Monthly Archives: February 2008

Let Us See For The First Time

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I had an art teacher who once said “Look at it Debbie, don’t just see it but really SEE it”. I learned so much from her and I still remember seeing an object for the first time, really seeing the subject matter and drawing it from the shapes I saw.

Today on this beautiful heart day, I set forth to not just look at this pretty day but to really see it. I took all necessary precautions and drove like I was broken down, hobbled along with my 4 way flashers blinking non stop and graciously pulling over and stopping for all the cars that came up from behind to allow them to pass. I had many kind waves and even had a gentleman stop to see if I was alright. I had my window down already and I quickly showed him my camera saying “I’m a southern gal taking in the beauty”. He nodded saying, my daughter-in-law is a southern gal, I understand. And away he drove down the beautiful country road.

So allow me to share pictures of what I saw for the very first time.

Happy Heart Day

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Valentines is a once a year occasion where our hearts flutter at the wonderful sights of pink hearts and chocolates. I go back to school days where cards were exchanged with all the kids in class. There was something about passing out valentines and receiving valentines and there is something so enchanting about exchanging cards with my only beloved valentine.

Finding a perfect card is something I take my time doing and when I find it, I just know and the search is over. I found Bobby’s card last week and have it secured to present to him this evening.

This year we have reservations for our favorite Japanese restaurant but many times we spend the evening at home with a nice quiet dinner without the crowds. But no matter what we always exchange cards.

I’m so happy that at the end of the day true love does abound. I’m so thankful Bobby sprinkles extra special love potions all year long just because, not because he has to. And Valentines Day for us is just another wonderful love day shared together with two hearts that beat for each other every day of the year.

Oh What A Night

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What to do when the snow is falling, the roads are completely covered in snow, ice is in the forecast, ICE is in the forecast people and plans have already been made with friends for a night out on the town? And to top it off I had just driven in the stuff late afternoon and it gave me an indication of potential trouble one could get into.

Next thing I know I’m talking with my friend Jennifer late afternoon and we’re talking about the road conditions and with that I made my mind up that I was NOT going anywhere the rest of the night. Then when I got a call from my friend Kay (the lovely lady I was going out with) she says “hello” in her sweet up beat voice saying “We’re leaving right now and we’ll be to your place in 45 min.” I kinda do a BIG GULP, a really big one people and utter “Ya, ya, you’re driving in that stuff tonight?” I was stuttering, gulping and the nerves were right at my throat. Then she says in that same up beat cheerful voice “Get yer boots on girl, we’re on our way”! Uh huh and click went our phones and at that moment I wondered “what kind of ride am I getting myself into.”

Well I was in for nothing other than the ride of my life to make it plain and simple. A winter wonderland awaited as Kay arrived in her 4 wheel drive (and in my mind, there is nothing too impossible it can’t plow through) with the really good tires too! Why – it was like we were out on a boat heading out over the most beautiful white seas I had ever seen in all my live long days. And In seven words I would sum it up something like “I would do it all over again”!

Kay and Theresa introduced me to a down home mom and pop restaurant where we enjoyed fresh homemade cornbread, Sweet ~N~ Sassy Wings, pulled pork and sweet potato fries. That dinner was truly amazing and what great conversation we had around the dinner table. Then off we went to the Christmas Tree Shop and had such a riot in there. We were practically the only ones crazy enough to be out shopping which made for such a magical evening.

But nothing can describe the sheer beauty of the night. It was so cold that the snow sparkled and it looked like glitter sprinkled throughout the beautiful white blanket of snow. I know my northern friends at this point can tell that I’m not from ’round here. Even still there aren’t enough words to describe just how I feel on this beautiful winter’s night. The pictures I have don’t do justice but here’s a sneak peak for you.

The Christmas Tree Shop – The perfect place to be on this beautiful winter night.


The empty parking lot – Not a trace of anyone returning carts to the little “Cart Return” place.


Let The Races Begin – Part II

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So Saturday evening was the 30th annual Shootout race in Daytona (Pre Daytona 500) and we were oh you bet ever so tuned in watching the race so intently.As the race was coming to an end, Earnhardt Jr. was in first and “MY Tony Stewart” was in second.I could not force myself to cheer for Jr., just couldn’t do it.And surprisingly enough, Hubby still had our Tony Stewart deep down in his gut and was pulling for Tony.

The race ended with Earnhardt Jr. in first and Stewart in second.And I’ll have to say we were both so happy with Jr’s win, especially with all the unpleasant stuff he went through this past year with his step mother.We’re so happy for you JR!  Jr. made his debut in his new car, the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and new # 88 and his brand new team.We are truly celebrating this victory with him. We just gotta like this great guy!

No matter how happy we are with Jr., we are still underneath it all very strong Stewart fans.We both found out that making a complete switch to another driver is easier said than done.So Tony will always be our number 1 fan and JR, not to worry, you are right up there in our #2 slot!And we are wishing you a great season! And for those of you who heard about Tony’s little altercation incident with Bush this weekend, we’ve already forgiven him in our little corner of the world and what happened in the trailer stays in the trailer.

I’m feeling so much better about watching the races now that Hubby and I are on the same team. Alright, I don’t expect to bore you all season long with racing so I will let you guys get back to all the other fun blog reading literature out there.  And really, this will not be a weekly post, I promise!

Let The Races Begin

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NASCAR Racing is beginning a new season and Hubby and I are standing by waiting for this exciting season to unfold.  Hubby is so disappointed in Tony Stewart’s owner changing Tony’s car from a Chevy to a Toyota this year.  As Hubby is all about American Made and has a problem cheering for a “Toyota”.It’s such a sad thing as I just can’t switch from being a Tony fan that easily so I will remain a very proud Stewart fan, no matter if he’s in the back of the bus.There will never be another driver to come in front of my driver Tony no matter what place he comes in.  Hubby has a very special driver that he’s been a fan of all along and he’s really pulling for this gentleman and that gentleman’s name is Earnhardt Jr.

Hubby did state that he will always be a Stewart fan and we have both learned to love Jr. even more over the past year.So I will proudly cheer for Tony and Jr.Let the races begin.

The first thing I noticed about Tony this year is his long ugly hair.I just don’t like it at all, but I’ll get over it.Some men can wear long hair and I think it suits them just fine but in my opinion, it sure doesn’t do anything for Tony.Then again, he didn’t ask me and I’m still cheering for you Tony.

TGIF

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It’s Friday! And I have a list of things I want to get done today. There’s errands to run, nails to tend to, and perhaps a hair appointment too if I can squeeze it in. And the beauty of this day – The pretty white flakes are falling ever so gently to the ground.

I LOVE the new Survivor this season! And I’m so happy the Favorites lost to the Fans last night. And even happier that little Mister Sly Johnny Fairplay got voted out. I just don’t think I could have taken him one more week. Now I’m ready to watch Survivor without my feathers getting ruffled.

Coming And Going This Week

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The week is going by quite gingerly. Tuesday evening the gentleman that purchased our furniture arrived with a U-Haul and carted it all out of here. Moving furniture in and out of here is not an easy task and we’ve learned through movers that the rock makes the best passage in and out of here. So when the “team” of guys arrived to move the furniture, Bobby explained that going up the rock was an option. Side note… We live on the ground floor but there is no way of getting out of here without going up. So when they started out they used the stairs for the loveseat. By the time they got back for the second load, ‘the sofa’, the man in charge announced they would be climbing the rock this time. So here’s the gentlemen rock climbing with that heavy sofa.

On Tuesday evening, this was the way Bobby chose to recline and I must say he had such a hard time getting comfortable. I was sitting on our hard wood dining room chairs and my bum; well let’s just say that was not the most comfortable chair to relax in all evening.


Wednesday morning first thing, the delivery showed up with our new furniture. Oh the joy it was last evening for both of us to be able to recline in the loveseat. We have always wanted to sit next to each other in the evenings and Bobby has always wanted to recline. I like to recline too and it’s nice to sit without my feet dangling as I’m so short. And it’s wonderful having the best of both worlds.

After Bobby learned the furniture was delivered, he wanted to meet for lunch. He prefers I pick him up so that we can ride together and that’s what we did. We went to a nice little restaurant downtown where we had a tasty healthy lunch, great conversation and such an enjoyable time.

Today I plan to give us a good cleaning over here and get a little laundry done up. I also need to get caught up on some ironing and I think that will keep me busy for a while. I’m also watching a beautiful snowfall and I’m more than ready for another beautiful white ground covering.

So here I go again and wishing all of you a pleasant day.

The Wandering Chef Finally Takes A Fork

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I haven’t really been able to put my finger on exactly why I have not been a happy chef until now. I believe the reason for this frustration was the very old set of pots and pans we both had from our single years. It all “boiled down” to the frustration of cooking and food sticking, burning or both and then some. Talk about “from the frying pan into the fire”, that’s what our meals were at times, BURNT, ok, so I’m exagerating a bit but just trying to get my point across.

Bobby always wanted to purchase a nice set of pans. We would look, then I would research, we would look again and I would research. Then the whole pot and pan issue would die off for a while and then we would start the whole cycle all over again. The decision was such a struggle that we kept stopping at the same fork in the road.

When we moved to NY, I really needed to make up my mind quick as I needed pots and pans and there was no more room for research or questions. I made my decision and went with the beautiful stainless steal set. I really like the quality of my set and I love that air pocket between the bottom layers of the pan that provides even heating and I like the lightness of them too. The cleanup is a snap and the glow from these pots is truly a site for sore eyes.

Cooking is no longer the dreaded chore that it once was and now I’m cooking my own lunches, no longer reaching for the Lean Cuisines every day. I’ll have to admit, it took me a while to embrace them as I had that old mentality of cooking, sticking, burning and so on. Now I’m wondering what took so long as I’ve taken to them like a fish to water enjoying this experience as much as I did when I was a kid.

What will tantalize our taste buds for dinner? Asian Chicken Stir-Fry served on a bed of jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth laced with the finest table setting and candles. Finally I took the fork and discovered the whole kitchen.

Moving Forward In More Ways Than One

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The latest news is that I’ve been staying in waiting for the gentleman to come over and pick up his furniture. He was to come either yesterday or today and with our conversation last evening, it looks like he may be here sometime today, depending on the weather. I’m also waiting on a call from the store where we purchased our furniture as it’s to be delivered tomorrow. They’re supposed to call sometime today and give me that 3 hour window for delivery so I’m hanging out here by the phone.

Other than that, I’m trying some new recipes and yesterday I was in the kitchen fixing up a couple different dishes for myself. I had a nice pot of soup on by mid morning and by the afternoon I was chopping dicing and whatnot making a nice vegetable snack. I made a cauliflower and carrot medley combined with extra special loving doses of Dijon mustard, honey, green onions, and fresh thyme. I’ve always been a lover of veggies and I’m constantly looking for great ways to mix it up. So it proved to be a great day in the kitchen for sure. Last evening I marinated chicken in a Mesquite mixture and fixed us a lovely salad loaded with all sorts of veggies. I found my favorite salad dressing which is the light Raspberry Vinaigrette with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, by the way, it’s so delish.


And the truth comes out… I’m so back on the healthy eating wagon full steam ahead with a small 7 pound loss so far this year. I’ve got a ways to go but I’m off to a good start. I won’t tell all the weight I gained having lived in a hotel for 3 months and eating out every single day, not to mention the holidays. But the excuses have run out and the scale went in the upwards direction and I went in the expanding outwards direction so it’s high time I “get a grip”, it’s time to move on.

Family Treasures

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I’ve been working on more pictures of my mother and her siblings. Unfortunately I don’t have my dad’s pictures yet so it does seem pretty one sided lately. Unfortunately over the holidays, I didn’t bother scanning any more family pictures and that bums me out. But I have made a mental note that that is one of my priorities when we return to mom and dads the next time.

A Few Family Treasures





As a child I used to love looking through all the old family albums and I always wanted to know who was in the pictures. And now as an adult, I have not grown weary of family pictures.

While we were at my parents over Christmas, mom got out the ‘old’ slide projector and we reminisced once again. As a matter of fact, that old slide projector is as old as me if not older and my parents made it a family tradition way back when to view slides at Christmas time. Mom and dad’s honeymoon pictures in Niagara Falls are in the batch of slides and I’m thrilled with the old treasure chest of memories. I’m happy that’s still a family tradition and we all enjoyed that this year with both of my grandmother’s with us.

P.S. – Bobby is so happy the Giants won the Super Bowl! For the simple reason the Patriots didn’t take the Miami Dolphin winning streak title from 1972! So here’s a little shout out for the Giants!

Ice, Sleet and Sales

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We had a great day (yesterday) in spite of the ice, sleet and whatnot. Bobby opted not to get out there in the mess and stayed home. We neither one have 4 wheel drives nor does Bobby want to take chances, so he worked from home.

He did take on another roll yesterday changing hats depending on whether our phone was ringing or not. The ad for our furniture ran for the first day yesterday and our phone seemed to ring off the hook with loads of interest and I lost count of the callers early on. Many callers took the day off due to the weather and quite frankly most of them were not game to get out at all. As a matter of fact, Bobby was telling callers that they may want to hold off coming ‘til Saturday. Well, this one gentleman insisted on coming yesterday so Bobby didn’t hold him back. Out he came in his 4 wheel drive, came in, had a look, shelled out a substantial down payment and bought it! And the kicker is we made an extra $250 smackers on top of what we purchased the set for. He’s made plans to pick it up the beginning of the week depending on weather conditions and we’ll be reclining soon with our new set!

The Beauty Of Innocence

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The beauty of innocence doesn’t get prettier than this.

Mom and Her Baby Brother


I’ve been working on this picture of mom since August and finally I was able to put together a frame yesterday that spoke to me. I have many favorite pictures of mom but I think this could potentially be at the very top.

So, to start off the “LOVE” month I thought it would be a good day to begin with mom. She’s the one responsible for teaching me how to be a lady and showed me by example a woman of grace. She is polished elegance and holds kindness beneath her wings. She has a charm that words can’t express and her gentleness has no ending. She possesses tenderness sewn with compassion and quilted with that extra special softness that was always seen day in and day out. I count myself blessed to call her my wonderful loving mother.