All Those Things You Were Afraid to Ask...

Everything you always wanted to know about me...but were afraid to ask..

1. I love my Bichon Frises and will never ever be without at least one in my life
2. I absolutely LOVE shopping and could spend every waking hour doing just that
3. Riding my scooter is one of my favorite things to do
4. I am a mother, a wife, a sister, and a daughter
5. I have been divorced once
6. I am a creative person
7. I am stubborn at times
8. I am a night owl and never go to bed before 4am
9. I am fiercely loyal to people and causes that I believe in
10. I hate lying
11. I smoked pot in high school
12.,I used to have cats, but found out I was highly allergic and had to give them away but I still love them
13. It is hard for me to trust people
14. I have been abused
15. I have many secrets
16. I used to take allergy shots for a multitude of allergies
17. I suffer from migraines
18. Sometimes I open my mouth when I shouldn't
19. I don't always say what I mean or mean what I say
20. Blogging is a favorite hobby of mine
21. I spend way too much time worrying about things I cannot control
22. I'm still friends with all of my in-laws
23. I suffer from several autoimmune diseases
24. I miss being able to physically do things I used to be able to do with ease
25. I'm very glad that I have a driver's license
26. I pray that they discover a cure for Alzheimer's Disease
27. I have fibromyalgia
28. I hope and pray that my daughter has a fulfilling life
29. I wish I could have had more heart-to-heart talks with my mom before she passed away
30. I miss my grandmother alot
31. I wish I did not think about the past as much as I do
32. I am a fan of Princess Diana and feel she was very misunderstood. 
33. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are two of my most favorite country artists and they put on one hell of a concert!
34. I am a pessimist
35. I hate politics
36. I am absolutely, positively addicted to coffee
37. If I'm missing my mojo, I work really hard to get it back!
38. I crave alone time
39. I need music in my life
40. I find it difficult to share my thoughts
41. I hate winter
42. One of my favorite actresses is Julia Roberts
43. I hate games of any kind
44. My current favorite author is Jodi Picoult
45. I have no desire to vacation outside the United States....with the exception of Bermuda and Canada
46. Toronto and Niagara Falls both hold very special memories for me
47. I hate summer
48. My husband's greatest compliment for me...I am funny???
49. I wish someone would invent a cure for cancer
50. There are times I wish I had less responsibility
51. Sometimes, I wish I could be a kid again 
52. I have some regrets
53. I am not afraid to die, but I hope that I do not suffer
54. I have been on one cruise and will never go on one again
55. I have spent time vacationing on Islands and loved every single minute of it
56. Bermuda is one of my most favorite places
57. Key West is a favorite vacation spot
58. I wish I could cook!
59. I love Mexican food
60. My greatest achievement is my daughter
61. I am the third of four siblings....one brother and two sisters
62. My favorite animal is the dog, particularly Bichon Frises, Newfoundlands, and Labrador Retrievers
63. I am very glad that I can swim
64. I pray that no one close to me suffers from cancer ever again
65. I have alot of favorite movies!
66. I am afraid of driving over bridges
67. One of the hardest things I've ever done is to quit smoking
68. I hate arrogance and narcissism
69. I go to a movie every single week!
70. I am absolutely passionate about napping
71. Paper Crafts and Cardmaking are my favorite hobbies
72. I enjoy spending time at our cottage
73. I can only do karaoke if I have been drinking
74. My favorite colors are pink and purple
75. Fall is my favorite season 
76. I no longer drink alcohol of any kind
77. I love to collect inspirational quotes
78. I was the fastest typist in my high school
79. I used to work for the school newspaper and I loved it
80. I do not mind washing dishes
81. I enjoy doing laundry
82. I read alot every single day
83. When I was a child, I decided I wanted to be a secretary
84. Some of my best memories are of our RV trips and I miss it terribly.
85. I rarely ever cry
86. I wish I did not have to take medication for my autoimmune diseases
87. I love the internet and have learned so much
88. I will never forgive adultery - EVER
89. I'm a huge fan of Classic Coke
90. Birthdays are very special to me and I think it's important to celebrate them!
91. I am still in contact with my best friend from high school
92. I am sometimes a leader and sometimes a follower
93. I love to travel and see new things
94. I am a Virgo
95. Manners are extremely important to me
96. I do not tolerate rude people
97. I have an addiction to acrylic nails
98. I do not like pedicures
99. I prefer working for men rather than women
100.I absolutely LOVE chocolate

Juliet's Latest Obsession...

Juliet is obsessed with hunting!  Hunting pretty much anything...bunnies, mice, kitties...you name it!  So, the very first thing she has to do when she goes out is to look under HER bush to see and/or smell what has been in there since she last checked!!

Photobucket: Were YOU Aware??

Chloe is showing her best Tongue Out Tuesday Shot! (Or perhaps also showing her dissatisfaction with Photobucket!!)

OK guys, I received a request for a copy of a sponsored post I did on the subject of technology.  I have not used my Reviews Blog in quite a while.  So, I did a search on the Review Blog to find it and lo and behold...ALL of the images are missing! 

Actually there is a statement on the images (which you can see above) about third party hosting being "temporarily disabled".  WHAT????  I was not aware of any changes they had made.  So, over to Google I go...and apparently I am not alone.  Many, MANY other images have been taken down.

Tech News World Article

Plagiarism Today

This is extremely frustrating to me.  You would think that they would have let people know so that IF you wanted to save your images, you could!

In case anyone else is looking for an alternative to Photobucket...here is a link I found to an article that has several different options:

Lifewire

STAY AWAY from TinyPic....

TinyPic is a photo and video sharing service, owned and operated byPhotobucket.com, that allows users to upload, link and share, images and videos on the Internet. ... An account is not required to use TinyPic.

TinyPicWikipediaLink

I will never use Photobucket again...and now I am probably going to use Flickr if the need arises to use that blog.

Great way to start off the day....

GRRRRRRR!!!

Academy Awards and Catch Up!

As most of you know, I am a HUGE movie fan and go at least once a week to our local theatre.  I look forward to the Academy Awards each year...not for the movies, per se, but for the FASHION.  My girls will be joining me front and center on Sunday to watch the Red Carpet festivities.  Romey will probably go out for a beer with Ben :)

The awards themselves have gotten a little bit TOO political for my taste as I keep my personal views on politics to myself and do not appreciate the actors getting up on stage and throwing all of their opinions at me...regardless of whether anyone cares or not.

In other news, I have just been swamped here with lots of "stuff" going on.  Trying to get my act together to get packed for the trip south.  I have an entire room full of things I took out of the RV when we sold it.  Now I have to decide where to put it all.  Much of it was going to be moved to the cottage, but I don't have a ton of extra storage room up there.  It is only about 1000 square feet.  So, some of it may have to be sold.  Just having to sort through it all takes time.

My oral surgery went well...I truly appreciate the surgeon who I go to.  Now, big decisions have to be made on next steps.  My regular dentist retired so I have to figure out who I will go to now.  I am always a little bit nervous starting out with someone new.  I am anxious about it because the other two bridges in my mouth were all put in during the same timeframe...about 34 years ago.  I am thinking that they may all be in need of replacing.  That can mean some serious money.

Chloe seems to be aging by the day.  There are just little changes we are noticing.  She cannot hear or see much anymore and she just seems to be kind of uncomfortable.  I think she is suffering from arthritis...much like our big guy did as he aged.  I am very worried about how she will do on our road trip.  The vet has given her a prescription but it does not seem to have much effect on her.  We are probably going to have to stop about every two hours.

That's it for now folks.  My apologies for not being around much.  I will certainly try to get back in to the groove again!

Computer Issues....AGAIN

If any of you have been trying to contact me and I have not responded...I apologize...I am currently experiencing "issues" with my computer.  I am about ready to throw this laptop in the lake!  It's only a couple of years old...and I expected it would perform a bit better.  Actually, I am not entirely sure it IS the computer...it could be the internet provider...Spectrum.  Not real thrilled with them either!

For some reason, my computer has just taken on a mind of its own and decided to disconnect from the internet every freakin' five minutes!!  I have literally done everything I can possibly think of to fix the problem...and NO DICE.

Yes, I realize I should have a Mac.

I just cannot afford one at the moment.

I will be working on this "issue" more today and hopefully will be able to get a post up later.  I have been posting for the past month on my iPad...but there are certain posts that I need my laptop for.  

I had to complete a survey for BlogPaws and most of the time ... those must be completed on my laptop...I filled out this particular survey THREE times as it kept disconnecting and DELETING all of my answers.

Talk about frustrating.

Back Later...hopefully!

Starting Fresh in 2017

We spent a very quiet New Year's Eve as we have been doing for the past several years.  Before I left the house, I made the girls a special dinner of ground beef, eggs and cheese...one of their favorites! 

 

We made reservations for an early dinner at Nolan's right here in town.  They always have the place decorated nice for the holidays and it gives you a real FESTIVE vibe!  Veal French was on the menu for me and Seafood FraDiavlo for Ben.  Let me just tell you...the peanut butter pie was delicious!!

A few "selfie shenanigans" when we arrived home!!

Then, we came home and watched New Year's Rockin' Eve until everyone got too tired...and retired upstairs.  We watched about twenty minutes of Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin...then the ball dropped...and so did we! LOL

I have a few thoughts as we say goodbye to 2016 and begin anew in 2017!

Be safe out there and cherish those you love.

SURRENDER 

That beautiful word is one that in and of itself will allow you to align your thoughts with your actions effortlessly. What can surrendering do for all of us? 

Peace

The path to total peace is through complete surrender. Reconnect with the present moment!

Silence

Be still… your higher thoughts don’t require words.

Freedom

Set yourself free from all that you have chosen to worry about, including those limiting beliefs that set us up for failure.

Happiness

This is a state of mind that cannot be bought or found for that matter. 

Feel Good

Outer circumstances come and go. It is in you to decide to take them or leave them.

When the here and the now dwell in you, you have found peace and the innate ability to cultivate a life where wishes and goals are fulfilled without resistance. And that is the beauty of Surrender.

Happy New Year!

If you could choose ONE word for 2017...what would YOUR word be?

My word is FOCUS!

Thanks November!

So....what are YOU thankful for this year??

Here's a few things to get you started...

Chloe and LadyBug

iPad and iPhone

Google
Amazon
RV Trips

My smoke-free Little Red Campfire

The local farmer’s market

Pumpkin and all those other luscious fall flavors

Cozy Sweatshirt Weather
Margaritas

Coffee
Good Books

Crockpots

My KEURIG!! Because I really need my Coffee!!

Pillows
Cottage

Restaurants that serve amazing Thanksgiving dinners that make it SO much more relaxing...

Ice cream with Homemade pumpkin pie

Health—even on days when I'm in the most pain

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Nutella

Movies that help me escape for a few hours

Pinterest Boards!

Puppies!

Food Delivery

Correct grammar

Cute little coffee shops

Caller I.D.

Color-coordinated office supplies

Vacations

Beaches

The healing power of music

Fall leaves changing colors

Candles that smell like the holidays

The Weather Channel
Zentangles

Thick albums full of photos

A continuous string of green lights when you’re already running late

Colorful stationery

Long drives on open roads by myself
Bright Colored Markers, Pens, and Pencils
Dishwashers

Heartfelt thank you notes

SHOPPING
Real Simple Magazine

How's that for a list to get you started??

And I could keep right on going...

Let's Be Spontaneous!!

Eat some of your favorite foods!!

Buy a book you've been wanting to read!!

Crank up the Tunes and Sing at the TOP of your voice!!

Dance like C R A Z Y!!

Maybe have dinner...

    by candlelight...

Drive on a different road...

   maybe one you don't even know where it leads!!

Pat yourself on the back...or just sit down and meditate about the good things you've been doing lately!!

Grab that camera and go take a picture of something funky!

Go Rollerskating!

How about Blowing Bubbles???

  I even have one of those little Bubble Guns!

Take a SUPER long shower...til the hot water runs out...

Drink water in a wine glass

    just BECAUSE it makes you feel kinda FANCY!!

How about buying YOURSELF a bouquet of flowers????

Now....

  Don't you feel

      BETTER????

An Older Perspective...

I like to read the daily news here at the cottage. It is a small town here and you get a whole different feel. Things are much different here than they are at home. Of course, that is my opinion.

There is an article written about what to get kids for graduation gifts.

 Honestly, I am shocked at the things that are suggested in this article! In today's economy....where even the middle class are supposed to be suffering from high gas prices and high food prices....the suggestion is to give a CAR for your child's graduation. A freakin' car???? I am not THAT old. Really I'm not.

 If memory serves me correctly, I think my parents gave me a really nice piece of jewelry to commemorate the occasion. And I didn't expect anything more than that.

 Today. Different story apparently. The article states that kids actually EXPECT these types of gifts. How on earth can people afford to give CARS??? Oh. The article said not to give a high end Porsche or something not great on gas. They suggested a Honda Civic or a Toyota. Unfreakinbelievable.

 The second item on the list....a Sony Viaio or a Mac. Now, I just happened to be browsing in the computer aisle today at Sam's Club and the Sony was $1099. If you have multiple kids graduating....would you be able to afford to give them EACH a top of the line gift such as this?? Even ONE kid...in today's unstable economy.I just think it is wrong to hand our kids these things on a silver platter....then they just expect that for the rest of their lives, things will be given to them.

 In my day (I sound like I am a hundred years old!!) we had to work for what we wanted. I got my first real job when I was fourteen. I can still remember when I saved up enough to get a really nice ten speed bike so I could RIDE it to WORK!But then. I guess I was born in the dark ages.

Strange Sepia Sightings!

It seems this little guy has taken up residence along the main road where I live!  Each day he has something different...Today he had sunglasses, a hat, and his favorite Starbucks Water!

We are joining Ruckus the Eskie for Sepia Saturday!

Off The Beaten Path...

I'm straying a bit off the beaten path today because I think everyone has been hit hard by the rising costs of groceries.  Has anyone else noticed that each trip to the grocery store yields half of the product for twice the cost??  OK, maybe that is an exaggeration, but seriously...it is getting to be ridiculous.  

In my research, I ran across an interesting website called Budget Bytes.  It truly is quite amazing what this writer has been able to accomplish by spending a great deal of time putting together this terrific website to assist others with their grocery budgets.  

I love the fact that the writer has put together not only the recipes, but also a "Go To" site where one can find the best deals in the area and you can even create a Recipe Box where you can keep your favorites.  A lot of the research usually done by us has already been done by Budget Bytes.  Go ahead and check it out...I find it to be quite the interesting website. 

The site even calculates how much it will cost you to make each dish!

There is absolutely no compensation or product samples involved in this endorsement.  I am simply calling it as I see it.  I think it is a very well developed site with a ton of information.  

The good news is that it has the potential to save you money!!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken 
via Skinnytaste.com

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crockpot.  Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.  

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.  Return the chicken to slow cooker and stir.  Adjust salt and seasoning to taste.   Serve over rice or tortillas and your favorite toppings.

The tag line on Budget Bytes says it all...

"My stomach is full and my wallet is too!!"

**copyright goes to skinnytaste.com and budgetbytes.com**

Happy Friday!!

Go forth and enjoy your weekend!!

Not so Wordless...What a Difference...

This photo was taken last year on this day...

What a difference a year makes...

Last year on 3/30 we were busy packing up the RV for our annual southern adventure.  It takes a LOT to get ready for a month long excursion.  I guess I won't have to worry about that anymore...my husband has decided he wants to sell the RV.  It makes me VERY sad as it was truly something we enjoyed.  It was something I looked forward to every single day of the year!  

This is what my kitchen looked like last year...

Always important to make sure the girls have a good supply of treats!

Onward and upward as they say.

I am packing for my solo trip and that involves trying to figure out how to pack what I want to take in to ONE carry on bag!  This time I will be flying and I haven't done that in about three years.  I haven't actually been on a solo trip since I was in my 20's!  I am on a mission to find a PALM TREE!  My sister has moved to a new home that I have not yet seen and she tells me that palm trees are not native to her area.  However; I am renting a Jeep, so I will be traveling to the beach in search of at least ONE palm tree and you will see a photo of one here on the blog...I promise you that!  

Most people think I am completely crazy to be so passionate about palm trees in general...but you have to understand...I grew up in a very small town in Ohio.  I never even went to Florida until I was in my 30's.  THAT is when I fell in love with the south!  I would move there tomorrow if I could.  My husband does not share my love of all things southern.  So, I will have to make do with my three day excursion and make the most out of every single second of time I am there!  I am debating not sleeping and just making up for it when I get home! :)