Random Five on Friday - The March 27th Edition

Well, let's see now, what can I find that might interest you.....

1) - We had 5 inches of snow on Monday, it melted, thought Spring would appear, then was greeted by another 1 inch this morning....arghh##@!  That last word was a 4 letter word in disguise.

2) - Getting ready for Bunco on Monday evening, I turned on the shower for a clean-up of hair & body (and you know I like squeaky clean) and the water ran cold.  Down in the basement I discovered a leaking water heater.  Now I am the proud owner ($900 later) of a brand spankin' new water heater.....arghh##@!  That again, was a 4 letter word.

3) - Binged watched the new series on Netflix entitled Bloodline, starring Kyle Chandler, Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepherd.  It has it's flaws but it kept me interested enough to watch the entire 13 episode Season One.  The setting is Florida near the Keys, and much of it takes place at a beautiful B&B inn right on the beach that the family has owned for 45 years. The black sheep son returns home for the big 45th celebration and it's downhill from there.  There were a lot of arghh##@ (4 letter words) throughout the series, but unfortunately I have come to expect that.

4) - Just saw a preview of "Outlander" which begins again on April 4th.  Based on Diana Gabaldon's books (there were 8 in this series) which are, I would mildly describe as "steamy" and romantic. Ms Gabaldon is well known for her very prolific romantic style.  If you didn't see the 1st season, go rent it, borrow it, or steal it.  You can thank me later.  And if there are any 4 letter words, they don't sound so bad with a Scottish brogue.

5) - Remember I was contemplating buying a new camera???  Well, now that I have spent a good chunk of change on the "can't be without" water heater, the camera purchase has been placed on hold....arghh##@ (you guessed it, a 4 letter word)

Disclaimer: The above images have absolutely nothing to do with this post.  And yes, it is a real nest and real daffodils, and no it isn't a real egg, plastic.

During Lent we have focused on our fears, a week at a time during Sunday morning services. "F-E-A-R has two meanings: 'Forget Everything And Run' or 'Face Everything And Rise.' The choice is yours." -- Zig Ziglar   I think that pretty well sums it all up in 4 words, now it is our choice to pick the right one when facing our fears.  Hope you have a blessed weekend.

Linking to Nancy's 

Until next time......

Random Five On Friday - The March 21, 2014 Edition

Joining in with Nancy for her weekly meme....Random Five on Friday...hop on over and enjoy.

1) Happy Spring everyone.  Now admittedly it is definitely not Spring weather here in Chicagoland since I woke up to this yesterday morn......

The only one in my household that doesn't seem to mind the snow is Toby...

It didn't last long, the sun began shining and the temps warmed up into the 40's to welcome in our new season.

But we are supposed to soar into the 60's today which will be a literal heat wave.  Shorts and sandals will be the attire among the younger set today for sure, but this chick will keep with her less layered attire, probably stripping off one or possibly two layers as the temps rise.  But it's only a tease since the cold is AGAIN returning for the weekend and into next week.

2) I am headed to Charleston, SC on Tuesday for a week's stay which includes a photography workshop, "Charleston in Bloom" but now I am wondering just how much is going to be in bloom.  Hopefully some spring flowers will be popping their heads and a wildflower or two will be emerging, but let's just say the suitcase will be filled with warmer clothing in anticipation of cooler than expected temps. I made that mistake when I went to Phoenix in January.  I fully expected capri weather, but was greeted by much cooler temps which resulted in a shopping trip to add longer legged attire.

3) Yesterday, my oldest grand girl, Bailey took off work for the day and we went shopping at the outlet mall, dinner at the Corner Bakery, and bookclub together.  It is been far too long since I have been with either of my grand girls, with Bailey's job moving her to Rockford instead of convenient Naperville, and Brie is far away at school. Brie is on spring-break so I am meeting her for some girl time today.  My week is always brighter with my grands in view.

4)  I love that app Waterlogue, Even with my old phone it takes decent enough pictures that turn out to be little works of art.  I think it must have gone viral by now because I am seeing it everywhere. Everyone I show it too downloads it immediately and then they show their friends and family and it goes on and on.

5)  Whee, my son gave me a Kindle Fire for my birthday.  I love it...now I see my book titles in color, can enjoy magazines, newspapers, my e-mail...I never purchased any books for my old Kindle that contained pictures (ie: Cookbooks or even Photography Books) because of the lack of color.  But now that has been eliminated with this new gift.  Thank you, Lane. And btw, on my shopping trip yesterday I had to buy a pretty new Vera Bradley sleeve to wrap around my new gift....after all I did have my birthday coupon that made it's cost easier on the wallet.

And if you could, please hop over to my collaborative blog, Focusing On Life where I am sharing one of my writing assignments from the recent Writing class I just completed.

"Be willing to take the first step, no matter how small it is.  Concentrate on the fact that you are willing to learn.  Absolute miracles will happen."  ~ Louise Hay

Until the next time....

Just Peachy

Decided to join in Nancy's Random Five but I am going to have to dig deep to come up with anything worth mentioning.

One, Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.  I hope you spend some part of your day with someone you love.

Two, the kids went to the beauty shop yesterday and got all prettied up.  And Cinder even has a new sweater.  The red one was getting a little ragged since she has practically worn it non-stop since I bought it before Christmas, due to our less than spectacular winter.

Three, I love taking pictures of animals.  I took this image while in Arizona at a small sheep farm right in the middle of the suburbs.  They move the sheep around, so one day you see them close to the road, the next day they are gone.  This day they happened to be in a fenced off area in a field with tall grass, a banquet for the sheep after they had obviously been stripped clean of all their wool.

Four, I have a thing for doors and windows too.  Especially those found in Tucson.  Here are a few more you haven't seen.

Five, I am not going to mention how the walls are closing in, how my back bumper was hit by an unknown assailant and to fix it, I need to pay for it out of pocket due to my insurance being so high right now (caused by an accident, my fault, 2 years ago that cost $13,000 to fix my car, and I have no idea what it cost to fix the one I hit, thus the high insurance), or that our book club this month is reading The Snow Child that has a setting in Alaska in the wintertime which is I am thinking we should have chosen a different book for February, or that I am gathering all my tax info.  Other than that, things are just peachy.

"True salvation is freedom from negativity."   ~ Eckhart Tolle

PS - I need to work on that....!!!

Until next time.....

How Can Anyone Resist This Face??

Now I ask you....how could anybody resist this sweet face?  This little sweet pea entered my life on a rainy weekend in September.  I've told you the story of how we met completely by chance..1).Toby to the groomers at Pet Smart 2) Adopt pet group displaying their hopeful cats & dogs at the same location 3) Stopped for a quick look-see 4) She melted my heart....end of story.

After Cinder arrived home, Toby was, to say the least, a little taken aback by this new entry into his only "dog in the house" world.  Much like a big brother feels with a not-so-welcomed new little baby sister into his only child world.  I could see the look on Toby's face time after time...."when is she leaving??"  When can I go back to being your only "sweet pea?"  fyi, I have a strong tendency to call my kids sweet peas.  This made me feel a little guilty for bringing Cinder home since Toby had been my main squeeze for 7 years.  So I tried and continue to try hard to give each one equal lovin'.

Cinder is a cuddler....she loves sitting on my lap, when I am reading the newspaper, when I am watching TV and even when I am working on the computer.  That sometimes presents a problem since the only room as I sit on my computer chair is my lap, and I can feel her begin to slide off occasionally. That doesn't stop her, she just re-positions herself and settles back in.  Toby has tried being a "lap" dog, but the only place that works is the couch...he is too big for anywhere else.  Ever once in awhile he tries while I am sitting in my chair, but it is definitely a tight tight squeeze and after a few squeezed moments he hops back down. Neither dog sheds which is a definite blessing.  I come home from my daughter's house with 3 cats and a dog who all shed looking a lot hairier than when I arrived.

The kids (aka dogs) are getting along a little better these days.  Toby has tried playing with Cinder, but she is definitely a non-playing dog.  Toby is the house defender...whenever anyone walks by he lets them know by his bark or should I say continuous bark, that this is his property no ifs ands or buts about it.  He is not vicious, nor would he ever bite anyone, in fact when visitors open the gate and enter Toby's domain, he runs in the opposite direction.  Really quite funny.  Cinder follows in his heels, quite literally.  She has also learned the art of home defense only her bark is more of a high-pitched yip, actually a shrill is more the term.  I am sure our neighbors are thrilled with my new addition.

I love my kids, they have brought me joy beyond belief, they fill my empty home with their love and affection, I am blessed to have these beings in my life....for them I am grateful!!

Quickly....5 random things

1. I am off to have lunch with my Bailey (my oldest granddaughter) today.  Love having her work so close.
2. Went to a lovely luncheon and book review earlier this week at the home of one of the members. Great lunch and I am definitely buying the book that was reviewed "Give The Lady What She Wants" the story of Marshall Field.  Since Marshall Field was such a huge part of Chicago's history and the retail world, the reviewer teased us with just the right amount of information to entice us to read the entire book.  
3. I made another trip to the Arboretum yesterday, the leaves are still glorious and I wanted to take advantage of their last glow before they disappear for 5 or 6 months. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. I am having issues with my cell phone.  The cell phone does nothing but vibrate.  I have ring-tones set for messages & actual phone calls, but it does nothing but vibrate. Must remember to have Bailey look at it, maybe she can figure out what's wrong, or else a stop at the Verizon store.  Sometimes those "smart" phones are too smart for us non-smart "mature" ladies. 
5. And issues with my computer....new, too slow, what's wrong??  After lunch today I am going to Best Buy and buy more RAM, maybe that will help.  

That's enough, I have talked too much.

Linking to:
                                          

Until next time.....

I Need You to Hold Something....

To all those who stopped by and left me some lovin' yesterday when my chin was drooping and the tears were dropping, thank you from the bottom of my heart.  You all were just the medicine I needed to get out of my funk. I slept well last night, but just before I settled in for the night I started reading our bookclub book for this month...."Where'd You Go Bernadette" by Maria Semple.  I haven't laughed out loud reading a book in many a moon, but this one is making me laugh and smile with every page.  It is cleverly written and easy to ready, just what I needed after the tear jerk day I had.  It's good, put it on your list of books to read.  Our original choice for this month, way back when we picked out the books for the year, was "The End of Your Life Book Club".  That one was dropped like the proverbial hot potato....too many of us in the group had experienced too much sadness as of late, and didn't need a book to drag us down anymore.  Thus the birth of "Bernadette"...good call.  

So this photo represents some of those things that I love about Fall...reading a good book, the delicious fruits of the season and the charismatic colors of the Autumn leaves.     

As I was fiddling around with shooting this photo (you know, turning it this way, then that way, then up high, then down low....you know, fiddling, you do that, don't you??)  I looked out the window and saw Kellie riding her bike.   Kellie is a sweetie, whenever I need her to hold something so I can photograph it, she is more than happy to be my hand model.  I don't know about you, but there is no way I can hold something and take a picture of it without getting out the tripod, setting up the timer...blah blah blah.  It is so much easier to just say, "Kellie, I need you to hold something."  She is my hand holding honey.  Today, Gabby wanted to get in on the action, so I was delighted to have two hand models and they even posed to let me not only take pictures of their hands, but of themselves. Both are such cuties.  

5 Random Things -

On Monday I took the train into Chicago with a friend to attend a Printers Row Event sponsored by the Chicago Tribune.  I have never been to one of their events and it was quite delightful.  Mary Schmich a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Tribune interviewed Jhumpa Lahira, another Pulitzer Prize winner, on her new book "The Lowland"....you may remember her earlier book, "The Namesake" which was made into a movie. It was such a pleasure to sit and listen to a conversation with 2 Pulitzer Prize winners.  They use words in speaking  that I only read on a page.  Understand that....I ain't that smart.
 
Dairy Queen's Blizzard flavor of the month is pumpkin with real pieces of pumpkin pie crust mixed in....you need to try this, but just order a small one or maybe even the mini...they are super rich, a little pumpkin heaven in a cup.

Watched "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" last night's premier...have to give it a 2nd shot, some of the "special effects" looked a little too fake for me and with all the high quality digital technology there is today, it certainly doesn't have to look fake.

My good friend, and fabulous chef extraordinaire, Ruth presented a few of us with mini pumpkin/cranberry loaves of bread last night.  The coffee is made and the belly awaits this taste treat as soon as I complete this post and send it into the blogging world.

My sweetie has been moved from the 2nd floor (intense skilled nursing unit) back to the 3rd floor (the Alzheimer's unit).  He continually improves, smiles lit up his face the last time I was there, which may not seem like a lot to some, but there have been times when there were none the entire visit.  A smile from him makes my day.

Linking to Nancy's Random Five and Kim's Friday Finds....

"As we awake to a new day, most of us think of the same old things. It's a new day, so think of new things. New things to do, new ways to do them, new ways to make things interesting, new things to make life better, new ways to help your dreams come true. If you wake up every new day thinking of the same old things, then you set yourself up for the same old fall." 

 

-- Unknown 

Until next time.....

 

Letters On Friday

Dear Week.....whew you have been packed full of ups and downs, running the gamut from happy to sad.  Don't really want to repeat weeks like this too often....too hard on this "aging" woman.

Dear Pinterest.....I love you.  You give me idea upon idea, recipe after recipe, hint after hint, how to's after how to's, inspiration...well you could "while away" many moments on pinterest.  And speaking of recipes, I did try this one and it was definitely a keeper and recommended.  My friend Marti and I occasionally go out to dinner on Monday nights, it's always the night her husband goes to the gym, and it's usually a trip to a local casual restaurant here in town, but Deanna decided to cook on Monday night.  Now that is an occasion, in other words that don't happen ner're too often anymore. But this is what I prepared, right off of pinterest.

Shrimp, Zucchini & Pesto Angel Hair Pasta

We finally found a brand of frozen shrimp we love – found it at Whole Foods. It’s frozen wild USA shrimp, already peeled, and tasty! (I used fresh from my local grocery store)

 Recipe {serves 2}

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled
• 4 ounces angel hair, cooking according to package
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup prepared or homemade pesto sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

• Prepare pasta according to package.
• Add 1 tbsp olive oil to medium high skillet and cook shrimp until brown. Don’t stir too much or you won’t get a crust! Remove from pan.
• Cook pepper and zucchini in remaining olive oil until tender
• Toss all together in a bowl with pesto.
• Serve in bowls!

Dear Meadowbrook Manor, you are now the keeper of my sweetie beginning today.  His previous keeper (Lincolnshire Place) was wonderful, so you have some big shoes to fill.  But truly what is important is that you provide him with good care and keep him safe.

Dear Wednesday Gal Pals, I love you.  I love our get-togethers every Wednesday usually at B&N, this week here, talking about everything (this week's discussion centered around whether we liked our given names, I think only one of us really liked what our parents placed on our birth certificates as our "official name").  This week one brought along this sweet bouquet and other's brought sweets to eat.  Again, I love you.

Dear Thursday Evening Band Concerts, you are always a delight.  Last night the weather was perfect, the crowds were filled with all ages and the music was a delight.  Jazz Big Band sound which is my favorite of the summer.  There were young ones with grandparents, elderly people from the local nursing homes, and sweet little, teeny tiny dogs.  Always a fun evening.  

Next week while Carol from Buttercup Counts Her Blessings is here in Chicago for a Blogging Conference (why didn't I sign up for that??) we have scheduled a meet-up on the weekend.  Fun Fun!!  How our world expands when we blog. 

Next week us gal pals are celebrating Elaine's 91st Birthday.  Elaine has been a little "under-the-weather" lately so I am hoping that all is well on Monday and she can enjoy her celebration.  

And next week I am heading to Michigan to do a family photo shoot on the beach.  All good things!!

Oh, and one more thing....I am relishing YELLOW on my collaborative blog Focusing on Life today...sure would appreciate it if you would stop on by. 

Joining Nancy at Random Five On Friday. 

Until next time.....