Monday, September 16, 2013

~ Monday Listicles ...

 
If you haven't been to visit Stasha @ Northwest Mommy,
then you really should stop by.
Today is "Monday Listicles" over there
and today's list of
"10 Things I Have a Crush On"
was suggested by my girl Kelly.
 
 
So, here goes.
10 Things I Have A Crush On
In no particular order .... well, except for #1 ....
 
10.  "Artful Blogging" magazine.   I have discovered some amazing bloggers through that magazine. 
9.  Becky over at TIMEWASHED .... her stuff makes me sigh !
8.  My neighbor's two boys.......Landon who is 3 and Logan who is 1. 
They make me smile! 
7.  Crisp autumn air and the sound of leaves crunching under my feet.   **sigh**
6.  Cloudy days.
5.  Flea markets.
4.  Old bottles.
3.  Anything vintage.
2.  Gumby.
......... and .........
 
1.  Tom.....my husband of 42 years.
 
This photo is circa 2000.
We look so dang young!!!  LOL
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, September 13, 2013

~ Is It Friday ....

.... already?
Where does the time go?
 
 
Dear Week ... what the heck?
 
Dear Summer ... I hope this is really "buh-bye" because your
humidity this week was a deal breaker.  Our relationship is over.
 
Dear Autumn ... bring on your crisp attitude.  I can't wait!!!
 
Dear Blogging Friends ... thank you so much for your input about my blog's look.
As you can see, I did change it up a bit.
Still holding on to the dark background .... don't know why but I just can't let it go!
Learning how to make a blog header was fun.
In fact, I may just change my header up with the seasons .... well, maybe. 
LOL
I still don't know how to grab your buttons to place in my blog!
Why do I always mess that up?? 
 
Dear Birds ... thanks for your constant visits.
I really do enjoy watching you.
 
 
 
And with this one .... I think the bird on the right is saying
"Uh......I don't think there's room for you on here."
LOL
 
 
And now ... for my Random 5 ....
 
1.  I think the older I get that I am becoming slightly OCD....
2.   I say this because I've noticed that I want need to do certain things in
a certain way ...
3.  For example, if I wake up at night and I have to make a potty trip and
it's, let's say 2:11 a.m., I will tell myself that I cannot get up
until it is 2:15 a.m. ....
4.  Maybe that's not being so much OCD as .... what? ... a little wacky?
5.  I will read and re-read this post at least 3 5 times
before I hit the "Publish" button ...
and then I will read it a couple of  few more times
and maybe even edit it the same amount of times
before I let it go!!!
 
Today, I played along with Ashley Slater and Nancy
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, September 6, 2013

~ Wine and Chocolate ....

..... yup!
I'm bribing you. 
 
So, sit down and have a glass ... or two.
Have a piece of chocolate ... or two.
I need your input.
For awhile now I've been wanting to give my blog a facelift.
What do you think?
Does the current look ... black ... bother you?
Does it need a pop of color .... on the sides? .... on the header?
Should I make it all white and change up the header?
Should I keep the format?
I know.....I know.
It's my blog .... I should be creative .... and decide what the heck to do with it.
I just go back and forth .... forth and back ..... up and down.
I go into your blogs and I just sigh at how gorgeous they are.
I also made the mistake good move and
got "Artful Blogging" magazine.
Dang!
I gasp with each turn of the page!!!
I hurry and visit their blogs and just crush on them!!!
Sigh!  
 
So, if you wouldn't mind ...
I'll pour you another glass of wine
and you can tell  me what you think.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now ....
over to Nancy's to play
Random 5 Friday!!!
 
1.   I'm a cheap date.   One glass of wine and I'm done!   One glass of wine and I turn into the
      weather .... hazy (I get that way), hot (I start hot flashing) and humid (and she sweats!).
2.   I'm in need of a haircut.   My  hair is down way past my butt.   I wear it in a bun ...
      every.single.day!   Why don't I just make an appointment and get it chopped?  
      Why am I holding on to it?  Is it the "hippie" in me that won't let go?
3.   My hair is thinning.......on top......in the bangs area.   Crap!  I knew it was thinning.
      I ignored it.   But it's getting progressively more noticeable.    It bothers me.  A lot!!!!
4.   So I bought some Rogaine For Women.   Haven't tried it yet.   I'm afraid to.   Don't
      ask me why.  I just am. 
5.   I have never dyed my hair but I have used Henna on it.  Once.  I looked like an
      Irish Setter. 
 
 
So, there you have it.
 
Now, where's my glass of wine .....
 
 



Saturday, August 31, 2013

~ August ....

..... break.
Cripe!  It looks like I took an "August Break" without even trying ... or wanting ... to.
What the heck is up with that?
It's not like I haven't visited your blogs .... I have.
It's not like I have been in a funk .... I haven't been.
It's not like I have no ideas .... heck, I've got tons!!!
So, what gives?
Must be the heat and humidity of July just wiped me out clear through August.
This was just one hot and humid summer for the records.
The a/c was running 24/7 for quite some time.
In fact, it is back on and I am not a happy camper.
I am so ready for Fall.
 
With that said ....
do you remember my sad rejection from the hummingbirds?
Yes, they refuse to visit.
I took the feeder down and replaced it with a finch feeder.
Well ...
to my delight ...
they appear to be much more sociable.
I won't bombard you with tons of photos at once.
I'll just give you one peek at one of the visitors
who appears to be quite friendly
and photogenic.
I think she/he is overwhelmed with the smorgasbord! 
So, there ya have it.
I finally have visitors.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
And now ... to head over to Nancy at "A Rural Journal"
and play along with "Random 5 Friday".
 
                                         1.  How tall are you?   I'm 5'4" and shrinking.  Hey, it happens!        
                                         2.  A few years back I had lasik surgery on one eye only.
                                              My right eye.   I have scar tissue on my left eye
                                              due to ....
                                         3.  ....shingles which I had about 10 years ago.
                                              It.Was.Awful.
                                              It.Was.Painful.
                                              I hope none of you ever have to experience it.
                                        4.  I used to be bi-lingual. 
                                             Sadly, I've forgotten about 50% of my French-Canadian language.
                                             In grammar school we had classes in English in the morning
                                             and then classes in French in the afternoon.   When home, my parents
                                             spoke to us in French.   C'est la vie!!
                                        5.  I hated high school until my Senior year .... then it was okay. 
                                             Mostly because I cut classes a lot (not proud of that now).  
                                             And because my personality changed ... and I started liking myself.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Friday, August 9, 2013

~ Friday Letters ....

.... I really like it when I get a chance to play.
Today I am playing along with Ashley Slater @ The Sweet Season blog
 
Dear Sky,
It's okay to be dark and gray sometimes.
I get it.
There are times when I feel dark ... and gray ....
and stormy .... and foreboding ....
 
And it's okay to just let it all out.
 
You thunder, lightning and rain.
I scream, shout and cry.
And it's okay.
 
 
Make as many puddles as you'd like.
I'll just puddle hop.
I'll pretend I'm 10 again ....
and I'll purposely step in every single puddle you rain down.
 
So, dear sky (and me)....
it's okay to be dark and gray sometimes.
Just remember to come back to blue skies.
 
"Clouds come floating into my life,
no longer to carry rain or usher storm,
but to add color to my sunset." ~ Rabindranath Tagore
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Now.....to play along with Nancy @ A Rural Journal
and "5 Random Facts"
1.  I was born and raised in Manchester, NH.
2. I am the 5th child of 6.
3.  I was excruciatingly shy growing up.
4.  I was a hippie.
5.  I got married when I was 19.
 
Tada!!!!!
 
♥   
 


Saturday, August 3, 2013

~ Yay ....

 
.... me!!!!
 
Twenty years ago I decided to do something
that would change my life.
Something that I was afraid to do.
Something that I knew I had to do.
Something that I should have done sooner.
 
Twenty years ago
I became
a NON-SMOKER!!!!!
 
 
 
One year after quitting my risk of coronary heart disease
was 1/2 that of a smoker's.
10+ years after quitting my risk of lung cancer death
was 1/2 that of a smoker's
AND
15+ years after quitting my risk of stroke and coronary heart disease
is that of a non smoker!!!!
 
Yup!
I am patting myself on the back!!!
I am taking deep breaths
and not coughing!!!
I taste things differently.
I smell things differently.
I have more $$$ in my pockets.
 
Yay me!!!!!!
 
Now, excuse me while I kiss the sky!!!!
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

~ Homeward Bound ....

♪.....and each town looks the same to me.
The movies and the factories
And every stranger's face I see
Reminds me that I long to be
Homeward bound.♫
 
If you haven't already, you need to head over to Kathy @ You'll Shoot Your Eye Out
and play along in her new link-up of Song-ography.
The first song-ography is "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel.
 
 
I was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.
My family are all still there.
This is a shot of one of the many "mills" running along the canal.
  Not only are they architecturally stunning but I also love the history they hold.
"The city of Manchester is located on the banks of the Merrimack River in Hillsborough County,
New Hampshire.
Prior to receiving its final name of Manchester, the city had other names starting with Nutfield, Tyng’s Town, then Harrytown [Old Harry's Town] and Derryfield.
Manchester was settled in the early 1700's, and was originally incorporated in 1752,
by the name of Derryfield.
In 1810 it received its present name of Manchester, and was incorporated as a city in 1846. Manchester has been called "Elm City of New England" and the "Queen City of New Hampshire."
Known by our French-Canadian ancestors as “la Main Street”, the shopping district was really on ELM Street, which runs through the city in a north-south direction, and it passes directly through the center. It was named Elm Street because of the many Elm trees that lined a great portion of the street. The American Elm trees typified both the north and south ends of the street, where families liked to build their homes. In 1938, many of the original elms were felled.
Elm Street is the longest dead end street on either end in the country!"
 
Whenever we head up to Manchester I never tire of seeing these buildings.
I remember one of my aunts working in one of the mills.
Every summer an uncle would come down from Canada
and at around 4:00 he would load us into the station wagon
and we would head to the mills to pick her up.
I still remember the sounds and the smells.
Unfortunately, some of these beautiful mill buildings were taken down.
Some remain and have been turned into businesses.
The buildings that do remain still take my breath away.
 
This is my "Homeward Bound"