic good friends, you pretty much celebrate all year long.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
**************************
As you may know already, I have been blessed with a multitude of awesome friends. Not just casual acquaintances, but friends that would go trough fire for you, or give you the shirt off their back. Except for the skinny ones, the shirt just wouldn’t fit me, but they’d offer anyway. That always means a lot of birthdays to celebrate.
Today, we celebrated Karen Thomason’s birthday up in Sherman. We were meeting at The Iron Post Restaurant. Sherri Murphy picked me up, and as we got closer to Sherman, she talked into her phone for directions. She just said, “Directions to The Iron Post.” I said, “Sherri, what if Siri directs you to the nearest iron post on the road and asks you, would you like a rusty iron post or the nearest iron post with a little patina on it.”Then she whacked me on the arm going about 70 mph on Central Expressway. I was being serious.
Girlfriends! (No, we weren’t drinking beer. It was only 11:30 in the morning. We always wait till at least noon.) Karen loved her presents. Girlfriends think of the greatest presents.I always try to give a hand-painted or homemade gift. Yellow rose of Texas, also yellow roses are for friendship. Sherri and I spotted a few cute murals on our way back to the car. Selfie time. I think Sherri is the only friend I know that takes more photos than I do. That’s why we’ve been friends for so long. “Great minds…” I have wings to soar!Look at this cool mural. There were several other paintings Of cowboys and cattle and longhorns along the long brick wall.
“Each day offers a reason to celebrate. Find it and experience true bliss.”
― Amy Leigh Mercree
*********************
Another lovely Sunday, and so much to celebrate. A morning walk, the warm sun, and a fine day to watch Mass on TV.
Today’s Gospel was the story of Jesus asking people who they thought He was. When He asked Simon, Simon acknowledged Him as the Son of God.
16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
17 Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.
18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’
***************
My take on it… faith is a very powerful force. Peter had such faith in the Lord that he was given the honor being the foundation and head of the church, the rock, the cornerstone.
Now, for the celebration. Today is August 23rd, which is one of my three miracle days. Six years ago today, I moved into my brand new house to start my brand new life. What once was a sad day and mournful memory, became a beautiful celebration. Forty-five years ago, what I thought would be one of the happiest days of my life, turned out to be an awful painful nightmare. My happily ever after turned into a dark disaster. I was rewarded for my faith and trust in God, just like Peter in today’s Gospel, and I started my new life on that same day, 39 years later. Now, I celebrate my new home Anniversary every year.
I usually have a huge party and celebration with friends, but with Covid and quarantine craziness, NO PARTY for my sixth anniversary. Hopefully, next year will be amazing and celebrated with twice as many friends.
Past celebrations…
Now, for a glass of champagne and some hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries. Cheers, my friends. Cheers to another wonderful year and celebration of life. Cheers to many more celebrations to come.
“When God sends you a sign, you are blessed. When He sends you three, there’s no doubt in your mind that God performs miracles.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
**************************
(I share this miracle every year on this day. It’s the first of three, and everyone who has heard my trilogy of miracles will agree that only God could do this.)
Today is 7-11. July 11, 2013 was the worst, most painful and devastating day of my entire life. I will never forget that awful day, and all the tears, trauma, heartache, hospitalization, and betrayal that followed. That’s the day I confronted my now ex-husband about his affair with the waitress at his country club. We were married 39 years. But, there was so much more, and such unfathomable disgusting behavior that I can’t even begin to reveal. My heart was broken, and my life and my health was in turmoil. I said it was the “day that will live in infamy.” For two years, when I saw that day on the calendar, I cringed and I cried. Not any more. Now it’s a celebration.
Fast forward two years later…7-11-2015 was the day my son got married to the most beautiful and amazing girl of his dreams. That beautiful July 11th day, I danced at my son’s wedding and celebrated with friends and family. Now, this is a day of celebration and joy and love. They had no idea that this particular day was the worst day of my life, and was now transformed into a day to celebrate. BUT, God did.
Happy 5th Anniversary Joe and Lindsay!!! I love you “To the moon and back.”
It’s been five years now, and this beautiful couple has also blessed me with two beautiful granddaughters. Even more reason to celebrate. I love 7-11.
A fine Sunday morning. I guess we had bad storms here yesterday evening, but we missed that. We were up in Oklahoma celebrating Sherri’s birthday, but I’ll talk about that later.
Today’s Gospel was the story of Jesus and the disciples being turned away in a Samaritan village. On their journey to the next village, they encountered people who wanted to follow them, but they had things to do first.
62 “Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
My take on it… Once you choose to be a Christian, or follow any noble path, for that matter, you should never look back or question your decision or your resolve. Always fight the good fight, never give up, stand strong, and never ever look back.
******************************************
Now for the celebrating. Last night, Sherri Murphy invited me to join her family for her birthday celebration dinner. We went to Tishomingo, OK for dinner, dancing and good ole country music at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Restaurant and The Dog House dance hall next door.
After a great dinner and lots of laughing, (Sherri was throwing back shots…actually just one) we went next door to the Dog House dance hall. We had so much fun, with a lot of toe tappin’ country music, and singing and dancing. Here’s Sherri in THE DOG HOUSE.
We had a blast and stayed up way past our old people bedtime. Tishomingo is about a one and a half to two hour drive from here. Thank goodness Mr. Murphy was doing the driving. We didn’t get home till well past 1 am, then I didn’t get to sleep till well past 2, with my alarm set for 7.
I got up early to get the brownies in the oven before church. I was invited to the official family and friends birthday party at Sherri’s house, with her dad, grandkids, friends and neighbors. Today is her actual birthday, so of course, I needed to make brownies.
What a great weekend, celebrating, dancing, dining, and laughing with the always charming and ever effervescent Sherri Murphy.
“Springtime in North Texas can be summed up in one word…CRAZY.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
**************************
This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad. And, this is Texas in March, so let us be careful. We had a gorgeous morning and crazy thunderstorms in the evening.
Our Gospel this morning was the story of the Samaritan Woman at the well. Jesus asked her to give Him some water. He explained that drinking the water from that well would still leave thirst, but He offered water of eternal life and there would be no more thirst…
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”
********************
My take on it… Jesus told the Samaritan woman His message, even though Samaritans were considered inferior and unworthy by the Jews at that time. But, Jesus wanted to share His word and salvation to all. We are all welcome who believe and have faith.
After Mass, Jerry, Helene and I walked over to the Donut Kitchen about a 1/4 mile for coffee because the St. Gabriel Carnival and Celebration started at noon and we didn’t want to lose our great early Mass parking spot. The previous forecast was rainy, but this morning, it was a perfectly sunny, beautiful day. Hmm? Perhaps someone had some heavenly clout.
I couldn’t help it. Selphie with Father Don.
OK! I did another goofy, perhaps sacrilegious thing. But, being Catholic, I can go to confession on Saturday. We were handing out these cool purple and white commemorative sunglasses to visitors. It was very sunny, and I felt sorry for the poor Angel Gabriel sitting alone in the courtyard.
The celebration was scheduled from 12-4. The weather was perfect, skies blue, and temps in the low 80’s. By 5 pm, the clouds rolled in and by 7, we had thunderstorms, hail, and the tornado sirens went off. Wow!
A few hail sightings posted by friends on Facebook.
” Friends may come and go, but I’ve been blessed with the kind that keep coming.”
~ Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
**************************
Today, August 23rd is the second of my miracle celebration days. I had three, and only three days on the calendar that were painful memories from the past. I wrote about the first, 7/11 in July. August 23rd was the day that I moved into my brand new house and started my brand new life after a very devastating and painful divorce. What are the chances of this happening on this particular day? I got married on August 23, 1975. It seems like a lifetime ago, probably because it was.
I moved into my new house August 23rd, 2014, just three days after the final divorce decree. Now, I celebrate the anniversary of my new house and brand new start with so many of my special and wonderful friends. My sister was also here to celebrate with me. As the years fly by, I’ve made even more great friends. This year, several of my new sweet CRHP sister from church visited. It’s God’s way of turning lemons into lemonade, and I will celebrate every year and thank Him for His blessings.
The best way to describe this wonderful evening is to just show you the pictures of the best friends a person could ask for.
It was an Open House from 5-10 pm, so people came and went. This is the first round.
More great friends.
More friends. All of these people stopped by to celebrate my journey and blessings, but most of all, just to say, “I love you.”
Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
*********************
Five years ago today was the absolute worst, painful, devastating day of my life. Most of you already know the dreadful details and heart-break that began on this day in 2013. I won’t get into detail. My spirit and heart were broken, but my faith never wavered. What you may not know is the miraculous events that followed. There were three, and only three, painful calendar dates that plagued my heart and soul. 7/11, 8/23, and 12/5. God changed all three of those dates into a celebration. This was no coincidence. Today, 7/11 is the first date, the first mini miracle.
That awful day is now a celebration. My son Joe got married on 7/11/2015, changing the previous painful memories into happy new ones. I gave a loving toast to the beautiful bride and handsome groom. I danced the mother/son dance, crying tears of joy and softly singing “Child of Mine,” in his ear. Now, the worst day of my life is a special happy day. Happy Anniversary!
Toni Andrukaitis 