The Blue Ridge Gal

Slip Sliding Away

2012-02-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday did indeed slip slide away for me. There is a Photoshop class happening soon and it was necessary that I check into it, complete an application and pay the fee. So off I went.

The class is being held at the Greenfield Education Center not all that far from our home, the area where we also walk our dogs around the pond. So camera in hand, off I went even though it was a VERY grey sky day.

This is the education center building. It sits atop a hill and overlooks the area of the pond as well as the hiking trails.

I had been wanting to check out the old Preston/Bowyer Cemetery there for quite some time, and I'll share those photos with you very soon.

Today I'm busy with of course our weekly grocery shopping and also a bit of design work for a friend who needs a Timeline Header/Banner for her Facebook page....

Looking forward to sharing the Greenfield photos with you!

Now toddle off and have a fabulous weekend!!

So Sorry

2012-02-10T20:55:00.001-05:00

Mom sent me to say she is sorry she wasn't here on her blog today.

She said to remind you that the giveaway of the $15 Starbucks Card ends on the 13th... that's Monday!!

She says you may look at the back of my head until tomorrow.

Love, Rowdy.

A Must Share

2012-02-09T19:18:00.001-05:00

I logged onto Facebook tonight to ~~snoop~~ see what the family and friends are up to. My stepdaughter had posted this wonderful find and it's a must see and must share video. OH, to have been there and felt what this man must have been feeling. I think I would have peed my pants from the excitement.

Don't forget about my giveaway of a $15 Starbucks card which ends on February 13th. HERE.

Social Media Meeting

2012-02-09T12:36:00.002-05:00

This morning was spent at the Meet-Up 2.0 get together at the Best Western in Roanoke near the Valley View Mall. Sue England of S. England Design spoke about Photoshop. Sue has been using Photoshop FOR.EVAH. She has her own design company for print and web design and is known nationwide for her knowledge and expertise in creating brochures, business cards, etc. Contact Sue at sue@englanddesign.com if you are looking for the perfectly executed advertising art for your company. Thanks, Sue!

These are photos from today's Meetup 2.0.

Looking forward to our next Meetup!

Sorry... I could not resist this last picture.

Rural Thursday

2012-02-09T06:18:00.000-05:00

I'm joining with Nancy at A Rural Journal and Lisa at Two Bears Farm for a day of rural-ness.

Virginia has a lot of that.... rural-ness that is. Barns, building and sheds appearing along hillsides and next to streams, going down slowly as if just hitting a Titanic sized iceberg. To view them in their 'just hanging on to life' state makes a person wonder if they will be there months from now.

Just one of the signs of how fragile our rural America is.

Visit others who are linking up to Rural Thursday today.

A Month Of Love At My House

2012-02-07T16:04:00.000-05:00

For my house, February is a month of love. The days can be miserably cold or snowy and filled with clouds that hang about and cannot be convinced to go away.

Here at my house we do our best to shrug off those days, turn on every light, add ambiance by turning the flickering flames of the fireplace on and then use conversation to fill up our hearts and minds so that the gloom simply disappears. There's no room for it if you just don't let there be.

It's why we marry, isn't it?

It's why we love.

So that we will always have someone there to help us deflect those

grey months of the year.

It's one of the huge reasons that we married.

Oh grey days.... I reject you,

for THIS is the month of love.

Because it's February, the month of love
and because I love my followers,
and because it's my birthday,
and just because,
I am giving away a $15.00 Starbucks card.

To enter:
1. You Must be a follower of this blog, no
anonymous entries will be considered.

2. You Must tell me why you need this card,
whether it's because you love Starbucks,
or because you are having financial difficulties,
or just because you like to win things.

3. You must live in the USA or Canada in order to
be eligible.

Simple as that.

Contest ends on February 13th.

Good luck my little loveys.

Cash Only Please

2012-02-07T07:35:00.000-05:00

What a goofy photo of an old lady in a poncho with braces on her teeth, a poncho on her shoulders, animal print scarf around her neck and a baseball hat to keep all those grey hairs from running amok.

But she doesn't care, cuz it's her 58th birthday and the whole world can kiss her patootie today!

Wanna get her something?

Send cash.

LOL

*walks away singing they say it's your birthday,

well it's my birthday too ya*

Monday Monday. So Good To me. NOT

2012-02-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

It's Monday.

And on Mondays some things just wear you down and wear you out.

Miss Izzy has busted out of her two acre ~~confinement pen~~ yard twice today and I'm ass tired of going out to bring her back in.

We have used stakes in places where it appears she has gone under the fence that pull the fencing down to ground level where there are valleys in the lay of our land, but she continues to walk the fence line in search of new and viable escape routes.

This makes it difficult for me to go anywhere

as I am not certain she would be here when I return home.

I think it may be time for barbed wire imprisonment OR

maybe just a bit of electrical wire just inside the fence line as well as a electronic collar around her scrawny, naughty little neck!

Take that, Izzy!!

Take that!

A Kind Of Hush

2012-02-06T06:36:00.001-05:00

Hubby just now left for work.

A bit earlier than usual, but he woke very early.

The aroma of the coffee he'd made also brought me out to the main part of the house where I indulged myself with a huge cup of the joe and a large dose of pumpkin flavored Coffeemate.

It's just how I start the day....Every day.

*note: all photos are un-edited since it's much too early in the day to even think about editing*

Izzy heaved a sigh as her daddy left through the garage door since she knows she is to stay inside until after he has gone... he has, after all, already taken the pups out front and now they must stay out of the way as he pulls the car out of the garage.

Once he's gone I peek outside. He'd said it was a foggy morning and leaving early would be a 'good thing' since traffic would be light while others were still in bed asleep.

The cherry tree glowed just off the front porch as the spotlight shone upon it....

Hubby had just replaced the bulb in it last week.

It's a grand sight once the spring blossoms come out to play,

but I enjoy seeing it's bare branches of winter as well.

And so went our morning as I now sit here enjoying my second cup of joe for the day.

Tell me how your day began....

Wanna See The Ads?

2012-02-06T06:02:00.000-05:00

Not Super Bowl watchers at our house, but I do enjoy seeing the ads that they make so much hoopla about and charge the companies soooo much money so we all can see them.

Wanna see them?

Well, there are quite a few, so rather than post them all here, instead I give you THE LINK where you can see them all for yourself. I've watched the nine or ten of them so far and MEH... not impressed.

I'll let you decide for yourself, or if you've already seen them, why not tell us your favorite?

She's So Fine

2012-02-05T10:15:00.001-05:00

Just in case you didn't notice,

there is now a button on my upper sidebar that

will take you to..

*drum roll pretty please*

The Blue Ridge Gal's Facebook Page!

I also have a personal page on Facebook

but decided it would be more appropriate to have

blog entries on a BRG page.

You can click on the cute blue heart and go

directly to the FB page and like me if you want.

Because you like me!

You REALLY like me!

Right?

*crickets*

Thank you to Nancy of A Rural Journal
for sharing instructions for adding
multiple social media icons at a time to a blog.
I'll be adding more soon.
Nancy is sooo fine!

Ruff

2012-02-05T08:06:00.000-05:00

I pose a lot,

but sometimes life is ruff

and a guy just needs a break.

*relaxing on the sofa after a 3 hour romp

in the backyard with Izzy*

Life is short.... Play hard.

It's Sunday, so if you've played hard all week

perhaps you deserve a break today too.

Sunshine Lollipops

2012-02-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

2008

I took my first daff photos on March 4th.

I'm not sure what their first bloom date was, but I'd venture to say that it was not too many days prior to this photo being taken.

March 3, 2009

The daffs would have bloomed, but a snowstorm took their big day away from them.

The blooms may have been delayed, but they came on full force five days later on March 8th.

Hello my gorgeous sunshiney daff!

It's March 17th, 2010. Where have you been so long?

By March 21st it was all about You You You.

March 1st, 2011

I think I love you so what are you so afraid of?

I'm afraid that I'm not sure of

a love there is no cure for.

You were so daffy last year!

February 2nd, 2012

You're kidding me, right?

Go back to sleep until March, you're freaking me out!

February 4th, 2012.

A huge statement on how warm this winter has been.

Not a drop of snow, but rain galore.

Daffodils are our first touch of color on the lawn each and every year generally followed by our yellow forsythia. They are great indicators of the depth of a winter's cold, craggy finger and this year winter has simply forgotten us.

Sleeping In A Morgue

2012-02-04T10:43:00.000-05:00

I'm serious!

Hubby keeps the bedroom so cold it makes my toes stand up stiff at attention below the covers as though I were wearing a toe tag.

Kept pulling the covers in closer last night, you know... tucking them in around me like a body bag. Cold can be good but frigidity in a marriage is not what I had hoped for
when I signed up for this gig.
Frigid nose,

popsicle toes,

and so it goes.

Have Some Of This

2012-02-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

Here... have some of this!

We are not what I would consider to be Super Bowl fans, but THIS is a SUPER video of the Century Link Field in Seattle.

Take a look see.

Judging The Haves

2012-02-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

There is a war going on.

The war against the 'Haves', and I see it filtering into a few blogs across what is otherwise Happy Land on the internet.

This post is not aimed at any one blogger or any one post that has been written, and if you think the finger is being pointed at you then that's something you should reconsider. It's simply a response to a theme that seems to be growing in Blogland... the theme of picking on those who Have.

My husband and I are not, just for the record, wealthy.

My husband is however, a brilliant man in my eyes, and has worked VERY hard since serving his country with two tours in Viet Nam, followed by a 17 year marriage which produced two fine children now in their thirties.

He then spent a few years while in his forties working nights and going to school days, studying, driving 100 miles a day to and from work, home and Arizona State University where he received his engineering degree at the age of 45.

Worked. His. Ass. Off.

As he was living his life, I was living mine as a single woman working in the insurance industry for paltry pay simply trying to make the rent and car payment and have somewhat of a social life while doing so. My apartment was 700 square feet in size.

(girly white sofa took up entire living room)

In 1979 a flash flood destroyed the apartment I lived in.

In the 1980's a hard rain destroyed and knocked down the ceiling in another apartment I lived in flooding the entire apartment.

In 1996 a flash flood destroyed the interior of my car.

I have not always been a HAVE, in fact LOSS seemed to follow me around.

I lived the Have Not life.

(flood destroyed interior of my car)

Our lives collided, in a good way, in 1997.

Everything we have in this house, although not fancy, we both worked for.

Nothing was handed to either of us on a silver platter by our families and the same has happened for our children. They too, each worked for what they have.

We, like other blogging families, give where we can to those who need and we absolutely think about those who have lost jobs or their home or both and do not place ourselves above them when it comes to social stature. If it were not for my husband's choice in career and the wise decision to learn a particular set of programming skills we too could very well be losing our home, (considering that he was downsized in 2004 and I was downsized in 2002) and struggling to pay bills and purchase groceries, rather than living the safe and secure feeling life that we now live.

We consider ourselves Haves, but not so much that it couldn't just all go 'poof' and disappear tomorrow. Yes, we have made good, sound financial and career decisions and also were lucky enough to sell a home at the height of the real estate boom which we then were able to apply to our next home purchase and move up into a larger home.

Our home looks big on the outside, perhaps a bit posh to those of you living in much smaller houses, but it's just a house. Just four walls, a roof and a floor, and yes it's surrounded by some mighty fine looking scenery, but we by no means live the high life. We don't travel, we don't buy new furniture (in fact my current sofa has been chewed on by the dogs) and we don't have anyone come in to clean our house or do our laundry or cook for us.

He works.

I blog.

The dogs chew.

He mows the lawn.

I sweep the walks and vacuum the house.

He fixes things that break.

There is no swimming pool or fancy stone walkways or vined gazebos.

We drive older, paid for vehicles and fix them when they break.

Because we do for ourselves we have a bit of money that allows me to make a few purchases for myself. I rarely purchase small things but rather save my funds so that I can make the purchases I really want. Why purchase a $20 pillow or a drawer full of paints, fabrics and brushes when what I really want is a new camera. Why buy that $5 container of ice cream that will make me fat when that money can be saved for the camera. Why buy a two for one crappy couple of Wal-Mart jeans when I can save that $25 for the camera?

Sometimes it's just about making wiser decisions.

Don't judge me or other people who Have simply because your life has taken a different path that has led you to a place you are not happy about. If you are a younger reader, start planning NOW for your retirement and make smart decisions regarding your career path.

Many of the Haves in this world worked hard to be where they are and succeeded. If what they blog about annoys a reader then it should be suggested that they simply move along and read another blog because we all blog about our life and what's going on in it on any given day. If you don't like what a Have has it's really not their fault for having planned ahead in their life or taken a different path than you or for having better luck is it? They are simply blogging what they do just as you do on your blog.

Be kind and don't judge.

The moccasins of one person may have more shiny beads on it than another's moccasins.... but they are all JUST moccasins walking down a path to the same end.

Peace.

Always A Reason

2012-02-03T07:51:00.001-05:00

Welcome Daff!

Our daffodils have been up for weeks now and is nearly ready for it's first bud to burst out and look to the sunshine above.

I thought today would be that day but clouds are scattered in the sky and rain is on the way so this little fella may just have to wait.

In other news,

the back of our house is a lot of windows and although from the front it may appear to be a first floor and upstairs, from the back you can see that it's a walkout basement and that the first floor in front photos is the second floor when the house is seen from the back.

(front photo)

(back photo)

So, as I walk through the house I am elevated and have a great view out over the backyard and all that is going on with the pups.

Welllll, earlier this week I glanced out the windows in passing and noticed that the pups were out in the backyard having a good old game of 'tug-o-war' with something long and very white.

I told myself 'uh-oh' and assumed that the laundry room or bedroom door had been left open and someone(s) had taken advantage.

The tug of war game was in full swing with both dogs pulling and neither giving in to the other's tugs.

I immediately headed out through the garage, of course forgetting to grab my camera, and as I stepped out the back door of the garage I called to Rowdy and Izzy. Izzy let go of the laundry item, it acted like a spring and flew up and over Rowdy's head causing him to look exactly as he does in these re-created photos, only with a look of surprise on his face rather than these

'oh geez do I have to pose like this Mom' looking photos.

It's nearly impossible to admonish these two when they are naughty because my laughter always gets the best of me and saves their darling butts.

Linking TO:

*side note*

Hubby's sock has been tossed since it was now riddled with holes

Enjoy your week-end!

Rural Thursday

2012-02-02T08:26:00.000-05:00

Nancy of A Rural Journal blog

and Lisa of Two Bears Farm

are having a blog hop.

It's a rural theme, and since it's Groundhog Day and since I live in rural suburbia, I kindly submit this photo of Mrs. Groundhog.

The grass is not this green right now, and I'm not sure Mrs. Groundhog even survived our deluge of rain event from last year.

But she was a little poser and I had to share her with you.

Living rurally we see quite a few rural critters all year round.

Hope you enjoy her smile today.

Happy Groundhog Day from the countryside.

In Unimportant News

2012-02-02T06:45:00.001-05:00

Most of the morning yesterday was spent at the orthodontist office,
taking off this bracket and that bracket, re-shaping two teeth
*sound of grinder on teeth*
and then reattaching my wires.

She's a great orthodontist!
AND
I'm hoping for a million dollar smile when they come off this summer.

The free business/blogging cards I ordered through Facebook arrived.

I'm quite happy with them.

I ordered them with five different photos.

Variety is the spice of life so why order one when you can order
a multitude of photos on your cards.

Let me know if you place an order and how yours turn out!

My Pandora charm collection is growing...

just like those daffodils off the front porch!

Hubby said I have one blooming.

Perhaps I should go look and see!!

Brown

2012-02-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

It's a brown world after all.

It's a brown, brown world.

REALLY, January. You've been a brown, brown month.

Not one drop of snow.

And so I welcome February with open arms

and hopes of a new color being added into the mix.

The most excitement we had in January was that Izzy finally

grew her boxer jowls.

Aren't they cute!

Long droopy black boxer jowls.

and

a BROWN fur coat.

Brown appears to be the new white this year.

She Reads

2012-01-31T12:04:00.000-05:00

I really do read.

Well, okay... only about one book a decade,

because most don't interest me.

They are fictional fancy,

self-help books,

how to raise a child,

how to get a man,

books about crappy politicians written by them

and filled with lies.

Books about what to eat,

what not to eat,

how to pray or find Jesus or deepen your life's religious experiences,

how to fix your relationship,

why the world is round and not flat,

you know.... nonsense.

Books that seem to tell us how and what to be,

where to vacation,

what to wear,

how to get rid of or live with a disease.

BUT,

one day books, which I love flipping through the pages of,

not reading, just flipping through and catching tidbits of info here and there, with their lovely bindings and hardbacked covers

may just be gone.

So I do buy hardcopies of a few of them....

and lo and behold,

this one I am actually reading and enjoying.

Imagine that!

Blueberry Crumble and Apps

2012-01-31T07:53:00.000-05:00

Today is a special day, probably more so for me than for Hubby.

It's his 61st birthday....

The man never asks for anything,

but I bought him some Paula Dean Blueberry Crumble

because it is his newest 'breakfast with a cup of coffee girlfriend'.

Paula may be a little heavy, but I'm almost the same shape.

*grins*

So, breakfast with Paula, a card, and the first birthday gift EVAH to put a smile on his face which allows him more time with

his other ~~girlfriend~~ iPad toy, a gift card to the App Store.

Nearly 15 years after this photo was taken,

I still know him well.

Cake, card and Apps....

then ignore the birthday event the rest of the day

and he's a happy boy.

Happy Birthday, David!

Sidenote: NO, I am not going to have any of her cake... it's not on my diet plan.

Free Business Cards

2012-01-30T11:45:00.001-05:00

Not all of you are on Facebook or perhaps don't even have the slightest desire to be on Facebook. I'm all about it one day and the next it's kind of "Meh".

But, for those of you who ARE on Facebook, I'm sure you have heard all about setting up your Timeline page. The above photo is what my Timeline page has looked like at the very top for the past few days. I change that photo often, just like I do on my blog header...

because I CAN, so don't get judgy with ME!

Now, if you have your Timeline page set up with your favorite photo and your fave profile pic of yourself, you can then order free business cards. They are great cards because they are from Moo Cards and everyone knows about Moo cards, right? Right?

Business cards for your blog!

*crickets*

But you do have to pay shipping.

To get your free box of 50 Moo business cards, go to your Timeline page and just below your Timeline photo click on the little blue About.

That will take you to another page.

Scroll down that page and look in the Contact Info square which is in the lower right hand corner of that page.

In that square, just to the right of where it says

Contact Info, you will see a small blue square.

Click on that and it will walk you through how to make your cards.

OH... when you are done, don't change your Timeline photo or profile photo until after you get an e-mail from Moo cards stating that your order has shipped. If you change it it could mess up the entire process.

Have fun!

Pretty Peas and Salmon

2012-01-30T08:39:00.001-05:00

Walking the walk and talking the talk.

If you followed along here the past couple of weeks you will remember *or perhaps not*, that I had my annual physical and from the blood results made the decision, along with my doctor's prompting, to eat differently.

Turkey sausage burgers made right here at home have been high on my list of snackaroonies.

I keep a plate of them in the fridge and will be making another batch of them today since they are GONE!

Hubby decided that salmon patties would also be a good thing, and he totally enjoys salmon

So, salmon was on Saturday's grocery list and we found a great recipe for the patties HERE.

Of course we fudged a bit since we didn't have fresh parsley and used dry, and we didn't have dry mustard so we used wet.

Creamed peas over salmon patties was a meal my mother made when I was growing up, and to be honest with you, as a child I could not eat peas. They would literally gag me.

But I've grown into a VERY sophisticated pea loving adult over the years and veggies are now a food group completely and utterly appreciated in this house.

Hubby still turns his nose up at peas, so he had a different veggie with his salmon patties... on the side and not on top.

I am recommending this salmon pattie recipe from Allrecipes.com.

We used fresh Atlantic salmon since we don't eat the farm grown salmon.

Totally delicious!

Here is the link to the recipe for

Oregon Salmon Patties.

Enjoy, all you fish lovers!!

Slipping and Sliding Photos

2012-01-30T07:31:00.001-05:00

Saturday morning I woke up early, had a cup of coffee and some breakfast.

Bent down over the sofa to give sweet Izzy a kiss on the noggin and then decided to sit next to her a bit.

I sat, but for some reason became dizzy and my butt slipped from the edge of the cushion and I slipped off onto the floor.

I tried to get back up but the dizziness made me stumble as I got up and I nearly hit a wall.

"Well, this is odd", I thought to myself, and so I headed to the bedroom and told Hubby what had just happened, got back into bed and slept another hour or two.

When I awoke for the second time that day the sun was streaming in through the master bathroom's window casting shadows onto the curtain. So I grabbed the point and shoot and snapped a few photos in different camera modes.

They made me happy.

And the dizziness was gone.

Pier One Deal!!!

2012-01-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, just went on Facebook. If you join Pier One on Facebook today, they have a 20% off any one regularly priced item. If you want a piece of furniture or a lamp, a wall decor item, they are included in this one day only deal. Must join Pier One on FB to get the deal. Just thought I would pass this along to those who live near a Pier One. Okay, must stop now before I hyperventilate.

Breathe, Di.... Breathe....

Print out the coupon on their FB page.... it looks similar to this, but this ain't it, so don't print this!

Hurry!

Oh, and Pier One gives me nothing for telling you about this.

Today only Folks!!

Peas In A Dish

2012-01-28T06:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday as I was driving home from grocery shopping a cloud of doom suddenly set down on me and I became a bit morbid.

There have been numerous times that not having our last will and testaments written has crossed my mind over the past five years.

For some reason my husband doesn't feel this is necessary, the 'having all our peas in a dish' or 'our business in order' or as my dad would have said..... 'ducks in a row'.

Hubby thinks that if he does nothing that "everything will be left to you", meaning me.

Not so.....

If a person has no last will and testament written and witnessed by someone who is not going to inherit, the state makes these decisions for the person who has passed... the decendent.

AND,

when there are his children, and her children there are also rules that apply.

Why he balks at having a will that spells everything out is

beyond me. Perhaps he thinks the act of having a will serves as

an omen of death? It seems to bother him to even discuss what the other would do if one of us dies before the other, almost as though it is a taboo subject that he just can't deal with.

*sigh*

And so today, while he is consulting, my plan is to find forms online, print them out, and stick them under his nose, or on his desk, or in a place highly visible to him for when he comes home.

Time to get the ducks in a row, not due to our health but rather our age.

Then I'm going to sit down to a healthy bowl of peas in a dish for

lunch with a turkey sausage burger

and live a long and healthy life.

South Of The Border Menu

2012-01-27T06:26:00.001-05:00

First let me apologize to all who attended the Meetup 2.0 meeting in Roanoke for these very poor quality photos.

They don't do anyone justice,

but I always find it difficult to take great photos

in a restaurant setting due to the lighting they use.

HUGE APOLOGIES!

Now that that is out of the way,

I'd like to say what a wonderful luncheon it was

and how friendly each and everyone there was.

There were business cards flying about the room, up and down the length of the table... people from all walks of the business world,

each wanting to share their thoughts and ideas on connectivity

within the world of internet media choices.

In attendance were:

Teri Holdren of Long and Foster Real Estate

Susan Ayers of Susan M. Ayers Writing With Style

Emma Nicholson, a certified Massage Therapist

Suzanne Ashley, of Send Out Cards

Patsy Cox Stewart of The Social BUZZ Lab

John Lusher of Johnlusher.com, a consulting blog,

as well as eight or nine others who I did not get names or business cards from.

Yesterday was more about socializing face to face,

but the second Tuesday of each month they have a meeting

that takes on the teaching of things such as Google+,

and next month talk is that it may be a class on Photoshop.

SIGN ME UP!

Anyone local or within driving distance of the Roanoke area with an interest in learning more about the latest in internet media methods may join this group.

Simply go to their Facebook Page

for current information.

And the best part of the day was meeting Lisa of

Two Bears Farm.

We were too chatty and forgot to snap a photo of the two

of us.

It was a treat meeting you Lisa and hope to see you

at the next Meetup 2.0 get together!

Oh, and I totally blew my healthy eating, but what's a girl to do

when the location and the menu are both Mexican!

I'll be back on track tomorrow.

I promise.

For Your Dancing Entertainment

2012-01-26T10:29:00.000-05:00

How they direct traffic in the Philippines.

I want to go visit just so I can stand on the street corner and

watch this guy.

Maybe our U.S. traffic directors could 'lighten' up if they

actually got out of their cars where they sit and eat donuts and started dancing?

I'm just out to make it a healthier world for all of us.

:-))

Izzy Dreams

2012-01-26T05:45:00.000-05:00

Just a tad bit busy this morning... but I'll be here later today to respond to your wonderful comments.

Izzy will entertain you until I return.

I'm just off wasting a little bit of time somewhere.
*winks*

Back By Pup-ular Demand ( A Long Post)

2012-01-25T14:52:00.001-05:00

Back to Greenfield.

Note that these photos are all a bit over exposed just to add a bit of light to them. It was definitely a dreary day, but the bright spot in the day was the arrival of friends.

Good friends and neighbors from just down our street had arrived, Rick and Lynn and their pup, Kasey.

Rowdy met Kasey when he was a puppy and took to her just as our rottweiler Max had before him. She's a sweetie pie and upon seeing one another they both jump into the air and bump chests, wag tails and do a little growly 'Hello". Izzy joins in as well.

Rowdy and Kasey can be trusted off leash, and considering there are hundreds of acres out here and no traffic is allowed in this pristine area, the two older dogs are allowed to run.

Poor Izzy does not come yet when called, so she remains tethered to Hubby.

Leashes off and the race was on!

*notice Rowdy leaping through the grasses*

A rousing game of 'tag you're it' ensued.

Followed by 'hide and seek' in the tall grasses.

And at the end of their Sunday morning at Greenfield...

best friends Rowdy and Kasey headed over the hill

towards home

where they spent the rest of the day napping.

The End.

Ponder This

2012-01-25T09:52:00.000-05:00

I am sooooo sorry for the suspense I left you in after my last Greenfield post with the pups. Be back soon with the end to that story, but for the moment am busy with my new exercise plan to get rid of me lovely little muffin top and also doing some personalization to a blogger's digs.

Don't give up on me....

good things take time.

You may ponder this banana and dead amaryllis bloom until my return later today.

Time For A Blue Break

2012-01-24T16:25:00.000-05:00

What are U looking at??

I thought rather than show a third day of gloomy photos from our Greenfield walk that I would give you a bit of sunshine today.

I'll show the rest of Greenfield tomorrow.

The sky was actually blue out there today, so after I returned home from my dental appointment I took the pups out to the front yard so they could sit around looking as if they own the place.

They do a darn good job of it too.

Yep, just sitting there, both in the same pose

whistling Dixie like they own the place.

*Izzy still doesn't touch her dainty little butt

to the ground when she sits down*

VERY blue skies and a number of jet trails criss crossing

one another made my afternoon.

The pups liked the sun shining down on their flat noses and

white tee shirt'ed coats.

I know this because they told me so.

After downloading this photo I realized that it's really time to get to the hair salon again.

This weed on top of my head grows far too fast and sometimes it takes looking at a photo of myself rather than in the mirror to jolt me to my fashion senses.

But at the moment I'd just like to enjoy not seeing grey rain clouds and fog so I'll just linger here a bit longer if you don't mind.

Hair be damned.

Running River

2012-01-24T05:45:00.001-05:00

Although there has been no snow this winter that certainly does not mean it's been a dry winter. There has been plenty of rain, so creeks and rivers are running.

At one point, this creek becomes very narrow, and a homeowner just on the other side had built a small wooden bridge across. Their own private access to the park area.

We continued our walk back beyond where the creek meets a large open meadow area and noticed quite fresh horse tracks. Obviously someone else had been enjoying Greenfield and it's quiet.

Rowdy and Izzy were in sniffin' heaven and didn't miss a bush or blade of grass. They seemed to want to know exactly who and what had crossed this trail before them and take home every fragrant memory of it for the dreams they would have during nap time once they returned home.

Home? Oh no... we are not ready for home just yet.

They spied someone coming down the trail towards us.

Speaking of scents... these were scents they recognized!

You could not have paid these two enough biscuits to head back to the SUV now and go home....

why, the fun was just about to begin!

*blogger leaves readers in suspense*

bwaaa haaa haaaa

Sunday

2012-01-23T08:50:00.000-05:00

Sunday was the dreariest day weather-wise.

We chose though, to not stay indoors, but rather load the pups into the SUV and take them out to Greenfield for a walk around the pond.

*hurry Mama!*

The first half hour I was chilled, or rather my fingers were...

they felt icy from taking my gloves off and snapping photos.

My first instinct was to take my point and shoot so that I could grab a few video clips, but that battery was nearly dead,

so the DSLR it was.

There were geese out on the pond's berm and Rowy and Izzy would have LOVED to have been let off leash at this point, the geese however noticed us and it was only a few seconds later that they took flight out over the pond, a turn to the left, and they were gone.

See how dreary it was!

The mountaintops were blanketed in fog and it wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Branches dripped and the grasses supplied ample dewdrops for Izzy and Rowdy to snatch up a drink or two.

Hubby took them next to the water but neither of these boxers takes an interest in it, in fact Izzy seemed a bit nervous about it.

That's okay... I really didn't want to have to towel them off after a swim, and both the water and the air were cold.

I'll show you more photos of our Greenfield walk later.

It's A Crime

2012-01-22T11:28:00.002-05:00

Here it is already heading towards the hour of both hands on the clock being straight up!
I'm sure that's some kind of blogging crime to not blog before noon.

I'm not sure where the morning went *am too*, but thought I would share some actual outdoor photos with you today.

I snapped these yesterday as I was driving down our little mountain, headed towards the grocery store to gather the

weekly provisions that we mountain dwellers all need.

You know... just in case it would actually decide TO SNOW THIS YEAR AND KEEP US HOUSE BOUND!

Actually.... a decision has been made after a meeting called by Mother Nature and Old Man Winter that they are just going to forget about making the skiers and ski lift owners happy this year.

I mean, why should they be entitled to enjoying the snow or making a living off of it?

I'm feeling for those folks right about now.

It's quite difficult to ski on fog covered rather than snow covered peaks I hear.

*not being a skier though, I really wouldn't know for sure*

This is winter this year.

Not one snow plow has left the garage on our street.

Not one shovel has been lifted.

Not one sled has slid.

Sad, eh?

Bye Bye Picnik (Edited To Show Options)

2012-01-21T07:43:00.004-05:00

Alright, after posting the below about Picnik going away in April, I did a search and came up with these replacements. Have not tried any of them, but here you go. It's every woman for herself. LOL

Editor For Chrome

Fotoflexer.com

Lunapic.com

Freeonlinephotoeditor.com

Befunky.com

Pizap.com

Phixr.com

GOOD LUCK!

This is a photo I loaded onto Picnik some time ago so that I could whiten up my smile a bit.

This morning I learned that Picnik.com is going away this April since Google has decided to give it the axe. I would think that Google has other designer plans in the works for us, but at this time I can't tell you what that may be.

In the meantime, I did a search this morning and a came across this link with what may be other options for those of you who were heavy Picnik users.

I am losing my iWeb design program soon and had planned on going to Picnik, but now THIS kick in the shins has me searching for another option. If you have any ideas other than everyone having to spend a gazillion dollars to purchase and learn Photoshop, please share with the rest of us and we will love you forever.

http://www.phixr.com/

Gobble Gobble

2012-01-21T07:01:00.001-05:00

Bored out of my gourd is what I've been feeling lately, and so I tried to watch a movie on Netflix yesterday... or rather a series.

It had lovely scenes like this of huge, but cold homes that were filled with housekeepers, ladies personal assistants, doormen and scullery maids.

The plot involved the loss of the master of the manor when he and his wife were lost to the Titanic disaster... and I believe their last name was Astor.

I made it through 15 minutes before this too bored the gourd.

Moving right along, I left the family room and set out to make these wonderful turkey patties/burgers from Jayme of the CoopKeeper's blog... she called it turkey sausage.

I have a plateful of them in the fridge making it easy to just grab and microwave one for a a quick snack or lunch.

Forgot to add the thyme though, so I sprinkled a bit on top and

lo and behold that worked.... it was the final punch of flavor these needed.

Thanks, Jayme!!

We have pouring rain today, which would be pouring snow if not for the fact that it is 34 degrees right now.

Sorry... still no snow pictures this winter to share with you.

Isn't that just sad?

FREE Outer Backgrounds

2012-01-20T12:10:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to come up with a few outer backgrounds for the blog. You know, if you go into the Designer and then select backgrounds and load your own?

Easy to do.

Since Valentines Day is coming up I thought I would share a few of these with you.

FREE

Just drag any of them to your desktop and then go to your Designer and load it.

These are jpg files and I've sized them at 300 so they fit for you.

If you use one, let me know so I can visit your blog and see how it looks.

Any requests for something new for your blog's outer background?

#1 Nest Birds with Hearts

Blue Hearts Trio

Brown Birds and Feathers

Contemporary Flowers

Love Bird Nest And Feather

You Are The Sunshine

You Are My Sunshine

P.S. Donations are never refused. :-)

Beavers and Eating Differently

2012-01-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

Have you noticed that mornings are coming a wee bit earlier

this week? Climbing the stairs to my office today, cup of coffee in hand, I could even see the dust bunnies on the floor as I reached the loft.

Dust bunnies = Bad housekeeper (me)

Longer days = Cheerier disposition (me)

The days have been a wee bit sunnier too, with a few less clouds, and Rowy (sleepy fat guy) and Izzy (alert little one)

have been needing a longer afternoon nap.

I watched them through the window at the back of the house yesterday and thought to myself how lucky we are to have them as I laughed at the work they had going on.

I mentioned to Hubby when he arrived home last night that

these two were like beavers; moving tree limbs, branches, and yes, even small logs all around the backyard and placing them in new locations.

If we had a creek in the yard they would have built a ~~beaver~~ boxer dam by now and flooded the entire back yard.

These two are flipping crazy!

I don't catch a lot of their antics in video because the moment I step out into the backyard they drop what they are doing and come to greet me. Perhaps one day I can sneak up on them and show you what beavers they are.

Also, I started my NEW and IMPROVED and very boring

new eating habits yesterday.

Sandwich and steamed veggies for lunch.

bleh.

Why is it that everything yummy is bad for me.

Maybe if I go help move logs around the backyard today I will burn off some calories.

I Am Happy

2012-01-19T13:53:00.000-05:00

A long but wonderful video made by the broadcasting squad at Liberty MIddle School in Madison, Alabama.

Enjoy your day today, because we are all human!

Local Job Info

2012-01-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

*photo taken in downtown Salem, VA area*

I received an e-mail from my husband yesterday.

If anyone local is seeking work, you may want to click on this link for more information.

G.E. in Salem, Virginia is hiring.

My husband is not a manager so don't contact him, he's just passing

this information along.

A Day Later

2012-01-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

It's the day after.

The day after spending two hours at the doctor's office

wearing that little gown you see there, that had no ties on the back.

Time for them to find a new gown supplier me thinks,

because my back side was not only cold.... it was embarrassed!

Don't look so shocked, Izzy. You were letting it all hang out not long ago too as is evidenced by the next photo!

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"And just look at that cute spotted puppy belly with that

looooong incision.

Sure took it a while to heal, didn't it?"

But, now you're back to normal, supervising Rowdy's meal times

and even sometimes sharing the bowl with him rather than

eating your own. I love that you two share and are good eaters.

As for me,

I'll be laying off of this stuff.

*sigh*

Oh, how I love my cheese... on everything.... beautiful,

wonderful, marvelous cheese.

I'll just have to put my cheese in my grin instead.

Sorry, state of Wisconsin, but I will no longer be supporting your biggest export.

Going to go waste some time now.

Give Me The News

2012-01-18T08:07:00.001-05:00

My purse is ready and on the table.

It's January which means it's time for dental, mammo and

a complete physical medical appointments.

I'll be out the door to visit my M.D. who I complain about annually as I don't think she is thorough about ANYTHING.

I may be trading her in for a better model.

Her words will be,

"you need to exercise and drink more water."

Okay then.

Have you ever had a physical and had a doctor

say only that? She's definitely not strong on communication skills.

And I'm going to demand that she draw blood because

the last time I had a physical with her she didn't even do that!

In other news, Rowdy has been a bit down in the mouth

since his Facebook friend, Lore, has been in the hospital recuperating from surgery.

We hope she will be home this week-end and able to

exchange FB messages with our depressed, furry boy.

And now I need to go feed the pups,

because we all know that breakfast is the most important

meal of the day.

Or at least that's what my previous doctor used to say.

I'm Exhausted!

2012-01-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

No... really. Sometimes making decisions on a budget is soooo

overwhelming.

I decided to start a Pandora charm bracelet. A friend showed me hers at Christmas time and it was oooooh worthy, so yesterday I purchased the bracelet with a Happy Buddha charm and the Peace Pendant.

(image from Pandora.net)

Do you know how hard it was to only walk away with two charms???? I wanted to fill the bracelet, but budget constraints after receiving our 'Christmas' credit card bill held me back.

(image from Pandora.net)

Then when I came home I did a search on some blogs of

what other gals have loaded up their Pandora bracelets with.

Check out this one at Teacup Lane.

I see a few on hers that I wanted to purchase today...

but they are now on my wish list instead. Filling this bracelet to the brim with charms will be

a slow process. To complete one of these can cost oodles of moola.

Things the sales lady at the jewelry store told me:

1. She is building her own Pandora bracelet using the oxidized sterling silver bracelet and numerous beads with an ethnic look to it.
2. The metal bracelets come with a year's warranty.
3. The leather bracelet's should not have more than 4-5 beads on them
or the leather stretches out.
(but they were cool for a more casual look)
4. Do not wear 'non Pandora charms) on a Pandora bracelet as they are finished differently and could damage the Pandora bracelet)
5. She didn't tell me this, but she was a great sales lady
and I will ask for her when I return for another charm.

If you are interested in doing a Pandora bracelet,

head on over to Pandora's website where you can design your own and see how much it would cost you. Building your own bracelet on their website is rather fun!

Pandora is not paying me with money or product to mention them or their product here, but I wish they were!

Oh, also... Zales carries a brand called Persona charm bracelets

and Kay Jewelers has their own brand as well.

Pandora is the original, but I looked at all three in the mall jewelry stores yesterday and prices run pretty much neck and neck.

My perfect completed bracelet would cost $795.00.
Go play and see how much yours would cost!!

Don't Throw It Away...

2012-01-16T12:33:00.001-05:00

Don't throw it away!

At least not yet.

Who knew that when I sent a BIG Christmas item to my daughter's address that the real fun and the real gift would be in the leftovers.

Did I tell you that as a mother, that my daughter is a true genius?

You really need to visit her blog all you Mommies and Grandmommies.

Waiting For The Crew

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sitting here in the morning darkness with a plateful of

Paula Dean

*which I only buy because Hubby asks me to*

*no, seriously, he does*

Anyway, now where was I... oh, yes.

Me and that Paula Dean girl

awaiting the awakening and arrival in my office

of the Kong Crew.

Me thinks I hears the pitter patter of their little

furry feet coming up the stairs now.

It's not me they love you know.

Tis their breakfast.

And the hopes of a bit of peanut butter in their Kongs.

They use me for food.

Simply Blue

2012-01-15T08:09:00.000-05:00

Another cooold winter evening

requiring a lap blanket in front of a fire,

with two pups and a husband nearby.

So glad I got the Macbook Pro to be able to spend

time online with the three loves of my life next to me on

evenings such as this.

The mornings are just as non-friendly, weatherwise, when it comes to the temperatures, and this morning we awoke to freezing temps,

snow clouds in the forecast,

threatening, angry winter skies,

but just as the last two months have shown us....

not a flake to be had...

except for the weatherman.

Now HE'S a flake!

So, to pass the times, I made a video yesterday showing you

the look of our front yard on an early morning, snowless

winter day.

Oh, and also.... let's play a game of

'Can You Find The Dog?'

in the above photo.

He sees you, and he sees me, but do you see him?

Oh brrrrr,

just brrrrr.

The End.

Dreaming Of Mac And Cheese (Edited To Add Recipe)

2012-01-14T11:51:00.002-05:00

So, the new Southern Living magazine arrived recently....

And now I'm dreaming about a big, smooth, creamy,

oozy, pan of mac and cheese.

And the bad thing is that it's grocery buying day,

so I'll be tempted to buy the ingredients,

make this,

and then smack and snack on it all week-end.

But you know,

it's a must to eat this stuff when it's cold outside.

So I think I will.

Off to buy groceries.

See ya!

(Photo From Southern Living Magazine)

Coat Couture

2012-01-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

Mom did it to us again.

She made us wear these matchy matchy coats.

At least you don't have to wear a hand me down, Rowdy.

I refuse to leave this porch looking like this in this too small coat.

At least you don't look like a caped hero dog.

Pffttt.

Like, who am I going to save?

Hey Rowdy, let's just stay in here and look out.

No one will see how unfashionable we look from here

and we will be laughed off the fashion runway out there.

It's a wolf eat dog world.

Psstt....

You and I think alike, Izzy.

For Mommy Bloggers

2012-01-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

If you are a mommy blogger you may want to give my daughter's blog a whirl.

Kelly at Hinz Sight is offering great ways to budget and buy

with a family of six.

She talks about coupons, good travel deals, buying second hand and Goodwill deals, cooking Gluten Free for the entire family

and living in a small town.

Kelly blogged a few years ago, left the arena and

has now re-joined us just in the past few months.

Follow her blog and perhaps learn something new...

or share your budget friendly ideas!

Inspired By Hearts

2012-01-12T10:27:00.000-05:00

(First four images from Martha Living Magazine)

These first four images are snapshots I took of photos in a magazine.

Last year I was completely dissatisfied with the magazines I had subscribed to, so this year I went with Southern Living and Martha Living. They are still chocked full of ads, but what magazine isn't these days?

For years this gal scoffed at Martha, but with age I am discovering that despite her hoity toitiness, her magazine teases and pleases me.

I was completely enthralled with her February issue which just arrive in my mailbox yesterday...

*and do you know Martha has an ipad app?*

Now THIS was the photo that captured my heart more than any of the others in this issue, because as a young girl I too had a charm bracelet, although no hearts...

I want one exactly like this!

Ebay here I come??

This morning I dug to the bottom of my jewelry box and took out two of it's most precious items.

Each is a bracelet from my very early teens and

twenties and although the charms are scarce on them, they

hold deep and wonderful memories for me of a day gone by.

I'd still love to find a few sweet heart charms,

vintage heart charms, and add them to this bracelet.

My favorite was always the monkey charm!

Because it's silly like me.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

My memory, if it serves me well, tells me that this bracelet with the polished stones was given to me by my grandmother after she and my brother had taken a summer trip to California and

visited a relative that had a stone polishing business.

A 60's entrepreneur so to speak.

Or possibly purchased on a family vacation to the East Coast.

Ahhh, that darned memory IS failing me, but the 1960's was

so very long ago.

]

Some of these charms were given to me as Christmas gifts by my brother and sister...

I couldn't tell you anymore which ones.

Do you have any childhood jewelry tucked away, a piece that

you can't part with, would never ever sell on Ebay?

They are innocent and sweet.

Please share any lovley childhood jewelry memories you have with us, even if it's just a fleeting image of a grandmother's shiny earrings.

Not A Care In The World

2012-01-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Fiddle dee dee, not a care in the world,

she roams the entire backyard alone and carefree.

As long as there are sticks to be chewed,

squirrels to be chased,

and holes to be dug,

nothing brings her in the house.

"Izzy, it's raining... you'll get wet!"

"Raining? Oh shit! Better get inside!"

"AND NO ESCAPING LIKE YOU DID YESTERDAY!!!!"

Ladies And Gentlemen... A Card Trick

2012-01-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

Oh, I know... there has to be a secret as to how this was done,

but it still made me smile and go What The???

Drama Mama

2012-01-10T07:02:00.001-05:00

Not to sound too morbid,

but when your day comes...

don't you hope it holds

a teensy bit of drama that

you will be remembered by?

Just use a curling iron and put

tendrils in my all too straight hair.

I'M DYING EVERYBODY!

but doesn't my hair look cute?

I want to arrive in heaven with curly cues.

LOL

Not Foodies

2012-01-09T09:25:00.000-05:00

Morning peeperellas!

I've been busy with laundry this morning which takes just a teeny bit longer than usual.

Hubby had a cough that had been going on and on and on and after

experimenting we discovered that the reason it was occurring at night (the moment he laid his head on his pillow) was due to our fabric softener.

We have been using a fragrance free, but obviously he had become sensitive to the chemicals in it.

Hence, now I use a home remedy, water and baking soda, which does not soften, but it does take care of static cling.

On another note, we are not what is called 'Foodies', one of the terms of this century that honestly.... I'm tired of hearing,

but we do love to eat.

Last night's dinner consisted of a mix of pastas *due to not having enough spaghetti*, I boiled spaghetti, tri-rotini and some macaroni,

then topped with shrimp and scallops browned, with a dash of garlic.

We had a container of our homemade red sauce in the freezer, so after letting it thaw all day we heated it and ladled over the top of the pasta and seafood, then did a bit of garlic Texas toast and called it dinner. Easy Peasy as always at our house.

BUT,

do not call us 'Foodies'. UGH.

The week-ends are when I buy groceries and Hubby had

noted on the list that he wanted some shortbread cookies, and these

were too pretty not to place in my shopping cart.

So, what did you have with your morning cup of coffee today?

Design Advice

2012-01-08T14:52:00.001-05:00

I am by no means the Queen of designing, but if you want

a tiny bit of advice,

I suggest a re-do on your blog header.

It's almost spring... well, okay, maybe not almost,

but here's my two cents anyway.

Note the photo below, a very up close photo taken of a silk

flower that sits here on my desk. Just a cheapo flower.

Go ahead... find one in your house.

Get as close as you can with your camera and take a photo,

maybe use your macro setting if you have one.

Snap the photo.... my flash came on, so it turned out to be a crappy photo...

Sometimes a crappy photo is worth keeping for use later.

Now, go to the website picnik dot com and upload the photo...

you can use their free stuff, but I purchased an annual account so I have access to a few more goodies they offer.

I played around with their effects and probably added 3 or 4 effects, one on top of the other to this photo and I ended up with this:

Okay... so maybe not the end result you are looking for.

My point is that on picnik dot com you can play with a photo until it IS the end result you are looking for.

I urge you not to be afraid to try.

No one is watching over your shoulder, and there is no

right or wrong... just play and have fun and you may end

up with an awesome photo in the end.

Hope you are having a happy daisy Sunday!

Overwhelming Crime Evidence

2012-01-08T00:08:00.001-05:00

So, I woke up early.....

And I found a stick on the family room rug.....

The evidence was clear.....

as to who brought the stick inside and made the mess.....

but little Izzy was not admitting to it; she just

kept right on sleeping as Rowdy looked down

at her mess and shook his head.

Free!

2012-01-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

Looking for a bit of new music? It's a CD of cover songs by Matt and Kate, a brother/sister duo. Kate, in her own words, is a freelance graphic designer, jewelry designer and.... well.... you'll just have to go HERE and read.

I love this CD and downloaded it, which takes a little time so once you click the download be prepared to wait a bit.

I haven't found anything on iTunes for the past month or two that has impressed me, and to be honest, all of the performers there over synthesize their voices. This CD is honest singing by Matt and Kate.

It's sweet.

Covers by Matt + Kate

On Her Last Leg

2012-01-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

The little amaryllis that could is on her last leg.

She gave me six blooms and really....

what more could I ask for?

She's been a joy and has brought color and excitement

to an otherwise cloud filled December of 2011.

You are my sunshine, Amaryllis.

It's A Crazy World

2012-01-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

This world has gotten what I consider to be laughable when you think about the way we communicate. This video "I Like You Better On Facebook" is a comical look at how some people are evidently meeting and or dating these days. I prefer knowing someone in person prior to just getting to know them on Facebook.

I want to know that I like them in person prior to sending that

Friend Request.

"Friend Request?"

You're kidding right?

The girls in the video are a hoot with hilarious
facial expressions.

A Change

2012-01-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I have removed some of the tabs at the top of my blog today, those relating to header and button designs.

This is due to the fact that I have a second blog

Easy Breezy Designs

where I will be taking orders for my work.

There is also a link to that site on my sidebar.

Feel free to stop by and snoop around the site.

There are no comments allowed on the site, and I still need to place an e-mail link for those that wish to contact me from there.

Wish me luck, and I look forward to designing an Easy Breezy work of art for your header and sidebar button!

The Perimeter

2012-01-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

Izzy's inner stitches are looking much better this week

after keeping her on leash for the additional week per

the vet's request.

She runs, jumps, rolls, and for the most part is an

active maniac just like all puppies,

so it's taken a while to get these stitches to calm down

and not look so

'angry'.

The pups walk the perimeter of our backyard each and every day, multiple times, you know... just to sniff and make

sure no squirrels, deer, or ground gophers have invaded

their space.

This is an importants daily duty in the life of any pup

that lives in a fenced in area.... it's a large fenced in area

so this job takes time if it is to be done properly.

Handsome taught Rowdy to do it

and now Rowdy is teaching Izzy.

I have been allowing them to continue their work by snapping on Izzy's leash and going along with them.

Here we go!

It's going to be a gorgeously, warm day here today....
go outside and enjoy it!

Rise and Shine

2012-01-05T05:29:00.000-05:00

*yes, my tree is still up*

Izzy has decided the past two mornings that rising and shining

at 4 AM is what every proper puppy needs to do.

And so it is that I snapped this shot on a cold January morning after she had dragged herself, Rowdy and I out of bed at the wee

hours of the day at an outdoor temperature of 22 degrees, and

why this groggy, sleep deprived, old woman turned on the

fireplace.

What better time of the day to have a roaring fire going.

But at least I had the opportunity to witness this!

Thanks for the early wake up call, Izzy.

Without it I would have missed this view!

It's now time for my early morning scheduled nap,

so I'll see you all mid morning.

Kinda Stinky

2012-01-04T06:22:00.000-05:00

"It's cold outside, Izzy, and I stink."

"Ya, you duz, Rowdy....it's hard being around you when it's cold outside."

"Ya know sumpthin, Izzy? You stinks too." sniff sniff

"It's cuz I borrowed Mom's anti-perspirant. It don't work on dogs."

"When it gets above freezing we are getting baths, Rowdy."

"Go to sleep and you won't smell it. You're boring me Iz."

"WHUT EVAH!! At least I'm cute."

"are not"

"am so"

"not"

"AM SO"

"Cute don't hide stink, Iz."

The Reason

2012-01-03T07:08:00.001-05:00

When the skies take on a COLD look and the ground beneath is brown and lifeless....

well, that's the reason we cold weather folks make soup as

so many of us did yesterday.

The temperature as I type this is 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

That's enough to make almost anyone's bones shake.

Flurries are on the way.

Stay inside and slurp your soup is my advice.

Hug your spouse.

Snuggle your pups.

Old Man Winter is looming overhead.

A Huge Part

2012-01-02T08:25:00.001-05:00

Well, it seems that winter is finally arriving,

Our temperatures have plummeted from the nearly 60 degree mark

down into the 30's and tomorrow the 20's.

*possibility of snowfall*

This means it's time to stock the freezer with a bit of

homemade minestrone soup, compliments of

darling Hubby, and a huge part of our winter food choices.

Hopefully this will serve as medication too, for

my 'what seems to be', a rebounding head cold.

I think all of us in Bloggyland will concur

with homemade soup as a remedy.

Except on New Year's Day,

which called for a bit of

corned beef, cabbage, carrots and onions.

This, however.... was a joint effort since

Hubby requested I assist.

So I cut up the veggies.

Oh yes... I actually worked up a sweat in the kitchen for once!

Seems I am starting out 2012 in a most domestic way.

Oooh, and we love leftovers. How about you?

One Cool Thing About Time

2012-01-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

(Image From Here)

A contact on Google+ had a photo of one of these clocks which I find very appealing to the eye.

I can't afford one but I can dream.

You can check it out here....

where they also have a video explaining how it works

which I could not understand a word of since it was

in German.

*I think it's German*

Here is another link with better photos showing what this clock does. If you don't mind spending this much for a clock and love unique and modern items around your home or office check this out.

And thanks to Jamie Reygle on Google+ for bringing

this to my attention.

I need a clock to keep track of how much TIME I WASTE!!

Not Resolutions

2012-01-01T08:27:00.001-05:00

It's A New Year!

Hopes? Goals? Dreams?

Let me tell you,

I spent so much of my 20's and 30's thinking about what I wanted and where I was going, the meaning of life and what the future held. It consumed me. Once I hit my 40's I mellowed, and now in my 50's I don't think about what's ahead. I know I can't change the world or end the wars, feed all of the starving nor make the world perfect so I simply live to see that my husband and I are happy. Worrying about others and their problems really depresses me. The daily news is filled with the strife of others and some days it's simply too much to absorb. So my outlook, my plan, is to simply live a happy, light and airy existence, being as kind as I can to others and yet be myself.

Hopes? Goals?

No.

That to me says resolutions, and I simply don't make them because to me they imply that I have done something wrong in the prior year, and I haven't.

I've simply done my best, as will I in 2012.

Who knows..... perhaps in my next decade of life a piece of space junk will fall on my head and change my ways, but this is my selfish decade and I'm perfectly

happy with that.

Ringing It In With Rain

2011-12-31T07:12:00.001-05:00

We awoke to a morning of fine rain

Such a soft rain that I hardly knew it was coming down

until Hubby mentioned it to me.

The hours will tell whether or not

we will be ringing the New Year in with rain.

*pouting until we get snow*

Have a wonderful celebration this evening and be safe!

Don't drink and drive.

Don't drink in excess.

See you all in Bloggyland next year.

The Blue Ridge Gal

Hanging Out

2011-12-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

We will be hanging out at home for the ringing in of the New Year.

The weather should look a bit like this.

Sunny skies with a smattering of clouds and temperatures

in the 50's.

No snow for Christmas and no snow for New Years.

This is an odd winter season and I'm beginning to wonder

if there will be any snow at all this year.

Looks like autumn, doesn't it?

When I'm not taking little Miss Sunshine out to the backyard,

(she gets her stitches out Monday)

I'll be spending my time playing on my new Christmas toy

which Hubby saw fit to give into my ~~whining~~ extreme needs

and get for me.

I'll be eating lunch downstairs now in front of a new screen.

Most of my days are now spent upstairs in my office,

but this cut me off during the evenings from Hubby while he was downstairs watching television making any conversation between us strained due to the need to yell in order to converse,

so in order to save our marriage,

I said it may be quite nice if I have a laptop for evenings.

Yes yes.... that's why I wanted it,

to save our marriage (tongue in cheek),

to strengthen the ties that bind,

so that we can spend eternity together in the family room

each evening, till death do us part, he pecking away on his iPad and I on the Macbook Pro.

Isn't that how all marriages are saved?

LOL

What December Brings

2011-12-30T07:21:00.000-05:00

December has brought us rain... grey skies....

but no snow.

In between the rainy days we've seen gorgeous blue skies.

I've been spending much more time outdoors, no matter the weather because of Izzy's need to remain on leash a few more days.

And so I try to remember to at least take the point and shoot with me, but with her tugging on the leash my photos are not quality.

December has also brought the deer out of the woods and right up to our front door to nibble to their hearts' desire whatever it is they find so delicious in our lawn.

These photos were taken from just inside the door, dogs growling and hair raised, but the deer kept right on nibbling.

It's a pleasant scene....

Calm, soothing, quiet and pastoral....

UNTIL

Hubby arrives home, and then it looks like.

THIS!

Yep... all it takes is for him to pull into the driveway and

they run for their lives.

Complete chaos and pandemonium.

Run Run Reindeer!

Memory Bank Out Of Order

2011-12-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if I am coming down with a cold or the flu,

but I took Nyquil last night to stop a persistent small cough

so this morning was tough getting out of bed

because that's what Nyquil does, but without it I can't get to sleep

when coughing.

Hubby came home from work last night and after taking the pups out came into the kitchen and proceeded to make some coffee cake while I was stirring up some stir fry for our dinner.

Martha White paid me nothing to say this,

but I have to say this mix was much better than

the brand we tried last week who's brand name escapes me

as I sit here coughing.... past memory bank in brain does not work while coughing.

Sorry,

must go take Izzy out on leash (yes... STILL)

and then go collapse on sofa.

Whispers Of Dissatisfaction

2011-12-28T10:29:00.000-05:00

Since Izzy's surgery there have been new dog rules around the house and Rowdy has been a bit bored with life.

The doggie door is closed to his access since Izzy cannot go outdoors except on a leash since her surgery.

If we leave it open, she slips outside, running freely

as all wild banshee women are known to do.

"YA.... Mom says it's almost six days down

and only 4 more to go until I can go in and out whenever

I want."

Actually, neither of them are happy with this new arrangement.

Rowdy is taking it out on Izzy telling her it's all her fault,

messing with his daily routine of backyard play,

and this morning I heard him whisper in her ear,

"You suck, Izzy."

As you can see, she was stunned with such language.

Standstill

2011-12-27T09:45:00.000-05:00

Our home seems to come to a bit of a standstill now that

the busy days of preparing for Christmas have come to

an end.

Presents and cards sent, gifts opened, meals eaten and a

leftover scrap of holiday sweets still sitting here and

there around the kitchen, reminders of too much

having been eaten.

(not getting on the scale this year anymore!)

The New Year will slide slowly by us barely being noticed,

except that the eleven written for the past twelve months,

will now be written as a twelve.

Eleven months to Hubby's retirement.

My age will soon be fifty eight rather than fifty seven.

Our years in Virginia will be five instead of four.

The credit card bill will be $$$$ instead of $$$.

and a partridge in a pear tree will still be

better than two birds in a bush?

My husband will still love me.

The dogs will still provide us with daily laughter.

The house will still need dusting.

The camera will still shoot photos

and

this keyboard will still click with nonsensical blog fodder

of my daily life.

Yes, 2012 will be no big deal.

Just a change in numbers.

Super Design Mode

2011-12-26T09:28:00.000-05:00

End of the year and I have found myself in 'super design mode' on

my headers... trying to get ahead of the header game.

My method of designing with Apple's iWeb will be discontinued and in order to continue I need to find an online host for my design work, or learn a new method fast.

So, this is a quick 'let you know' that if you are wanting me to design a header for your blog to please give a holler very soon.

Hey.... I'm cheap.

And nope... we don't have any snow on the ground. I think this photo is from a year or two ago.

Would love a bit of white on the ground right now though.

Love ya bunches!

Diane

How It Went

2011-12-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

This is how it went at our house on Christmas Eve last night.

Great excitement over Santa coming.

LOL

And then they were fast asleep.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T05:09:00.001-05:00

Merry Merry Merry

Christmas!

May Peace, Love and Laughter

Make Their Way Into Hearts Around

The World Today.

From The Neighbors With Love

2011-12-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

It's been an odd Christmas week with temperatures near sixty degrees during our daylight hours followed by windy, cold, umbrella carrying weather. Give me the snow of last year and I'd be one happy gal for Christmas.

The week before something caught me off guard as well.

I had returned home from a trip into town and the next door neighbor had his son and a troop of men next to his driveway cutting down a beautiful, and I mean bee yooo tee ful tree that sits along their driveway and in a grouping of trees that adjoins our property.

(after they took tree down)

"Why are you taking down the tree? is it sick?" I shouted to them.

Their reply was, "No, Dad just wants it taken down."

Weird a bit??

Why would anyone take down a perfectly good 40-60 foot tree if it wasn't sick or bothering anyone?
It takes decades to grow a tree to it's full beauty.

And then they left about a 5 foot tall stump!

Very weird a bit!

Today we received our answer when we looked out the front door and saw this odd and somewhat spooky creation.

These ~~hillbilly~~ odd and eccentric people have had some unusual items along their driveway in the four years we have lived here.

A life sized rusty, metal cowpoke leaning against a tree until the wind took him down like a too slow gunslinger at the OK Corral.

A bright green hay rake as though they were farmers when there is not a crop on their 3 acres.

A few plastic geese grazing on the lawn.

and now THIS.

Would you cut down a healthy tree just to create this
THING?
His head is a metal can just like the tin man in the
Wizard Of Oz.
OMG... is this going to change with each upcoming holiday?
The Easter Bunny?
A red heart with an arrow smack through it?
A mushroom with leprechauns dancing all around.
Perhaps a rocket ship to the moon?
No wait... it's the Maypole!!!

It's just plain spooky.
I wish we would get five feet of snow and bury his butt, tin can
bucket head, pipe and whatever that thing is for a nose.
Look closely...
there are tiny, black pupils in the eyes!

Halloween much?

So now when people come to visit for the first time we can tell them we live right next door to the tin can headed snowman,
probably the only one in the county.

I'm so embarrassed.

Happy Halloween!?

A Christmas Card

2011-12-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

Sending out a very, merry Christmas greeting to

each and every one of my readers here in the internet

blogging world.

Mr. Blue Ridge and I as well as

Rowdy and Izzy

hope YOU have enjoyed reading these pages and

in the process had perhaps a giggle or two as we

make our way through each and every day of this

funny thing called Life.

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

A Lovely Hunnukah

and a Cheery Kwanza

are being sent your way today.

We love you all, no matter your beliefs.

Brushing Up Against Christmas

2011-12-24T07:21:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve.

I saw these sweet little bottle brush trees in Wal Mart yesterday and found them irresistible so I adopted a few to set in front of the mirror in the family room
in order to save them from the bottle brush tree
logging companies in
Oregon and Washington.

They ooze of Christmas glitz and glamour.

It's Christmas Eve.... the day our gifts were opened when I was a child. Santa always came while we were at the evening Church service where all from the Sunday School classes would

don little white capes and sing songs that we had practiced for weeks to get JUST right.

As an adult the 24th of December was my daughter's birthday celebration... and I want to give her a birthday shout out today.

I know that sweater is keeping her warm these days there in the midwest.

And so I hope as she reads my blog today that the sparkle of these trees will reminder her that she's very special to me

and thought of each and every day of the year

and not just on her birthday.

Happy Birthday, Kelly!
Hope your day is all glittery and bright.
With love, Mom.

Izzy Gotz The Bluez

2011-12-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

Busy day?

You got it.

Little Miss Izzy had her girly surgery yesterday and today

we went to get her.

She did well, but is now sleeping....

will have to watch her and keep her on leash for the next 10 days so

that she doesn't get crazy and pull our her stitches or romp

too heartily with Rowdy..

This was her blurry shot early yesterday morning as I drove her to the vet's office.

Today Izzy gotz the bluez,

but her appetite is good and she has pain meds so

will be alright.

Many other errands have needed to be done today and so

I apologize for my lateness in posting.

Must go tend to my Izzy girl now.

Peace Of Mind

2011-12-22T20:54:00.000-05:00

At one time this loft looked rather cozy and I had a sitting chair and ottoman, this dresser which was my father's boyhood dresser, the lamp and some family photos arranged in a wonderful area to just sit and read or chill.

These days though, the chair is in my office where the pups love to join me as I sit and blog, do design work, or edit photos throughout the day. My cozy loft area is no longer.

The dresser still remains, but as of today has found a new usefulness. Hubby purchased Apple's 3 Terabyte Time Capsule which arrived today.

*mmm hmmm, he didn't want a Christmas present, right....*

BUT,

with his new consulting business now up and running it has become extremely necessary for him to back up all of the programs he is writing for his clients' electronic devices, and seeing how it holds 3 Terabytes of data, well... my photos now all back up to this hard drive as well.

Neato!

It's sleek and almost, I guess you could say, ATTRACTIVE.

Do you backup your files?

We have been lucky, putting it off for YEARS, and NEVER lost any data, but once the data you create becomes part of your income it's imperative to do this.

Now... about that laptop I've been asking for??

Harumph to the nth degree.

Merry Christmas to me

Merry......

I am totally pouting.

Holiday Color

2011-12-22T08:40:00.001-05:00

Any of you who have never had an amaryllis this time of the year, especially if you are in the 'dreary zone' of winter,

in otherwords... those who live anywhere but the sunny southwestern states,

you may want to consider brightening up your home with an amaryllis.

They are quite easy to grow.....

and the box their bulb comes in generally has explicit instructions

on how to grow one successfully.

Their bulb is in general... well... to describe it in one word, UGLY.

But don't let their look scare you away.

Just a little water, a little sunlight, rotate it daily

and

VOILA!

Instant amaryllis color in your home for the holidays.

Italian In My Veins

2011-12-21T08:29:00.001-05:00

There is no Italian blood flowing through my veins, but I'm pretty much in love with anything that we Americans label as

being an 'Italian' recipe.

I'm sure that in Italy they would give a thumbs down to

what we consider to be of their cuisine.

Hubby and I *okay, well mostly Hubby*, cooked a large traditional Thanksgiving dinner last month but for Christmas week we are

munching on baked ziti.

Since we generally have a bit of our own homemade red

sauce in our freezer, we just thaw a bit out and use it with a

ziti recipe that we found online.

He also added some slices of leftover chicken breast from the

fridge *don't tell him I wasn't fond of the chicken in it*

so this is what we will be consuming this week.

I won't share the recipe because you can find something similar at almost every online recipe site out there and they are all very similar. Just pick one and go for it.

On another note.. ummmm, remember back a few days ago when Rowdy and Izzy dragged Hubby's blood pressure machine into the backyard, tore the back off and lost the batteries?
Out of the four batteries, one remained in the machine, and I found two others in the yard a couple of days later. Never did find the 4th one, but Rowdy wasn't feeling very well the next day so I'm wondering if he had been charging his own power pack for a couple of days and ummm, well, anyway....
I don't think I'll go looking for it.
Bon appetit??

Crazy dogs.