The Real Housewives of Cucamonga

Okay, I admit it, I love the Housewives shows...the embellished halter tops of Orange County, the one shoulder satin dresses of Beverly Hills, the snobby attitudes of New York and of course the animal skin, big hair and crazy accents of New Jersey. All of these shows have something in common....women behaving badly. So why do I watch? Maybe it's my fascination with sparkly platform shoes, or closets that look like a small boutique or maybe it's that I can't wait to see what Jiggy, the hairless dog, who has a better wardrobe than I do will wear to dinner. Regardless of why I watch, this REAL Housewife franchise has nothing to do with reality and for that, I am thankful. My real life housewife friends are just as beautiful but way smarter, funnier, creative, supportive and kind. They make my life rich and I don't mean dollars and cents.


Yesterday, after watching a Housewives Reunion special, I started thinking about MY friends and just how lucky I am. My friend, Diane, who I have known for over 30 years has been bugging me to write a book. She even bought me some "how to write" books for my birthday. So I have her to thank for this blog. It is not a book, but I am writing and about 10 people read my blog from yesterday....baby steps. Friends are important for stuff like that. They know your strengths and weaknesses and push you to try stuff that you think is too hard....just like a personal trainer which is a perfect analogy since that is what Diane does for a living.


 When I was a kid, my dad always told me to have all kinds of people for friends because if something weird went down or you got in a jam, certain friends could come to your aid. At the time I thought that was funny advice for a shy, quiet girl....what kind of jam would I ever get into where I had to call in a favor of a savory individual? But as I grew older, I think he was right. If all of our friends are just like us, we never learn new stuff, have interesting adventures or leave our comfort zone. Girl friends should pull out the best part of you. I think a perfect friend is someone who rallies for you, laughs with you and should be allowed to laugh at you. She's got your back and tells you when you're off course. She is your Goose to your Maverick.


 When I was young, my girls showed up at weddings and showers, the huge over- the-top party I threw for my one year old, Easter egg hunts and Nordstrom half yearlies.  As the years go by, these same girls have attended parent's funerals, (even sang at them) stood by hospital beds, cleaned my house, brought my family dinners, gave of their time to stay with my son in a hospital so I could go to work, showed up at my place of business and volunteered, stuck by me in embarrassing situations and surrounded my family with love...these are the REAL HOUSEWIVES OF CUCAMONGA. Oh sure, some wear animal print, a few own halter tops, most can rock a pair of platform heels but all of them are a GIFT, even better than the ones the Housewives receive in the light blue Tiffany box!

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

When I tried to think of a title for my blog, this was the first thing that came to mind. I have lived by this motto for the past 52 years. I try not to let little stuff bug me and since I am 52, "sweat" is now part of my everyday life. Recently, I crave the frozen food aisle at Vons, not for the taquitos but it's one of the few places that my body temp feels right. Two nights ago, I was using FaceTime on my glorious new iPhone and was chatting with my daughter. She noticed the huge, blue igloo thing you stick in the freezer sitting on my chest. I have gone so far to even sleep with that thing...what a wonderful invention...ice that doesn't melt that you can hug!

Another aspect about not worrying over every little thing, is deciding what is "little." I'll make a list of the small stuff just to be clear:

• you purchased a 2 inch binder instead of a 3 inch binder for your fourth grader cause you did not read the syllabus (I was at a back to school night and this was a major discussion point)
• you tripped up the stairs to the stage and landed across three vocalist's laps at a large funeral of a close friend ( I did this and survived the embarrassment)
• you have dust on your floor, you have dust on your TV cabinet, you have dust that has given birth to more dust under your couch...anything in the "dusting" category
• you eat organic tomato soup and round it off with ham and cheese panini 

The list of small stuff is different for everyone but it can really drag us down. We all have good, big stuff to fill our thoughts and dreams but it gets buried under mounds of little things that worry us. I encourage  you to focus on something important in your life today...something that deserves your attention. Maybe it is time spent with a good friend, reading with your kid, something physical that makes you feel good or better yet, go out and do something nice for someone else. That will usually make your small stuff disappear.