The Turning Point

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

Joy Ride by Grandma Moses (1953) I wanted to share a poem with you by John Greenleaf Whittier which I think epitomizes my feelings about this time of year. I hope you enjoy it. Somehow not only for ChristmasBut all the long year through,The joy that you give to othersIs the joy that comes back to you.And the more you spend in blessingThe poor and lonely and sad,The more of your heart's

New Beginnings

2007-11-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

I have no excuses for my long absence except to say it was necessary. LOL.I woke up this morning and realized it's been almost five months since I posted an entry here. A few of my loyal and generous readers have been still stopping by to see whether I posted any news and to you I say, "THANK YOU" from the bottom of my heart.You are the cream of the crop.We moved into our new house on September

Where's Carol?

2007-06-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

I think this about says it all, doesn't it?A thousand apologies again, friends and fellow bloggers...I have too many irons in the fire here in sunny Florida but I promise to be back very soon.

Hello, It's Me....

2007-05-27T19:57:00.000-04:00

Hello all...I know I've been more than remiss these past few weeks for not posting something...A few of you even contacted me asking if I was alright.It's downright embarrassing...Yes. I'm quite well, thanks. Life in Jacksonville gets better with each day and I'm actually starting to find my way around the city without needing my Mapquest directions each time I leave the house...LOL.Our new home

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T08:03:00.000-04:00

Here's to all the lovely ladies who blog out here and who do the world's most difficult job - BEING A MOTHER!Today is for you.Here's to breakfast in bed, a clean kitchen and someone else's turn to take out the garbage! LOL.

Croak

2007-05-06T12:23:00.000-04:00

This move to Florida has taken alot out of me. Within three days of arriving at our rental house and beginning the arduous task of unpacking hundreds of boxes, I came down with a first-class head cold kicked off by a day of flulike symptoms. Reduced to shivering on the couch covered in a blanket in 90 degree heat outside, you have to laugh at the pathetic image I made.One box of Kleenex later and

End and Beginning

2007-04-18T08:14:00.000-04:00

It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to blog. First I lost the time to blog because I had to pack up the entire contents of this house (eight rooms plus a full basement and a shed), secondly because things started disappearing when Hubs decided to pack everything up a week in advance of our move, and thirdly because now I'm reduced to blogging with my laptop perched atop two packed boxes

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: HOBBY

2007-04-14T10:44:00.000-04:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Hobbies! Boy, do I have hobbies....now this is a topic I can really identity with. I had a little problem trying to decide which one I would focus on for this week's post, but when it really came down to it, this is probably my favorite. Gardening. I have been gardening and getting my hands in the dirt since I was a baby standing at my grandmother's

The Envelope, please!

2007-04-10T16:50:00.000-04:00

Sometimes nice things happen when you least expect them. This afternoon I received an email from one of the dear ladies I've met here in the blogosphere. She wanted to tell me that I had been nominated for a Thinking Blog award, which pleases me no end and for which I'm very grateful. Of course we all have thoughts on all sorts of things and I am no different. I've always got my mind wrapped

Happy Easter!

2007-04-07T12:03:00.000-04:00

I didn't have time to look for a photo for today's PhotoHunt. Sorry - we're officially living out of boxes at the moment and I have no idea where most of my photos are.I wanted to take time to wish everyone a joyous and blessed Easter filled with peace. As for me, I'm breaking several traditions this year. First we're spending Easter without our families since my house looks like a hurricane

Bummer

2007-04-04T00:20:00.000-04:00

Lazarus, Returned from Packing

2007-04-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

No I did not die! I have to apologize for my absence the past couple of weeks. Other than the Saturday PhotoHunt, I haven't done any blogging. Ever since we sold our house, Hubs and I have been packing and reorganizing the contents of this place like a couple of whirling dervishes. Nine years of stuff on top of other stuff has compounded the problem. There does, however, seem to be a light at the

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: WATER

2007-03-31T08:36:00.000-04:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. I've always liked water, even though I am not a good swimmer. There's something about the sound of rushing water, or rain beating on the rooftop, or the sound of waves beating against the shoreline that makes me feel at peace. I have great respect for water. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I'm moving to Florida.Here's a photo I took a number of

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: EMPTY

2007-03-24T07:46:00.000-04:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. When I saw the subject for today's Hunt, I knew immediately what I wanted to post. Here are some photos of our lot for the new house we're building in Jacksonville, Florida. Our house will be the first one built on this side of the plan. It's gonna be fun to watch the neighborhood grow.

My Visual DNA

2007-03-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Barbara! I love this..... Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Friday's Feast

2007-03-23T10:55:00.000-04:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Thirty SixAppetizerWho is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?I like Anderson Cooper. I think he presents the news in a credible way. He's not only a very good writer and reporter, he also has a great deal of heart. I think his coverage during Hurricane Katrina and the Sago Mine disaster proved that. He's also very easy on the eyes!SoupName 3 foods that

Dem Changes (with apologies to Buddy Miles)

2007-03-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

So I'm back from my travels. Obviously I didn't do too good a job blogging while on the road and really I have no excuse other than blatant laziness and busyness. We even had WIFI at most of the places we stayed. Traveling out of necessity is sometimes a boorish business and this was no pleasure trip. So let me recall it in the order in which it occurred as that seems to make the most sense.We

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: DRINK

2007-03-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. Since I'm on the road this week here in Jacksonville, and don't have access to my photo files at home, I decided to post something different. To get to my mom's house in south central Florida, you need to pass through a small town called Lake Wales. One of Lake Wales' claims to fame is they are home to Florida's Natural, the juice

A Date with a Mummy

2007-03-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Hubs and I leave for Philadelphia. We're off to see King Tut on Wednesday and then Thursday we'll continue onward (or should I say downward) to Jacksonville to start house-hunting once more.I plan to blog (abit) while we're on the road. Happy trails and see you on down the road!

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: ARCHITECTURE

2007-03-10T07:45:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. This week's theme was a no-brainer for me. When I think of beautiful architecture I immediately think of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. I've been there a number of times and it's one of the most interesting places I've ever seen. The architecture is gorgeous. It's a living, breathing monument to the way our country began. Here

A Book Meme

2007-03-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

I saw this one over at Jake Silver's blog. You're supposed to BOLD the books you've read and ITALICIZE the ones you want to read. The ones in BLUE are the ones I'm not interested in reading.Keep in mind, I've read ALOT of these books. They're mainly classics and I'm a voracious reader. I'm also older too! LOL.. I made some short comments which you may disregard if you like.1. The Da Vinci Code (

The Friday Fallout

2007-03-09T08:28:00.000-05:00

Our house is trashed right now. Boxes, newspapers, packing tape, and stuff is scattered everywhere. The house inspection was done last night and we're required to have a Radon test before the closing, so that's being done too. It's sort of mayhem around here and I, for one, do not like to see the house so ripped apart. Oh well, adjust, girlfriend, adjust.Since the weather is definitely improving

Friday's Feast

2007-03-09T08:20:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Thirty Four AppetizerWhat is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be different?I'm normally in bed by 11 PM, although I always watch the news and maybe Leno or Letterman's monologue if I can stay awake. I don't require a great deal of sleep; about 5 hours refreshes me completely. I'm a light sleeper.SoupWhen it comes to advice, do you

Word(less) Wednesday

2007-03-07T07:17:00.000-05:00

What's most important to me.....

Good Creatures

2007-03-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back. Sort of. The funeral went as well as these things can go under the circumstances. Before I move on to my new adventures, I want to comment on something I witnessed.Funerals, to my mind, bring out different things in different people. For me, I was the most upset when they turned off the machines and my father-in-law breathed his last. That's when I shed my tears. To others who

A Grand Guy

2007-02-28T23:28:00.000-05:00

My father-in-law died yesterday. He fell and broke his hip about a month ago and was in the hospital. Last Friday he went into cardiac arrest, possibly from a blood clot. He never regained consciousness and was taken off life support last night. He was 79. I will miss his silliness and his sweet ways. Over the next couple of days, I'll be busy with the funeral, so I doubt I'll be doing much in

SOLD!

2007-02-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

Well, it finally happened. We had a young couple look at our house on Sunday and they made us an offer last night. We are officially under contract! Looks like the closing will be sometime around the end of April, which is great since I have an ENTIRE house to pack up!You might remember we were building a house in Jacksonville and had to give it up because we couldn't sell this place. Seems now

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: SOFT

2007-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. This week our topic was SOFT. The first idea that popped into my head was my hammy, Herbi. He's very soft. And cuddly. I usually take him out of his cage each morning when I get up and hold him for a couple of minutes. I think we both enjoy it. He's a nocturnal animal and sleeps alot throughout the day. That five or ten minutes I

Friday's Feast

2007-02-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Thirty TwoAppetizer Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?I have several scars. The largest one runs down my belly about 18 inches. I had a hysterectomy in 1997. I had a couple of benign tumors that had to come out. Let's just say my bikini-wearing days are far, far behind me now. LOL.... I also have a few scars on my legs, mostly from

The Ladies Sang Better

2007-02-21T22:14:00.000-05:00

The ladies of American Idol fared much better tonight. Five of them sang very well. They were:Stephanie EdwardsSabrina SloanJordin SparksMelinda DoolittleThey definitely saved the very best for last. If she keeps singing the way she did tonight, you're looking at this year's winner. Her performance of Jennifer Hudson's "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls was amazing. Remember her

Thinking.....

2007-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Things I'm thinking about this morning...Imus was still going on about the Washington Post article on Walter Reed this morning. He's gonna be like a dog with a bone on this one.Good dog.He also agreed with my opinion of American Idol last night. Teehee.This is my new favorite blog. I found it by accident last night although I'd been seeing these little index cards all over the Internet for a

American I=DULL!

2007-02-20T22:04:00.000-05:00

Was it my imagination or was every guy on American Idol tonight pretty terrible? Tonight began the semi-finals. It was the guys' turn to sing.Who picks their songs?BLEECCHHH!Old hackneyed tunes from the 70's and 80's....everyone was either off-key or "pitchy" (to use Randy's word...LOL)..Nine out of the twelve sang ballads. Not an auspicious way to begin a competition of this significance.It's 9:

Sin and Shame

2007-02-20T07:56:00.000-05:00

I was watching Imus this morning as I do on many mornings. He was interviewing a Washington Post reporter, Dana Priest, who wrote this expose on the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital and in particular, Building 18, where many of our returning injured soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan go to rehab and recuperate.It's a very well-written article; also a sad and outrageous reminder of how

Hey, Hey...I'm Blog of the Day!

2007-02-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

Check it out!I recently joined FuelMyBlog and lookee! I'm the Blog of the Day!I want to thank the Academy...er, sorry, wrong show.

What Do You Sleep On?

2007-02-19T10:13:00.000-05:00

During the past few months my hubby and I have noticed we are not sleeping as well as we once did. When we were first married we bought a pillowtop queen-sized mattress and box spring from a major manufacturer who shall remain nameless here. We paid a good bit for the set. After almost nine years of marriage we're both beginning to think it might be sagging in the middle. We've dutifully flipped

Porcupine Tree

2007-02-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

My new favorite group. As a rule I do not follow progressive rock, but these guys are quite good. A DJ friend of mine from Florida turned me on to them.Check out their website. Here's a video of their song, Trains, from the CD, In Absentia, from 2002.

A Date with Tut

2007-02-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

Around this time last year I blogged about the King Tut Exhibition. It's currently on tour and will be on display in Philadelphia at the Franklin Institute Science Museum until September 30th. This morning I remembered about it and ordered tickets for Hubs and me. We're going to see this on March 14th. Since we live on the other side of the state, we'll probably drive over the night before. I've

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Antique

2007-02-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. So this week our assignment is ANTIQUE. Here are several photos of some old items we removed from my in-laws house in the fall of 2005. They decided to go into assisted living and we spent about nine months clearing out about fifty years worth of belongings they couldn't use anymore. We held a number of garage sales, donated much

Friday's Feast

2007-02-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Thirty OneAppetizerWhat sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?No question. The sound of the ocean - waves lapping gently against the shoreline or the tide coming in and out. That, to me, is one of the loveliest sounds in the world. On second thought, I probably would be so relaxed, I wouldn't hear the phone!SoupDescribe

My Valentine To You

2007-02-14T11:18:00.000-05:00

“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” - Anonymous

From Fields Where Glory Does Not Stay

2007-02-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

You know, life is very unfair at times. I normally don't turn on the TV during the day, mainly relying on the Internet for news. I've been sitting here watching TV, waiting for Hubs to get home from work and I heard this news story. This is a young man from our church. He died yesterday in Iraq. I can't stop thinking about him. I didn't know him, really. Probably saw him at services or at one of

Sniggers and Snickers

2007-02-12T11:13:00.000-05:00

The voice of reason always makes me laugh! NORMA RAE.....LOL.

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: BROKEN

2007-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. This week the theme is BROKEN. Here's something that's most definitely broken. This is a relic from my youth. I had a boyfriend back in 1970. He was in the Army stationed at Newport News, VA. I met him in Virginia Beach while on spring break from college. He eventually shipped off to Vietnam and while in country spent most of his

You're Cordially Invited....

2007-02-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

I've decided to participate in this year's Ultimate Blog Party, which runs from March 2 - 9. To participate, all you have to do is put the party button up on your blog and invite your friends to come and party with us via a post. Pretty simple stuff. There are lots of prizes being awarded and it's a great way to increase traffic to your blog.I always love a good party, so please feel free to come

This is Scary!

2007-02-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

This is the new Lefortovo Tunnel in Russia. There is a river running over it and water leaks at some points. When the temperature reaches minus 38 degrees like it has this particular winter, the road freezes and the result is the attached video taken during A SINGLE DAY with the tunnel camera.Congratulations to the articulated bus driver.... This is better than turn 4 at Daytona.Remember-- this

Friday's Feast

2007-02-09T08:21:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & ThirtyAppetizerHave you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with?Fortunately, I have not been sick this winter. I've been getting a flu shot for many years and that seems to keep the diseases at bay. I used to get very ill every winter. Colds, flu and bronchitis would knock me out of commission for weeks at a time. I'm also not working

Happy Birthday, Anni!!

2007-02-09T07:42:00.000-05:00

Today is my dear friend Anni's birthday. I wanted to leave a little "tribute" to her out here to let her know I'm thinking of her and I hope she's having a wonderful day! Thanks for all your support and for all the nice things you've done since we've become friends. Sistas for life!!Que the Happy Birthday Song!!!

My Book Meme

2007-02-08T14:35:00.000-05:00

I am always reading other people's blogs. I have a number of favorites, some in part because they've become good friends, some in part because they're witty and some because they're just plain good reading. My friend, Anni and her blog, qualify in all three of these categories. I swiped this meme from her and I hope she won't mind.This particular meme is right up my alley. I'm an avid reader and

Word(less) Wednesday

2007-02-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

Well, this week's entry is a little video I just made and it's actually not wordless. I've had a bad case of cabin fever after being cooped up in our house for the last four days due to the freezing temperatures. Yesterday I decided to go over to the mall and do alittle shopping ( yes, I do occasionally shop!). As I was walking by the Hallmark card store, this young lady began speaking to me...I

Monday Night Musings

2007-02-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

My FIL broke his left hip when he fell last Friday. He had surgery to repair it the next day and will be out of commission for about six weeks. He's almost 80, so his rehab will be slow. I visited him at the hospital this afternoon and as I was sitting there staring out the window while he catnapped, I thought about how much of my life I have spent in hospitals. Quite a bit in the past 15 years.

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: GROSS

2007-02-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. As a rule, I don't take pictures of things that are gross. I'm not really sure if this qualifies or not, but I'm giving it a shot. I called this photo "Wingman". I took it last summer at my stepfather's house. This is my nephew, Andrew, whom we affectionately call Slim. He's almost 6 ft. 3 and weighs somewhere around 140 pounds.

Frenzy Farm

2007-02-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

Normally my weekends are pretty quiet. I'd just finished a busy week running to and from the hospital. Hubs spent most of the day trying to see his doctor so he can go back to work on Monday. His boss won't let him come back until he's been cleared by our family doctor. Meanwhile, my 80 year old father-in-law called early this morning complaining the battery on his van was dead and could we take

2007-02-02T07:05:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Twenty NineAppetizerWhat was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?I grew up in the 1960's, which was a decade of some pretty bad fashion. Does anyone remember the Doctor Zhivago midi/maxi coats? I had a winter coat that had a zipper about eight inches from the hem. You could "transform" the coat from a maxi to a midi by removing the bottom part

Listen to the Music.....

2007-02-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

You'll notice I've moved my little music player onto my sidebar. For some reason it doesn't want to work here anymore. I'm certain it has something to do with Javascript codes clashing. I'll leave this post up just in case you want to make any comments. Click on the little person icon in the upper left hand corner to switch between playlists. They are:Number 1 = Rock and SoulNumber 2 = Smooth

Thursday Thirteen

2007-02-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

Join the Blogroll!Thirteen Things I Think are just crazy... My brother - He decided on Monday he was sick of snow (he lives outside of Erie, Pennsylvania), so he Orbitz'd himself a trip and ended up at my mom's in Florida. I called down there last night to let them know my hubby was home from the hospital and my brother answered the phone. He left Erie at 2:30 yesterday morning, drove to

Where I've Been

2007-01-31T09:40:00.000-05:00

Things sometimes come at you from nowhere. I've mentioned in the past my dear hubby suffers from a condition called Essential Thrombocytosis. You can Google it if you like, but basically it's a blood disorder which causes the body to produce too many platelets. You have to doctor for it and while it's not fatal, it can lead to lots of complications later in life. He was diagnosed with ET when he

Wordless Wednesday

2007-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been offline for the past week....I'll explain more about that in my next post.For today's WW, here's a blast from the past. Let's entitle this: FIND THE DORK IN THE PHOTO....(and no, it's not the teacher!)I'm in this picture somewhere. Can you spot me? &title=<$BlogItemTitle$>&blog=bs">

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: SILVER

2007-01-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. This is a silver box my mother gave me as a gift many years ago. I keep it on my nightstand. I love how it reflects on to the chair in this picture. It's real silver too. I know because I have to polish it quite often. Real silver is always lovely to have, but keep a bottle of Tarnex nearby!I found a site that discusses alternative

Friday's Feast

2007-01-26T06:20:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Twenty EightAppetizerIf you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn?I do play the piano, altho pretty badly. I didn't keep up my lessons as a kid and I sometimes regret that. I wish I played better.SoupHave you ever mistaken a person for someone else?Oh, many times. One of my favorite tricks to is walk up to someone

Thursday Nice Thing

2007-01-25T16:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted a Thursday Nice Thing since November so I thought today would be a good day to start up again. It's a very cold, blustery day where I am. The winds are howling and it's just not a day to be outside (although I've been out twice this morning shoveling snow).I was chatting with a friend online last night and we got to talking about favorite places we liked to visit. Here's one of

Countdown Meme

2007-01-23T15:57:00.000-05:00

The Countdown MemeI grabbed this from dear Melli - thanks, girlfriend!10 Firsts1. First best friend - Wendy Waldron ( we lived next door to each other when I was a little girl - we stayed friends for about 20 years and then we lost touch ) 2. First car - 1972 VW Beetle - ((RED)) - I paid $1900 for it and couldn't drive a standard - I jerked it around in second for months!) 3. First love - Steve

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: WILD!

2007-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. This week the theme is WILD. While I could be accused of being wild at times, I really couldn't find any photos that depict my "wild" life. Here are three pictures I took back in 2002 for your consideration. The first two were from my garden. Keeping things clean, what does this look like to you? More weird veggies....this zucchini

A Really Long Quiz I Copped from Jake Silver

2007-01-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

I didn't feel like putting up anything for Wordless Wednesday. Instead - here is this.1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?Let me consult my hitlist. Saddam, Castro, Rick Santorum, Brittany Spears, the Geico caveman - hmmm - I'm really not that vindictive, though.2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence.

I'm Feeling Ornery Today!

2007-01-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

So let's see - I didn't watch the Golden Globes last night and I'm good with that. The usual suspects won, apparently, so good for them. Alec Baldwin is the only one I was rootin' for anyway. He has alot of style plus he's crazy as a loon.I live in Pittsburgh, home of the Steelers. If you follow sports you know they're looking for a new head coach. I just want to go on record here that I DO NOT

Blogger Likes Me! It Really Likes Me!

2007-01-13T11:23:00.000-05:00

As I was preparing to post my Saturday Photo Hunt entry, I got a message from my buddy, BLOGGER, that it was ready for me to switch my blog over to the new template. Now I have to admit I was dreading this, treading rather cautiously here because I had heard stories from several of my Blogger buddies about the problems they had when they tried to update theirs. Should I or shouldn't I? I've

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Technology

2007-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. Here are several photos for your consideration. When we emptied out my in-laws house last summer in preparation for selling it, I found this old 8 MM movie camera which belonged to my father-in-law. My husband remembers his dad having this camera when he growing up in the 1960s, which makes this camera a relic. Don't worry, it

Friday's Silly Questions Meme

2007-01-12T10:05:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling abit silly this morning, so I decided to take this Silly Questions Meme. 1.When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?What's today? Friday? I need to take the trash out!2.How much cash do you have on you?Well, I'm still in my jammies, so nothing at the moment!3.What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?MORE!!4.Do you label yourself?A Goofy

Ch Ch Ch Changes......

2007-01-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

I'm always trying to increase traffic to this blog. I recently joined the Blogging Chicks group in the hope more readers will stop and maybe leave me a comment or two. One of the other things I did was this. You can see it over on my sidebar and I hope you'll feel free to use it whenever you visit. I think it's pretty cute, don't you?Blogger was really misbehavin' last night. I mean we all knew

The Chain of Foo(d)s

2007-01-09T21:35:00.000-05:00

I just had a thought tonight while I was clearing up the dinner dishes. Did you ever notice that ladies' magazines and cooking shows tend to go through what I'll call a "food cycle"?Here's what I mean. Today I was watching the Food Network as I normally do in the early afternoon. I watched Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Giada DiLaurentiis, and Sandra Lee. On every program their menus featured "lighter

Armed and Famous

2007-01-08T13:16:00.000-05:00

Just when you think television can't get much worse, comes this. I'll probably watch it. I can always use a good laugh. Pathetic. I'm assuming alot of donuts will be consumed.

It's That Time of Year Again

2007-01-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

If it's early January you know from last year's post, I am glued to my TV set watching the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Yep. I've been watching it for years. Our state cable channel, PCN, carries it each year. Now I know what you're thinking....hmm, this woman really needs to get a life. My husband thinks I'm wacky too. There's just something in me that reaches out to all things country. What's the

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Memory

2007-01-06T07:29:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. Who doesn't have memories? Sure, there are alot of people and times in my life that have grown more faint as I get older. It happens. But hopefully those are only the bad ones! I read an article about the brain in Newsweek years ago (and I've always remembered this - LOL!) that said the normal human brain retains about 85 percent

Friday's Feast

2007-01-05T07:47:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Twenty-Five AppetizerWhich celebrity (or celebrities) do you think will make headlines this year? If I were a betting woman (which I am at times) I would think anybody who's planning to make a presidential bid in 2008. People like John Edwards, Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and the like would be at the top of my list. Everyone is waiting to see

New Beginnings

2007-01-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

So the Christmas decorations are all neatly packed away for another year. I spent most of yesterday taking them down and helped my husband take down our outside decorations too. Funny how I can't wait to put them up and funnier how I can't wait to take them back down! LOL. The kids are back in school so Hubs went back to work this morning and I have the house once again to myself. Since my

Random Thoughts as we leave 2006....

2006-12-30T00:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know why but I am always glad to leave a year behind me. It's not that I've had a rough one, in fact, this year has been a particularly good milestone for me. I was able to retire from my full-time job after many years, a job which had become mundane and routine to me. My husband and I were (and still are) embarking on a new life in northern Florida and once our house sells we'll be well

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: NEW

2006-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. The theme this week is NEW. I really didn't get anything new for Christmas this year because everyone gave me money or giftcards. They think I'm hard to buy for (really, I not!). I do like to buy one new Christmas ornament for our tree each year. I often buy ornaments when we travel and my collection has gotten quite large over the

Friday's Feast

2006-12-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Twenty FourAppetizerHow do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?Hubby and I normally stay in and watch something on TV. We're both snackers, so I will make up a tray filled with shrimp, salami, prescuitto, and our favorite cheeses which these days are Havarti, Fontina, Bleu, and Asiago. We love breads and crackers so this year I picked up a Tuscan round

Wordless Wednesday

2006-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

BEFORE......AND AFTER!

Christmas

2006-12-25T07:33:00.000-05:00

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lordand my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has been mindfulof the humble state of his servant.From now on all generations will call me blessed,for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.His mercy extends to those who fear him,from generation to generation.He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;he has scattered those who are

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Lines

2006-12-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. I had a number of ideas for this week's theme. I considered putting up a full face photo of myself showing all the ageLINES around my eyes but I thought that might scare off quite a few of my regulars...hehe. Another idea that came to mind was possibly showing lines painted on a highway. Or cars lining up at one of our local malls

Friday Field Trip #2

2006-12-22T13:20:00.000-05:00

Since it's the Friday before Christmas and it's a lousy day here (rainy, foggy and just a crappy day in general), I thought I'd take another field trip and visit some of my favorite bloggers. I always get a kick out of reading these folks' blogs to see what they're up to. Why don't you come along?Let's kick off this trip way up in the North Country, (Canada, that is), and start by paying a visit

Watch Me - I'm An Elf!

2006-12-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

I was over at Pjt3ket's blog this morning and she had this posted with her little boy featured in it. I liked it so much I decided to do one of myself...Carol's ElfmorphosisDon't you think I dance well? LOL.....Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Heroes and Villains

2006-12-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

I'm getting ready to go over to the VA Hospital with Hubs for his monthly appointment. He used to do this by himself but ever since I've retired I like to go along. I've mentioned here before what a great job they do there. The people that work here are obliging and caring. The entire place is just a well-oiled machine, from the time you check in to the moment you go to the pharmacy to pick up

Virtual Holiday Cookie Swap!

2006-12-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

I'm sure many of you have participated in a REAL Cookie Swap around the holidays, but since we can't do that here, what about a virtual one? I know I'm probably getting a late start here and many of you already have your cookies made for this Christmas, but I don't. I'm always looking for new and interesting Christmas cookies to make.If you have a treasured or favorite cookie recipe and you don't

Monday Meme

2006-12-18T11:06:00.000-05:00

I snitched this from Jake so I hope he doesn't mind....LOL.The house is decorated, cookies baked (the few I was baking) and my presents are wrapped sitting under our tree. I'm ready for you, Father Christmas! How about you? Ready for the upcoming festivities?A - Available/Single? Married for 8 YearsB - Best Friend? Joyce, my BF since 7th gradeC - Cake or Pie? Pie...my favorite is Coconut Cream.D

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Annoying!

2006-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.Here's something I find VERY annoying!SNOW!!I really used to love snow as a kid. I grew up in the Northeast and I can remember so many winters where we had up to two FEET of snow and never seemed to mind. Everything simply stopped. You couldn't go anywhere for days. No school. No work. Nothing. As I grew up, I learned to hate it.

Friday's Feast

2006-12-15T06:40:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Twenty Two AppetizerWhat was your very first job and paycheck? My very first job was working at Winky's ( a now defunct hamburger chain). I was 16. It was right up the road from where I lived and I used to walk a busy highway to get there. We used to call it Stinky's Deathburgers, because of all the grease. My hair literally used to smell like it when I

Harmonious Holiday Thoughts

2006-12-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting on my living floor at the moment wrapping the few gifts I actually bought for Christmas. I mentioned last month I would probably give most of the people on my giftlist a giftcard. Well, you can't do that with everyone. My mother, for one. Her birthday is December 29th too, so sending her giftcards just seems too callous. She's been a good mom. I'm getting a box ready with all the

Wordless Wednesday

2006-12-13T08:25:00.000-05:00

Today's is a video post from me to you. Enjoy!

On The Edge

2006-12-11T08:40:00.000-05:00

The last two weekends have been crazy around here. For those of you who follow this blog you know my hubby and I have been trying to sell our house so we can relocate to Florida. We thought it would be an easy thing - put the house on the market, pack your belongings, and bang! you've moved. Well it's not that simple.It seems the fates are against us and we haven't been able to sell our house.

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: RED

2006-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.Here's an amaryllis I've had for the last five years. It only flowers once each year, usually right around Christmas. I'm hoping it blooms this well this year. This is what it looked like at Christmas last year.Don't you think it's rather pretty?

Friday's Feast

2006-12-08T13:02:00.000-05:00

Join in the Feast!Feast One Hundred & Twenty OneAppetizerWhich language would you like to learn and why?I studied Spanish in high school and wish I would have continued in college. I can converse enough to ask for directions, read a menu, etc., but I would love to know all the subtleties of the language. That's how you learn the beauty of it.SoupWhat's the funniest thing you've heard or read so

I Love Your Dress...Dress...Dress...Dress

2006-12-08T08:23:00.000-05:00

I think this is great. So does this mean the First Lady buys "off the rack"?Here's the story from CBS News.

To the Losers.....

2006-12-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

So I didn't win anything competing in the NaBloPoMo contest, but I did gain some interesting new friends. And Fussy created this consolation graphic for all of us losers....I feel better already.

Merge

2006-12-04T09:45:00.000-05:00

Here's a good thing. I didn't see this one coming at all.

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt: Light(s)

2006-12-02T09:45:00.000-05:00

Grab the Photo Hunt code. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.Here are several photos I took last Christmas. My mother and stepfather live in a retirement community in Sebring, Florida. Each year their park has a contest to see who can decorate their home with the most Christmas lights. My mom and stepfather won the grand prize in 2002.Here's a picture of the house that won last year. It's

The Blog Meme

2006-12-01T12:39:00.000-05:00

So I was over at Jake Silver's blog this morning and read this meme. I liked it so much, I decided to put it on mine. (Hope you don't mind Jake)..It's about blogging and made me think alot about why I started blogging in the first place.The Blog Meme 1-Do you like the look and the contents of your blog? Yes, although I am constantly rearranging items on my sidebar and looking for interesting new

Friday's Feast

2006-12-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Feast One Hundred & TwentyAppetizer Have you ever flown in a helicopter? For all the traveling I've done in my life, I have to say no. I'd like to one day...perhaps over the Grand Canyon. SoupWhat color is your warmest coat or jacket? Well, I live in SW Pennsylvania where the winters are very cold. I like my L.L.Bean barn coat the best. It's a pumpkin color.Salad What is your favorite rainy day

The End of NaBloPoMo

2006-11-30T11:36:00.000-05:00

Time once again for the Thursday Nice Thing too. Well, I made it to the end of NaBloPoMo, no worse for wear. Actually it was alot of fun, although I don't think I'll be tagging along with some of the others into December. Just too much going on here. But it's been fun. I've made a few new friends along the way. I don't envy the judges. I think a lot of us made it to the end. If nothing else, I've

Wordless Wednesday

2006-11-29T07:11:00.000-05:00

A sneek peek at this year's Christmas Tree. First time I've put one up in over six years. Normally I go to Florida to see my mom. This year we've decided to stay at home. Some of my ornaments are over 50 years old. Update: I'm now participating in the Holiday Decorations Parade developed by the ever-creative Wystful1. Please click here if you'd like to join the festivities!