HOW TO CELEBRATE

Mexican food that's both easy to prepare and family friendly. You'll easily find the Mexican recipe you want, whether it's for salsas, tacos, burritos, guacamole, enchiladas or something a bit more exotic.

Chunky Guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe avocados
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

Cooking Instructions

1. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and peel them. If they are ripe, the peel should come off easily. Dice the avocado flesh, and dump into a bowl.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients, and toss to combine without mashing. The ingredients should remain separate, and the salsa chunky.
3. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping, or as an accompaniment to tacos or burritos.

Servings: Makes about 2 cups (500 mL).

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO

INSIDE PUPPY MILLS

Don't EVER buy a puppy from a pet store! Those dogs come from puppy mills and the conditions are deplorable! Here is a letter I received in my mailbox from Cesar about his experience helping rescue dogs from one. Greetings, Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a rescue from a puppy mill with the dedicated staff of Last Chance for Animals, which you will see on an episode of Dog Whisperer. In my career, I have dealt with many, many troubled dogs that come from puppy mills, but this was the first time I had witnessed the conditions firsthand. These courageous men and women had a lot of experience with the physical rescue of these animals, but I was there to help them start the psychological rescue from the moment they took the dogs out of the cramped quarters. After seeing the inhumane conditions and feeling the anxious, frustrated energy of the dogs, many people immediately feel sorry and express that through affection and soft energy. While this is a normal human reaction, it is not what is best for the dogs. Instead of helping, they are actually nurturing the dogs' insecurities. When adopting any dog who may have a difficult past, you need to let go of your pity and guilt before bringing the dog home. Instead, make the dog feel secure by providing the calm and balanced energy of a pack leader. This way, the dog can relax, knowing that you have things under control. Many of the dogs at puppy mills have rarely, if ever, seen the outside of their cages. Those cramped quarters were their entire world, so it is important to allow them to explore the new surroundings on their own. In order to begin healthy development, provide the dog with a secure environment and the guidance of a knowledgeable, calm, and quiet human pack leader. If you find yourself dwelling on the dog’s sad past, think about the wonderful future you are giving your new canine companion. By adopting this dog, you are doing a noble thing and providing him or her with a loving family. Focus on the positive! Stay calm and assertive, Cesar Millan

THE DOUBLE NICKEL WOMAN

I just celebrated the big double nickel birthday. We were in Kenedy, Texas for the weekend. You might ask where that is???? It is in South Texas off HWY 181 and HWY 72. Had a great time with our friends; Ed, Katherine, Shirley and John. Spent a lot of the time outside attending a Bluebonnet Festival weekend. More pictures to come...

FIBER ART FOR A CAUSE

MAY 1st is a great day for me. I was born on this day many years ago! My best cyber friend, Marie, sent me these fabulous gel pens. Of course I had to use them last night (sorry I opened my gift a day early). I love the smooth feel of them as they glide across the paper. Thank you thank you thank you!

Please take the time to visit Virginia Spiegel's Collage Mania Fundraiser. All funds raised go to the American Cancer Society. Virginia is a powerhouse whose commitment and talent have inspired so many of us to donate and create in the hopes of finding a cure for cancer! Collage Mania, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, opens May 5 with a minimum donation of $80 for each artwork and continues May 6 and 7 when the donation minimum drops to $40. All donations for artwork are made directly to the ACS through Fiberart For A Cause. Patrons receive an immediate electronic receipt from the ACS. My quilt is on page 36. http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CM2009Collages1.html

MY BABY DON'T TOLERATE

Lyle Lovett is one of my favorite singers! He is going to appear on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS with John Hiatt, Joe Ely, and Guy Clark on May 9th. Check your PBS stations to see what time it will come on in your market. Click on the link to watch them perform one of the songs. http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=217&Itemid=673

YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK ARTIST

Ran across this posting on YOU TUBE and thought it was really creative!

GUESS WHO

My nephew Daniel and his wife Amanda are visiting from Seattle, Washington. Their daughter, Talia, is 16 months old. Isn't she adorable? She doesn't know any of us very well so getting her to come to us is difficult. She purses up her lips and burrows her brow when she is NOT happy! It is just precious.

WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE

This is a great story about making a difference in someone's life. You never know who you might stop from hurting themselves!

EXPRESS TV

Welcome to Express TV, the newest feature of The Round Rock Express. Check back often as they post new videos throughout the season! This is my college son's project for his internship this season. He hopes to become an announcer on TV one day! I think he is fabulous. Click on the link and listen to Lane. http://www.roundrockexpress.com/tv/default.asp?videoId=2242

SIMON SAYS

THE DOG WINS!

SEA OF PEOPLE

We made the local paper yesterday. That is me in the pink shirt, my husband and our friend, Ed. Our backs are to the camera so I drew a marker around us. Unfortunately I didn't submit the photo. I believe mine were much better than what they used. You be the judge... Check out my photos from my posting on April 16th. http://zeeartstudio.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-04-17T09%3A39%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=5

WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?

In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: their friends. Exactly why friendship has such a big effect isn’t entirely clear. Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message is that friends make your life better.” I want to thank all my friends who visit my blog, look at my artwork, and put up with all my photographs I share through e-mails. It means a lot to me to have you!

PLAYING WITH A BLACK LIGHT

My daughter and I were having fun taking pictures under a black light. We got a some cool photos don't you think?

STREET ART

This artist uses trash bags to make animated art using subway exhaust. It is pretty cool and very clever! Click on the photo to watch what Joshua Allen has to say about his monsters...

THE WEATHER IS LOUSY!

Thunderstorms are in the forecast today. It is dark and gloomy out. It is a good day to work on art! This is an old potato bin that I refinished and put a mosaic on. The minute I saw it I knew that I wanted to put it in my downstairs powder room. I found it at one of my favorite consignment stores. I sanded it, painted it black and then made a mosaic on the top lid. I think it turned out really nice. I am taking my mosaics into furniture now. Something different to work on. I will try boxes and other things.

I SEE YOU

My friend Debby and I walk our dogs together almost everyday. Her dog King and Yogi are best buddies and enjoy wrestling and playing. They wear themselves out (which is great) but Zoey prefers to watch from afar. Ha...

Sugarland Tea Party

Last night we attended the Sugarland Tea Party that was held at Town Square. There were thousands of people there who turned out to protest Obama's tax proposals. It was very organized and went off without any problems.

BUILD BRIDGES

“Build bridges instead of walls and you will have a friend.” I took this photo when I was in Santa Barbara. We went down to the area where they have crafts for sale every weekend along the shore.

CRAZY PEOPLE

I started a series of crazy people in my art journal. Each one is a bit unique. I am not sure what you would call them.

THE CUTEST FACES OF ALL

I think that dogs are my favorite subjects now. I love capturing their expressions! They are just so cute that I want to take them all home with me...