Indian Summer!!

Don't you think that weather has some impact on mood? I know that studies have shown that....but there's just something about a glorious SUNSHINE packed, WARM day...relatively speaking...in November. Especially in New York!

My daughter and I spent our usual Monday together and what a great day we had! Did some Christmas shopping...then stopped for a Mexican dinner....and dropped by PetSmart for the pooches! Went back to her house and hung out and watched our favorite shows.

Just a perfect day all around!

I absolutely believe that Indian Summer has an affect on MY outlook on life!!

Sure hope it continues for a little while longer...

Fun Monday

Please accept my apologies for being late with Fun Monday. We were in the RV last night and my wireless was spotty at best...still at the cottage so here's the closet my husband and I share....and no....didn't clean or straighten it up first!

Fun Monday!!

Robin over at Pensieve is in charge of our assignment for this week....and here it is:
Regardless of what motivated me to choose this for a theme, next week please share words that inspire and motivate you--brief or bloviatory, silly or serious, from great world leaders to last night's Comedy Central...from a Hallmark greeting card to your favorite book. Choose one, choose many; let the quotes stand on their own or tell where you first read or heard them and how they affected you. There's a lot of leeway with how this topic can be handled.

My submissions....in no particular order...

In art as in love, instinct is enough.
Anatole France

Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!
Eleanor Roosevelt

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

A true friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else.
Len Wein

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Mae West

Fun Monday

Tiggerlane is responsible for this week's Fun Monday assignment...

My Bucket List:

*Live life without regret
*Worry Less
*Take a road trip to Sedona
*Get published
*Return to Bermuda to live on the beach, go horseback riding, and raise more Bichon Frise puppies.

Fun Monday - Views from the Porch!

Happy First Anniversary Fun Monday!!! Vicki over at Catch the Light is hosting...go on over and check out ALL the participants...and there are many!!

I actually forgot that I wanted to take a front porch pic before it got to dark tonight, so I dug out a few for you to see...here ya go!! My view of the world from the front porch!!

Lisa over at Lisa's Chaos is hosting this week and here's the assignment: "Let’s meet your pets. I think most of us have at least one pet and I would like to see your fluffy or scaly pal. If you don’t have a camera you can tell us about him/her/them. If you don’t have a pet tell us about a pet you had or a pet you want. If for some weird reason you hate all animals we want to know why gosh-dang-it." So go on over and check out the rest of the fun at Lisa's!!!!
















Here's a variety of shots from my two BEST Friends in the entire world...I simply cannot imagine my life without these two, Chloe, the Bichon Frise, and Zippo, the Newfoundland / Lab Mix. They hold my head and my heart together each and every day!! Enjoy!

kaytabug is hosting this week and I'm in a hurry so I'm come back later with explanations of all of these!!!! Just posting quick~~~

Fun Monday #15

HootinAnnie is hosting this week and this is her rules:
"The Fun Monday Game I'm hosting for y'all is this:
MOTHER MAY I
You will have two photos/stories for us- the 30 giant steps then, the 15 baby steps going back."

A N D ... we're O F F...

Thirty steps from my keyboard in the kitchen and I see this: (It is off the kitchen)

Then baby steps going back....I'm just giving you the view from the other side:



I apologize for the bad picture quality!! I should have taken the photos in the daylight!! These were taken at night and it's a little hard to get really good pics with my flash at night....so I tried without the flash and this is the result!

Fun Monday #13

My family actually had many traditions while I was growing up. Christmas Day was my absolute favorite day of the entire year. Actually it is still my favorite day and I'm almost fifty years old! I never realized until I got to be a parent myself how much work my mother put in to the holidays. No wonder she was just plain exhausted. NOW I get it. I only wish she were still alive so I could tell her how very much I appreciated all she did. My mom did a whole lot MORE cooking for the holidays than I ever do. But that's a post for a different day. Christmas morning was always UP EARLY, then we did stockings, then presents. Somewhere in there we grabbed a quick breakfast and got ready for church. After church we'd come home to a HUGE Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings. Honestly, I do not know how my parents did it all. And, looking back, it all seemed so perfect. Until some of my siblings began drinking. Ah, the curse of booze. Not good natured glass of wine. Nope. This was down and dirty GET REAL MAD and curse each other out MAD!! The not speak until the following year mad. But, I'm not going to get into that right now. I am going to tell you about my mom's terrific Banana Mousse which we prepared each and every Thanksgiving and Christmas because my brother came home on those two holidays. And, it was a very big deal to her to see her oldest son come home. She would cook for days knowing how much he enjoyed home cooking. He still enjoys home cooking. He is still single and 58 years old. Says he has seen too many of his friends get all strung out after divorce. So, he's happily single. Which is good. Now. To get back to the mousse...

Ingredients
About four ripe bananas 250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar
4 Tablespoons orange liqueur
2 cups whipped cream
A piece of bittersweet chocolate for grating

Purée the bananas in a blender;
Add the brown sugar and the orange liqueur; continue processing until smooth;
whip the cream in a large chilled bowl; gently fold in the banana mixture;
place into attractive serving dishes and refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Deborah over at the humblehousewife is hosting Fun Monday this week and this is her assignment:

I want to hear about or see a holiday tradition, recipe or event. It can be any holiday you like or that is special to your family. With Thanksgiving and the Winter holidays coming up, those would be especially apt, but anything that is special for your family is fine. If you have pictures - it's a bonus! Whether it's your Mom's famous stuffing recipe, going caroling on Christmas Eve, Diwali dances, or even the inevitability of Great Aunt Polly having one too many brandies and knocking over the Christmas tree - I want to hear about it!!!

Since the blog world is so global this might be a learning experience too - exposing us to other cultures and traditions - something I always welcome!

Fun Monday!!

Here we are again, Yet Another Fun Monday! This week's it's brought to you by the very candid Karina. She wants to see what we can't leave home without. You know. All the ESSENTIALS. So, here they are in all their beauty....My Large Tote, because I can't just carry a little purse and fit everything in that I really NEED...and the rest of the stuff that is stuffed in the large tote...the phone, the keys, the asthma inhaler, the wallet, the craft cards, miscellaneous photos, michaels coupons, lipstick, mints, gum, anti-bac wipes,and probably a bunch of other stuff, but that's it for now! And, I know that I need all this stuff. I actually left my purse on the roof of my car while travelling on the New York State Thruway - stopped at a rest area. I was so very fortunate that on honest person turned it in to the state police and I got my entire purse back with all of the contents...including the cash. I felt very, very fortunate! Happy Fun Monday everybody!!