A Cappuccino A Day

~Photo Hunt~ Paintet ~

2011-08-06T02:41:00.000-07:00

These brightly colored houses can be found on the Island of Burano. It is about a 5o minute boat ride from Venice. The entire island paints their homes in all different colors. The one below someone got very creative! It is so fun to visit and photograph, they are also know for their exquisite hand made lace. ( Click photo to enlarge.)

Thank you for stopping by, to see all of the other "hunters" go here. Have a Happy Weekend!

Photo Hunt ~ Near ~

2011-07-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Near my home, in Seattle, is the wonderful Pike Place Public Market, filled with fresh fruit, flowers and fish from local farmers and fishermen. It first opened its doors for business in August of 1907, and is one of the oldest public markets in the USA. It sits on a hill and overlooks Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. It is a "must" see if you have never been to Seattle, or one to revisit if you have.
Thank you for stopping by, be sure to see all of the others "hunters" here!

You owe it to your self to see this film.

2011-06-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

This past week I saw a film that I won't soon forget. I have been telling everyone I can, to be sure and see this film. You owe it to your self to see this film. It is titled"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" I have included a trailer here to show you just a glimpse of this unforgettable film. In 1995 these caves were discovered, and inside they found drawings on the walls that now have been carbon dated back 32,000 years!!! Can you imagine? Even just the beauty of the cave itself is worth seeing. Werner Herzog is the man who made this film, and was only allowed 1 hour at a time, to enter the cave, with 3 other men. They had to use only lights that did not omit any heat. He wanted to film in 3-D (even though he hates 3-D) because he wanted the viewer to see the full depth of the cave and the drawings as they were really drawn. They could not touch the walls, floors(except for the walkway) or ceiling, so the normal 3-D camera would be too big, so he made his own, and put it together, once inside the cave. He was able to go into the cave for 1 hour twice and once for 4 hours, that was it. These caves will never be open to the public, as they found out from past experience, the breathing of many people in another cave caused a horrible mold to cover the inside of the cave. This cave now has a steel locked door to protect it. If you have seen this film, I would love to hear what you thought . I am going tomorrow to see it again. There is just so much to take in, all in one setting!

Photo Hunt ~ Looking Down ~

2011-05-27T21:58:00.001-07:00

This weeks theme is "looking down." The photo above is taken high up in the campanile(bell tower) in San Marco Square, looking out over the city, in Venice,Italy
This photo was taken looking way down to the Mediterranean from high up on a hill in the little town of Ravello. You can see the very narrow winding road we traveled in a very large bus to get to the top! It was quite a ride!!
This is looking down from our hotel "Albergo del Senato" to the Piazza della Rotunda and the columns of the Pantheon. As always, click on any photo to enlarge. to see all the other photo hunters, click here. Thanks for stopping by!

Photo Hunt ~ Square ~

2011-04-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

This weeks theme is "square." My choice is San Marco Square, in Venice, Italy. To see more "square" photos, click here. Happy weekend everyone.(I will be away from my computer until Sunday, but will try to visit as many as I can at that time! )

Photo Hunt ~Dusty ~

2011-04-22T20:16:00.001-07:00

When I read the subject was dusty, the first place I thought of was Pompeii, Italy. A violent volcanic explosion from Mt Vesuvius, exploded on August 27, 79 AD. They did not begin excavation until 1748. It is hot and dusty as you walk through the ruins today, but so incredible to witness, one must see it.
This is what is left of the basilica, a place for administration of justice.
After digging through the ash and dust, they discovered this statue of Apollo, in the temple of Apollo.
This dusty place was once a home with several rooms.
This was a tavern that served food.
A collection of very dusty bits and pieces of pots seen through a window.(click on any photo to see full size) Please stop by here, to see what others have chosen to show. Happy weekend, a Happy Easter to everyone.

Photo Hunt ~ Trees ~

2011-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

This weeks theme is "Trees". These dramatic trees, are on the driveway, into Wormsloe Plantation, in Savannah, Ga.
This is one of my favorite photos, taken of a tree. (click photos to enlarge) To see more great photos, be sure to check here, Happy weekend everyone!

Photo Hunt ~ Closed ~

2011-04-01T19:38:00.001-07:00

A very interesting closed door, I found in Montalcino, Italy.

These two closed doors I photographed, in Castellina in Chianti, Italy.
Both of these closed gates I found in Positano, Italy.

This weeks theme is closed.To view larger, click on photo. It is always fun to see how other "hunters" interpret the theme for each week, be sure to click here. Happy weekend every one!

Photo Hunt ~ Machines ~

2011-03-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme is machines. Took this photo of these very old farm machines last summer. Be sure to visit all other "hunters" here.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families here and in Japan, dealing with the earth quake and tsunami.

This little boy is amazing!!

2011-03-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

Where will it end?

2011-03-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today I went to get gas, and once again, the price had gone up. It seems, every time I have to fill up, it has gone up at least .10 cents at a time. Today, I paid $3.67!!!, WHERE WILL IT END. I wish I was younger, I would get a Vespa, or a bike and get around that way. ( maybe :) !! ) I had a small car, that did really good on gas miles, but it was very low to the ground, and the older I got, the worse my knees started to revolt! Getting in and out of my little car, became such a "pain" and I do mean it was painful. So now I drive a mid size suv, and I now have a new kind of "pain" each time I go to the gas pump !

A friend on facebook posted this picture, and it really made me laugh, and made me sad too, because I know we are probably going to see the prices go much higer yet! I know this will have a bad effect on air travel and people will not be able to make long car trips as easily either.

I wonder what would happen if the USA would stop all use of middle east oil for a month, and used only our own reserve, what would happen? Makes you wonder......

Photo Hunt ~ Mostly Black ~

2011-02-26T01:50:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme is "mostly black". The first one was taken at night of the Arena, in Verona, Italy.

This on is of a gate that was locked, but it intriqued me.

Thank you for stopping by, be sure to visit all of the other "hunters" here.
Have a happy weekend!!

Wisdom

2011-02-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

No where can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat,
than in his own soul.
Marcus Aurelius

Photo Hunt ~ Hands ~

2011-01-21T23:41:00.000-08:00

A few years a go, we had this subject, this time I thought of the one photo I took, on Island of Burano, a short boat trip from Venice, Italy. One of the things they are known for is their hand made lace. You can go into several different shops and watch the ladies sitting, doing their intricate lace work. I just love this photo, thinking of all the hours those hands have held that needle and thread, and had her thimble on her finger. I would have loved to talk to her, and learn her story, but I will let her hands tell her story for me.

If you want to see other photo hunters for this week, click here, or maybe, you might just join in on the fun your self.

Thanks for stopping by, Happy week end, everyone!

Photo Hunt ~ Shadow

2011-01-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

This weeks theme is "Shadow". For more photo hunters, don't forget to visit here

Thanks for stopping by, Have a happy week end everyone!

Wise Words

2011-01-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them"
Mother Teresa

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

2010-12-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,
Wishing everyone near and far, a very Happy and Healthy New Year ! I hope 2011 brings you all that you want it to be. Stay well, and be kind to each other and remember to smile as you pass one another. If we all could remember to smile, maybe this world could begin to be a little better place.

Merry Christmas !

2010-12-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, filled with peace and happiness.

Photo Hunt ~ Male ~

2010-12-18T03:29:00.000-08:00

This male, is one of six busts, on the Terrace of Infinity, at the Villa Cimbrone, in Ravello, Italy, on the Amalfi coast. From this terrace, the view is staggering, it truly seems, you can see to infinity!!!
This male, is found near the entrance, in an alcove, at the Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, in Florence, Italy.
My favorite "male", The David, by Michelangelo, in the Accademia Museum, in Florence,Italy. It is a little out of focus, because photos were not allowed, and I was trying to hide my rather large DSLR camera, and still get a shot.
(as always, click on photo to enlarge any one)

For more photo hunters, click here, thanks for stopping by, happy week end everyone.

A Little history on Cappuccino

2010-12-13T00:57:00.000-08:00

Cappuccino is a delicious beverage that dates far back to the 1600’s and is connected to some very famous moments in history.

Sweet like a dessert, wakes you up like a good espresso. Cappuccino, the widely known Italian based coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and foam. While most of us love the rich taste of the beverage, few know of its interesting history. The origin of the word cappuccino dates back over 500 years to the Capuchin order of friars, whom in 1525 played a major role in bringing Catholicism back to Reformation Europe. The order’s name derives from long pointed cowl, or “cappuccino”, derivative of “cappuccio” meaning “hood” in Italian. However, it’s unlikely that the name of the drink derives from the color of robes typically worn by Capuchin monks. While some dictionaries have mentioned such a hypothesis, the actual shade of brown is quite different from the cappuccino we all know today. Generally regarded as a myth, some believe the beverage was invented by the actual 17th century Capuchin monk, Marco d’Aviano, some time after the battle of Vienna in 1683. Yet no mention of this occurs in his biographies, or any other historical or contemporary account. Rumors of such first started circulating in the Austrian press during the 1983 celebration of the third centennial of the Turkish siege in Vienna, which soon entered so-called urban legends. Rumors continued to circulate afterwards without any bias, yet no historical credibility can actually be attributed to it.

The first use of “cappuccino” in English was recorded in 1948, yet the beverage was highly popular in Italy in the early 1900s. As manufactures begin to develop espresso machines in restaurants and cafes after World War Two popularity only arose. The Espresso coffee machine used to produce cappuccino was invented by Luigi Bezzera in 1901, and by the mid 1950’s Italian cappuccino had found its place on the globe as a worldly beverage.

Photo Hunt ~ Hard to Find ~

2010-12-04T01:36:00.000-08:00

It was almost sun down when we finally found this very hard to find Santa Maria dei Miracoli church. It is down lots of little streets, and over many bridges, but we had read how beautiful this little church was, and so we were thrilled to find it.
Sun was going down, but you can see what a pretty church it is.
The beautiful matching marble panels, on both side of the church.
To visit other "hard to find" photo hunters click here.Click on any photo to enlarge.

Stop the Pebble Mine: Take Action!: Save BioGems

2010-11-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

Stop the Pebble Mine: Take Action!: Save BioGems

I wanted to share this with everyone, as I think it is so important that it be stopped. Please read, then click on the link above and watch the short video. Thank you.

The proposed Pebble Mine may be the worst corporate assault on America’s natural heritage that no one’s ever heard of.

I need your help to change that -- and fast.

Please watch NRDC’s new, two-minute video about this approaching disaster.

Global mining giants -- including the Anglo American corporation, Mitsubishi and Rio Tinto -- would gouge one of the world’s largest open-pit mines out of Alaska’s incomparable Bristol Bay wilderness.

My friends at NRDC call it the worst project they’ve ever seen -- and they’ve seen hundreds of them. That’s because this colossal mine would be built at the very headwaters of our planet’s greatest wild salmon river systems: the Kvichak and the Nushagak.

Tens of millions of salmon course through this unspoiled Eden, feeding not just an abundance of bears, whales, seals and eagles but also the Alaskan Native communities that have thrived here for thousands of years.

Nothing like this place exists anywhere else on Earth. It is a remnant of American wilderness as it used to be, the kind of mythic landscape that Norman MacLean had in mind when he famously wrote:

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”

And it is right here -- in the heart of this American Eden -- that foreign mining giants want to excavate their 2,000-foot-deep Pebble Mine. This monstrosity will spew some 10 billion tons of mining waste, laced with toxic chemicals, that must be held back forever by massive earthen dams up to 50 stories tall -- all in an active earthquake zone.

The Pebble Mine is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. If it pollutes the Kvichak and the Nushagak River systems, it will take down not only the world’s greatest sockeye salmon fishery but the awe-inspiring ecosystem that depends on it.

America has sacrificed too many rivers and wildlands to the mining industry, which has consistently left them despoiled and unrecognizable -- before sticking us with the astronomical cleanup costs.

There is still time to save Bristol Bay from a similar fate.

After you watch our new video, tell the mining giants you won’t let them plunder and destroy one of America’s greatest natural treasures in order to line their own pockets.

Please join with me and NRDC -- and thousands of Alaskan Natives, fishermen and conservationists -- in fighting the Pebble Mine and saving this remnant of our disappearing natural heritage.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford
Trustee, Natural Resources Defense Council

Happy 90th Birthday to my Mom !!!

2010-11-11T00:57:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate my mother's 90th birthday!!!! (I had posted this last year,but I felt it was a good post about my mother, especially since she is turning 90 today, wow, and all of it is still true)

This is a lady, who lost her own mother at the age of 8 years of age, and had 3 younger sister and brothers. She married my father, who soon after went off to fight during WWII. I was born, while , he was away. She raised me alone, for 2 1/2 years, with the help of relatives, until his return. My two sisters followed. My sister, Vicki, was in fact, born 4 years after me on our Mothers' birthday, so, as we always do, we celebrated both of their birthdays. My sister Joy, was two years after. My father had a job, that involved being transferred, very often. I do not know how my mother ever did it!!! With 3 little girls. About every 6 months we were off to another town, sometimes in another state. As we were growing up, she was way ahead of her time. She never wanted us to eat white bread, always stressed eating enough fruits and vegetables, and had us taking vitamin C. She has out lived two husbands, and is still going strong. She walks a mile 2 or 3 times a week. She lives in her own apartment, is not on any medications, for high blood pressure, high cholesterol. She does not dye her hair, has just a few gray hairs. This lady, still has beautiful skin, and does not look 89, as you can see by this recent photograph!! She is also beautiful, on the inside, she has a heart of gold, loved by everyone who meets her. She has a very sunny disposition, and has always looked at the positive side of the situation. She lives in a retirement facility, and they always have lots of entertainment. There is one special guy who she really likes, so we have hired him, to come and perform as a surprise for her. So that should be lots of fun.

So, I wish today, Happy Birthday to my dear sister Vicki, who also has a heart of gold & my best friend and traveling companion, and to my dear mother, a beautiful lady.

An amazing man!

2010-10-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

I came across this video, about Nick Vujicic. He was born without arms or legs. This man did not let that get him down. Today, he travels all over, speaking to schools, business meetings, hospitals. Just watching the short video, will bring tears to your eyes,as it did to mine. I wish every jr & sr high school could have him as a guest speaker, as so many of our youth today need someone like him, as well as many of us, to see,and hear that we sometimes need that extra jolt, to realize, that we can overcome just about anything we put our mind to. Please, I encourage you, to watch this short video,it will make you really think about your own life, then, would let me know what you think?
http://www.wimp.com/watchingthis/

Photo Hunt ~ Dark ~

2010-10-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaLate at night, the Ponte Scaligero, Verona, Italy.
After crossing the bridge, heading into the Castle Vecchio, at night.
Night shot of the Arena, in Verona, Italy.
An interesting window, Venice, Italy. Fun to have a camera, that takes good shots in very low light. (click on photo to enlarge)
Thanks for stopping by. For more fun and creative photo hunters, showing their "dark" ideas, go here.

2010-10-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

be with someone who knows what they have, when they have you.

Photo Hunt ~ Orange ~

2010-10-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Nature gives us all different shades of orange in the fall.

And had to have a pumpkin field!! Click on any photo to enlarge.
Thanks for stopping by.

Beautiful Words

2010-10-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

I was sent this poem, and just had to share it:

CRABBY OLD MAN

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte ,

Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they

found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies

were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.. One nurse took her

copy to Missouri .

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas

edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health.

A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of

this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . . .. . What do you see?

What are you thinking . .. . . . when you're looking at me?

A crabby old man . . . . . not very wise, Uncertain of habit . . . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.

When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'

Who seems not to notice . . . . . the things that you do.

And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . .. . . . lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding . . . . . The long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . . . As I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of Ten . . . . . with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters .. . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . . with wings on his feet.

Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet.

A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.

Remembering, the vows . . . . . that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.

Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.

A man of Thirty .. . . . . My young now grown fast, Bound to each other . . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . . . . have grown and are gone, But my woman's beside me . . . .. . to see I don't mourn.

At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee, Again, we know children . .. . . .. My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . my wife is now dead.

I look at the future . . . . .. shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing . .. . . . young of their own.

And I think of the years . . . . .. and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . . and nature is cruel.

Tis jest to make old age . . . . . look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.

There is now a stone . . . .. where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . a young guy still dwells, And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.

And I'm loving and living . . . . . life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast..

And accept the stark fact . . . . that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people . . . . . open and see.

Not a crabby old man . . . Look closer . . . see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet

an older person who you might brush aside

without looking at the young soul within.

We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM

The best and most beautiful things of

this world can't be seen or touched.

They must be felt by the heart.

2010-10-17T14:54:00.001-07:00

"You haven't see a tree, until you've seen it's shadow from the sky."
Amelia Earhart

5 Rescued, 28 to go !!!!

2010-10-13T00:45:00.000-07:00

I came home from work this evening, after a long 12hour day, not planning on watching any tv, as I have just started a good book, and wanted to read. Just as I pulled into home, I heard on the radio, about the very first Chilean trapped miner, was being pulled up to safety!! After 69 days, can you wrap your mind around that?? I can't even think of going down into a mine for 5 min. These men have been down there longer and survived longer than any other miners in the history of mining. This is just a miracle.

Some of the facts they were giving during the telecast: Meals were sent down 3 times a day, and for a snack a milkshake, These were sent down in a tube, similar to ones, like we use at the bank. They had cell phones , so they could see what day it was. They could not use them to make calls. They had several long tunnels, they used for walking exercise, and they also were able to play music, and they danced to it. They were encouraged to exercise, as they all needed to fit into the cylinder that would be bringing them up to the surface.
Those that smoked, were allowed only 11 cigarettes a day, and they had to walk away from those that did not smoke. The youngest was only 18 and the eldest was 63. They were all given dark glasses to wear when they reached the top, as they have been in the dark for so long, that it is going to take them a while to adjust to light again. Just think of how it is after being in a dark theater for only 2 hours, and they have been in the dark for 69 days. They said they did have some light, but very little, so they could only use it very sparingly.

I don't know about you, but I have a terrible time, if I have to have an CAT scan, I usually have to have a sedative to relax me. The cylinder that they came to the surface in, is very small, and they are coming up through a shaft of nothing but rock, it is pitch black, and they said it is about as long as the Eiffle Tower on top of its self. The trip takes about 15 min from the bottom to the top. That just blow me away, to think of being in a tiny cylinder, in pitch black for 15 min. Of course, this is taking them to safety, and their families!!!! They said that it is taking about 1 hour from the time the cylinder is ready to go down, get the miner in and strapped in and ready for the assent, then another 15 min back to the surface. They said they should have all of the men out by Wed night. If you have not seen this on tv, take a few min, turn on CNN. You are really watching history in the making.

As I sat watching, as the first miner came to the surface, his young son, about 5 or 6 years old, was standing with his mother, and as it was getting close to the surface, the little boy, started to cry, he was so excited to see his daddy. I found myself, tears streaming down my face, as each of the first 5 miners have reached the surface and were safe. My thoughts and prayers are with each of the miners and their families, as they all learn to live with all that faces them in the future. Also, the world owes a huge debt of gratitude to those men who worked, tirelessly, to make this rescue a success.

It is truly a miracle! Don't you agree?

2010-10-11T00:56:00.000-07:00

If there ever comes a day, when we can't be together. Keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.

winnie the pooh

Photo Hunt ~ Stripes ~

2010-10-08T23:52:00.001-07:00

This weeks theme is "stripes", so I chose, my photos, from ones I had taken while in Italy of the magnificent Duomo (Church) in Siena, Italy. To see a full size photo, click on each photo. Be sure to stop by http://tnchick.com/pshunt to see what so many other creative photographers have done this week, or maybe, you would like to join in on the fun!

2010-09-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

"A Traveler without knowledge,is a bird without wings"
Sa'di, Gulistan (1258)

Photo Hunt ~ Natural ~

2010-09-25T02:29:00.000-07:00

These weretaken last fall, as the natural process of the leaves began to turn color.

Always so vibrant in color, is the Vine Maple. Be sure to visit others "hunters" at :
http://tnchick.com/archives/1873
(click on photo to enlarge)

Can you tell, I am very proud ?

2010-09-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

When I went to Italy in 2006 and again this year, it was with my sister Vicki, who is a professional art photographer, and I am so proud of her. She has had several shows, showing her photos from our first trip, and participated in several Art Walks in Edmonds, Washington. This past month, she has been working very hard to get her new photos ready, from the trip we made to Venice in May of this year. She had committed to showing her work in a popular restaurant called Pogacha in Bellevue, Wa, and also at the same time, to be in the Sept. Edmonds Art Walk. This is a huge amount of work. I was able to help her hang the photos in Bellevue. What made this so terribly difficult, was her very dear sweet cat, was suffering and getting worse by the day from a cancerous tumor in his nose. He was her late husbands favorite cat, and the thought of having to let him go, was just too difficult for her. Then, this past Monday, I had an email from her, that he had taken a turn for the worse, and it had been time for her to let him go. He was 15 yr old and had been a very loving companion. I too will miss him, whenever she went out of town I would house sit, and take care of him and her other cat, and I have done this for the last 10 years. So, when I called her, we both had a good cry.

If it had to be, I am glad it was early in the week, as she has her photos being shown in the Edmonds Art Walk, this Thursday, at C'est la Vie, on 5th Ave which is Number 18 on the art walk map. The Edmonds Art Walk is one of the largest art walks in the state. There is entertainment, and wine and cheese served at different venues. If you are in the area, please stop by if you would love to see some great photos from Venice! Can you tell, I am very proud!

Today, I gave myself a treat !

2010-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

While we were in Venice, there was one artist, that I was very interested in finding. In my searching, I also was very happy to find another very talented, and wonderful artist, his name is Giovanni Dalla Mora. He is on the waterfront, by the Doge's Palace, to the left, at least that is where I found him that day. He is a very gentle talking man, and I bought one of his prints on canvas and a copy of his book.
This is Giovanni Dalla Mora, doing a quick free hand sketch in the front of his book, that I purchased. I was thrilled to have him do that for me.

Then down the other way, off to the right, on the waterfront, towards the Venice Connection office. There he was, Ugo Baracco !! I have been reading about him, on slowtrav.com ( a fantastic place for anyone doing any traveling, it is a message board with so many knowledgeable people on there, so willing to give advice and help) I have also read about him, doing a google search. I really wanted to find him, and was so hoping I would be able to purchase one of his . I did !!! I bought a numbered lithograph, and he gave me two large posters with his art work on them!!! Wow! I was so excited.
He even let me have my picture taken with him! What an enchanting man! (That is my sister Vicki in the background.)
So, you ask, how did I give myself a treat today? Well........ There is a local frame shop, that is having a 1/2 off sale on all custom framing for just two days. Soooo, I took in both my prints, and I am having them framed. I am so excited!! I really needed this. Today, I gave myself a treat!

Photo Hunt ~ Numerical ~

2010-08-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

The face of the clock, from the 14th century, on the tower in San Marco Square, Venice, Italy.

The # 905 is waiting for the next visitors to pay for a ride, to see the beautiful, historical area of Savannah, Georgia

.
Thank you for stopping by, (click to enlarge photo). Hope everyone has a happy weekend.
If you want to see how others have interpreted "Numerical" please go to http://tnchick.com/ , and you might think of joining in the fun too!

Dreams

2010-08-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Embrace Life

2010-08-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is the new "wear your seat belt" ad the UK is doing - started by
some guy not hired to do
it, but because the cause is important to him, he came up with this
idea, and now it's being hailed across the world as a 'beautiful'
commercial. ...And now the video has become so popular with the
general public that people are forwarding it to friends/family on
their own so quickly that it has spread all over the world in a very
short time.

Embrace Life

I know you will not be able to watch this just once. It is very powerful. Let me know what you think.

Photo Hunt ~ Colorful ~

2010-08-06T23:16:00.001-07:00

This weeks theme is "colorful. I have chosen a unique flower I saw in Hawaii.

This is a shot of Wikiki, and all the colorful umbrellas that line the beach.

And of course, the colorful painted houses on the Island of Burano, Venice, Italy.

Thank you for visiting, ( click to enlarge any picture), hope you have a nice weekend. If you want to see how others have interpreted "colorful", please go to
http://tnchick.com/ . Or you can join in the fun yourself!

Photo Hunt ~ Public ~

2010-07-30T19:44:00.001-07:00

In Seattle, Washington we have a famous market, people come from miles around. To buy fresh produce, fresh flowers, and beautiful bouquets and fresh fish. One of the fish stands is famous, and has been seen in a few TV shows, when someone buys a fish, one of workers, is out in the crowd, helps the customer pick out their fish, then from wherever he is standing, tosses the fish to the guys behind the counter. It is quite a sight to see! There are several restaurants, and the view is stunning. Looking out at the sound, and across to the Olympic Mts.

Thanks for visiting and have a nice week end everyone.
If you would like to see how others have interpreted "public", go to http://tnchick.com/ or join in the fun yourself!

A lazy day in Venice

2010-07-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today, we woke very early, as my daughter, was leaving for home. We had all decided that I would not go with her to the Fondamente Nove to catch the water bus, to the airport. The problem with my hips, would take them too long, so my sister, was going to walk there with her. I hated not being able to see her off, at the boat, so I just had to do so at the apartment. I fell back to sleep, and my sister spent a few hours before getting back to the apartment, taking photos in the great early morning light.

I only took a few photos on this day, don't know why, just did not find too much that inspired me. We spent a lot of time searching for a certain shop, that I had read about. They specialize in Murano glass. My sister was hoping to find some light shade fixtures for over her kitchen counter, to replace the ones that she does not like. I had read about Giuseppe Tinti, located in Campo San Cassian 2343, San Croce. If you are in the area, do stop in, they are the most wonderful people. So genuine and sweet. He and his wife run the shop. She was born and raised on Murano, and her father, was a glass blower, so she knows the good from the bad. They have lamps, (like my sister was looking for) and beautiful jewelry, and other things too, in their very small shop. My sister did find exactly what she wanted, and was able to order 3 to have sent to her, when they are ready. We also purchased some jewelry and other items for gifts to bring home. We had to go back the next day, as he wanted my sister to see a new design, that was just being done, so we did, and after lots of conversation and thinking about which one she liked, my sister did choose her design. When we left, they both gave us a hug and a kiss on each cheek. As we walked away, we both said, we wished we would have taken a picture with them, so we went back, but their shop was once again filled with people, so we did not want to bother them. They were very sweet, and I miss them. Sometimes you meet someone like that, and you just never forget them...........

You can find all my photos now on :

www.skAlexanderphotos.phanfare.com

more to follow.............

Happ Fathers Day!

2010-06-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

A wish to all the Fathers out there, a very happy fathers day. I lost my father when I was 25, but I still miss him every day. He loved his yard, loved to mow the lawn, and keep all his flowers in perfect condition. He loved roses, and sweet peas, and one of his favorites were Camellias. He had them in every color in our yard. I can still see him working out in the yard, often with his shirt off, sometimes late into the day. Happy Fathers Day, Daddy, I miss you, and love you.

To Market, to Market

2010-06-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

At the market!

Reflections everywhere.

We had a lazy morning, after a very busy day, yesterday. When we finally got going, I wanted to go to the market, and also find the mask shop I had read about. So off we went. The market is a feast for not only if you are hungry for fresh, and I do mean fresh fruits and vegetables, but so much color!! We chose several fruits to have in the apartment, and some to eat as we were walking around. Ummm, so good! It is so fun, to just find a spot off by oneself, and watch the people, looking and trying to buy, that perfect fruit. I could have stood there for much longer than I did.

I had read, in one of the blogs I read, about a mask shop, very near the Rialto Bridge, that are still making masks the authentic way. They are on the same side of the Rialto as the market. They are located about 5 shops from the foot of the bridge on the right hand side. Right next to the church. The name of the shop is La Bottega dei Masareri. Sergio, told me, they had made about 30 masks for the movie "Eyes Wide Shut" I did not see it, but I think I will have to rent it, just to see his masks. I purchased two of them, and since I have been home, I have contacted him, and have ordered 3 more. Heading back to the apartment, my daughter, and sister decided to try the treghetto, but I did not feel too confident, so I took the vaporetto, even though it was only one stop. As it was, I did get a chance to take some fun photos on the way home.

Oh by the way, I have finally put my photos on line. If you are interested in seeing them, you can go to www. skAlexanderphotos.phanfare.com

More to come.............

A perfect day for a gondola ride !

2010-06-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Alberto, our gondolier.

View from our gondola ride.

Some of the colorful houses on Burano.

Reflextions in the canal on Burano.

Today we decided to take a gondola ride. We wanted to take the longest ride we could , as we were splitting the cost 3 ways. As were were walking towards one of the main areas where many of the gondolas are parked, we passed two, gondoliers, standing on a bridge, so we stopped and talked with them. Both of them were very friendly, the one, Alberto, spoke very good English, and we asked about the price ( as we had been told, that is the right thing to do up front) We paid 120 Euros, for an 80 min ride. It was a great day for a gondola ride!! We were only on the Grand Canal for just a few minutes, from then on, we were only on small canals. Watching him steer the gondola around some of the very tight corners, is amazing. He told us he is a 4th generation Gondolier. That it is very competitive to get into it, and they only have 425 at any one time. So unless someone gets sick, or moves away, sometimes there is a very long wait for an opening. He told us he spoke 4 other languages besides his native Italian. He was very informative about the different buildings and the history of Venice. It was an experience I will not forget.

After our ride, we stopped for lunch, then walked over to the Fondamente Nuove to catch the vaporetto to Burano and Murano Islands. Burano is known for its very bright colored houses. It is told, that the reason the houses first started being painted with such bright colors, when the fishermen would go out to fish, the fog was so thick they had a hard time finding their homes!! Burano, is also know for the lace makers, you can go into some of the stores, and see the women creating beautiful lace work, just as it has been done for hundreds of years.

We went from Burano to Murano, this is the Island, know for the blown glass. We were so late, that most everthing was closing up. We did find one shop, that was open, and she had wonderful things in her shop. Then we walked, just down from here shop, and had a great dinner. By then it was getting late, and we did not want to miss the last boat back to Venice, so we hurried, (as best I could :( ) We made it, and sat at the back of the boat, out in the open enjoying the last of the sunset.

We arrived back at our apartment, happy to have had a very fullfilling day!

More to come...........................

It's Good to be Home, but I Miss Italy!

2010-06-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

Santa Maria dei Miracoli
The front of the Venice Hospital
The front door to the hospital.
Yes, it is good to be home, and finally recovering from jet lag, and wishing I was still in Italy. I had to stop sending anything to my blog, as the connection was soooooo slow! To upload one picture, took forever, and I just, finally gave up. I will try to do a recap of our days after we returned from Verona, with a few pictures when I can. I am working on my photos now, and when I have them ready, I will post the link, where you can view them, if any of you are so inclined, :) !

We took the train back to Venice from Verona. It is about 1 1/2 hr ride, and fun to see the countryside. Lots of farmland. We could see many poppy fields in bloom, and would have loved to been able to photograph them. Darn. We arrived back in Venice in the early afternoon, had to stop at the Venice Connected, to get our 7 day card for our last week. For me, it was really worth it, as I found myself using the vaporetto (the water bus) to get around, which helped, as the pain in my hips continued. I did not take many pictures that day. We did go out to find the Santa Maria dei Miracoli church. We had read about it and wanted to see it. When we arrived it was closed, but took a few photos, just as the sun was going down. This church is very popular for weddings. This church is an exquisite masterpiece of the early Renaissance. It was built in 1481 - 1489 by Pietro Lombardo and his sons, to enshrine The Virgin and Child (1408), a painting believed to have miraculous powers.

We also found the hospital. Since I work in a hospital, I was interested in seeing theirs. Wow! It was beautiful, but then, what could one expect, in Venice. It looks more like a church or an old palace than what I would think of as a hospital. I could not get a great photo, as it was getting late, but had to have a few, to take back to my co-workers.

More to follow.............

2nd Day in Verona

2010-05-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Outside the Cloister of the church,San Zeno Maggiore.
View of Verona, from high on a hill.
Ponte Scaligero at night.

Today we started out, visiting the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, built between 112 and 1138 is said to be northern Italy's most ornate Romanesque church. It was truly beautiful inside. We spent about 2 1/2 hours there. From there we went to the castelvecchio, built between 1355 and 1375, and is now one of the regions finest art galleries. We took some time to walk the main streets which are all marble and no cars allowed. We decided to take a bus tour of the city, as we had such a short time there, and it was a great way to see a lot of the sites that we would not have seen otherwise. After the bus tour, we ended up on the Piazza Erbe, where we decided to have dinner. The place we chose was Alla Torre il Ristorante degli Artisti. We were seated right at the front row of tables, next to where everyone was walking. In front of us was a metal stand, like a music stand, with a menu on it, for people to read, what they were serving. We were having a glass of wine, and there were also glasses of water on the table, and our salads, all of a sudden, there was like an explosion!! Some young punk kid, came by, slammed his fist down on the stand, knocking it over, onto our table, breaking 3 or 4 of the glasses. There was wine and water and broken glass everywhere, and it all came right at me. I jumped a foot, scared me crazy!!! The poor owner, was mortified, we told him, it was not his fault, but he insisted on bringing us all new salads, 2 new carafes of wine, and after dinner, brought us all a Limencello!! Everyone is the restaurant just had this shocked look on their face. We had no idea we were going to be the entertainment for the evening!
After dinner my sister and I walked over to the Ponte Scaligero to take some photos at night of the bridge, then walked back to the hotel, through the castlevecchio.

The next morning, we took the train, back to Venice.....
More to follow...............

A Day Trip

2010-05-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Arena
Giuliette's balcony.

We left early this morning on the train from Venice to Verona, blanning to spend 2 nights here. We are in a very small hotel, called the Hotel Torcolo. A very sweet hotel, we are in a room for 3with plenty of room for all of us. we walk about 20 steps, down a small street, we come to Piazza Bra, where the Verona Arena stands, built in 30 AD, and still standing in wonderful shape. They have many concerts, and 0peras there all summer long, too bad,we were here just a little too early for that. We also walked down to see the balcony of Giuliette. Oh my, what a crowd. There were people there from every country, in huge groups. As you walk in through the passageway there are literally hundreds of notes written in all different languages to her, still .....today ! Unbelievable! Tomorrow we are going to see Castle Vecchio, & The Basilica San Zeno for starters.

Still having to go very slow, at least now can take a cab, if needed. It works.

More to follow.......

Another Beautiful Day in Venice !

2010-05-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Reflection,on the way to Campo San Barnaba.
Sunset on the Giudecca Canal

Today, we went out for breakfast, had fresh squeezed orange juice, a wonderful pastry and a cappuccino. Then wandered over to the Cannaregio Canal to watch all the boats on the last part of the Vogalonga. It is one of the rowing festivals they have every year. Last year, they had 1,608 boats take part. I have no idea how many there were this year, but there were a lot!! It is not just Italians,they come from all over the world. It was quite a sight to see.

We went back to the apt for lunch and then headed for Campo San Barnaba. There is a Leonardo da Vinci exhibit there that we want to see. It was getting late, so we plan to come back. We walked passed the shop where they are still making gondolas, but being Sunday, they were not open. We ended up, out on the Giudecca Canal, and had dinner at La Calcina, looking out across the canal during a dramatic sunset. It was an enchanting evening to end the day. Still having to take the vaporetto, (their bus) every where to get around, but at least I am able to walk a little farther each day! Thank you to all my dear readers for your kind words and good wishes, by the time its time to leave, I will be back to normal!!!

More to follow...

A Beautiful Day in Venice

2010-05-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

In the courtyard of the Galleria Franchetta Ca d'Oro.

Evening in Venice.

We woke to a beautiful day, sun was shinning. The only thing was, we had been up for so long, that we slept late into the morning, so we had a late start on the day. We went out of a bite to eat, for brunch. Having walked and pulling my suitcase really played a number on me, I was so sore, in my arms and shoulders, but the worst was my hips. I have been having trouble with my hips, my Dr has said they are both about down to bone on bone, and most of the time, I am fine walking for quite a while. Well, the long day of walking was too much. I can hardly walk any distance at all, before I am in so much pain. I am so disappointed, as this is keeping me from going any distance at all from the apartment. I was able to take a few pictures today. I think I just need to let the inflammation heal some, then I hope I will be able to see more.

A Quick 3 Hour Tour of Paris

2010-05-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sacre Coeur

We had a 7 hour layover in Paris,so we hired a driver, to give us a quick tour of Paris. His name was Patrick, a native born Parisian, and very proud of it. He had a great sense of humor, and drove us past this one building,saying it was a very important building, then laughed, as it was the hospital where he was born!!. We had thought we would just be able to see the Eiffle Tower, and maybe Notre Dame, We also saw the Arch de Triumph. He drove us through Montmartre, passed the famed Moulin Rouge and the Sacre Coeur. He also drove us down some of the famous avenues of Paris, passed the Sorbonne and many of the high fashion shops. It was quite a treat, to have such a great tour in such a limited time. The driving was a hair raising experience though let me tell you!!! Those Paris drivers, they go through intersections every which way all at once, zig zaging in and out of each other!! I was in the front seat, and I will tell you, I was trying not to let it show, but Patrick, said, I am a good driver, I am a Paris driver !!!! He was good, and we had a lot of fun with him. It sure was a fun way to spend the time, not having to sit in an airport for 7 hours. More to follow !

Tomorrow Is The Day!!

2010-05-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, my bags are packed, my Euros are in my purse, have my passport and ID ready, WOW ! Can't believe, it is time to leave for Venice for two wonderful weeks. We have been planning this trip for over a year, and all of a sudden, it is time to leave. I am very excited to return to Venice. We were in Venice at the end of our 4 week trip in 2006 for just 3 days, and knew we had to return. We are also taking a 2 day side trip to Verona, spending one day on Lake Garda, so looking forward to seeing both of those places, as we have not been there before. We will be going by train, which I do enjoy.

We have a 7hour layover in Paris, so we have hired a car to drive us into Paris, to see a few of the sites, as I am the only one who has never been to Paris, my sister and daughter both have been several times. I just wanted to be able to at least see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc, and return to the airport in plenty of time to check back in.

I will be posting from Venice, with pictures, so until then.

Ciao.

Happy Mothers Day !

2010-05-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there, and a very special wish to my own sweet Mother. I spent the day with her today. It was a beautiful day in Seattle, sunny and warm, blue sky.We had a wonderful day, I took her out to lunch, and also took her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. My mother is losing her sight because of Macular Degeneration, but other than that, she is very healthy, for going to be 90 this coming November. I hope you were able to spend the day, with loved ones. Here are some quotes that I have collected over the years, that are about Mothers.

The heart of a Mother is a deep abyss at which you will always find forgiveness.
Honore de Balzac

Being a full time Mother is one of the highest salaried jobs.....since the payment is pure love.
Mildred B.Vermont

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.
Unknown

No gift to your Mother can ever be equal to her gift to you.....life.
Anonymous

Not just the earth but the sky all around us.

2010-04-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Ash and Lightning Above an Icelandic Volcano
Credit & Copyright: Marco Fulle (Stromboli Online) (click on photo to enlarge)

Is this an amazing photo or what!!!! I don't know about you, but not only am I fascinated with our precious earth, but also with what is happening in the sky around us. I found this most informative web site, sponsored by NASA. Each day, they have a different picture, some taken on the earth, such as the one above, of the recent Icelandic Volcano, some in the near sky, showing our planets, of their plane of rotation, with the moon. Some of them are from deep space. With every picture is an explanation, easy to understand, of what the picture is. Those of you with school age children or grandchildren, this would be a fun web site to visit together. Everyone of the pictures are outstanding. At the bottom of each photo is "tomorrows picture", giving you information on the next days photo. I hope you take some time to explore the web site and view for yourself, some exciting photography, and maybe learn something new! Let me know what you think.

Not just on Earth day

2010-04-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Lyndy from TodaysGold reminded me, not just on Earth Day, but every day, dolphins are being killed in the waters off Japan. These senseless killings, must stop. I urge every one of you, my dear readers, to go to this web site, http://savejapandolphins.org. On this site are several important links, one where you can make a donation, to help with this cause, another to sign a petition that will be sent to President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki. There are also 2 very powerful videos to watch. Please, we should all do our part to stop this insane killings of these amazing animals. Won't you all, please post this on your blog, pass along this information, lets see if we can spread the word around the world. I have made my donation, and signed my petition, now it is your turn. What do you say, let me hear from you, will you do it too? Go for it !!!!!

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Please do your part to save our beautiful earth. Thank you

Today is the 40th Earth Day Anniversary. Whatever you do, big or small could help to save an endangered animal or you could plant a tree. Here are 50 easy tips to going green, they are not hard to do, but can make a huge difference. I am sure you have heard or read many of these before, but today they need repeating. (My thanks to Lyndy at
Today's Gold ) for this great list of reminders for going green.

1. CHANGE YOUR LIGHT BULB

If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with one new compact fluorescent bulb, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road. If you don't like the color of the fluorescent light use these bulbs for closets, laundry rooms, etc.

2. TURN OFF COMPUTERS AT NIGHT
By turning off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode you can save 40 watt-hours per day. That adds up to 5.25 cents a day or around $20.00 per year. If you don't want to wait for your computer to start up, set it to turn on automatically.

3. DON'T RINSE
Skip rinsing dishes before using your dishwasher, saving up to 20 gallons of water each load & saves time & the energy used to heat the additional water.

4. DO NOT PREHEAT THE OVEN
Unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort don't preheat the oven. Just turn it on when you put the dish in. When checking on your food, look through the oven window instead of opening the door.

5. RECYCLE GLASS
Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent & related water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn't recycled it can take a million years to decompose.

6. PARENTS DIAPER WITH A CONSCIENCE
By the time a child is toilet trained a parent will change between 5,000 - 8,000 diapers adding up to approximately 3.5 million tons of waste in US landfills each year. Whether you choose cloth or a more environmentally friendly disposable you're making a choice that has a much gentler impact on our planet.

7. HANG DRY
Get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes by the air. Your wardrobe will maintain color, fit & you'll save money. Your favorite tee shirt will last longer too.

8. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK
One less meat based meal a week helps the planet & your diet. For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. You will also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. We are pretty much Vegans now & grow our own fruits & vegetables...

9. WASH IN COLD OR WARM
If all the households in the US switched from the hot-hot cycle to warm-cold, we could save the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day. Only launder when you have a full load.

10. USE ONE LESS PAPER NAPKIN
During an average year an American uses approximately 2,200 napkins, around six each day. If everyone in the US used one less napkin a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year.

11. USE BOTH SIDES OF PAPER
American businesses throw away 21 million tons of paper every year equal to 175 pounds per office worker. For a quick & easy way to cut this in half set your printer's default option to print double sided (duplex printing). And when you're finished with your documents don't forget to take them to the recycling bin.

12. RECYCLE NEWSPAPER
There are 63 million newspapers printed each day in the US Of these, 44 million or about 69%, of them will be thrown away. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.

13. WRAP CREATIVELY
You can reuse gift bags, bows & event paper but you can also make something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper. Flip a paper grocery bag inside out & give your child stamps or markers to create their own wrapping paper that's environmentally friendly & extra special for the recipient. For More Wrapping Ideas: Visit HGTV, MARTHA STEWART LIVING, DIY NETWORK...

14. RETHINK BOTTLED WATER
Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container & fill it with filtered tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet & possibly your health. The EPA's standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA's standards for bottled water.

15. BAN BATH TIME!
Have a no-bath week & take showers instead. Baths require almost twice as much water. Not only will you reduce water consumption but the energy costs associated with heating the water.

16. BRUSH WITHOUT RUNNING
You've heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. You'll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop. Daily savings in the US alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons, more water than folks use in the Big Apple.

17. SHOWER WITH YOUR PARTNER
Sneak in a shower with your loved one to start the day with some zest that doesn't come in a bar of soap. Not only have you made a wise choice for the environment but you may notice some other added...um...benefits.

18. TAKE A SHORTER SHOWER
Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower over the course of the year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.

19. PLANT A TREE
It's good for the air, the land, can shade your house & save on cooling (plant on the west side of your home). Trees can also improve the value of your property. Make it meaningful for the whole family & plant a tree every year for each member.

20. USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL
You paid for those extra buttons in your car so put them to work! When using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage. Considering today's gasoline prices this is a boon not only for the environment but your budget as well.

21. SECOND HAND DOESN'T MEAN SECOND BEST
Consider buying items from a second hand store. Toys, bicycles, roller blades & other age size specific items are quickly outgrown. Second hand stores often sell these items in excellent condition since they are used for such a short period of time & will generally buy them back when you no longer need them. We love finding treasures in our local second hand stores...

22. BUY LOCAL
Consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm to your table. Whenever possible buy from local farmers or farmers' markets supporting your local economy & reducing the amount of greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in. Our local farmers use less pesticides too.

23. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT
Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer & one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree Celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use! In addition invest in a programmable thermostat which allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home or away.

24. INVEST IN YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP
If you start every morning with a steamy cup a quick tabulation can show you that the waste is piling up. Invest in a reusable cup which not only cuts down on waste, but keeps your beverage hot for a much longer time. Most coffee shops will happily fill your own cup & many even offer you a discount in exchange!

25. BATCH ERRANDS
Feel like you spend your whole week trying to catch up with the errands? Take a few moments once a week to make a list of all the errands that need to get done & see if you can do them in one trip. Not only will you be saving gasoline but you might find yourself with much better time management skills.

26. TURN OFF LIGHTS
Always turn off incandescent bulbs when you leave a room. Fluorescent bulbs are more affected by the number of times it is switched on & off, so turn them off when you leave a room for 15 minutes or more. You'll save energy on the bulb itself but also on cooling costs, as lights contribute heat to a room.

27. GREENER LAWN CARE
If you must water your lawn do it early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation. Have a few weeds? Spot treat them with vinegar. Not sure if you should rake? Normal clippings act as a natural fertilizer, let them be. If you've waited too long rake by hand, it's excellent exercise.

28. PICNIC WITH A MARKER
Some time in between the artichoke dip & the coleslaw you lost track of your cup & now there are a sea of matching cups on the table, one of which might be yours. The next time you picnic set out a permanent marker next to disposable dinnerware so guests can mark their cup & everyone will only use one.

29. RECYCLE OLD CELL PHONES
The average cell phone lasts around 18 months which means 130 million phones will be retired each year. If they go into landfills the phones & their batteries introduce toxic substances into our environment. There are plenty of reputable programs where you can recycle your phone, many which benefit noble causes.

30. MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE
Not only are you extending the life of your vehicle but you are creating less pollution & saving gas. A properly maintained vehicle, clean air filters & inflated tires can greatly improve your vehicle's performance. And it might not hurt to clean out the trunk too, all that extra weight could be costing you at the pump.

31. RECYCLE UNWANTED WIRE HANGERS
Wire hangers are generally made of steel, which is often not accepted by some recycling programs. So what do you do with them? Most dry cleaners will accept them back to reuse or recycle. Remember Joan Crawford's famous line in Mommie Dearest: NO WIRE HANGERS, EVER!

32. RECYCLE ALUMINUM AND GLASS
Twenty recycled aluminum cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one. Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials.

33. TELECOMMUTE
See if you can work out an arrangement with your employer that you work from home for some portion of the week. Not only will you save money & gasoline, but you get to work in your pajamas!

34. KEEP YOUR FIREPLACE DAMPER CLOSED
Keeping the damper open (when you're not using your fireplace) is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter, it allows warm air to go right up the chimney. This can add up to hundreds of dollars each winter in energy loss.

35. CUT DOWN ON JUNK MAIL
Feel like you need to lose a few pounds? It might be your junk mail that's weighing you down. The average American receives 40 pounds of junk mail each year, destroying 100 millions trees. There are many services that can help reduce the clutter in your mailbox, saving trees & the precious space on your countertops.

36. CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS
Most lighters are made out of plastic & filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered 'disposable' over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

37. LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING ONLINE
Consider if you really need a paper phone book. If not, call to stop phone book delivery & use an online directory instead. Some estimate that telephone books make up almost ten percent of waste at dump sites. And if you still receive the book don't forget to recycle your old volumes.

38. GIVE IT AWAY
Before you throw something away, think about if someone else might need it. Either donate to a charitable organization or post it on a web site designed to connect people & things, such as FREECYCLE.ORG.

39. GO TO A CAR WASH
Professional car washes are often more efficient with water consumption. If everyone in the US who washes their car themselves took just one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 8.7 billion gallons of water.

40. PLASTIC BAGS SUCK
Each year the US uses 84 billion plastic bags a significant portion of the 500 billion used worldwide. They are not biodegradable & are making their way into our oceans & subsequently the food chain. Stronger reusable bags are an inexpensive & readily available option.

41. FLY WITH AN E-TICKET
The cost of processing a paper ticket is approximately $10, while processing an e-ticket costs only $1. In the near future, e-tickets will be the only option, saving the airline industry $3 billion a year. In addition to financial savings the sheer amount of paper eliminated by this process is commendable.

42. DOWNLOAD YOUR SOFTWARE
Most software comes on a compact disc & more than thirty-billion compact discs of all types are sold annually. That's a huge amount of waste, not to mention the associated packaging. Another bonus to downloading your software is that it's often available for download at a later date when you upgrade to a new computer or are attempting to recover from a crash.

43. STOP YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE
Answering machines use energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And when they break, they're just one more thing that goes into the landfill. If all answering machines in US homes were eventually replaced by voice mail services, the annual energy savings would total nearly two billion kilowatt-hours.

44. SKIP THE COFFEE STIRRER
Each year, Americans throw away 138 billion straws & stirrers. But skipping the stirrer doesn't mean drinking your coffee black. Simply put your sugar & cream in first then pour in the coffee & it should be well mixed. Determined to stir? Break off a piece of pasta from the cupboard. You can nibble after using it, compost, or throw away with less guilt.

45. FIND A BETTER WAY TO BREAK THE ICE
When a big winter storm heads our way most of us use some sort of ice melter to treat steps & sidewalks. While this makes the sidewalks safer for people, it may pose a hazard for pets who might ingest these products. Rock salt & salt based ice melting products can cause health problems as well as contaminate wells & drinking water. Look for a pet safe de-icer, readily available in many stores.

46. USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE
Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of US households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline. Q-Tips have paperboard spindles.

47. PAY BILLS ONLINE
By some estimates if all households in the US paid their bills online & received electronic statements instead of paper we'd save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide plus other greenhouse gases & 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.

48. STOP PAPER BANK STATEMENTS
Some banks will pay you a dollar or donate money on your behalf when you cancel the monthly paper statements you get in the mail. If every household took advantage of online bank statements the money saved could send more than seventeen thousand recent high school graduates to a public university for a year.

49. USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
Each year 15 billion batteries produced & sold, most of them are disposable alkaline batteries. Only a fraction of those are recycled. Buy a charger & a few sets of rechargeable batteries. Although it requires an upfront investment, it is one that should pay off in no time. AND on Christmas morning when all the stores are closed? You'll be fully stocked.

50. SHARE!!!
Take what you've learned & pass the knowledge on to others. If every person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the collective effort could be phenomenal.

Photo Hunt ~ Coverd ~

2010-04-16T22:44:00.001-07:00

This weeks challenge is covered. These were taken on the beautiful guest ranch where my son works, in Montana at The Ranch at Rock Creek . This is an authentic covered wagon. To visit other creative photographers, click here, or better yet, why not join in on the fun! (click on photos to enlarge)

Photo Hunt ~ Vertical ~

2010-04-10T00:59:00.000-07:00

This weeks challenge was vertical. This is Snoqualmie Falls, with a vertical drop of 268 feet, 100 feet higher than Niagra Falls. The falls are visited by 1.5 million visitors per year. They are located about 25 miles east of Seattle, Washington. There is a beautiful lodge overlooking the falls, with beautiful rooms, and they serve amazing meals.
The area surrounding the falls are a sacred place for Navive Americans, culture, and spirituality.
(click on pictures to enlarge)

For a look at more creative photographers, please click here, or better yet, why don't you join us, each week!

Very well said.

2010-04-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Photo Hunt ~Sweet ~

2010-04-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

I love the sweet smell of fresh picked Peonies.
This weeks theme is sweet, to see more sweet ideas, click here. Or better yet,
why not join in the fun each week.

The countdown begins

2010-03-31T01:15:00.000-07:00

Open my heart

And you will see,

Graved inside of it, Italy.

Robert Browning

Photo Hunt ~ Fresh ~

2010-03-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh baked pizza, Siena, Italy
Fresh fruits and vegetables in Siena, Italy, don't they look good enough to eat!! This week challenge is "Fresh" Be sure to stop in at Photo Hunt
to see all of the other fresh ideas that other creative photographers have posted.

2010-03-25T01:43:00.001-07:00

Dare to receive a drop

and in time

you'll be given the ocean.

Its My One Year Bloggaversary !!!

2010-03-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!!! One year ago today!!

I posted my very first post!! Wow!!! I made it !!!!

A whole year!! Thank you to all my friends, who have helped me along the way, and to all my new friends, welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay here.

Join me with a cup of cappuccino, or maybe a glass of wine;) as I toast to another great year , and meeting more friends! Happy Spring everyone!

Hugs, ~ Sandra~

Oh, what a wonderful surprise !

2010-03-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have been gone for several days, and when I returned, I had 2 boxes waiting for me,( see below about the 2nd one) When I opened it, I found such a sweet surprise. My dear blogging friend Laurie had made me a very special book, to keep forever. I will be able to put ticket stubs, receipts, pictures, any little souvenirs from my up coming trip to Venice, Italy. She covered the front with a very old piece of sheet music, and it even has a picture of a Gondola!! Then she added stickers of an ancient column, a strip from an Italian cigar, and a label from "Sirop de Limon." Inside, there are tabs on the pages. Attached to it were three of her wonderful hand made tags, one of a gilded cage, one of pastry sweets decorated with glitter, and a very special one that says "sisters" because I am going with one of my sisters, on this trip.

Laurie, I wish I could send you a big hug through the internet! I was so overcome with emotion, when I unwrapped your sweet gift. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking of me, and making this little souvenir book for me. I will cherish this always.

Hugs, Sandra

Look what I found.

2010-03-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

I came home today, after being away for several days, and two boxes had been delivered. The first one I opened was from Jess Leonard, (OWOH) containing three very pretty yellow flower photographs, that I had won during the great giveaway!! Thank you Jess so much, I am so happy to receive these photos, they will brighten the walls of my kitchen!! Be sure to stop by Jess's web site to see more of her wonderful work.

Beauty

2010-03-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

Photo Hunt ~ Spiral~

2010-03-13T10:35:00.001-08:00

Beautiful Staircase in our hotel the Albergo del Santo in Rome, next to the Pantheon. (click on picture to see full size)
Looking down the staircase.
Looking up the staircase!
To see all of the other very creative Photo Hunters click on my link, or better yet, why not join in the fun.

2010-03-10T00:52:00.000-08:00

Photo Hunt ~ Foreign~

2010-03-06T00:39:00.000-08:00

One of the places where we had gelato in Pienza, Italy.
You must try Limoncello, it is so refreshing, this basket was in a shop in Siena, Italy.

Be sure to visit all the other hunters sharing their foreign photos, it is so much fun to see all the different ones, or better yet, join in the fun.

74 days and counting...

2010-03-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

One of many bridges in Venice, Italy

The days are starting to go by a little bit faster each week, yet I have only lost 10 pounds, of the 25 or 30 that I wanted to loose. hmmmm. This is a problem,I need to do more exercise. I have been doing the stairs in my building, preparing for all the bridges we will be climbing up and over every day in Venice. Still sticking to the weight watchers diet. I must say, that is the best, and easiest diet for me. One of the best hints, that any one has given me, I will pass on to you, my dear readers. Have you heard, or do you know of www.hungry-girl.com . I must tell you, I love that web site!!! She has so many great hints, recipes, and always lets you know the points for weight watchers. She has done 2 or 3 cook books now, and a lot of products out on the market, now have her logo on it, how cool is that. If you sign up for her newletter, each day, in your email, you get a letter, full of hints, recipes, and just good advice. You can't go wrong. Have any of you, found and used this web site? What do you think of it? If you are dieting, (who isn't), tell us, how are you doing, and what is working for you. Best to all who are dieting, and keep up the good work, if you are one of those, lucky enough, who do not have to diet, stay well, and to all of you, do not forget to laugh whenever you can, it is a great stress reliever

~Sandra~

Look What I Recieved !s

2010-03-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

Wow, I was so surprised, happy and thrilled, to find I had been sent this award. Don't you just love it, so spring time fresh!! Are we not all ready for spring !!

It is awarded to bloggers whose positiveness and creativity inspires others in the blog world. Wow, how flattering is that!!

My Sunshine Award was presented to me by Kathy from Calkat the Jewelry Junkie

The rules for accepting the award are: 1. Put the logo on your blog or within your post. 2. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers. 3. Link to the nominees within your post. 4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog. 5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award. Thankyou Kathy so much for this award, I am honored to be in such good company!

And my nominees are.............

1. Tammie Lee, Spirithelpers

2. Joanna, A Cup of Jo

3. Karen, Happy Cavalier

4. Laurie, Indulge Your Shelf

5. Snap, Tales From Twisty Lane

6. Diana, Adventuring Through Life

7. Stacey, Addicted To The Click

8. Barb, Follow My Bliss

9.Coralie, A Vintage Cottage Home

10, Sarah, Cottage Garden Studio

11. Peggy, Pegs Play

12 Wondrous Strange Design

No Matter Where We Go

2010-02-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

I had to share this

2010-02-20T19:51:00.000-08:00

With all of the pride of the USA in the Olympics right now, I just had to share this. I also wish this could be shown to all our troops fighting for our freedom far from home. This was filmed in Texas. The 2 little girls on the right are just 6 years old, the 2 little girls in the middle are just 7 years old, and the one on the right is only 8 years old. They are truly amazing, and this sure brought tears to my eyes. (be sure to pause the music player in the right sidebar, before playing this video)

My next journey.....

2010-02-20T01:03:00.000-08:00

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy (2006)

It is good to have an end to journey towards;

But it is the journey that matters in the end.

Ursula LeGuin

And the winners are !!!!

2010-02-15T02:15:00.003-08:00

I am happy to announce the winners in the One World One Heart giveaway, that I had joined in. I was giving a Michael Buble CD and when I had such a huge response, I added a second one. So, the winners are: Amy @Backseatwriter.com
and Melissa @ Ardea's Nest.com. Congratulations, to both of them. Thank you to every one who visited and entered, I have had so much fun, reading your notes, and trying to get to as many as I could. I have a very long list of blogs, that I am going to be visiting when I have more time. I hope everyone had a great time. I look forward to doing this again next year.

Sandra

And the winners are !!!!

2010-02-15T02:15:00.001-08:00

100 Days and counting !

2010-02-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

Piazza San Marco at sundown

Now we have 100 days to make all of our final plans, for our trip to Italy. We have looked at several options for side day trips, that we can do by train. One is to Padua, and another to Varona. Someone told my sister about a canal trip leaving from Venice, on the Brenta Canal to Padua. We are thinking about taking this and spending the night in Padua. This canal ride is supposed to be an absolutely beautiful ride past very large estates , most were built in the eighteenth century and some having as many as 100 rooms. These were the summer homes of the aristocrats of Venice. The boat stops at 2 or 3 of them to be able to visit and see a few of the rooms and the gardens. If we spend the night in Padua, then we are thinking of then taking the train early the next morning on to Verona and returning the next morning to Venice. We are lucky, that we have Rick Steves' ( from PBS travel shows) headquarters in the same town where my sister lives, so we are going to make an appointment with one of their counselors to see just how easy this will all be. Then the big decision, is we may decide to extend our trip for another week, we have not decided yet, but once we get thinking of all the places we want to see, this is what happens. All of a sudden, the time to leave is going very fast.

Oh what a week this has been!

2010-02-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

I had no idea, when I signed up for One World One Heart, that I would get any where near as many responses as I have so far, since this is my first year and this is only the first week!! I am so overwhelmed and at the same time so excited. I have tried to visit those of you that have left me comments, but so far, I am only 1/2 way down the list, and then I am back at work for three days, doing 12 hours, which leaves me no time to blog on those days. At the same time, I have started back on weight watchers, Ugh !!! as I want to loose about 2o pounds before I leave on my trip, that is fast approaching, Yikes!! This is only day 2 and so I am struggling to stay on task, but I am bound and determined to continue. I am walking stairs for more exercise too.

My other excitement is I am so happy to have 22 new followers since last Monday !! After this big 3 weeks is over, I plan to visit each one of you, so I can get to know you and your blog, to show you I really appreciate the fact that you signed up to follow my blog. I hope you like it well enough to stay awhile, and leave a comment when ever the mood strikes you. I really hope to be blogging from Italy during our trip, I just have to get that figured out. I have been looking at the netbooks, they are very light weight , and pretty reasonable in price, and a place to download my pictures too. Does any one of you have a netbook, and if so, what do you have and how do you like it. I am open to suggestions.

One more day of work, then it is back to trying to answer more of my comments, keep them comming!! I cannot thank Lisa Swifka enough for have the courage and insight 4 years ago to start One World One Heart. If only all the leaders in the world could learn from this one example, how wonderful life could be.

I am so happy and blessed to be a part of a very special group of world wide friends, the bloggers. Through blogging, this world has become smaller and smaller, and richer and richer, with true friends, most of whom, we will probably never meet face to face. Yet, they are there for us when we need them.

Thank you,

Sandra,

One World One Heart 2010

2010-01-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Ride the magic carpet, and listen to Michael Buble !!

To all my dear readers, and to all my new friends I look forward to meeting!! I am so excited to be a part of One World One Heart, 2010 this year. My friend Laurie was instrumental in my joining this year. I have struggled with what I wanted to have as my give a way. I thought about doing one of my photographs from Italy, but just ran out time to purchase a frame and have it done by Jan 25th. So another of my passions, besides photography and Italy, is music.

So sit back,with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and let your magic carpet take you on a magical ride, as you listen to the wonderful voice of Michael Buble, as he soothes all your cares away for just awhile! Yes, my give away, is the latest Michael Buble CD.!!

Now, for some rules !!! Please have an active blog, after all, that is what this is all about, so that we can all meet and make new friends! ( and who couldn't use more new friends!!) You must make a comment here on my blog, and be sure to leave your email, or have a link back to your blog, so that if you are the winner, I will be able to reach you. If you become a follower, and I would love it,if you do, I will enter your name 3 times. I sure hope you come back and visit more than just this once, I would love to have the chance to get to know you better, ok?

So, please do not forget to leave your email address, because, I will need it, to reach you, to tell you, you have won.!! Don't you just love to win, I know I sure do, so don't forget !! I know,can hardly wait.

Oh yes, I will cut off the time on Feb 14 at 5PM Pacific time, so that I can make sure I have the time to process the entries and have a winner on Monday, Feb 15th. I will be using random number generator to pick a winner. I work both days, so I will need the extra time. I think that is about it. If you have any question, do not hesitate to drop me a line, or follow the link to the web site on the button in this post, also, use this link to take you back to the home web site, so you can visit all of the other bloggers taking part in this great give a way. Last year, They had over 900 bloggers taking part and from countries all over the world.

(The music selections playing by Michael Buble are not from the giveaway CD, those songs were not available yet on that player website, but you can at least hear what his voice is like, if you have never heard him!!)

Good luck, and have fun!!

** There has been such a great response to my first giveaway, that I am adding another chance to win the CD, Michael Buble's " Crazy Love" So now there will be two winners not just one, at least for now :).

Photo Hunt ~ Balanced ~

2010-01-23T02:42:00.001-08:00

Statues on the Walk of Infinity, Ravello, Italy

Visit all the other "photo hunters" to see some great variety on this weeks challenge.

Oh what to do

2010-01-19T01:07:00.000-08:00

We have been planning a return trip to Venice, Italy for well over a year and now we have 120 days before we depart!! My big dilemma, is do I really want to take my big, heavy SLR camera. It requires a large bag to carry it all day, which I carried on my last trip to Italy. We were there for 4 weeks , in September, and it was hot, and the strap around my neck was hot, even though it was a very nice padded one. I have been looking for several months for a small camera, one that would be good in low light, (as that is one thing, that the small camera's are usually not good at) I do like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 .

I have that one at home right now, trying it out. The store where I purchased it, has given me 10 days, then I can return it, if I decide not to keep it. I am impressed with it so far. The weather here has been raining, so I have not been able to get outside, to take any shots. I am hoping, that sometime this week I will have a chance to take as many pictures as possible, to help me make a decision.

What kind of camera are any of you using? I would love to hear from you.

2010-01-14T00:29:00.001-08:00

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.......

Its about learning to dance in the rain!

Hello to my dear readers

2010-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

What you do is a blessing. Extending it to others is a gift.
Unknown

It has been some time, since I have sat down to write on my blog. I took some time off, over the holidays, for several reasons. One, just the busy time of Christmas, and I think I needed some time away from my blog. Do not get me wrong, I still came on here and and visited many of my favorite blogs, to keep up with what was going on with them, and I really do miss the interaction I receive from you, when you leave me comments from one my posts. I feel I have made some wonderful friends on here, and I hope that 2010 will bring many more new friends. One of those new friends, Laurie, has encouraged me to join in the One World, One Heart (OWOH) Blog Party,
sign up begin on Jan 25th, I must decide soon, on this !! She has said it is a lot of fun, you also meet so many new bloggers, from all over the world.

Also, my sister and I are coming up fast on our trip to Venice, Italy. I can not believe it! We leave the middle of May, so not that long now!! We were there 3 years ago, for just 2 1/2 days, and this time we will be there for 2 weeks. We have rented an apt, on a canal, so we can watch the gondolas float by,as we enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, after a day of walking,now how nice is that?

Please let me know what is new with you, do you have any special plans for the year? I would love to hear all about them.

I won!

2009-12-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

It is the Christmas season, everybody is busy decorating, or making decorations. My friend Laurie, had a drawing last week, for a darling decoration that she had made. Today, I had an email, letting me know, that I had won. I do not win in drawings, like I can't remember the last time I have won anything. So thank you Laurie, he will take a special place with all my decorations, knowing he was made by you. Please, do stop by Laurie's blog, you can see the darling decoration I have won, and maybe discover a treasure of your own. Laurie loves to finds something old and make it new again, and she does it with loving hands, and makes them beautiful.

Did You Know..............

2009-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

When you have broken glass:

Use a wet cotton ball or a q- tip to pick up the tiny shards of glass that you can not easily see !

Flexible Vacuum:

If you need to get something out of a heat register or under a fridge or a low piece of furniture, add an empty paper towel or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum cleaner's hose. It can be bent or flattened to get into any narrow openings !

Reduce Static Cling:

Pin a small saftey pin into the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works for slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place a pin in a seam of your slacks and ta-da! ! no more static cling !!

Did you know that ......................

Happy Thanksgiving !

2009-11-26T01:09:00.000-08:00

source

Dear readers, I want to wish you and your families, a Happy Thanksgiving Day. We

all have so many, many things in this world to be thankful for. What are some special

traditions that you do, with your family, on this day?

2009-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

We must always follow our dreams........

2009-11-16T00:06:00.000-08:00

Well said!

2009-11-09T01:10:00.000-08:00

Dancing Bird !

2009-11-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me this, because she knows how much I love Ray Charles' music. I also love birds and have had several in the past.

Well this is a great combination. It will make you laugh. Enjoy !!

You gotta love life

2009-10-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend everyone!!

Did you know?

2009-10-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

This was a story in a local newspaper. I thought all of you, my dear readers, should know this very important information.

The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter.

It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it.

The lint filter is made of a mesh material . I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well .... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all!

He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh - that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free.

You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen.

This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it!

He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out

and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush at least every three months.

He said that increases the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that ! !

Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd

Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it.

The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen.

I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds.

Then when I rinsed it .... the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

Did you know that..............................

When you see this picture..........

2009-10-26T01:39:00.001-07:00

And you read the quote, what is the first thing that comes to your mind about one of your journeys?

Take Five on Thursday ~9 ~

2009-10-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here it is Thursday, once again, and this weeks take five is "what special things do you do, to treat yourself" or that you would love to do!!

1) My first one has to be very good dark chocolate! ( and that is a treat, because I can only have a very little bit at a time, or it will trigger a migraine)

2) A nice bottle of white wine! (no reds, again, because of migraines)

3) Dinner out with a friend (to a nice resturant, Italian, or Greek preferred :) )

4) Either a new book or CD, ( I love to read, and I love music, so that is always a toss up, the books always last longer, so I can usually buy a CD in between.)

5) A return trip to Italy ( I know that is a little over the top, but I have been saving for 31/2 years to make a return trip to Italy, and my sister and I are planning a 2 week trip to Venice, Italy, next spring!!!)

Ok, now what are some of the special ways that you treat yourself ?

Can you avoid the H1N1 flu?? This may help:

2009-10-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I work in a hospital, and this information was sent out to all employees. I thought I would share it with all of my dear readers. I hope this helps each and every one of you stay that much more informed, and therefore a little more healthy.

Regarding the H1N1 Flu:

The only places of entry are the nostrils and mouth & throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost
impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications). Very important!!

2. "Keep your hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of your face.

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C ( citrus fruits).. *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (coffee,tea, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

My wish to all of you is to stay well, follow these simple steps, get lots of rest, and be good to your self.

Did you know............

2009-10-19T23:57:00.000-07:00

That peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better to eat. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

That if you store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil, they will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

That if you add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef, it will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

Did you know...........................?

Give this some thought.

2009-10-19T01:35:00.000-07:00

Take Five on Thursday ~8~

2009-10-15T01:42:00.001-07:00

This Thursday, I am using another idea, from Maria. The subject this week, is to name your 5 favorite songs. Easy, right? So, give it some thought, and let us know, what your 5 fav are. or, maybe you have a suggestion for the next "Take five on Thursday"

Here are mine:

1) Moonlight Sonata, by Johann Sebastian Bach

2) Concierto de Aranjuez, by Juaquin Rodrigo

These are just two of my most favorite classical pieces. Then on a more recent note, but still classic in their own time.

3) Nights in White Satin, by The Moody Blues

4) Three Times a Lady, by Lionel Ritchey and The Commodores

5) Faithfully, by Journey

Now, its your turn!!

Bananas

2009-10-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Did you know?

My dear readers, I have come across some fascinating helpful ideas, some new, some maybe long forgotten. I thought, once a week, I would put up a new one. If any of you have one to share, please, by all means, jump right in. We can all use a new idea, or a short cut, don't you agree?

Did you know?....Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off it. That is how the primates do it!
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.