Dreams and Goals

Good evening everyone! I hope your week is moving in a good direction. It’s going pretty good over here. I’m in to talk a little about dreams and goals and how I plan to tackle some old ones and new ones.

Making a mental note is one thing, but there is power when we take pen to paper and write them down. This sets those dreams in concrete, giving us the determination to keep going.

So today I made a little visual of the things I want to work on.

  • Reading – This past year was nearly a reading fail. I haven’t mentioned it on the blog, but I fell and broke my wrist in February. That was a long 10 week ordeal. That said, reading was simply something I could not focus on during that time. The Dr. gave it a year for me to fully feel back to normal with that hand. I’m finally at the point where I can begin focusing on that and getting  back to my beloved book club.
  • Water – Yikes, I hate to admit, but water has not been my jam lately. Aside from my morning cup of coffee, Diet Dr Pepper has been my beverage of choice. So water is on my new goal list.
  • Eat Healthy – While this is not a new goal, I still want it front and center in my life.
  • Walk 10,000 Steps a Day – This is an issue where some weeks are banner and others, not so much. It’s time focus on my steps.
  • Make Time for What Matters – This is a new area, While things around the home sweet home get done, I’m working on a Daily Routine spread sheet that has me doing what I need to do, when I need to do it. And working to schedule plans and deadlines that support my dreams.

While making a list of goals is a great thing, I feel creating a plan and setting aside daily habits that support the goal is just as important. I’m working on this too. If we don’t create a plan, how will we get there? Another page in the journal is devoted to setting deadlines. I’ll share more as I get these actions put into a reasonable timeline.

But for now, here is the little vision board I created today. It was fun adding images to go with the project.

Along with eating healthy, my vitamins are a daily to do. Vitamin D and Calcium are at the top of my vitamin list. But I take a total of 6 different vitamins for good measure.

I have two of these gadgets for vitamins. This way, I only have to dig out the vitamin bottles every two weeks. This is a winner as it eliminates the daily fussing. Just lift the little lid and pop the vitamins. Done and done.

My fun new polish of the week, it’s called satin shoes.

At the wedding a couple of weeks ago, we failed to take pictures. This is the only photo I have, the bitty ones taken at the photo booth. But I love it. A picture of a small picture is difficult. But it still makes me happy. Now we look forward to seeing what the photographer took.

As we move forward thru our week, let’s be mindful of the things we wish to accomplish. And plan to make steps that we will thank ourselves for tomorrow.

Blessings – Debbie

Finding Joy

I choose to block out negative energy and fill my cup with joy. Those were my thoughts this morning as I saw some ugliness in the media. I choose to step aside and grab my joy cap.

The best voice of the morning, was when the hubs called, stating he left a couple of things at home. I jumped at the opportunity to run them over to him. I also jumped at the chance to put the camera in the car.

After I dropped the things off to the hubs, I went to the Lake, my playground. And found more joy than I can begin to express.

I made my way down the winding road and under the lush canopy I went. And somewhere on this little journey, I truly felt my heart sing.

What a glorious morning…

It was just the ticket to get my Monday off to a good start.

Once home, I felt a special nudge to get out there and take the long way home more often. Take that extra little step, adventure is out there. I was reminded of Yogi Berra: ‘When you come to the fork in the road, take it!’ Truly the best route home was the fork.

I soon busied myself with my Monday list of things to do. But the special little step over to the lake stayed with me all day.

Speaking of lists, I started journaling this past week. And I took quite a liking to it! I also brainstormed, compiling a list of dreams and decided on 2 that were at the top of the list. Goal exercises were assigned that relates to chosen dreams. Next, habits were developed to serve those goals. I like the way the big dreams have been dissected, creating a clear path to success. Each day is a new day to take the next step, do not stop.

My phrase for this week “CLEAR your mind of can’t”. “Dream Big” people, then make a realistic approach to accomplish those dreams.

Blessings – Debbie

Feeling “Off” But Good to be Home

I’m feeling a bit off this week. Perhaps it has to do with getting home from Chicago Monday. The hubs worked from home Tuesday and he’s feeling the same “off” feelings with me.

Yesterday felt like Monday and today feels like, well I really don’t know. But I do know tomorrow is Friday, and that makes me happy.

Another thing that makes me happy is a new nail color for the week. I know, I said I had a new favorite color last week. But I believe my new favorite color changes each week.

I didn’t realize my nails matched my favorite coffee cup, until sipping. And I didn’t realize the coffee cup brought out the color of my top, until I looked at the image.  I love how the cup ties everything together. It’s the little things…

One of my favorite things about being home, is to submerge myself in the garden for several hours. After digging around in the dirt, planting several new things and watering the pots, I shot a few things that make me happy.

The winding stone path, bird house and trees on the upper terrace.

The wildflowers and lavender that continue to flourish, year after year.

This old birdhouse sitting along the side of the path. While there is no resurrecting this little structure, I will continue to love it, just the way it is.

The mushrooms continue to pop up. And I let them blossom where they choose.

Happy Thursday People! Friday is coming!

Blessings – Debbie

A Full 5 Day Weekend

Our long weekend started early Thursday morning with a direct flight from San Diego to Chicago.

Once in flight, I opted for the breakfast with fruit, yogurt and croissant. I refrained from that little bowl of granola, although it looked good.

The hubs had the biscuits and gravy with eggs, cheese and chorizo. It looks so yummy! Especially his cinnamon roll.

What an exciting weekend trip!

The hubs rested his eyes, while I messed around.

I have such a love for checking out the beautiful scenery below. I also feel quite lucky that the hubs insists I get the window seat.

I particularly enjoyed the mini cup holders on this flight.

We zipped thru the prettiest puffy clouds.

And made our way to Chicago in no time. We used Uber for the first time too! We were Uber pros by the end of our stay. What a positive experience.

We arrived at our hotel (The Ambassador) in pretty good time, considering there were some traffic issues.

Since we had an early breakfast, by 4:30 (Chicago time) we were ready for a little something to eat.

So we decided on this restaurant, just inside the lobby of our hotel.

I had a green salad with grilled chicken, this hit the spot. The hubs was happy with a burger and fries.

Friday morning, we found 3rd Coast Cafe on Yelp with great reviews. Turns out, we dined there 3 times over the weekend. The coffee is the BEST!

Not only do they take pride in their food, they too have a passion for art. The art on the walls is ever changing as the fine works of art are for sale. With each sale, a spot is opened for new art.

Friday night, we had a wedding rehearsal, the big reason for our Chicago trip.

My stepdaughter and her beloved fiancé.

The ceremony was so beautiful. Yes, I cried, at the ceremony and reception. What precious memories.

The bridal party took the trolley around Chicago for some cool shots. These shots were taken from one of their friends. We have about a 3-4 week wait on photos from the photographer.

At the reception, we were served…

First Course – Gem Salad

avocado mousse, seasonal vegetables, fine herbs vinaigrette.

Second Course – Slow Roasted Pork Belly

red wine-braised red cabbage, bacon, spicy dill, pickled apple

Main Course – guests selection

Grilled Alaskan Salmon – white bean emulsion, Spanish chorizo

Braised Short Rib – mashed potatoes, tai-colored carrots, red wine jus

Butternut Squash Cavatelli – roasted vegetables, sage brown butter sauce

I chose the Grilled Alaskan Salmon, it was amazing!

And of course, Wedding Cake for dessert. A choice of chocolate or vanilla with chocolate ganache.

Sunday, the hubs and I met with the parents of the groom and visited with the newlyweds in their new home in Chicago, just 1 block away from the Wrigley Field. So I had to shoot this as we passed by on foot.

We had a late lunch and said our goodbyes, as the newlyweds had their honeymoon flight to Barcelona, Sunday night.

Sunday night, the hubs met his sister and brother-in-law in the lobby to work a bit on their ancestry. What a beautiful place to visit. The area over on the right, is a nice large area with lovely spaces to visit by a grand fireplace. I was a little sad when the security asked me to stop taking pictures in the hotel.

Monday, what a glorious day after the cool snap we experienced. It was also the day to come home. I snapped this from the Uber, just across the street from our hotel as we pulled away.

Another shot from the Uber, autumn is here.

Farewell Chicago, we had a delightful stay.

Once at the airport, I fell for the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. This will more than likely be my last Starbucks treat between now and Christmas. I still need my other annual holiday flavor during the season. I splurged on the large (I don’t mess around) and I enjoyed to the last pumpkin sip.

We had a direct flight back to San Diego. I must say, there is something to be said about direct flights.

I was in my world with the real camera.

I had a nice little salad while in the friendly skies.

A clear sign we are close to home.

One of my favorite shots as we were getting close.

The San Diego Coronado Bridge, a true sign we are home.

Downtown San Diego

As we stood at the curb, waiting on our ride to the parking garage, I just had to take this picture. The perfect welcome, is palm trees and low 70 temps.

It’s so good to be home sweet home and resting after the major flurry of fun events.

I took the camera thinking I would take more images with family and friends. Turns out, I decided to leave it behind, in the hotel room for most of the trip. I tend to get a little too carried away with a camera and miss so much of the moment. I’m happy to wait on the images from the photographer. I plan to share more when the photographer finishes the work.

Blessings – Debbie

The Weekend is Coming

We have an exciting weekend coming up! Actually, the excitement starts tomorrow. A few days packed with what is sure to be so much fun.  But it requires a little preparation up front.

The hubs and I had a special dinner date last evening, followed with a little jaunt to the mall to pick up a couple of things for the hubs.

This day was planned weeks ago. Get up and apply nail polish on the toes and the fingernails, first thing in the morning. I did debate having nails put on for the weekend, but the negative thoughts of the 3 or so months it takes to get the nice healthy nails back, altered that thought.

Back to the polish, I have this thing about doing nails in the early morning. A thing in my head tells me morning is always the right time to do nails. Why? Because I’m afraid if I don’t give ample time to dry, the sheets are surely going to mess them up in the night. That’s happened to me before.

So here we go, with the fun brand new polish that I picked up this week.

I’m in love with the fresh look of this color. It’s not pure white as it has just a tiny hint of pink. And the thing I love about it is, it is not translucent. The color is called “Barely There”. This may be the color I reach for on into next spring and summer. I like it that much.

The toenails were coated with a translucent skin tone color. with a clear top coat.

Now that the fingernails are dry, it’s time to finish up the afternoon activities around the home sweet home.

I’m not so sure if I will be blogging between now and the flurry of fun events, but I’ll be back Monday or Tuesday to fill in the details.

Blessings – Debbie

Nature and Fun Discoveries

What a glorious day, filled with fun little treasures. I trust your week is moving along in a good direction.

I had to cut back to 1.5 hours in the garden this morning. I made time to water the potted plants and sprinkled a little love to the fishes too. And I had just enough time to shoot a few things that make me happy.

The orange rose-tree is a one of my favorites. But then again, all the roses in the garden are my favorite.

This is the gateway to the little table and chairs for two.

Just past the arch, at the foot of the second terrace, is this lovely spot for two.

The society garlic, is dotted on the hillside leading to the upper terrace. I’ve worked to populate many of these beautiful grass like bunches with deep purple blooms throughout the yard.

Time outdoors was cut a little short, due to an appointment at the salon. No haircut, just a color touch-up.

I took the liberty to add a fun dimension to this image, shot with my cell phone. This is a great way to pass the time.

While sipping this Coke.

Once home, I tried the new MAC lipstick I purchased. Where in the world have I been? This is the best brand of lipstick I’ve ever tried. Not that I wear makeup much, I really don’t. But still, This has my vote.

I was also in a pinch for some new foundation. Clinique has been my go to since my 20’s. Unfortunately, or shall I say fortunately, they no longer have a color match for me.

The Clinique department at Macy’s, introduced me to my new best (makeup) friend Estee Lauder. Hello Sweet Estee, I’m smitten with the coverage and overall feel on my skin. Farewell Clinique.

What a delight to stumble on a few little things that compliment the oh so little things in this wonderful life.

So my little thought of the day is “If we never try new things, we may never know what we’ve missed”.

Blessings – Debbie

I’m Coming Back

I knew it would be a matter of time for me to return to the blog, I just didn’t expect it to take this long, well over a year. But I’m back and eager to post about our life and times.

For starters, I would like to share my goals on the health front. For the last couple of years, I’ve tried to find ways to inch good health into my lifestyle. As of late, I have a goal to reach a 25 pound weight loss. And thought it would be fun to put it out there, as I can use all the accountability that I can get. Perhaps there is someone out there looking for accountability too. I’m here for you, holler. I’ll be sharing more on this in the coming weeks.

There are other points that I would like to share as well. I have some gardening, home improvement projects as well as things on my wish list that I would like to make room for.

I plan to take the blog slow. And not fret that there is so much between my last post and now. I just need to get the ball rolling where I am.

With that being said, the day started like every other day, with coffee and cream.

And my go to breakfast lately, is a little bowl of Fiber One with a glass of Vanilla Soymilk and maybe a mid morning banana.

I had a few morning errands and finished up with my shopping by early afternoon. By the time I got home, I was starving! So I put aside my original lunch plan and picked something a bit easier to assemble. Bananas, crunchy peanut butter and bread, made all things right with the world.

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I spent some quality time in the garden this afternoon. I can’t seem to get enough of the pretty flowers in bloom. It would seem a waste of time to not stop and smell the roses.

One of my favorite flowers, the plumeria, bloomed for the first time. We were gifted a small cutting from our neighbor, a couple of years ago. What a joy to witness our plant blossom and reach full maturity, from the tiny clipping.

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A picture of the plumeria flowers up close. This shot was taken yesterday.

42810750_1874899779268702_8633559051566841856_oOur evening was a bit chill. We had a little nap, crazy how the weekend caught up with us. And I tried to make up for my lack of veggies thru the day by making up for it at dinner with a lot of vegetables and a little turkey for my protein. The fruit and veggies did not stack up to the best today, but I’m striving to work them in.

While this is such an exciting season of cinnamon, spice and all things nice. It’s a season that I do not wish to avoid health. So here I am, going all in and putting it out there. And by the end of the season, may we look back with no regrets. Who is with me?

Blessings – Debbie

While The Hubs Was Away

Hello World! I hope this finds you doing well. Hey, I’m posting a second post today. What’s up with that?

I suppose I’m in the mood to get caught up on things.

April 16th – 23rd

It’s that time of the year for new growth. And word is out that there are new baby egrets over at the nearby lake.

Which brings me to the reason our pond is still covered. This guy came for a visit last week, only to discover he was not able to reach the fish, thank you pond net for holding up.

It’s also a busy time in and around the pond.

The fish have spawned several times and I’m working double duty to keep the pond nice and clean. In the process, I think I’m getting a little extra vitamin D.

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Monday evening, the hubs called to see if I wanted to watch our show together. While we were worlds apart. Or so it seemed.

Note: If you are anyone that knows me well, you know I’m not a TV person. While I enjoy the shows we watch together, like survivor, Master Chef and Better Call Saul, I don’t bother turning on the TV when the hubs is away.

So on that particular night, he had to walk me thru instructions, just to get the TV on.

Once “we” (the me part of we) got to the right channel, we were all set to watch Better Call Saul.

The fun part was texting between commercials and even during the show. That was my favorite night, as he felt really close.

One day I picked roses from the garden. It makes me happy to bring the outdoors in.

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What makes my heart sing – Sometimes things grab our attention without trying to notice. Like this canister at the front of the store in the after Easter clearance sale. Several thoughts that ran thru my mind in like 1 second. 4 dollars and change? really? I love it! It’s cheerful and happy! For that price it’s ours. And so it was. Next year, I’ll have to make a cozy little spot for us to enjoy.

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One day the hubs sent a text…”How many pieces of fudge would you like?”

You see, he was in Ft Worth again, staying in the Stockyards next to the candy store where they sell my favorite fudge in the world. Of course not counting my mom’s fudge, her fudge is the best, but only made once a year. That’s another story for another time.

Back to the number of pieces I wanted. I responded “One piece baby, just one.” That was my fudge order.

Well fudge, I didn’t think another thing until he got home Friday afternoon with a couple of boxes of goodies. I wonder if he left enough fudge on the shelf for others. Obviously he was not concerned with sharing. That’s 8 huge pieces of fudge for me. Yeah, he’s not a fudge kinda guy, so it’s all mine.

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The best part about this fudge is, the decadence of peanut butter and chocolate in one smooth creamy bite. It is sure to satisfy the craziest of chocoholics.

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After the hubs busy week, we decided a laid back weekend was the ticket to rest up. We did enjoy a few dinners out, a quick stop at the ice cream store and a lot of relaxation.

And with that, my wish for you is a Happy New Week.

Blessings – Debbie

Happy Easter From Seaport Village

Happy Monday everybody! I’m backtracking back to Easter Sunday. It’s taking me a bit to get back to the normal blog pace and posting things as they come. But I figure this is still fairly new news.

What’s a girl to do when the hubs has a business flight on Easter Sunday morning? She goes to Seaport Village. Only to discover there was an event, the Red Bull Air Race.

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I watched boats zip from one cone to the other – to check on stuff, I assume. Knowing this was happening. I hurried on my way to do what I came for. And to get out before the vendors and crowd gathered.

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I came to stroll thru the village.

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I came to enjoy the early morning.

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And I came to breathe in peace.

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I paused a moment to shoot barnacles at low tide.

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What a glorious morning to chill and relax.

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One last shot before I hit the road for home sweet home.

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It truly was a Happy Easter, but things are never quite right when the hubs is on the road.

I can say the hubs made it home Friday and all is right with the world.

Blessings – Debbie

New Season New Projects

It’s such a pretty time of the year. A magical time when things begin to appear after a little nap. Like the gladiolas, day lilies and water lilies. The water-lily pads are leafing out and we look forward to the pink, white and yellow flowers to be on display any day now.

The backyard has been an ongoing project. A fun project. A labor of love. The arbors are fairly new but the one on the right is the latest edition.

See the bird houses up top? They’re not new, but I applied a new coat/color of paint to make them pop.  And each of them have been moved 3 times. I think I like the spots they’re in this time around.

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The yellow bird house, zoomed in a bit.

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And the green bird house with a new splash of paint. See the yellow dragonfly, flying thru the lavender? I painted him not too long ago as well.

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This arbor is the second (matching) arbor added to the upper terrace. I’m super excited about the little project that will complete the area. It’s probably weeks out, but still, exciting.

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After working several hours in the garden, I craved a nice tall glass of sweet tea, made with honey.

I took my nice cool beverage to the patio and sipped and thought about the next project I would like to tackle.

I “think” it involves paint.

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I’m happy to report that we had a glorious spring day. And I look forward to sharing as I go along the way.

Blessings – Debbie

Fort Worth Stock Yards

Hello peeps!  How are you? Yes, I’m here! Has it really been over a year since I had something to say on the blog? I find that hard to believe.

The blog’s been on my mind, it seems daily. And the weight of all the things left unsaid seemed to push me further away. Like a mountain of stuff piling up, and  not knowing where to begin. Things like 3 weddings in 3 different states, memories of my grandma, gardening projects, monthly book club fun dates, painting birdhouses, our trip to Hoover Dam, Meteor Crater and the Grand Canyon and little things like ducks adopting our pond and the hubs and I named them Mack and Daisy and we became Certified Kansas City BBQ judges! And other stuff that I would find blog worthy.

But at some point, it’s good to know that it’s ok to start blogging right where I am. And not fret trying to get things in chronological order.

So for now, I would like to post an update from two weeks ago.

On Monday, April 3rd, our alarm rang at 3:15am. The hubs had a business trip to Fort Worth and we decided that I should go too. Our bags were packed the night before and we were up and at it and out the door in record time.

Fort Worth was our destination. In fact, we stayed at the Hyatt, right smack in the middle of the heartbeat of Fort Wort, the Fort Worth Stock Yards.

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While the hubs worked, I found plenty to do, just steps away from our room.

One of the things I was excited about was the cattle drive.

The Old West comes to life during the Fort Worth Herd’s twice-daily cattle drive. Genuine Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas Longhorns down Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, I arrived exceptionally early to experience the excitement on the street as people started to arrive.

I found a nice shaded bench on the sidewalk and found myself in my own little world enjoying the passing moments.

A little while later, I heard a sweet voice coming from a gal (Genevieve) who found a  place to sit on the bench next to me.

In no time, we became friends and exchanged stories about our passion for art, photography and travel. Turns out, she is traveling the entire lower 48. How awesome and impressive is that folks!?! We also exchanged blogs and emails.

She also encouraged me to get back to blogging. Many thanks to her, the blog is back sooner than expected.

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Every detail of the cattle drive—from the saddles and chaps to the boots and hats – is authentic and historically true.

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On Wednesday, the next day, I watched the cattle drive again.

“Here comes the parade!” Ha! I got such a chuckle out of the gal behind me when she uttered those words. I guess you could argue that it’s a parade of Longhorns.

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It was sweet to see the baby. His little horns are adorbs.

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And that’s a wrap on the cattle drive. Till next time…

At the Cow Wash – I love how the hubs came up with the name cow wash. This was located just behind our hotel.

They didn’t enjoy getting sprayed in the face.

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But didn’t seem to mind the rest of the wash.

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Who knew Longhorns got the full service?

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While in the Stockyards, it was nice to get out and stroll.

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While on my stroll, It was nice to take the time to enjoy the finer things. Like this furniture store (Rios) located in the heart of the Stock Yards.

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Southwest flare is pretty cool.

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The Texan swagger is on.

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A cool statue I shot one bright sunny day.

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The hubs and I enjoyed a nice BBQ brisket meal at one of our old favorite places.

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It was a must to take a picture where our daughter used to work. Just for old times sake.

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Another evening, we went to Rodeo Goat for burgers.

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Overall, the two of us got to enjoy some special things. Like our favorite fried chicken establishment, Babe’s Fried Chicken. We took a side tour of our old homestead, visited with our old neighbor in passing and enjoyed the time when we were able to do things together.

I was also blessed to visit with a good friend Jan over lunch one day. What a delight it was seeing her again, after 10 years. It’s a wonderful feeling when we are able to catch up with old friends. And able to pick right back up where we left off and not miss a beat. Does my heart good.

Our time in Fort Worth was a treasure, I gained a new friend Miss Genevieve, we were able to experience old favorite places and visit with old long lost friends. What a blessing after 10 years of separation to the place we once called home.

I have so much more to share, and look forward to posting again soon. I think it’s safe to say that I’m back and ever so happy to be here.

Blessings – Debbie

Mama said there’ll be days like this

There’ll be days like this my mama said. Such a smart lady my mama.

Some days beg for a little vent, a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen as we share little challenges, all in a day. That was yesterday and today we’re still without water.

First things first, we woke to no internet. Ok, no biggie, the hubs can get to it later.

Next, I noticed our sprinklers were not turning off and water was pooling.  This is the second ordeal with the sprinklers in the last week. Turns out we have a bad valve and we look to replace them over the weekend. But in the meantime, we have the water turned off for the entire household. Luckily we can turn it on for showers and such and then right back off it goes. I told the hubs this morning as he was getting dressed for the outdoors that it was as though he had to make a run for the well before he could shower this morning. And then it took me back to the days before me, when folks really did have to pump their water. And then I thought of how thankful I am that all we need to do is turn a knob for running water. It’s not so bad after all.

Note: this issue it unrelated to the broken/repaired pipe I shared last week.

So last evening, the hubs insisted we go out for dinner. It was a nice treat with all that was going on at home.

But folks, the shoe dropped once again after dinner. As the hubs went to start the car, it would not start. We both grinned, looked at each other and agreed that we were ready for the nonsense and day to end.

We were also delighted to have AAA to the rescue. They were by our side in less than 30 min., they came equipped with new batteries and provided the best service on the spot. And our car was good as new and back on the road within 45 min of our first call.

While the internet was down, I painted in Photoshop (yesterday). It’s the image that so inspired me to shoot the other day. I can’t express the amount of joy that comes from painting. And I can say it was good for the body and soul. Amen.

The first image on the left is a underpainting. Image in the middle is the next layer, what I refer to as intermediate strokes and the last image is referred to as detail strokes.

While the layers are far from finished, it gives an idea of the steps taken while in the process of putting the layers together as one.

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And with that, I shall continue to move forward. And feel grateful that we have so much to be thankful for. Even if we have a mound of dirty clothes in need of washing.

Blessings – Debbie

Inspired

Do you ever get caught in a rut, doing the same thing over and over? And that process is repeated like the usual day in and day out fixed routine. And you reach that moment where you want to continue what you are doing, but differently. A change if you will.

That’s how I’ve been feeling with photography. I feel like I keep taking images of the same stuff, just a different picture of the same sort of stuff each day.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, because there will always be a different angle and composition of that sort of thing.

But I’m feeling a bit bored at the moment and searching for new inspiration to get fired up about.

And today I was greatly inspired with a simple indoor shoot of a pair of glasses composed on the table in our breakfast nook.

And here’s my little experiment that turned my morning into fun.

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I’ll say, step away from the same ole same ole and try something new. You never know what will happen unless you try.

Blessings – Debbie

Flowers and Friendship

Happy Day! Today feels like flowers and friendship, because it is.

It’s flowers, because I noticed the ice plant on the upper terrace beginning to bloom. It’s also known as delosperma cooperi or mesembryanthemum cooperi.

However you call it, I find what little we have to be so very pretty.

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And friendship, because a few of us got together for a little brunch and had the best time visiting over coffee before and after we finished eating. In fact, our special time together, prompted another brunch date in a couple of weeks.

And now to finish a little more work around home sweet home.

I’m sure the hubs and I will have another fun date (this evening) catching up on our new favorite show, Downton Abbey. I think we watched 3, if not more episodes last evening. It’s bound to be GOOD! No spoilers, we are still catching up.

Blessings – Debbie

Good Bad and Ugly

Lately we’ve bumped into some good, bad and downright ugly situations. But first, I’ll start with the good. Actually the good part of this should be more like GREAT!

Great in the sense –

  • Weekend dates are wonderful!
  • We’ve had a hankering to try this new restaurant in town and we finally got around to going.
  • They have ribs on the menu. (I love ribs, really good ribs)
  • They advertise fall off the bone ribs.
  • I’ve been searching for really good ribs since our move to So Cal a little over 6 years ago.
  • I need look no further for my rib fix. Finger licking good, let me tell you. We’ll be back!
  • The hubs had their filet and from what he said, it was really good too.

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The Good – Another wonderful thing this past week was the girls book club get together. It was our first meeting of 2016. We had such a wonderful time discussing the book – Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

The bad – We had quite the storm over the weekend. Wind, rain, power outages in the area for up to 6 hours. Our friends, a mile or so up the road, brought some important frozen goods over that evening. Luckily our power, powered thru the storm.

The Good – During the storm, the hubs and I did a little more binge watching of the old but new to us show Downton Abbey. Love that show! Where have we been? We are caught up thru season 4 already.

During the stormy and ever so windy night, I thought the wind was going to literally carry us away. The hubs slept right thru it.

The Good – The morning after, we woke to pretty sunny skies with a little sprinkling of hail left over from our storm.

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The Good – A pretty red rose in the garden for the “love month”.

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The Ugly – Late yesterday afternoon I noticed a bit of a waterfall on the upper terrace. I quickly sent the hubs a message saying that it did not look like a sprinkler gusher, but close. I then made my way up the terrace and quickly took this shot with the cell phone and sent it to the hubs saying “we have a problem”. Then he gave direction for me to turn off the water main.

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The Good in the midst of Ugly – In true hero fashion, the hubs came home and saved the day! And we had running water once again last night.

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The Ugly – The “root” of the problem. It’s pretty crazy the amount of trouble roots can cause. We plan to have more roots removed and new pipe put in the ground.

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Life is not always roses and sunshine. But it’s what we make of it thru the storm.

Blessings – Debbie