Lately…

Hey peeps, it seems I’m finally transitioning from summer to autumn. I think I had the last of my favorite summer salads, last week. I’m officially ready to put down the salad fork.

And pick up my soup spoon. I made this 15 bean soup over the weekend. I threw out the seasoning packet that was included with the beans and added my favorite spin on the soup. I also used 1/2 vegetable juice and 1/2 water for the broth. I tossed in a pound of carrots and a large diced sweet onion. This is my new favorite sort of meal this time of the year. Something warm, soft and comforting.

In other news. Well I don’t know that I should call it news, or just thoughts. Nonetheless, my thought “lately” on this old red bird house, (that came with the property) is that it does not pop enough. Like it’s missing something.

While that red color (above) is the color, the image below is something I worked on in Photoshop. I was trying to come up with something that matched my thoughts for what the color of the bird house should be. And to be honest, I love it! Now if I could only reproduce it. I think this project will have to hold a while. Just a thought for now, I guess.

And lately, the koi are down to one and only meal a day. During the spring, summer and early fall, they get between 2 and three meals a day. As the temperature drops in the pond, I will stop feeding them altogether during the cooler winter months.

Ha! I said cooler like it turns bitter cold here. It really doesn’t get too awfully cold, but the fish slow down as the temperature drops, as does their metabolism. Thus it’s not healthy for them to sit on full tummies.

My project over the last week is painting our kitchen cabinets white. The cabinets were started months ago. But I did something to my back and hip that sort of slowed me down for a while. So I got all set up to start my project, when I realized I was completely out of a much-needed item.

So I set out to the local Home Depot. And you guys, I got pulled aside by this site. So I just had to look at all the Christmas stuff out front and check out all the Christmas stuff inside. I checked out light fixtures and a whole bunch of stuff that had nothing to do with my painting project back home.

That’s how I do, it’s such fun to just let go of the focus and follow the path that tugs on our heart. This was exhilarating and didn’t take up too much time or cost a dime. Well worth the time to smell the roses along the way.

I finally made my way to the paint aisle, picked up my item, and I left all other goodies on the shelf.

My painting project is finally underway. I hope to finish up another section this week and move along to a new project next week.

And finally on my lately list. So this year, we had decided not to lug out all of our Christmas decor. I’m still a little uneasy climbing ladders while decorating our huge tree, as I still have a fear of falling. It could have something to do with recovering from my broken wrist earlier this year. While I’m feeling better, I’m not in the mood to mess up a good thing.

But the other night, literally, I put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and had the thought of this little pre decorated fiber optic tree just hanging out in the closet in no box.

I ran with the thought, literally as it popped into my head and ran back to the closet (mind you, popcorn is cooking in the microwave) and had it set up before the bag finished popping. Seriously, the fastest I’ve ever set up a tree to date. This is my kind of decorating this year. And it makes me happy that we have a little something to brighten up the holidays. All is well with the world.

Isn’t it the little things that make our days extra special? I hope to enjoy distractions, take in the things that tug on my heart, live in the moment and still get the necessary things checked off the list.

Blessings – Debbie

Pep Talk

Who me? Have my very own pep talk? Of course. Why not? It’s a healthy way to push our minds towards our dreams.

What is my dream? One of my dreams is to have Good health, to have a good report with my blood work this month, to stay away from meds as I creep up in age, I want to be like my grandma, never taking a med in her life. Aside from a med here and there to recover from an illness, if she ever had an illness. Come to think of it, I don’t remember her ever being sick.

While I’ve focused on good health the last couple of years, I’m at the point where I’m introducing new habits that support my dreams. It was the other day when I read a quote that stuck with me.

“Try to focus on one new habit at t time. After all, you can do anything, but not everything.” David Allen

Love that quote!

The big difference from reaching our dreams or not, is our actions, what we do about it. What we are willing to do arrive at the place we want to be.

So yesterday, Halloween, I was driving to book club. And it hit me. I was having a pep talk before I was really thinking about it. And it occurred that it was deep and positive. I love keeping thoughts positive.

My thought pattern went something like. I know this is Halloween. There will be goodies at book club. But I really know what I want most out of book club. It was to be there, spend time with friends and enjoy our amazing group discussion about the book that I enjoyed so much. That’s what I wanted.

Anyone interested in the book I was reading, it was Before We were Yours by Lisa Wingate. What an incredible read, loved it!

And I drove away with the reward of being blessed by others.

Another thing that’s on my mind, is the most wonderful holiday season of the year. A time to be with family and friends. A time to adjust the thought pattern if necessary, to remind myself of the dream I’m reaching for for a lifetime. It’s my actions, my choice, my decision, with no excuse (good or not so good) that determines a lifetime of good nutrition and hopefully good health too.

Sure, I’m going to have my pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. And I’m celebrating Christmas. But what I do on a few days out of the year, outside of day to day living, I’m ok with and accept that.

It’s also good to be back on the blog. I enjoy writing things here and there about my journey. It’s another tool that helps to keep me honest with the way things are going.

Happy November People! Can you believe it’s November 1st already?

Blessings – Debbie

Happy New Year

Much has happened between now and the time I last posted.

I feel like I’ve been sick for way too long. From dealing with muscle issues in my back for a couple of months to catching a cold on Christmas night. It finally feels good to have the old me back.

A big Happy New Year shout out from our home to yours!

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Little reminders from the last couple of months.

This friendly reminder was shot at the salon. A nice reminder that shows how they love to treat their customers.

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A nice reminder of my love for putting all things Christmas up on the day after Halloween. Better known as November 1st. It makes perfect sense to enjoy those evenings when the time change hits and makes the world dark before it should.

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The best reminder of family. We traveled to see family for thanksgiving. What a special treat to have my two siblings, all nieces and nephews. Our nephew and his new bride. Our nephew and his fiancé, mom and dad and my grandma. Talk about great memories with family, it doesn’t get any better.

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A reminder as I was getting ready to have my bookclub friends over to discuss our 2016 schedule.

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A reminder of the morning beverages for the girls.

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And a little reminder of the fruit bowl and other morning snacks (brownies and biscotti) on the dining room table. Following our morning meeting, we girls headed to Olive Garden for a wonderful lunch and more fellowship.

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A reminder of the hubs amazing smoked brisket over his 2 week Christmas holiday. Loved spending those two weeks together around home sweet home.

While I don’t have a photo of the amazing chili he made with the brisket leftovers, I will never forget how wonderful it was. I rank it as the best chili ever made.

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I don’t have a reminder picture of the fish we purchased for our pond, but I’ll never forget that wonderful experience with the hubs over Christmas. If you are reading this, My Love, Thank You!

A reminder of carolers on Christmas day.

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A pretty reminder of where we sat enjoying our Christmas dinner. The view of ice-skating beneath the palm trees with an ocean view, what a delight.

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A beautiful reminder of how we stayed until nearly sunset. We savored desert and slowly ever so slowly sipping my coffee while visiting with the hubs and taking in the view.

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Approximately 2 hours after our Christmas dinner, I told the hubs “I feel a sore throat coming on”. And on the morning of December 26th, I woke  to a sniffling, sneezing, aching, coughing, stuffy head sort of cold. The sort of cold where the hubs dropped everything and took care of me. After the 1st week, I told the hubs, “This feels like a 3 week cold”. Turns out, it was a 3 week cold.

A reminder of how pretty it was one morning as the sun came up. Especially since it rained the day before. A reminder of how the hubs made me promise to stay inside while I was sick. A reminder of my view from the sofa where I sat feeling miserable from my cold that morning. A reminder that I obeyed and took this image from inside the house. Thank you for taking care of me, My Love. And bringing medicine to me when I did not feel like moving. You’re the BEST!

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Our New Years Reminder – I was still sick, but we watched the ball drop at Times Square, per usual. We kissed, yes, the hubs kisses me, even when I’m sick. And wished each other a Happy New Year. And chose to get an early start on sleep that night. No staying up for us until the New Year on the west coast, when we can watch it ring in on the east coast.

While I only have a few reminders in picture form, I’m thankful for the blessings of family, love and feeling back to my old self again.

Happy New Year!

Blessings – Debbie

Springtime in CA 2015

I know, it’s autumn, but I plan to do some spring catching up on the blog. I can’t seem to move forward without catching up. It’s time.

I’m still here. Kicking it and loving life.

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In late March, I picked this little vase of goodies from the garden. In hopes to help my sick hubby to feel better. They certainly brightened the space…

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Early April – I painted this image with the help of my Wacom and Photoshop.

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Happy Easter! We spent the afternoon with friends watching our Red Birds on Opening Day.

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A true Cardinal fan and our host.

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Bring on the Cardinal color…

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The beautiful hostess – Everything was positively delecious!

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Children – Loved taking images of them in and around the pool.

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Bashful – Image taken right after her first bite of dinner…But those eyes and expression…LOVE!

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The big boys and girls had it made…

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My Red Bird Fan! And my number 1 Hero.

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Another early April painting. This is an underpainting (Layer 2) taking on a little shape.

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Finished painting.

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A little shot of my kitchen window garden with a fresh rose from the garden.

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A rose as it begins to drift away. I just love the color!

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April 16 – My somebody special on his way to work to present to the customer. I’m happy his meetings went well…

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Mid April evening in the garden – Enjoying the last drop of light…

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Late April – Amaryllis in bloom.

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End of April – We joined Costco! Now that is an event worth noting. It had been 12 years since we enjoyed the benefits of being customers of Costco.

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End of April – It’s the time of year when the dragonflies return. They come in all sorts of colors during the season. Here’s a female laying her eggs.

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May 2nd – Boxing party was held at our house! The hubs and his buddy putting the brisket on the smoker early that morning. And the sad thing, this is the only shot I have from that glorious afternoon and evening with friends. But the memories are priceless…

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Our dear friend gifted us with the beautiful flag (made and painted by her) that proudly waves over our front door.

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The heron has landed – I figured a shot was appropriate before yelling at him. Sometimes they are persistent around the fish pond. But my yelling and screaming at them seems to do the trick.

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In early May, I had the gardener transplant this tree. I really hoped to keep it alive. Unfortunately, it did not like the new home.

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Springtime dilemma is when a girl can’t figure out what color she wants.

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One of my May dates to Red Lobster with my love = Time well spent.

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Another May Date with the hubs at the Cheesecake Factory. Just love this composition at the hostess desk…

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An early morning capture of the dragonfly on a net.

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And a bee pollenating…

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A little capture of the hubs boots at the back door – a nice reminder he was busy in the garden.

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My Christmas wish for 2015 came early. As in May early for my birthday! I had told the hubs (months ago – Jan/Feb this year) when I spied this arbor that I would like it for Christmas. Not only did he remember. But he surprised me with this a week before my birthday.

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Up on the hill at the top of the winding stair path is where I wanted it. And so it was…

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On the morning of my birthday, the hubs knew right where to place the special card for me.

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When a statue is larger than life – Sometimes it’s the little things that need to be captured. Just bummed my cell is the only camera I had with me on that May evening night. But a great evening and dinner along the San Diego Harbor with the hubs and a friend.

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May 31st is the day we picked this big guy from the garden – Indeed we kept it on the vine too long, but we grilled it for dinner anyway. The skin was obviously tough but the inside was tender and good.

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One last image – rosebuds in the garden.

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And that my friends takes us thru the month of May, 2015.

Blessings – Debbie

Happy New Year

I’m still here!

Whew tho, I have a lot of catching up to do over the last couple of months. So I’ll try to make it as brief as possible.

November was pretty packed, as I was learning a lot (in school) about using the paintbrush and tools in Photoshop. That’s when things began to fall off my plate. Like the blog, unfortunately.

And things were added to my plate.

I joined the girls for a day trip up to Rogers Gardens. It was great way to step away from my school work. It was the best distraction and just what I needed to kick off the Christmas season.

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After my much needed day away, it was time to refocus on school work. The image below is one of the two paintings I finished in Photoshop.

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Then Thanksgiving rolled around. We dined at the Hotel Del.

The view from our table.

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Everything was cooked to perfection.

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After dinner, we watched some ice skating beneath the blue sky and palm trees.

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And we took a selfie to remember the day.

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Then it was time to plan for our annual Christmas party. Hors d’Oeuvres, dinner, white elephant gift exchange, and a bonfire with s’mores – those were the highlights of the party. But it was our friends that made the party so special. If I remember correctly, we had 14 guests in all.

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Unfortunately, I didn’t take that many  pictures. But the Starbucks mug with gift card was a big hit.

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By this time, the month of December was in full swing. And the churn of my busy schedule kept right on churning.

We had a lot of rain and I found that to calm my nerves as I planned my next and final school project. I had to give a speech. There was a lot of planning and the hubs helped out so much with my powerpoint presentation. He’s the BEST! Then I rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed some more. Finally the day came (mid December) and I was ready to present to the class my evolution and passion for art From Crayons to Photography.

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And then, as time marched on, we only had one weekend to do our annual Christmas newsletter. I was inspired after all the rain to take an image of our ornament in a puddle. Turns out, we liked it so much that we made it our 2014 Christmas card. The only regret, we did not have a lot of time to review our newsletter and we found some type o’s. For shame!

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Finally, we got to relax while the December dust settled. And I found the time to put my nose in a book called Delicious by Ruth Reichl. What a great read!

Our dear neighbors brought the most delectable plate of homemade yumminess over on Christmas Eve. What a treat!

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Soon it was time to celebrate Christmas.

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The hubs and I, along with our friend went back to the Hotel Del for Christmas dinner.

The image below was taken on our stroll along the pacific after dinner.

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I kicked my shoes off to enjoy the soft sand between my toes.

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And to check out this sandcastle.

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A close up – it truly was a marvelous work of art, all the way around.

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Our friend came back to the house to spend the late afternoon and early evening visiting.  And we watched The Christmas Story together.

Then, the hubs and I found ourselves alone and made a mad dash for jammies!

Our Christmas picture later that evening.

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On the day after Christmas, we decided it was time to put all the decorations away for another year. It actually took 1.5 days to get everything put away, cleaned up and back to normal.

The only thing resembling Christmas, are the candy-canes tucked in the bud vase.

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I’m ready for the New Year. And ready to add more things to my plate. Like family/company coming from Alaska this weekend and the blog and other things of importance.

Until next time – Happy New Year and many blessings to you this year…

Blessings – Debbie

Dear September

You went way too fast! And I did not get my act together to keep up. However, I’m back to recover some of little things in life last month.

Catfish – Our latest edition in May. They (we have two) were about 2″ + when we got them, now they are approximately 9″ – Finally I got a shot this month – These guys love to hide under rocks and come out of hiding for breakfast – The perk = we don’t have “fry” this year – While the fish did spawn, the catfish took care of all the eggs. Nice edition if you were to ask me.

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September school assignment – The lesson called to shoot 6 different categories in the Urban Environment with a total of 42 images. Then select two of our favorite images to print out on 11 x 17 for critique. And hand in the other 40 images compacted on two 8.5 x 11 contact sheets.

The six different categories – 1. Bench where people come and go – 2. Absence of people 3. Twilight 4. Collection of things (anything) 5. Non sequitur, something that looks out of place 6. Nature and manmade blended together

One of my favorite images printed on 11 x 17 and mated it for critique in class. Category = Bench

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The second image I used for my final urban assignment. Category = Twilight

On a good note – the professor was so thrilled with our work that it was all hung in the school gallery.

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What my contact sheets for the assignment (printed on 8.5 x 11) look like…

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Next…. I still don’t have my grade, but I hope it’s a good one.

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Guess who thought it necessary to be there with me, as he did not want me alone out there on my urban assignment…Makes my heart smile…

He’s the BEST!

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Friendship – Lunch with friends at the beach, is always a good idea. It’s times like this that I kick myself for not having my camera. But ever so thankful for the trusty cell phone.

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Fresh cool air – sipping soda beachside with friends – enjoying the visit – more than a girl could ask on a summer day.

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Truly a glorious day to remember…

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Happy Fish and Cloudy Water – We’ve had the pond guy out a couple of times to try to help us figure out why we can’t seem to get the clarity back. Turns out, I’m cleaning it TOO MUCH and backwashing TOO MUCH. Jokingly he said, this is not a pool, it’s a pond. And you need to allow the algae to grow on the sides to develop a good ecosystem.  And he said “don’t touch it ’til I come back the end of the month.” On a good note, the fish are happy and the water ph is just dandy. But the clarity we are used to seeing is just not there. My bad.

The get this thing clean and backwash mentality is hard to let go, but I must.

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New Frames – The hubs is up for new frames. The supposedly really nice frames he picked up the last time continue to have a screw loose ALL. THE. TIME.

We’ve shopped a few places and took a pic the last place we visited over the weekend. Now to go back to the other place to compare notes with the other frames we liked.

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While I still love my frames, it’s a growing concern that I could use bigger frames do to wearing progressives and the need for a little more room to see. Totally not something I’m thrilled about.

But I think I found something that may fill the order next year. I think…

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October Class Assignment – I spent the last couple of weeks in september working on images that could be used for my upcoming assignment. Images were not to be taken in direct sunlight.

I was quite fond of the bubble I captured as it was moving down the waterfall over the stem of the leaf.

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But this image captured days later caused my heart to sing. Getting ready to print this guy and mat it next week.

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I must say, this semester has brought a lot of doubt. Doubt on the days we have a solid 3 hour lecture.

And I come home feeling discouraged that I’m unable to carry out the task. And when I tell the hubs all about it, a tear or two may trickle down my cheek. And he listens, while the look on his face tells me that he wished he could make it all better. And that’s what makes everything better.

And it’s weeks like this (in class) when we’ve had a solid 3 hour lab, that things begin to sink in. Somehow when we as students get to sit at the computer and begin to work on our assignments, ask questions and put to use what we’re learning, the process kicks in.  And somehow I’m able to grasp what he was saying all along during those lectures.

And now I could practically do the assignment with my eyes closed. And I smile and say, it wasn’t that bad after all.

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Cheers to learning new things!

And may I remember that it’s alright if I don’t come home from school knowing everything the professor finished lecturing about. Somethings take time to process.

On a Happy Note – Happy October! Puts me in the holiday spirit already. Yup, I’m one of the crazies that love to blend Pumpkin, Thanksgiving and Christmas all into one.

Blessings – Debbie

Wet Paint

I know, I haven’t been around for a while. But it doesn’t mean I’m not here. I am.

After our fun-filled weekend in LA, I decided to take a break.

I needed a little time away from my camera too. Time to unwind and get back into the swing of things.

Time for rest and gardening and figuring out when to tackle a couple of painting projects I want to accomplish this month.

Time to enjoy the 3-Day Holiday weekend (Independence Day) with the hubs.

Friday night (Independence Day) we decided to watch a movie – The Piano. And sometime during our show I began to hear noises. And I asked the hubs if he would pause our show. I said “I hear something, do you?” The hubs responded “oh, that’s the fireworks.” Duh! 🙂 Then we had a look-see outside, but we were not able to see anything from our yard.

And then we decided to make the rest of our weekend as uneventful as possible. In fact, the cars remained in the garage all weekend. Just what we needed.

Although, we had the little work crew working on (what seems) our never-ending backyard project. We hope to have it finished in the next week, two at the most.

Oh, another thing. We never jumped on the Glee bandwagon. That is, until this weekend. We started watching season 1 from the very beginning and we were smitten from the start! So much so, that the next few days turned into a Glee marathon topped with popcorn and other goodies.

Monday was all about catching up on the weekend laundry, gardening, cleaning and food shopping.

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Today I’m working on one of my projects involving paint.

I picked up this wooden set at an estate sale a month or so ago. And the idea is to paint them white for the kitchen.

As of this afternoon, they have 3 coats on the upper side.

I hope to have them finished and hanging in the kitchen tomorrow.

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While I’m in the middle of a “do not touch – wet paint” sort of day – It’s a great day to be outdoors painting.

Blessings – Debbie

Hey ~ Hey

Hey Peeps! It’s been too long. What’s up? I hope all is well in your world.

We just finished enjoying a nice 3 day weekend.

To kick it off, the hubs sent a message Thursday afternoon, asking if I would like to join him for a dinner date.

This is me (ready for my date) waiting for the hubs to get home from work Thursday evening. What a wonderful way to start the weekend!

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We also spent a good deal of time at Home Depot. I think we made 3, if not 4 trips over the weekend.

I picked up a handful of green samples.

And pretty much picked out the (green) color for the walls in the guest bath and powder room.

The painting part of this chore is for next month.

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Another run to Home Depot – This is the run we purchased the rock for the retaining wall in the backyard. It should be delivered sometime this week.

Hopefully we’ll have another backyard update soon.

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Saturday Morning – I went to check out our neighbors yard-sale. I came home with a beautiful rose tree and 3 nice rose bushes. Now to find just the right spot in the garden for these beauties.

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And Sunday, we went to our neighbors St Paddy’s Day party. What a treat!

We took this pot of gold for the host.

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It was a also a weekend infused with a whole lot of dining out.

  • Thursday = Mexican
  • Friday = Pei Wei
  • Saturday = Panera Bread
  • Sunday Lunch = 5 Guys
  • Sunday Dinner = St Patrick’s Day dinner party + dessert

Um, I hate to even tell you what is going on with my healthy eating journey. But I think I just made it pretty obvious.

Let’s just say, I hope to be back on April 1st with a much better report.

Cheers to a wonderful weekend with the hubs and a new week with a fresh start!

And here’s wishing all of you a glorious week.

Blessings – Debbie

Happy New Year

Wishing a Happy New Year to all of you!

So the hubs and I have spent the last couple of weeks enjoying the holidays, spending time with friends and working around the house.

And working around the house has been right up there on the top of our list.

In fact, I painted the office on New Years Eve. And went to sleep for the night at 8:30 pm. I could not keep my eyes open for the dropping of the ball in Times Square (east coast time).

And on New Years day, paint was applied to the baseboards in the office.

*See Image Below for the hubs project* – The hubs tells me this is going to be our home’s new gigabit network, 5G wifi, telephone, cable, and audio distribution center. I have no idea what this means, but he says I’m going to like it when its finished.

News Flash, he has already shown me the volume control for the outdoors, kitchen and dining areas. He’s right, I’m going to like the goodies.

I don’t know who is having more fun, but I can tell you we are having a grand time.

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I’m working on taking down the Christmas tree today. And I’m so thankful the hubs ordered special ornament containers for me this year. I can’t tell you what a delight it is not having to individually box the ornaments.

Our Lenox ornament this year. Our collection has grown over the last 17 Christmases together.

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“It’s a day of rest – to rest up from my week of vacation and to rest up for another week of vacation” – Said The Hubs, last weekend. And here this weekend is almost here. And that means it’s back to work for him Monday. But let’s not talk about that now. We’re still on vacation!

One of my special places to spend time, is still around the pond. Lately, I started crushing up the “big fish” food for the babies. Just after a week of feeding, the babies swim up to me as if I’m their best friend. True, they spent their first 6 months eating algae. While they still feed on the algae, they obviously like to forage for new fodder.

What a joy it is to watch the little babies change color. Of all the babies (approx 70 from the spawning last spring), this is the only one who has completely turned orange. And we have one I call “Rudolph” he/she has a red nose and the rest completely dark, just like the other baby you see in this image. We even have a few with a blueish tint. We understand it takes six months for the babies to develop color.

Six months are up, so we expect to see some big changes in the pond this winter/spring.

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I hope to be back soon as I hate to get so far behind on the blog.

Wishing Joy, Blessings and Happiness to you this New Year.

Blessings – Debbie

December Blurbs

Early December, I enjoyed a “Monday Funday” with my girlfriend down in the heart of San Diego = Seaport Village

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Lunch at the Fish Market

And the hubs and I enjoyed a lovely dinner date with this couple last weekend. Love spending time with friends…

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The hubs and I enjoyed a beautiful Christmas program – Weeks ago.

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We enjoyed the view and music from our front row balcony seats. After the program, we had a lovely time at our neighbors party.

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“At Christmas I no more desire a rose than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth; But like of each thing that in season grows.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour Lost

“Shakespeare may not desire a rose in December, but he didn’t live in San Diego” – From the diary of the previous owner of our home.

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A December rose is a wonderful treat. And these roses are left for our enjoyment from the previous owners.

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A beautiful night sky – I was admiring the sky one evening while out cleaning my paint brushes and roller. Go me! I finally finished painting the last hallway a few weeks ago.

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December 19th = the hubs last day of work thru 1/6/2014!

The babies are happy. Although we think we lost one to that egret, as we only count 9 of the original big guys. But they are happy and loving life – Image shot a week or so ago.

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Last Friday, the hubs took me Christmas shopping in LA. I thought we were going to do some shopping in the Fashion District. But that was just a little “white lie” as the hubs had other plans. Plans to surprise me with diamond earrings. And surprise me, he did.

I told him I really didn’t need anything for Christmas. However, I did tell him I could use socks (mine have holes the size of quarters), a sweater and new hiking shoes.

But this is what the hubs thought I needed and what I got to unwrap Christmas morning.

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Arriving to Christmas Dinner at The Hotel Del.

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Carving the turkey

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Sand in my toes after dinner, was just what I needed.

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Sandcastles

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A Sandcastle for Christmas.

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The view – looking out to Point Loma.

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Ice Skating – It was fun to watch…

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Remembering Christmas Past – The silver ornament revealed a hidden surprise on Christmas morning, 1998. I said yes! And we’ve lived happily ever after.

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This Christmas – A day we – enjoyed sandcastles, time together on the beach, Christmas Dinner at Hotel Del, the afternoon and evening with friends, more presents, a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and visiting into the night.

Feeling Blessed and enjoying these days with the hubs.

Blessings – Debbie

Family Days in Florida

This post is going to be a bag of family images during the week stay in FL. I still have so many images to process. But for now, I’m ready to get a few out there.

A few of the things we did that week = had the famous roast beef sunday dinner at mom and dad’s, with the family. I got to play with my nieces hair, did their nails, got plenty of rest, played poker, played backgammon, enjoyed a nice river dinner out with my little brother and his wife (my big bro was not in town as early as we were for this), enjoyed Cold Stone, went to Bass Pro with the family, enjoyed pumpkin pie every day from Thanksgiving – December 1st, purchased fudge, went to visit my grandma, aunt and uncle + cousins, enjoyed lunch with my aunt + uncle + their family + my mom = a total of 11 of us family members, had dinner with friends, went shopping with mom, I’m a heavy on the olives kinda gal and had all of the olives on my Thanksgiving plate disappear from a certain brother :), helped mom with Thanksgiving preparations, enjoyed a dinner out with just my parents, enjoyed watching my parents get surprised by one of the twins (she said she was not able to come as she’s in the middle of exams following Thanksgiving = she lives in Washington), having her there made our family complete, I got to take amazing pix of everyone, enjoyed a big family dinner with everyone at my little bro’s (guy on the far right of the first image in this post), met quite a few of my nieces and nephew’s friends, visited my parents church and enjoyed listening to our nephew play the piano and sing during service, talked to my nephew about coming out to Cali, to take his Sr pix this year and much much more.

Meet the family

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My two siblings + parents. My older bro on left, he’s a year older than me and my baby bro on right, he’s a year and 1/2 younger than me. Feeling blessed to be right smack dab in the middle.

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Pop and me

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I love how he just cracks me up!

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My niece all the way from Washington State.

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And her twin sis in Florida.

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And their baby bro – He’s the senior who mentioned coming out to So Cal for me to take his senior pix in the spring.

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My nephew from North Carolina

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And his little brother from North Carolina – This guy is also a senior this year. And he’s also the nephew who plays the piano and sings.

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While enjoying the cool of the evening with friends, aunt Deb (that would be me) told the girls to “work it ~ work it” I just love the result!

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Our three nephews – There is never a dull moment with the fam. As you can see, the proof is in the pudding.

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My nephew and his buddy – Boy’s certainly know how to work it too!

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When friends arrive late one evening – Hot chocolate + a bon fire in the backyard, made for the best way to spend the time with friends.

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Here we have pops enjoying the cool evening hours as I was out shooting the grandkids. It is then when they brought my attention to grandpa. As this shot begged to be taken.

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I don’t know where the funny bone genes came from, but I think you are looking at two possible candidates.

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There are a lot more images to share from our Florida travels. But I’ll leave you with our Thanksgiving dinner picture, gathered ’round. I love my family and so thankful we could all be together. Even if my little bro took all my olives. 😉

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Blessings – Debbie

Happy Thanksgiving

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

Happy Halloween

What does one do when the ghosts and goblins fail to come trick ‘r treating?

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One visits their neighbor to check out their spooky decor. Nice work, neighbor!

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Finally we had a few trick ‘r treaters AKA our beautiful neighbors grandchildren.

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And this cute little guy did not disappoint when I asked him to strike his character pose.

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Happy Halloween!

Blessings – Debbie

Memorial Day Weekend

It was truly a weekend to remember.

Months ago, we made plans to meet up with the hubs old childhood buddy. And what better place to meet, than in LA to watch their favorite baseball team (St Louis Cardinals) play the LA Dodgers.

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The night before we made our way to LA, I posted on FB that I would be in LA watching the  Dodgers/Cardinals game.

And what do you know, our friend from Phoenix comments on my status saying that she too will be at the game!

That’s her up there in the stands waving at us. Can you believe that? Thank you FB as we would have missed seeing our friend.

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We were down front just to the left a bit and 10 rows from home plate. So we got on the phone and told her there was an extra seat and to come on down.

Down she came and stayed a whole 5 innings with us. Then she said she should probably get back to her family. It truly was a treat as she too grew up with the hubs and his buddy. How cool was that?

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This little cutie sat right in front of me. And I couldn’t help myself, so I took his pic.

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And another shot of his cuteness. I love the way his little feet dangled over the edge of his seat.

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And this little cutie sat right next to the above mentioned cutie.

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So I had fun taking his pictures too.

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It was such a beautiful day with a nice cool breeze.

Thank goodness for the sunscreen we slathered ourselves in. Especially when I noticed a little area on the hubs wrist next to his watch where a small bit of skin was missed by the sunscreen. Twas a bit red.

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Bottom of the 9th = The Dodgers fans had their rally caps in place. And as hard as they worked for the win, our Cardinals held their 5 – 3 victory. What a great day.

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For dinner that evening, we met up with our daughter at the Cheesecake Factory in Redondo Beach.

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We were lucky enough to have outdoor seating with this beautiful view. Might I add, their red velvet cheesecake was SO good.

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And then it was time for the hubs and I to make our way back home to San Diego. This is the view of the full moon that evening as we headed south.

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And soon after, I fell asleep as the hubs drove us home.

I always feel bad when I fall asleep on him.

Maybe next time I’ll be able to keep him company for the duration.

And this wraps up our fun day spent with family and friends.

Blessings – Debbie

Now This Is A Strange List

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