Category Archives: Coffee

Happy Thanksgiving

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Apparently that is how far behind I am on the blog. And I say it’s time to do a little catching up, before this gets out of hand.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, (November 23rd) the hubs and I were off to spend Thanksgiving with the family in Florida.

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What we did to pass the time on the long flight from coast to coast.

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And I was thinking how cool it was going to be to see the folks that evening.

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A little layover with a latte in Atlanta = Perfection!

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All set for our sunset flight, down to south Florida.

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It’s taxi to the runway time.

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And we flew into the sunset.

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One of my favorite shots of the day was the sunset + contrail from a jet plane.

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All images and collages (documenting our little trip) were created with my cell and collage apps on the cell phone. I can’t express the amount of fun it was creating images = the time went by so fast.

The end of the first day.

Blessings – Debbie

Work Work Work

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And so it was, there were three full days of work + overtime during the evening hours this week.

Turns out, my body is physically exhausted and I told the hubs over lunch (today) that the heaviest thing I lifted all day, is the nail polish. But he questioned that saying, didn’t you lift the lid to the candy jar? Read on to “get it”.

Back to the work part of the post.

The hubs graciously moved all the furniture out of the living room last weekend.

And I started in on the painting of the living room. I was able to complete two coats of the cutting in – Monday.

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Then I came up with the bright idea of biting off more than I could chew for the week. On Tuesday I started cutting in both hallways. What was I thinking? I know, right? I worked late as I tried to finish up the last hall.

Wednesday was the day to roll the paint. And by 10 am, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. The living room alone would have been just dandy. But adding two hallways? That was nuts and my wings felt like they were breaking. Nonetheless, I kept chipping away.

And before I knew it, the living room was DONE!

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And hallway #1 = Done. I tell ya, I was on a roll and loving the fresh new paint.

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By the time Thursday morning rolled around, I had my part in putting what I could back in place.

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And the hubs was back home Thursday morning. And guess what he brought, just for me?

Makes me feel a little guilty as he didn’t take any snacks for himself the entire trip (on the plane). Each time they made their way around with the snack basket (chocolate candy included) he took one of these guys for me and didn’t take any for himself. That’s just not right.

Remember the fingernail polish being the heaviest thing I lifted all day? Turns out the lid of the candy jar is heavier. 🙂

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Break Time – I had such an amazing break from work (yesterday). And it’s another nice break today. I had another Biscoff and coffee break this morning. Had the best lunch break date with the hubs.

And truly enjoying this Friday. I did have another plan for this week. But it’s just not coming to pass. I had plans to put up the Christmas tree today. I’m so excited about decorating, I can hardly stand it. But for now, the break is necessary. Next week people, there is always next week. Right?

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It’s so nice having the hubs back in town. We look forward to a nice relaxing weekend around the homestead.

Who knows, that tree may find its way out of the box this weekend.

Blessings – Debbie

My Cup is Full

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So lately, my cup has been full of coffee. I went from the single cup in the morning to going back for seconds. And then back for a third in the evening.

Here we have my favorite pottery mug + Coldstone Sweet Cream, Cream + Coffee = So good!

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Challenged – The wind presented a challenge this morning. Especially when trying to take images of little flowers the size of a quarter.

But this turned out to be my “happy” image for today.

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I plan to work on some projects today. More specific, projects that involve the digital darkroom class I took last semester. It should be fun!

It should be a fun evening watching our Cardinals play in the World Series this evening. Wishing them good sportsmanship and a great game!

Have a great day and thank you for stopping by.

Blessings – Debbie

Keep Calm and Blog On

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That’s what one tells them-self, when said person is a bit more than two weeks behind on the blog.

When one needs to keep calm, it never hurts to have an extra cup of coffee. So I did.

And with this post, I thought it would be nice to say a few blurbs of what’s been going on around here. Sprinkled with a smattering of photos, to keep things real.

Things like – Taking an image of our hard work, what a beautiful wood pile. The hubs did the chopping and I did the stacking. A great big cheers to having that job finished and we will celebrate with many a fire in the fire-pit in the coming days/years.

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We started hiking the hood again.

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I especially love hiking, just before sunset with the hubs.

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I’m back to painting the walls in the house.

Do you know that Christmas music has filled the space in our home, going on 3 weeks? I admit, this is a first. I really don’t know what’s into me, but Christmas is in the air and I feel it. And I’m shopping for a new Christmas tree. I think I found just the one. This is not a non-sequitur people. It has everything to do with painting, as it truly filled the air with every brushstroke and roll of paint with the roller.

Below – A finished image of the family room. The paint color is Behr – Summer Bliss

Don’t mind the stuff on the window ledges, I didn’t have everything back in place when I took this image.

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After painting a couple of days in the family room, I took a two-day rest. And I read for two days. The great news = I finished the book for my book club meeting this month.

Fry – Who knew goldfish/fish young were called fry? And that they hatch a brownish color? And they can take up to a year to develop color? And they can change color up until they have fully matured? I’m pretty jazzed with the little yellow and black guy who is changing color before our eyes. And it’s hard to believe that some of the little ones look pretty close to 3″ in size already. I knew none of the above going into this, but it’s a joy learning as we go…

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And one day while sitting at the edge of the pond, the reflection begged to be captured.

Speaking of the pond – The fountain sprung a leak and water was seeping out (a little drop at a time). Thankful for a good pond guy who was able to repair the leak for us last week.

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Speaking of repairs – The washing machine broke last Thursday.

The best load for the washer to break = the last load. The load you debate even throwing in the wash. You know, a few sweaters that would be nice to have fresh for our cool San Diego nights. I was feeling a bit smug (Thursday evening) to have all the clothes put away and the ironing all up to snuff.

And it’s still in need of some tender loving care. But I have hopes that the appliance man will have things under control tomorrow. Fingers crossed…

I have to put in a big plug-in for the St Louis Cardinals, the hubs hometown and team since childhood. The hubs predicted (before the playoff series) that they would nail it in 6, in honor of #6. What do you know, he was right on the money! We’re looking forward to our Cards in the World Series!

We helped our friends do a little moving down here from LA over the last two weekends. And we enjoyed a nice dinner with them last weekend.

Snapped this guy on one of my little outdoor garden jaunts.

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The garden is one of my favorite places to relax.

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Let there be birthday cake! Red velvet birthday cake. I whipped this guy up over the weekend.

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Our daughter came for a visit (down from LA) and it was her birthday. I couldn’t think of any other cake to bake, than her favorite red velvet.

And I decorated her card with fingernail polish. It’s my new favorite way to decorate the envelope.

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 Twas a big celebration weekend of whining and dining.

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I spent a bit of time in the garden this morning. Remember? One of my favorite ways to relax.

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And shot several images.

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 And sipped on coffee.

And spent some time on the phone with my pop.

And I’ve been really good about staying out of the leftover ice cream. I call that a big accomplishment.

And I’m ever thankful we sent “ALL” the leftover cake with Kristy. Lord knows I would have a hard time staying out of that.

And I feel blessed getting this new week started off on the right foot.

Blessings – Debbie

Sometimes You Gotta

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Stop look and listen.

Make a plan.

Or pick up the phone and call a loved one. Or two. Or three. Or more…

Make a cup of coffee.

Take pictures in the garden.

And make a trip to The Home Depot. Because the hubs sent a picture of what he needed and asked if I could pick it up for him. Have you any idea how easy that task was?

I experienced all of the above this morning.

My little morning garden stroll started off with taking images of this cool ground cover.

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For me, taking images with a shallow depth of field (subject in focus with everything else blurred) is like giving someone a book. They have to read the whole thing to gain knowledge. And like the images, for me, it’s like giving a little bit at a time as not to give it away at once.

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Peace in the garden.

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A pod from the jacaranda tree.

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It’s where palm trees grow.

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And the persimmon fruit is coming right along.

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Then it was one of those mornings where I made a plan. And I spoke with my mom, dad and two brothers about that plan. It’s a rare day when I speak with my parents and siblings, all in a day. And from what I can tell, we should have a solid family plan. We’re all pretty excited about the plan, should be fun!

Sometimes you just gotta do whatever it is that needs doing. You’ll feel better when you follow thru, trust me.

Blessings – Debbie

A Month of Stuff

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Where did the month go? Tomorrow will be a month since I last posted. And things continue to move at record speed.

So like the last post, I’ll begin where I left off. I’m using the images and comments I posted on Facebook and going by the date. Off we go!

July 15 – Image from the pond this morning – There are times I get the tendency to get really excited. Especially when this gal landed. It’s hard to tell in the picture, but she’s the biggest of the dragonflies I’ve seen yet. I believe she was laying her eggs and was not pleased with me.

Having a nice Monday ~ a little lunch date with the hubs ~ a little reading on the patio ~ and taking care of the babies. We went from 10 fish to well over 50 fish in our pond. Happy Monday Peeps!

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July 16 – On Yer Mark, Get Set… – I’m having a lovely Tuesday. Fish watching and dragonfly watching and bird watching = Oh My!

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July 17 – Nature Weeps – The image today is honoring the little baby fish I put to rest today. I found the little 1 and 1/2 inch guy on the bottom of the pond during my morning cleaning of the pond. Cause of death – It appears a larger fish was hungry for protein.

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July 18 – Joy Comes In The Morning – We woke to the fish spawning this morning.

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July 19 – Having a beautiful day – It’s the hubs friday off ~ we have a friend coming over for a visit ~ It’s another breakfast, lunch and dinner on the patio kind of day + another female is spawning this morning. Happy Weekend!

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July 20 – Fish Lips – Good Morning to those on the west coast and Afternoon for you on the east coast.

I would like to spend more time taking images of these guys at meal time. They are so much fun to watch.

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July 22 – Capturing things around the pond is such a delight. This is one of the images I snapped this morning.

It’s a busy day – Paid a visit to The Home Depot – Picked up two different samples of paint color – Picked up a nice paint brush – Sampled both paint colors – Made my selection – Finished applying the paint from one of the samples to the walls in the kitchen – Allowing paint to dry for a final decision – And hopefully we’ll have a fresh painted kitchen tomorrow! Happy Monday!

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July 23 – Somebody’s touching me – I thought it was pretty cool to watch these two fight over the same post yesterday. And then the funniest thing happened. That blue dude landed right smack dab on the orange guy’s wing…

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July 26 – Chillin’ – So the last four days, I managed to paint the kitchen and dining room. Well, almost, I’m almost finished. But for today and the weekend, all paint brushes, rollers, paint and equipment are on strike until further notice.

Just for today – I managed a nap – laundry in the works – fish/pond sitting – Tea infused with honey sipping – and enjoying our new paint color. Happy Friday and the best to all of you this weekend.

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July 31 – We celebrate our 14th commitment to love and to cherish each other for life. As the hubs sat across the dinner table, he said “I still remember the first time I saw you across the room”…And we reminisced from the time we first met 17 years ago. This has been an amazing journey and I’m blessed to spend all my days with my very best friend. There truly is no place I’d rather be.

This image was taken in the backyard after our anniversary dinner.

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August 7 – Question ~ Can anyone tell me what this creature is? He/She lives in water as I just scooped him/her out of the bottom of the pond this morning. And scooped many others out the other day. And it’s no more than 1/2″ in size.

Note: I discovered after posting this image that he/she is dragonfly naiad! Remember all the dragonflies I shot while laying their eggs? Well here’s one of many babies I scooped out (not knowing)…

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August 7 cont… – In other news, It’s been crazy ~ fun ~ busy around here the last couple of weeks. I’ve been to book club ~ To a dinner party with the hubs ~ Neighborhood picnic with the hubs last weekend ~ Getting ready to have a few neighbor girls over tomorrow morning for coffee on the patio ~ Having fun with painting the “inside” of the house ~ spending quality time with the babies ~ fortunately, we’ve been able to keep the “big” birds out of the pond ~ All of the fish are still with us, sans losing a few babies ~ And the little fry are getting so big, some are over 2″ already ~ I can’t believe how fast they grow.

August 7 continued – Kitchen before and after images. Unfortunately, I did not think to shoot before images. The before shot was taken after I unpacked the kitchen boxes. So the lighting does not do justice to that dusty pink color. But the new yellow is so cheerful. Now to decorate the upper ledges on both sides of the kitchen…

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August 9 – I had a guest back to back two days in a row. How fun to do round two for coffee on the patio with my new friend.

And that brings us to the weekend. The hubs and I enjoyed a nice weekend around the house. Trees were trimmed, the lily’s in the pond were divided up as they are getting so big – the garage was tended to and garage organization is well underway.

August 12 = Today already! My goal was to hit the grocery store first thing = check! Catch up on the blog = Check! And tidy up my office space = No check for that box, yet. But I still have the afternoon. And as soon as I hit “publish” for this post, I’m moving right along such that I can put a nice check in this box by the end of the day.

Blessings – Debbie

It’s Not All Coffee And Sunshine

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Before the day gets away from me, I thought I would hop over here for a little morning shout-out!

Good Day!

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It’s not all coffee and sunshine but just for today, let it be.

It’s Friday!

The hubs is taking off 1/2 day to spend with me!

True, he has a dentist appointment this afternoon but after that, we are smooth sailing thru the weekend together.

So I’ve been busy with getting caught up on laundry and the changing of the sheets is underway. Ironing will begin momentarily and I should have this place whipped into shape by the time he gets home.

There is much to be thankful for. I’m thankful the hubs finds his time extra special to hang out with me.

And with that, I need to finish tying up my end so I don’t have housework this weekend.

Blessings – Debbie

Raindrops

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A day of rain is in order. Much of the year we see blue skies laced with sunshine. And rain happens to be a rare event for us.

So when it rains, my soul rejoices.

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And catching drops mid splat was one of the things I enjoyed this morning.

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So while the skies are grey, I’ll carry on.

But it sort of feels like a mixed up day in a good way.

Plans have been changed for this day time and time again.

There were plans to hike (3 miles) with my friends to Starbucks this morning.

Those plans changed yesterday as I was going to take my nephew to the airport.

And then the girls who were hiking decided to have a nice little coffee/movie fest at my neighbors this morning, due to rain in the forecast.

And then my nephew decided to drive himself to the airport.

And then my hubs asked me to meet him for an early lunch.

And so my plans changed this morning to ready myself for an early lunch with the hubs.

As it stands, I’m still in my pj’s, working on my second cup of coffee, my neighbors are probably into their second cup of coffee while watching a movie during our rain, while I’m enjoying the rain and thinking about throwing another load of clothes in the wash.

But soon and very soon, I’ll be getting ready for my date with the hubs.

I love this day, I need this day!

Blessings – Debbie

Now This Is A Strange List

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It’s been said “if only” I didn’t… But truth be told, I’d like to think that there is a time and place for all things.

What about going off the deep end? I could say the same for that. Dive in, but know what you’re getting into first.

Too much is too much…Perhaps it’s good to know when the party is over. But while the party lasts, enjoy it!

And the point? Well in the end of all the hoopla, festivities, Christmas and partying, my body reached rotten bottom.

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Would I do it all over again? Of course I would.

I had the idea of posting all of the sweet things I consumed during the nearly two weeks we were away. Just for kicks.

  • Biscoff – those yummy cookies on Delta – I will not disclose the amount eaten
  • Candy bars from the hotel vending machines – too many to count – but wonderful memories with the hubs as we had our sweet treats while playing the backgammon game we brought for late night tournaments.
  • Pumpkin Muffin – from Panera Bread – Enjoyed a nice date with the hubs and sweet treats to end our meal. The hubs had the pecan braid, his favorite PB treat.
  • Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie – from Panera Bread
  • Sweet treats at the wedding
  • Cold Stone Ice Cream – No way of knowing how many trips – Special memories – Especially after dinner with my bro and sis-in-law one evening.
  • Starbucks – a few times – Especially the night we visited with my bro and sis-in-law – after dinner AND Cold Stone, we visited Starbucks until closing.
  • Homemade Banana Bread – At mom’s house Christmas morning with coffee. The BEST!
  • And the sweet goodies consumed at mom’s during Christmas week.
  • Peanut Butter Fudge, mom makes the Best! It’s the #1 sweet thing I remember most during the holidays. Oh, she makes it with the crunchy peanut butter, my fav!
  • Little mini cherry tarts – From mom’s kitchen
  • German Chocolate Cake – Again this came from mom’s kitchen to my little bro for his Birthday. I consumed two (big) pieces alone.

So who makes a list of the sweet things they consumed? It’s a crazy list if you were to ask me. Anyone reading this probably thinks I’ve gone off the deep end. Allow me to confirm, I did!

And my system feels rotten. But I say all of that to say, these are a few of the sweet things I remember. The things that make a wedding, a wedding and Christmas, Christmas and special visits with family blended with coffee complete.

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And for those things, I’m thankful.

And I’m thankful for new beginnings, new starts and a fresh new me that is beginning to feel back to normal.

And I kinda like that too.

Blessings – Debbie

My Cup Runneth Over

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I interrupt the holiday posting because I can hardly contain myself. I mean, I put the camera away the day we left Florida (December 31) and have yet to pick it up since we’ve been home.

Today is when it hit me and the urge to get it out was more than I could handle. It didn’t take much when it came to a subject as I had my new favorite coffee cup in the world, in hand.

So that is how this post all came about.

I discovered these cups years ago back home, but for whatever reason, I needed “the one”. The one that fit perfect my hand.

I think they have since worked on their technique and this cup was love at first grip.

It fits ergonomically to your hand as there is a place on the top for your thumb to rest. And the handle, down the side has a place where each finger finds its own little groove. That’s pretty groovy, if you were to ask me.

Of course they make different size handles as not all hands are alike, thus the uniqueness of these guys.

Meet my very favorite cup in the whole wide world!

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What more can I say?

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My cup runneth over!

Blessings – Debbie

Where Is My Camera

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Pretty much, that’s the question I ask when I don’t have it when I need it.  So the cell phone had to do for today.

It was a beautiful Thursday morning for a hike with “the girls”.  The sun was shining, the flowers bloomed and conversation flowed from one harmonious stream of thought to the next.

Somebody discovered this impressive Dragon Fruit or pitaya (flowering fruit) cactus.  It’s impressive because it only blooms during the night and only lasts a day.  I learned that in full production, these guys can have up to 4-6 blooming cycles per year.  It was pretty exciting to catch it on our hike this morning.  Where’s my camera when I need it?  Perhaps there is a lesson in there somewhere.

Onward and upward to Starbucks we walked.  The light that awaited was an iced mocha, topped with whip cream.  I can’t imagine the goodness any other way.

It was a nice place to rest and the camaraderie in our circle of friends is priceless.

Once we were back to the comfort of our neighborhood, I had the privilege of visiting with my neighbor Rhonda.  We also put our heads together on a task she is working on.  I hope I’m able to help her out.

I also enjoyed the labor of love in the landscape surrounding her home.  Each twist and turn is pleasing to the eye of the beholder.

This passion fruit vine frames her patio.  It’s hard to express the beauty as I don’t have a picture other than this.  But it’s remarkable and noteworthy.  Where was my camera?  Let’s not talk about that right now.

The vista or “the scenic view” from her patio is magnificent.

Thursday is a special day of the week.  A time to connect with neighbors and friends, which turns our day into extraordinary.  I consider myself blessed.

Blessings – Debbie

News Flash

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Hello Friends!  It’s been a week and by all indications, it seems I’ve been away.

Indeed, we did step away.

The hubs, our buddy and I went on a little road trip.  We enjoyed a little disco music to pass the time.

I still remember “Hot Stuff” as one of the songs from the day.

I took a shot of the prettiest truck on the road.

This is a sample of our view during three of those miles.  It was a very painful 3 miles as it took an hour and 1/2 to conquer those 3 miles.

Cars began to over heat and drop out one by one.  Our car protected itself by automatically cutting off our AC supply.

A sampling of the views along the way.

Hubby was on business, I was along for the ride and time with the hubs.  I love that he wants me with him when possible.

We did get a chance to meet up with old friends (Gerald and Eileen) we had not connected with in 9 years.  It was a total blast.  I’m pretty bummed that I didn’t take a single pic that evening.

In other news:

  • We turned on the AC (in the house) for the first time (this year) a week ago.  It’s still hard to believe that when we do run it, it only runs a few hours during the mid – late afternoon.
  • I’m officially signed up and ready to take a college course this fall.  I’m pretty excited as it’s not just any course but a photography course.  I even have my parking permit and I look forward to the first day of class.
  • Regarding my class:  Over the weekend, I printed out the map of the campus and located my building and place to park.  I also printed out a map of my building with all the room #’s.  Makes me happy that I’ll know exactly where I’m going the first day of class.  The Bonus = Hubby is going to give me a test run to the campus before I go it alone such that I’m familiar with the area.  He’s the Best!
  • I bought a boat load of my favorite varieties of K cups today.  And no, they were not on sale.  I’m just a little fearful for when September rolls around.  As some of you may already know, Green Mountain will lose its main patent on K Cups.  So what’s the concern?  Well I noticed I couldn’t find my favorite blend at the place where I normally buy it.  I also researched over the weekend and learned that it is on backorder in some stores.  But I put my fears to rest when I discovered it at a shop today.  I piled it in the cart as if I wouldn’t get another shot of it for months.  I feel better about that, but I wonder, did I get enough?  Or did I buy too much?  As I hear the price of this stuff is going to plummet when the patent ordeal is over.  Time will tell.
  • In the last week and 1/2, we visited our new favorite sub restaurant 4 x’s – Might I add, their egg salad is amazing!
  • Last week, during our travels with friends, we visited Cold Stone 3 x’s.
  • In the last week, our dining experiences ranged from Mexican to Seafood and everything in between.
  • We went with a digital phone in the house.  It’s sweet and clear and only 30 bucks a month for unlimited long distance calls.  We like having a home phone, especially when the deal is sweet.  Bye bye AT & T!

So, hello Monday evening!  I’m looking forward to a great week.

Blessings – Debbie

When the Sun Goes Down

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It commands attention.  It’s hard not to sit and watch the sky as it changes color.  So last evening, I found myself taking in the last bit of sunshine.

But lately, there is something that drives me nuts when the sun goes down.  I’m learning that I’m not as young as I once was.  I can’t stay up with the hubs like I used to.  Last evening I turned into a pumpkin before 9 pm!  And I hate that!  I do!  I also hate the word hate but I really do hate not being able to stay up with him.

I think I managed to hang out with the hubs until midnight once last week.  And it was a big deal.  And I was able to sleep in with him last Saturday morning.  And that was a big deal.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a brilliant idea.  Yes, I would take an afternoon nap and sail thru the night with the hubs.  I had it all planned out.  We would stay up late, sip coffee and watch movies.  While the idea was great and the afternoon nap was wonderful, the plan failed.  And I hate that too.

One of these days I’ll be able to go the distance with him.  I just wish it could be every day.

But let me tell you, this morning was a big hit.  It’s so easy to jump out of bed with a full tank of rest and energy.  I was ready bright and early to hit the trail with the neighbor girls.  Today was the first day for me to join the group (there were 7 of us today) for a weekly hike to Starbucks.  I’m already looking forward to next week.

Can you believe I didn’t so much as take a picture this morning?  The moments passed.  The conversations were great and…well?  It could not possibly get any better than that for a Thursday morning.

I’m already looking forward to seeing this great group of gals next week and the week after that and…It just does a heart good.

Blessings – Debbie

The Blessings

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Don’t you just love a good experience when the blessings fall?

This morning, while on my hike, I received one of those beautiful showers of blessings.

As you know, I am passionate about exercise.  And today the neatest thing happened.  I ran into my neighbor (Rhonda), the gal I met months ago.  She’s the one who was traveling to Panama and Spain for hiking trips.  Yeah, she’s pretty amazing.

Photo from the hubs and my sunset hike this past weekend.

Anyway, I bumped into Rhonda again on my hike today.  I’m so glad I did!

She has a group of neighbor gals who meet at her house once a week for a 3.25 mi hike to Starbucks.  And I was invited to join the group. I can’t wait!  New friends, a hike and Starbucks – Oh Joy!

She also hosts some sort of class once a week in her home (on the deck overlooking the lake and mountains) where the instructor comes in.  I think she said Tai Chi?  I hope to start that group this week as well.  I’ve never done Tai Chi but she said, no worries come on over.

There are so many wonderful perks and blessings all in one.  I don’t have to get into my car and drive for anything, she’s my neighbor!  I adore her and connect with her.  I look forward to meeting more neighbors and making new friends.

The gals also meet at 7pm at her house every night for an hour or so hike.  Since I prefer spending my evenings with the hubs, I don’t think this is something I would be interested in.  But I think this is awesome to have such a great group in the hood.

Where it stands now, my heart is overflowing with joy at the thought of connecting at least once a week for exercise, fellowship and Starbucks.

I’m so thankful for the blessings that came my way today.

Photo from my hike this morning.

Blessings – Debbie

I’m a Work in Progress

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Good Day!  And what a good day it is.  I have so much to be thankful for.

We were blessed with such a pretty night sky last evening.

Night sky with a bit of reflection in the pool

This morning dawned and a lovely day appeared.  This was an early shot from my hike today.

Can I tell you a thing or two?  Yes?  Please don’t judge.

You see, we all have heard the saying “Eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a prince, and eat dinner like a peasant.”  I totally get it and understand how breakfast will jump-start that metabolism among other good things.

But I’m just not that much of a breakfast person.  I don’t wake up starving.  And even when I get back from my morning hike, I have no desire for food.

It seems all I really want in the morning is coffee.  So I’m up to 2 cups each morning.  1 cup while I’m getting hubby’s breakfast and lunch ready.  And the second cup after my hike and shower.

A picture from my hike this morning.

By the time noon rolls around, I’m ready to start thinking about a bite to eat.  Yesterday I had lunch at 1:30 and today 12:30.  I pretty much eat when I’m ready for a bite.

Back to breakfast.  I’m beginning to warm up to the idea of having breakfast like I used to.  Because it’s good for me.  Lest I confuse you, just because I’m warming up, does not mean that I’m close to being ready.  Give me at least another month on this one.  A girl has to do what a girl has to do, right?

One more thing.  I told myself (last weekend) that I was done buying soda.  I told myself “when my soda is gone, it’s gone.  Period!”   Apparently I fought back on that too.  Because the pantry has enough soda for at least two more weeks.  But It’s only a matter of time when I will be drinking water and lovin’ it.  But for now, I’m really into my Diet Root Beer.  Sigh…

Another shot from my morning hike today.

My Total Today – Distance = 3.51 mi – Elevation Gain = 1,227 ft

I’m a work in progress and taking it one thing at a time.  I think that’s all part of what makes this journey fun.  I have my calories completely under control.  I use my smart phone app to log everything that goes in.  And I’ve moved into my exercise program this week just swimmingly.

Cheers for the good and Cheers to the areas that need work.

Blessings – Debbie