tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327900802024-03-18T09:53:19.519-06:00Ms. CongenialityWife, mother of two, recovering Diet Pepsi addict and collector of OPI nailpolish....oh, and I really do want world peace.Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.comBlogger3502125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-31835504047159815882024-03-18T09:41:00.002-06:002024-03-18T09:52:40.915-06:00Weekend Wrap-up<p>When last we spoke, I was headed out the door, on my way to the day spa for a facial. On my way there, I grabbed an iced latte at the Starbucks, which, is something I rarely do anymore since the company stopped carrying sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup. The plain nonfat latte was ok, but I really do miss a good cinnamon dolce latte.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlaKDtG7n6j3Lel_5prwpo39vI_aTNg8Epr_pY1396ImKuMS3F8u3-2bDmpij_nxQ7D8_G7ctz05nb6asery8TESX414S7bg5KY48D1tCM_A8g0CntcW5oziFm4E2nOAwYWTGaOeouIZpXq1h5an94IuKu_FgNFk-QR6woD_DlZyAPbJvR-hASw/s640/IMG_3167.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlaKDtG7n6j3Lel_5prwpo39vI_aTNg8Epr_pY1396ImKuMS3F8u3-2bDmpij_nxQ7D8_G7ctz05nb6asery8TESX414S7bg5KY48D1tCM_A8g0CntcW5oziFm4E2nOAwYWTGaOeouIZpXq1h5an94IuKu_FgNFk-QR6woD_DlZyAPbJvR-hASw/w480-h640/IMG_3167.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At my facial, my aesthetician gave me a demonstration of the NuFace gizmo, that is supposed to eliminate fine lines and to lift and sculpt the face. I don't know if it would actually work, but the electric current that it was putting out reacted with the metal fillings in my teeth to create a weird metallic taste, so <i>something</i> was happening.<div><br /></div><div>After my facial, I stopped by the Hellmouth to pick up some florals that I need for one of the wedding projects that I am responsible for.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfLfWtpPgINCi7woUmiaE7Yw4C4LlzNAsYNg-VLXMssH3tn_kndcrB_tenHRYJS7NDICc6NqDBQGo0XVgNeVdUsJMSPhes11CUffFCiRPVJveF59rWtmtqBnXRDW8vyoIxYnKHX7mjwPR1nCtKmlaJQfgrNAL47PrQSs6EhKnjYclVUJ7q-OI6g/s640/IMG_3142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfLfWtpPgINCi7woUmiaE7Yw4C4LlzNAsYNg-VLXMssH3tn_kndcrB_tenHRYJS7NDICc6NqDBQGo0XVgNeVdUsJMSPhes11CUffFCiRPVJveF59rWtmtqBnXRDW8vyoIxYnKHX7mjwPR1nCtKmlaJQfgrNAL47PrQSs6EhKnjYclVUJ7q-OI6g/w480-h640/IMG_3142.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then I went home to watch the <i>Love is Blind</i> reunion on Netflix. Turns out, not only is love blind, but so are the producers of the show, who completely missed the fact that at least one, possibly two, of the contestants were in serious relationships at the time that they were filming. </div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday morning, I spent several hours cleaning out and reorganizing my kitchen pantry and the cupboard above it. I tossed a few expired items and patted myself on the back for sparing my children from having to do that at some point in time, far down the road (PTSD from the horror stories that Hugh's siblings told us about the items they discovered in Oscar and Emily's cupboards and freezer when they were here to help after Oscar's surgery last month).</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, I made a huge salad and ate it while binge-watching episodes of <i>Girls5Eva</i> on Hulu (never heard of it? Neither had I, but it was fairly entertaining).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mww2lscmdrT2jnVgXEQcmeOq2aEwmyDwHkbBTQx67IL5Y49zQbjmtKwGbMxH9T4vtEVhivoooSaFvYEKXGKrXtv18hw0KQ29wI60acd1ZO8dmIsDZ0iWpYqy_8BOaoyDgWRGBlj7uUPrxo4Z-YMk-FE3rL-SfIwqJJR5gEmnuZMBvgIsTH35ig/s640/IMG_3174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mww2lscmdrT2jnVgXEQcmeOq2aEwmyDwHkbBTQx67IL5Y49zQbjmtKwGbMxH9T4vtEVhivoooSaFvYEKXGKrXtv18hw0KQ29wI60acd1ZO8dmIsDZ0iWpYqy_8BOaoyDgWRGBlj7uUPrxo4Z-YMk-FE3rL-SfIwqJJR5gEmnuZMBvgIsTH35ig/w480-h640/IMG_3174.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also worked on my embroidery skills, because I have another project for the wedding that will require them.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXFbobhVbnmk0aoLiEpwxbEuuR-pmXc5dvfKQKkFS_bEaOyrbeiwj2napxtcg5Y3Yq50xH-X2_DkRyB-WiUZJ3EESfMZX6jhYT24PE0uNhdwobCxrGtS3H1J0vugT9thNWKl_-DVs9O2nVdmSGIEscfns19b7IbNhYInZIY_3K992qOluRWFiuQ/s640/IMG_3173.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXFbobhVbnmk0aoLiEpwxbEuuR-pmXc5dvfKQKkFS_bEaOyrbeiwj2napxtcg5Y3Yq50xH-X2_DkRyB-WiUZJ3EESfMZX6jhYT24PE0uNhdwobCxrGtS3H1J0vugT9thNWKl_-DVs9O2nVdmSGIEscfns19b7IbNhYInZIY_3K992qOluRWFiuQ/w480-h640/IMG_3173.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurRtKXrXW90xXwOag_94Qh92G8YkmcFVZWqv4ZkJBJgmTZJSBHlHLr_GlPo8KhAkQYTuwG85HImF_JtYMWhsA_UpwxoiP0GCF5QL6_QZxmOLqCG7hCzD97roS-DJl8Ef5gtmQzBGrI57WV65KQIWSsGyLK8CEvCL811IYnIXZPqTnH27Zdl-5Pw/s640/IMG_3177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurRtKXrXW90xXwOag_94Qh92G8YkmcFVZWqv4ZkJBJgmTZJSBHlHLr_GlPo8KhAkQYTuwG85HImF_JtYMWhsA_UpwxoiP0GCF5QL6_QZxmOLqCG7hCzD97roS-DJl8Ef5gtmQzBGrI57WV65KQIWSsGyLK8CEvCL811IYnIXZPqTnH27Zdl-5Pw/w640-h480/IMG_3177.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Later that night, I got cleaned up and picked up Mom for dinner at the Thai restaurant and another play at the community theater.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK4Xhe4bceQHhMLQy0oqZfWfCxZisihUwRE0YCdFJPbZoKKsKbt7n1H4S4ArsIlX0AP6DDk75IA7Td5M7blhHtz4DSXw0w1Y6uxrfcinfYnbN6WhQNT9dJGvzFlS1LDHeKx_54f6HpfeH7eN82b9EUcx1RWSgTKBQZeHUdGgAj4PpaiOZF7ofbQ/s640/IMG_3179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK4Xhe4bceQHhMLQy0oqZfWfCxZisihUwRE0YCdFJPbZoKKsKbt7n1H4S4ArsIlX0AP6DDk75IA7Td5M7blhHtz4DSXw0w1Y6uxrfcinfYnbN6WhQNT9dJGvzFlS1LDHeKx_54f6HpfeH7eN82b9EUcx1RWSgTKBQZeHUdGgAj4PpaiOZF7ofbQ/w480-h640/IMG_3179.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMb-eXv7oBF3KvCPejixdyEDNuOSEz9wc054ref5-A0VIVB1mcQw9rjnZRSDTirSraYCC9KFCSFH0W9UP8RJhfbgdsuvgTBd1hoIfjcea5e6YcLT6Ifv76Eio5UhrpAv3oGtxgnQgSqCdpB7RBiosKz2fBWjl2w0DHAOtFzzpbQgOh-auKviuRA/s640/IMG_3184.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMb-eXv7oBF3KvCPejixdyEDNuOSEz9wc054ref5-A0VIVB1mcQw9rjnZRSDTirSraYCC9KFCSFH0W9UP8RJhfbgdsuvgTBd1hoIfjcea5e6YcLT6Ifv76Eio5UhrpAv3oGtxgnQgSqCdpB7RBiosKz2fBWjl2w0DHAOtFzzpbQgOh-auKviuRA/w480-h640/IMG_3184.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The play was a comedy and it was really quite hilarious. The set required a complete change over during each of the two intermissions, and the audience got to watch it happen, which was really very cool.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52gg-jBxWg6nYyxpncTeWzwpDNV2IDDYwSNbb9LwVdOtb8_xAa1B5lKcTywUpGfo6w-eVhDOvZ50K6npn6SVAZyVpcKkk6_KolNMDlGP9zs7fgxA0UHGlM4ndk6Yz-ET1ILSsS9Yji2y5Moixa9g3PjRPJNMex4QS2JgTo57c2T8a8MxC0Klp5Q/s640/IMG_3180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52gg-jBxWg6nYyxpncTeWzwpDNV2IDDYwSNbb9LwVdOtb8_xAa1B5lKcTywUpGfo6w-eVhDOvZ50K6npn6SVAZyVpcKkk6_KolNMDlGP9zs7fgxA0UHGlM4ndk6Yz-ET1ILSsS9Yji2y5Moixa9g3PjRPJNMex4QS2JgTo57c2T8a8MxC0Klp5Q/w480-h640/IMG_3180.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9qghpn3ZMYh0KK90jhMq_FZ7uNPrrO0K78WPfGTo2i5kmIRgvepjVv0Nn-DbPMPdkwJ1READuQaDyUf6kHLcLCpWfSsLeSbSz7inEXyApL3ETNT06CPDXT40JAntxHJiV0Gx_qLeyqmfFTD630r-qULGETNXYm8Gb8TlFV9NKwEsBzAyZ1isKQ/s640/IMG_3182.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9qghpn3ZMYh0KK90jhMq_FZ7uNPrrO0K78WPfGTo2i5kmIRgvepjVv0Nn-DbPMPdkwJ1READuQaDyUf6kHLcLCpWfSsLeSbSz7inEXyApL3ETNT06CPDXT40JAntxHJiV0Gx_qLeyqmfFTD630r-qULGETNXYm8Gb8TlFV9NKwEsBzAyZ1isKQ/w482-h640/IMG_3182.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Sunday was spent working at the hardware store, more embroidering, chatting with Hugh, who had been in Louisiana for the week, and who had just returned, as well as celebrating St. Paddy's Day with the Boomer dog, who would like you all to know that he is doing well.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlaw6sfwa97xfKKemECwZXnlM4femF676XC52XreGvOM7vAFswrhJPrA3AS3qbKiyoAgLyt_7IvU-SipUfzsVTKgbObAd3wzZhhByOOsbUAbsCtpeFOEfsQ0FYb4S67NfIHIz2RyCYMy3Hp-fUbFJ_WKlmPfk0nD_7m-hhGDQOZdoBEzNbktS3g/s640/Boomer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlaw6sfwa97xfKKemECwZXnlM4femF676XC52XreGvOM7vAFswrhJPrA3AS3qbKiyoAgLyt_7IvU-SipUfzsVTKgbObAd3wzZhhByOOsbUAbsCtpeFOEfsQ0FYb4S67NfIHIz2RyCYMy3Hp-fUbFJ_WKlmPfk0nD_7m-hhGDQOZdoBEzNbktS3g/w480-h640/Boomer.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>I also started watching <i>Quiet on the Set</i>, which is the documentary exploring Nickelodeon's history of child abuse. Like I don't get enough of that shit at Not So New Job, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, shame on Nickelodeon. That is all.</div><div> <br /><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-41182272904875237372024-03-15T07:36:00.006-06:002024-03-15T07:36:39.495-06:00Friday Favorites, Mid-March Edition<p>Happy Friday! It was another tough week at Not So New Job, and I am looking forward to spending the weekend at home, catching up on housework and starting a few projects for the wedding (yes, already!).</p><p>A while back, I wrote about my hunt for the milk glass vases that Shanti will be using for the table centerpieces; I mentioned that I have fallen for the vintage glass in all its' forms, and, today I bring you proof of that.</p><p>My first piece was the lamp that I showed in that earlier post, and I am still in love with it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_uL39TZlTkSKMHeFwpM6cJVGgd7oADkVwpSQFcoSjxZIMpBaz7mNAI_uON4Upkeht4xaFeMz519dIZb-bPYzyXWIfH00z4_erF4x8EoJTodLt8eo6HgUA9t-tVCCyGq8ZVOuLn4B8VELucdxaekybXkYcsX2YEO9F-2oDaO3KwAGYEDo-1rO9g/s640/IMG_2922.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_uL39TZlTkSKMHeFwpM6cJVGgd7oADkVwpSQFcoSjxZIMpBaz7mNAI_uON4Upkeht4xaFeMz519dIZb-bPYzyXWIfH00z4_erF4x8EoJTodLt8eo6HgUA9t-tVCCyGq8ZVOuLn4B8VELucdxaekybXkYcsX2YEO9F-2oDaO3KwAGYEDo-1rO9g/w480-h640/IMG_2922.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also found a smaller lamp at one of the antique stores in Hooterville. I fell hard for the little green lampshade and knew that the piece would look great in one of our guestrooms (Queen B's childhood room).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4zMuApguZTbj6tgbLwRxPpywJx4hyphenhyphenafrVLOSnSd5EJB8qSdKMYQq0pv5PKk4Ei-tECiVVMh7x_bRsT2_7q3hPnsfIKbMel3Wtaoifn0E7izJZE0Dp3iClZvE9-RwI0MsFxl3KvqahvEKA9OCc_ouDfm633LvilusaiZS0tOaKjPzs5HASEz9cw/s640/IMG_3010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4zMuApguZTbj6tgbLwRxPpywJx4hyphenhyphenafrVLOSnSd5EJB8qSdKMYQq0pv5PKk4Ei-tECiVVMh7x_bRsT2_7q3hPnsfIKbMel3Wtaoifn0E7izJZE0Dp3iClZvE9-RwI0MsFxl3KvqahvEKA9OCc_ouDfm633LvilusaiZS0tOaKjPzs5HASEz9cw/w480-h640/IMG_3010.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I have also purchased several small candy dishes, which are doing Easter duty at the moment.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5rm-iVzbaoH58b9KRAENYhATqMt4i7P_PxIgGBgLzgdq4sO5VKh2Sbz8fjoovrkIz7CD-9_9vw6W6CW1a0ICBnoTYzPbbZJK5F7lwzgG3WXgfWeBYax6XM2KcKVHSU26884giWc6JKmV-DJIcgKBA3_6MTUk8M0TT_vjCtmXOGe9tHg5j2_w-A/s640/IMG_3034.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5rm-iVzbaoH58b9KRAENYhATqMt4i7P_PxIgGBgLzgdq4sO5VKh2Sbz8fjoovrkIz7CD-9_9vw6W6CW1a0ICBnoTYzPbbZJK5F7lwzgG3WXgfWeBYax6XM2KcKVHSU26884giWc6JKmV-DJIcgKBA3_6MTUk8M0TT_vjCtmXOGe9tHg5j2_w-A/w480-h640/IMG_3034.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KoFv3EotUZVYWBzv1hZPJigjE0BqAObc0uElJb5MXrvkmiH40WNXDE7lNc70H9V8SJSq7yOqYfv8caG4f9361hb5WgJUKe6gNBko6YqNcsQr8TBMyXH48I2a08hCdoxxYQ9EGV0aoEOJ4FJC1w_2IhPo96domSKSGY9DzrcTkdVZ66v4kcHyFQ/s640/IMG_3012.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KoFv3EotUZVYWBzv1hZPJigjE0BqAObc0uElJb5MXrvkmiH40WNXDE7lNc70H9V8SJSq7yOqYfv8caG4f9361hb5WgJUKe6gNBko6YqNcsQr8TBMyXH48I2a08hCdoxxYQ9EGV0aoEOJ4FJC1w_2IhPo96domSKSGY9DzrcTkdVZ66v4kcHyFQ/w480-h640/IMG_3012.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And, this cake stand will be on display in my kitchen on a permanent basis; at the moment, it is holding my silver Easter egg plate, but I envision it as the base for a number of other items that I have on hand.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3foAp2b3E_3liKRfH5SXm4c2DFOJ2DcJvq5JiJuXUMBYjnEb2ASSFlS_tFjWYxPnwBcBL27kcIGFlB660XEh8eOvF1qPewz2jcmQJP_j1rtjWHaFVwkXuvXeCQ3QYhyphenhypheny9ClHBgsLWhlnyPHaEgAGBfyE4ipUVy3DKz7ABbgFad5VmaP4Q6FaIQ/s640/IMG_3015.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3foAp2b3E_3liKRfH5SXm4c2DFOJ2DcJvq5JiJuXUMBYjnEb2ASSFlS_tFjWYxPnwBcBL27kcIGFlB660XEh8eOvF1qPewz2jcmQJP_j1rtjWHaFVwkXuvXeCQ3QYhyphenhypheny9ClHBgsLWhlnyPHaEgAGBfyE4ipUVy3DKz7ABbgFad5VmaP4Q6FaIQ/w480-h640/IMG_3015.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I picked up several sets of candlestick holders; I plan to use them on the table at the rehearsal dinner, but am enjoying one set on the mantel, currently.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEJH6I7o3blIPqCgKH6IbrCksdvpDr7AvoHMiMwTYosVND8M1ibP5w_kPi-POygyoHkQFDsbsyYZSoxgMjyyAI6IKIFJL6DOZsW4kkcQZa8ZjPF-kwStAuyme6dRPYqsdN_F0INCOSs5gQdBBWfJXM5bsHGArUYH3yICXkWeVLgBkhGpdX0Yg4A/s640/IMG_3019.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEJH6I7o3blIPqCgKH6IbrCksdvpDr7AvoHMiMwTYosVND8M1ibP5w_kPi-POygyoHkQFDsbsyYZSoxgMjyyAI6IKIFJL6DOZsW4kkcQZa8ZjPF-kwStAuyme6dRPYqsdN_F0INCOSs5gQdBBWfJXM5bsHGArUYH3yICXkWeVLgBkhGpdX0Yg4A/w480-h640/IMG_3019.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />I almost passed on this adorable basket, but I'm really glad I didn't.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWF7GtSpblzszWCNETdWxpz2TNksS2GwcVXcIvJ_daX_LWPPidfx1KWsCorG_hKB1syhfg223UHC-g5EESKAczcxVb75aVxowTVv0UuZ9AHldiwcC4rADHJIMGpGrteyu74BEEWwL2F39qztdwKu4Ih9_gIOohu6P5PNtUp7iOHJv4WyfLwz5dkg/s640/IMG_3040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWF7GtSpblzszWCNETdWxpz2TNksS2GwcVXcIvJ_daX_LWPPidfx1KWsCorG_hKB1syhfg223UHC-g5EESKAczcxVb75aVxowTVv0UuZ9AHldiwcC4rADHJIMGpGrteyu74BEEWwL2F39qztdwKu4Ih9_gIOohu6P5PNtUp7iOHJv4WyfLwz5dkg/w640-h480/IMG_3040.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And, this banana stand might be my very favorite piece. You know, that <i>isn't</i> a lamp.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFx0535euKq5ivhd5Y13YYRMEX0lVURpT69MQIn3QxMWxnzCclPwGNy6SX299BJVCJxIJ_x9xig78miJMzG-Xqn-ZnSG1PR-VtihDBfPLkQznQdMaZ3pFNEK6xfcyQLRDVkRfntWsUED9XU50NfxTiuoQwsm65jVfawFNC438Z0iI-vif6oQDIw/s640/IMG_3042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFx0535euKq5ivhd5Y13YYRMEX0lVURpT69MQIn3QxMWxnzCclPwGNy6SX299BJVCJxIJ_x9xig78miJMzG-Xqn-ZnSG1PR-VtihDBfPLkQznQdMaZ3pFNEK6xfcyQLRDVkRfntWsUED9XU50NfxTiuoQwsm65jVfawFNC438Z0iI-vif6oQDIw/w640-h480/IMG_3042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I feel pretty confident that I am done buying milk glass for the foreseeable future, but, I guess one should never say never.</p><p>In other favorite news; Mom finally, finally sold the house in Mayberry. She got full asking price and will now be able to pay off the loan on her townhouse in Hooterville. To celebrate being mortgage-free again, she invited us all out to dinner on her. She told us to order anything that we wanted off the menu and the Man-Cub took her up on the offer by ordering the shrimp Alfredo with a lobster tail on the side.</p><p>That sounded good to Mom, so she added a lobster tail to her steak, too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUI0bg964vuH4THbHAk1Yh5cktLbtkTtmONDBXos7OQNdyKD9Cbrp7BEupv56G98sNR6hOTnqftMbLxGydNaYsJmXPDMCehxbOghKGuYEIhtoB90lu6KNEEGnv_EUJe0ZxHILHyROtKSRIKbgJomLZ-J00od5vHkOG_8XMe3Plp4Ig1d8nJmkSw/s640/IMG_3129.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUI0bg964vuH4THbHAk1Yh5cktLbtkTtmONDBXos7OQNdyKD9Cbrp7BEupv56G98sNR6hOTnqftMbLxGydNaYsJmXPDMCehxbOghKGuYEIhtoB90lu6KNEEGnv_EUJe0ZxHILHyROtKSRIKbgJomLZ-J00od5vHkOG_8XMe3Plp4Ig1d8nJmkSw/w480-h640/IMG_3129.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3hYJLYMBqQe8I_e5C-FffAcsHDRr1HVaqQ86lCWp7Qova1qBY7BPGU-N4s2p9tmWcSGkuAJ-q8E7kLhCF71PQR04NGVm4z9Tgtdt10vhGsY0TwQe0arOWB2N9ehPuYNACus3wbK7QJC55jcvyTR0Q6TOAWSTz_Gmx2LBelQ9Ey1FMkZKTgH-Yg/s640/IMG_3128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3hYJLYMBqQe8I_e5C-FffAcsHDRr1HVaqQ86lCWp7Qova1qBY7BPGU-N4s2p9tmWcSGkuAJ-q8E7kLhCF71PQR04NGVm4z9Tgtdt10vhGsY0TwQe0arOWB2N9ehPuYNACus3wbK7QJC55jcvyTR0Q6TOAWSTz_Gmx2LBelQ9Ey1FMkZKTgH-Yg/w480-h640/IMG_3128.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbWRQRYjBbKXbvjcsN_nNwyxN0RooUDbLC_9EL3tjl9YhHX103KyKXqP-9tadSzIYqSahXmok7ncMaGsDumowCh9z-ZXFkU31y7xWAcxye00GtfQGD4mY8Mg8xWSSF72_jNY2mltCtXOA98iKg75M-xcIAgbG8DsHXbZlm2XBZhkZgTTUU078dQ/s640/IMG_3127.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbWRQRYjBbKXbvjcsN_nNwyxN0RooUDbLC_9EL3tjl9YhHX103KyKXqP-9tadSzIYqSahXmok7ncMaGsDumowCh9z-ZXFkU31y7xWAcxye00GtfQGD4mY8Mg8xWSSF72_jNY2mltCtXOA98iKg75M-xcIAgbG8DsHXbZlm2XBZhkZgTTUU078dQ/w480-h640/IMG_3127.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I had the chicken Alfredo primavera, and definitely did <i>not</i> add a lobster tail. Shanti had a small filet mignon and chose a side of the linguini because she also knows that lobster is the cockroach of the ocean (have I mentioned that she's going to be my favorite daughter-in-love, ever?)</div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga95nMcqGOZ5dfQnk5kPlSJKLbc7-7FvUOIkV1_NUhYeDpzlReHaa-ygKqdSlP_iSqnhqOu38zdftHUTaK_0hUIvVOZIX9-jcYFY5pe7BD2uDwUsGXIgY2c_g9DiFOi6sKzcBOgCp87w7wSQwIZgyVe1YELs8xdRQsNZOPQ7NqshbgM9m82EXWoA/s640/IMG_3126.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga95nMcqGOZ5dfQnk5kPlSJKLbc7-7FvUOIkV1_NUhYeDpzlReHaa-ygKqdSlP_iSqnhqOu38zdftHUTaK_0hUIvVOZIX9-jcYFY5pe7BD2uDwUsGXIgY2c_g9DiFOi6sKzcBOgCp87w7wSQwIZgyVe1YELs8xdRQsNZOPQ7NqshbgM9m82EXWoA/w480-h640/IMG_3126.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Hugh had prime rib...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHW2NC_gFnJefzPmDz4kRudk_WyjBfXB7M2_vdGWebsfWMTSi8XrgSnOxMVnNgoGYqyW3fIUX6XS48JrFl1owuiwJ0PJ74mXGVn_3hjC-8pt8NnvZ-BfWlFfigHYL5_NXFH3PRZp78fSgUDdGluwi8nxt_3ryW_XwCC7U8PcGpvTvqL504KTSdQ/s640/IMG_3131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHW2NC_gFnJefzPmDz4kRudk_WyjBfXB7M2_vdGWebsfWMTSi8XrgSnOxMVnNgoGYqyW3fIUX6XS48JrFl1owuiwJ0PJ74mXGVn_3hjC-8pt8NnvZ-BfWlFfigHYL5_NXFH3PRZp78fSgUDdGluwi8nxt_3ryW_XwCC7U8PcGpvTvqL504KTSdQ/w480-h640/IMG_3131.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>...and both Oscar and Emily had the crab-stuffed salmon.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDwnKbsTtc7iW8Afwfn4EOaBwblDlDOurnreVvNRKvIhEuflRBN0T-OJOvi1PemWMPzyjauTVMuOT4JeB-2ahemansZuCCEmtBzaivyK2pk0NZ9oFyYX8pZIYmFVKNXZBl2OcZuFy_6ZT5xrIRRIfxEBxxSInvmlnlDJBCVF30QoAB-7rBH8XCA/s640/IMG_3132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDwnKbsTtc7iW8Afwfn4EOaBwblDlDOurnreVvNRKvIhEuflRBN0T-OJOvi1PemWMPzyjauTVMuOT4JeB-2ahemansZuCCEmtBzaivyK2pk0NZ9oFyYX8pZIYmFVKNXZBl2OcZuFy_6ZT5xrIRRIfxEBxxSInvmlnlDJBCVF30QoAB-7rBH8XCA/w480-h640/IMG_3132.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>It was a delicious evening and definitely something that we all felt worth celebrating. Making this final break from my childhood home was a long time in coming, and absolutely necessary for Mom's peace of mind.</p><p>I'll raise a glass to that!</p><p>Now, I am off to start my weekend of nesting. Before I do, though, I am going into Hooterville for a facial at the day spa; the house isn't the only thing in need of a thorough cleaning.</p><p>Have a great weekend!</p><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-83448034858902677072024-03-11T08:49:00.003-06:002024-03-12T06:28:01.708-06:00Women of Distinction<p>This past Friday night, I was honored to be included among twenty amazing women at Hooterville's Women Of Distinction Gala. I still have no idea who nominated me for the award, but I am grateful for, and humbled by, the nomination.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_Nks7cSty7DsdDz2DyRzLhg4uKacaEIlOXWdA7c0ViuCKcS0nHLmIcZ6BolRCjphilxv5kkskYY_C6HOz97OqOa60LBV894Ao68QfFH2IcZqplDDrhRsPUH7ZzI5etxiSxNZDjHg6mCO2RCVruyf6FIc9cqcXIdKWdPx-bZbPs8DDX7ubYgFvw/s640/IMG_6767.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_Nks7cSty7DsdDz2DyRzLhg4uKacaEIlOXWdA7c0ViuCKcS0nHLmIcZ6BolRCjphilxv5kkskYY_C6HOz97OqOa60LBV894Ao68QfFH2IcZqplDDrhRsPUH7ZzI5etxiSxNZDjHg6mCO2RCVruyf6FIc9cqcXIdKWdPx-bZbPs8DDX7ubYgFvw/w480-h640/IMG_6767.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNZO4NkGUWUnS7U0GEIMpBxnrD7fUexyWQhJoqLtfyRTIThnPIRNfRsSl6vuJvCoeEhq1YUQuwnDrJ5O6mv2UCMC3WtIHNvI8DXJMJeVdqUSfeH-kFvuCO9AHwiwa90KO7euA8g_NhgSClrEaIEfc1z4xuMB_g3cU0hEy_BpdidLVOujxfpsOvA/s640/IMG_0827.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNZO4NkGUWUnS7U0GEIMpBxnrD7fUexyWQhJoqLtfyRTIThnPIRNfRsSl6vuJvCoeEhq1YUQuwnDrJ5O6mv2UCMC3WtIHNvI8DXJMJeVdqUSfeH-kFvuCO9AHwiwa90KO7euA8g_NhgSClrEaIEfc1z4xuMB_g3cU0hEy_BpdidLVOujxfpsOvA/w640-h480/IMG_0827.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Late last month, when I was told about the nomination, I joined the other women at a photo shoot for a magazine, as well as for use at the gala. We also met at the country club (where my staff and I took the golf clinic last summer) for a cocktail party, where I got to know the other recipients; many I already knew, but, I also made some new friends.<div><br /></div><div>I got to sit on a stage with those new friends, in front of a sold-out auditorium, which, could have been intimidating, were it not for their support. And, really, that is what the awards ceremony was all about: women supporting and recognizing the achievements of other women. I was incredibly proud of all of us.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cBtDWgK6LjgidcBDLDBkQNwsbIZe6CcT2Yh3Ed-ExIiUKeQ6ayZOXEPIUcB9v8LJM6gyTanDmTQIp7PGt8_ZvD96lApOOlzgYKC66xZ3XfeuAvCS_pdUVKPv271lKeppqB8qQkccSm_KN6hkggSuWMW28heHl66r3v02qlMRMQW42ycwmmOx0Q/s640/IMG_3118.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cBtDWgK6LjgidcBDLDBkQNwsbIZe6CcT2Yh3Ed-ExIiUKeQ6ayZOXEPIUcB9v8LJM6gyTanDmTQIp7PGt8_ZvD96lApOOlzgYKC66xZ3XfeuAvCS_pdUVKPv271lKeppqB8qQkccSm_KN6hkggSuWMW28heHl66r3v02qlMRMQW42ycwmmOx0Q/w360-h640/IMG_3118.PNG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhKDjXb83m5186xvsPz87YX4Qu8tba8sczktnrmfM9rVtwZrtEGe8wCV3TS7BXF3WaW3PGAM9jRhnT3w3XEtxO4-svf9NCP7mzsQdT1aaJv8sINOt93gV0yHIGau5JJC5Px2meM1iMEpPNp3NM29d3ZEJSta7uIoIecor5-o2b9HRgSEC1UzaGw/s640/IMG_3117.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhKDjXb83m5186xvsPz87YX4Qu8tba8sczktnrmfM9rVtwZrtEGe8wCV3TS7BXF3WaW3PGAM9jRhnT3w3XEtxO4-svf9NCP7mzsQdT1aaJv8sINOt93gV0yHIGau5JJC5Px2meM1iMEpPNp3NM29d3ZEJSta7uIoIecor5-o2b9HRgSEC1UzaGw/w360-h640/IMG_3117.PNG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-rGKhvLzpkua_SWvEyIFedoR4Cx1fjEA6ecWhmQwdmMGxti4CSlnDYk5rX6OKHkTZ1QxRskgIWHt_IKbQV2wkryRbbaEaq2Yf8CEEERTd4Y0eOrCkCWMGhS1t9Tby-uqVHIZ4_hj9nnPulrBMo-Xhr49mGbd4JwTq7dX0kj-3ayqi-Y3K36vkA/s640/IMG_6783.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-rGKhvLzpkua_SWvEyIFedoR4Cx1fjEA6ecWhmQwdmMGxti4CSlnDYk5rX6OKHkTZ1QxRskgIWHt_IKbQV2wkryRbbaEaq2Yf8CEEERTd4Y0eOrCkCWMGhS1t9Tby-uqVHIZ4_hj9nnPulrBMo-Xhr49mGbd4JwTq7dX0kj-3ayqi-Y3K36vkA/w640-h480/IMG_6783.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2mmDXEeYwxOnFkqLcCUPqZuwdmBR8l792Vfow0snD5BLrPfqoIVLil5tZZBf8GW_uu2pzRUuTuKjT-oLIfv-AazIO2K1dEiSc9Sl2AeDT3sz9KEJ1n78EUCD6iprEQrcILR__GZsb1yHzrQukuUCOEw3WFCwS1wNnPk1JlDkf8TVwdHT1sWqYQ/s640/IMG_3119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2mmDXEeYwxOnFkqLcCUPqZuwdmBR8l792Vfow0snD5BLrPfqoIVLil5tZZBf8GW_uu2pzRUuTuKjT-oLIfv-AazIO2K1dEiSc9Sl2AeDT3sz9KEJ1n78EUCD6iprEQrcILR__GZsb1yHzrQukuUCOEw3WFCwS1wNnPk1JlDkf8TVwdHT1sWqYQ/w480-h640/IMG_3119.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was also really proud to accept the award in front of my staff and my family, who dressed to the nines to be there to celebrate with me. What can I say? We all clean up really well.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDKfs9-Y6ZUXAoLGpPCbz8XQqDoWUHAA6BEVw1nLDO3k1zMEBzBVLbg-NK3AJaK9YOeJvq839Hu8WqxtM9JSGSUUi9SOBMFGCA_76AF3IPcYRb0hUZOuRcO83rlAE75w5DeanXDnoOXGts0scn-1RbVK_YT-b-4ZhW-0Dy6KXvaGH5ZCtqYEftQ/s640/IMG_3093.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDKfs9-Y6ZUXAoLGpPCbz8XQqDoWUHAA6BEVw1nLDO3k1zMEBzBVLbg-NK3AJaK9YOeJvq839Hu8WqxtM9JSGSUUi9SOBMFGCA_76AF3IPcYRb0hUZOuRcO83rlAE75w5DeanXDnoOXGts0scn-1RbVK_YT-b-4ZhW-0Dy6KXvaGH5ZCtqYEftQ/w482-h640/IMG_3093.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLuV3fYCVDGxtubdtFI6Wer3iWFFL2smoiuieuJmUr_NSKPlgB2xte8ONqVFUBuDT9lWjMXTj0P311HKKZPj8em3sZf-i8RTOsCp36URdGKKtWIckU8uVRF1MYSA9aRQ4qP0AMcrvbywnOeoW5KxzrObok9QBkW0yaRh38vF2XA7S_Gkw7UG57g/s640/IMG_3094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLuV3fYCVDGxtubdtFI6Wer3iWFFL2smoiuieuJmUr_NSKPlgB2xte8ONqVFUBuDT9lWjMXTj0P311HKKZPj8em3sZf-i8RTOsCp36URdGKKtWIckU8uVRF1MYSA9aRQ4qP0AMcrvbywnOeoW5KxzrObok9QBkW0yaRh38vF2XA7S_Gkw7UG57g/w482-h640/IMG_3094.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EQRQD4cfbB64ZEh18eqBEUoU3p6W8i39Ls0NZr1Yw6l2OXwzJAdWShTH4ix_5Id7ef27KoqTHnR4KGQaheOEgcKZzYZxxb0ZPDzfMl6aeHpjO6_aEd5ZvjLtBFe8t3f41si76yspGtmofVAcUDIn6F6cnVIt5VVmtmC9ZP4JoSJlNsHtgv33lg/s640/IMG_3095.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EQRQD4cfbB64ZEh18eqBEUoU3p6W8i39Ls0NZr1Yw6l2OXwzJAdWShTH4ix_5Id7ef27KoqTHnR4KGQaheOEgcKZzYZxxb0ZPDzfMl6aeHpjO6_aEd5ZvjLtBFe8t3f41si76yspGtmofVAcUDIn6F6cnVIt5VVmtmC9ZP4JoSJlNsHtgv33lg/w480-h640/IMG_3095.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtLPbTcy1OB1K3iYYn6pGcQNoU5XNttEPyvP4bow_WUK0_tNjEwYBTKNWNbeIaI2EeEFl_lYFQOMb8p03_iSOx304XUZI-1Ceb0rSfpH5Ow1s8ZIk4joQPzS2hvOf-PFoP1VHQ27eyKvfW61tsJnpF8DFYawY7VyuDObgvm0J-4trDD4OeNFSKQ/s640/IMG_3096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtLPbTcy1OB1K3iYYn6pGcQNoU5XNttEPyvP4bow_WUK0_tNjEwYBTKNWNbeIaI2EeEFl_lYFQOMb8p03_iSOx304XUZI-1Ceb0rSfpH5Ow1s8ZIk4joQPzS2hvOf-PFoP1VHQ27eyKvfW61tsJnpF8DFYawY7VyuDObgvm0J-4trDD4OeNFSKQ/w640-h482/IMG_3096.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOrNBq4OYS39l19flRQFXdRcdqMWhdwbq29ct7vRXib25r78O2J-B7XIXrtbs5R1ilgLq3hyphenhyphenMDP-uHfndvXbHAjdTO4zTzFhYGYnV4-gNkSsYuuGU3UYN1mRBTgMUD0FV25MM6B4Q2evFuRldcxaKmSL-GeYd8YNp2zVipDwvPKjux2StFQ_iIA/s640/IMG_3097.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOrNBq4OYS39l19flRQFXdRcdqMWhdwbq29ct7vRXib25r78O2J-B7XIXrtbs5R1ilgLq3hyphenhyphenMDP-uHfndvXbHAjdTO4zTzFhYGYnV4-gNkSsYuuGU3UYN1mRBTgMUD0FV25MM6B4Q2evFuRldcxaKmSL-GeYd8YNp2zVipDwvPKjux2StFQ_iIA/w480-h640/IMG_3097.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40-qb8GQHPSVvTtobrd4kR_bzGx6tRZz0TEoeBFJF7fbpTIsRCMX7V5aV3x1a4o1CY8oHOvIZQF0Da2hjqFN-42joF8JQZzI6aXl5fzVqdie9DzBO5mHY6CygsTAxzICDrdkrwtF5giHghVaghQoTMap4X7mA2X2hTh8LEWeS8_cF6x0TPITUrg/s640/IMG_3098.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40-qb8GQHPSVvTtobrd4kR_bzGx6tRZz0TEoeBFJF7fbpTIsRCMX7V5aV3x1a4o1CY8oHOvIZQF0Da2hjqFN-42joF8JQZzI6aXl5fzVqdie9DzBO5mHY6CygsTAxzICDrdkrwtF5giHghVaghQoTMap4X7mA2X2hTh8LEWeS8_cF6x0TPITUrg/w480-h640/IMG_3098.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JJm5MCGzt_uQdHEp4at1-bC8fIuRIzSCVfhx694Mt-ezIV_n_tAJvxaeHvtYYUAgSCRwcLjUWUjesB4SKX4FIJWt2lWFqos7ZwaeDBrABlavxa8pgoRM5gZ9T-vGar4jVmpLLDtxr662zBRe0xA7nqkEn-Mqe8oNAB1xV0wBYxPKbAqV61NBhw/s640/IMG_3099.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JJm5MCGzt_uQdHEp4at1-bC8fIuRIzSCVfhx694Mt-ezIV_n_tAJvxaeHvtYYUAgSCRwcLjUWUjesB4SKX4FIJWt2lWFqos7ZwaeDBrABlavxa8pgoRM5gZ9T-vGar4jVmpLLDtxr662zBRe0xA7nqkEn-Mqe8oNAB1xV0wBYxPKbAqV61NBhw/w640-h480/IMG_3099.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After the ceremony, we ate a delicious dinner, and, then there was dancing. I did not partake of the dancing because my feet were already killing me. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next year, I will have the opportunity to attend the gala as a presenter, and I am already looking forward to that; I may even nominate one of the amazing women that I know in my life for the honor. I can think of several who are more than deserving.</div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-53541572732723179512024-03-10T07:35:00.001-06:002024-03-10T07:35:00.131-06:00The Internets Made Me Do It, Again<p>This may need to become a regular series on ye old blog; lord knows I could use the content.</p><p>Anyhoodle, I saw this super easy Easter craft floating around on both Instagram and the TikTok, so I figured I would give it a go. </p><p>I purchased most of the materials from the Dollar Tree in Hooterville, plus a few flowers from the Hellmouth next door to it (for those of you new to this blog, the Hellmouth is my nickname for the big box store that starts with a W and ends with a stress-induced headache). For this project you will need:</p><p>1. Some sort of pedestal base. I purchased a candle holder for mine.</p><p>2. A center item. This could vary, based on your tastes and style.</p><p>3. A small piece of floral foam, ideally one shaped to fit your base, although, the floral foam is easy to shave down to meet your specific needs.</p><p>4. A selection of artificial flowers and greenery, the cheaper, the better.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBYIVxg2K8w0tDI5h3neocZ4uPv6evAzK7ABsPop7cH5RplfC8-5qmpg_dypmhVyKLO4F-AUtaZbi140pwWv_S9jBJ1gqbGq6F2acpSHtREaRezJnhHS1nZuAYzLG6buOl3YA_Yrq91XylE4eCA4-7MuG4ke2a30R4Dwe3kzqLNT64wnrYKkwDA/s640/IMG_2929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBYIVxg2K8w0tDI5h3neocZ4uPv6evAzK7ABsPop7cH5RplfC8-5qmpg_dypmhVyKLO4F-AUtaZbi140pwWv_S9jBJ1gqbGq6F2acpSHtREaRezJnhHS1nZuAYzLG6buOl3YA_Yrq91XylE4eCA4-7MuG4ke2a30R4Dwe3kzqLNT64wnrYKkwDA/w480-h640/IMG_2929.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The only tools needed are a hot glue gun and a pair of wire cutters, to separate the stems of the flowers.</p><p>The whole project consists of three steps:</p><p>1. Glue the floral foam onto the candle holder.</p><p>2. Glue the center item (in this case, an adorable bunny; he's wearing <i>glasses</i>!) onto the floral foam.</p><p>3. Separate the flowers into single blooms.</p><p>4. Shove the stems of the flowers and greenery into the floral foam in whatever design/shape your heart desires. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRcwTz64A7IjxzopDJ2RgdDXX2Eqs_JH125KrOm6fWgvX90sKNj3XaQoBjo2YtmJKisVX539OUx-dDlqRB4oNu7rdGFTQ0DuON4atrfeRDwOcoUcWyuWyoef3ER_K1NdjKZDFO1LS19O5hXr7u7U3lgIaK93oR_nYYyYwN51ZU30KJFPJ1BBGgw/s640/IMG_2930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRcwTz64A7IjxzopDJ2RgdDXX2Eqs_JH125KrOm6fWgvX90sKNj3XaQoBjo2YtmJKisVX539OUx-dDlqRB4oNu7rdGFTQ0DuON4atrfeRDwOcoUcWyuWyoef3ER_K1NdjKZDFO1LS19O5hXr7u7U3lgIaK93oR_nYYyYwN51ZU30KJFPJ1BBGgw/w480-h640/IMG_2930.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>That's it. It turned out really cute, and was relatively easy and inexpensive. So, thanks to the creatives on the Internets. I wonder what I should do next...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfn409QtjqglKAej2-voZ1DTybJ7gYa9h2BJdeE5ul2m7H9rms_wxLICvZzRMSPLNx49d8_gMFc5S5UUBzRB8k1K-v9rP334cfK5MndNi-AziYWdSqd7NOX5Xtvgu5a-LlQxKyKvY_Wk_WsiTyqRKN_u9KfPgXRVhdUC5ZkfCxCLmMusEOqWr_Q/s640/IMG_2934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfn409QtjqglKAej2-voZ1DTybJ7gYa9h2BJdeE5ul2m7H9rms_wxLICvZzRMSPLNx49d8_gMFc5S5UUBzRB8k1K-v9rP334cfK5MndNi-AziYWdSqd7NOX5Xtvgu5a-LlQxKyKvY_Wk_WsiTyqRKN_u9KfPgXRVhdUC5ZkfCxCLmMusEOqWr_Q/w480-h640/IMG_2934.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-40496659545022801612024-03-08T07:23:00.009-07:002024-03-08T07:29:44.997-07:00Friday Favorites, Eye on Spring Edition<p> Didn't I tell you not to trust that damn groundhog?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoq-KqbZZVixsfr8HFpXdgRHe-vbNjKnvEejprt4r19_VaPmWMpCd2pBPeXkGUNfhtw86lbzxXCGBeanhoOmpkcoW1lPmgPAw2vApIj8dLqIy_8L4-BZQB7lc08Qz6dfdIU2yUlzCFd-VEKLA1vWKqbFCid0Gp3twagQpY1jmlhrk6-lZ4_iCDQ/s640/IMG_2971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoq-KqbZZVixsfr8HFpXdgRHe-vbNjKnvEejprt4r19_VaPmWMpCd2pBPeXkGUNfhtw86lbzxXCGBeanhoOmpkcoW1lPmgPAw2vApIj8dLqIy_8L4-BZQB7lc08Qz6dfdIU2yUlzCFd-VEKLA1vWKqbFCid0Gp3twagQpY1jmlhrk6-lZ4_iCDQ/w480-h640/IMG_2971.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The two snowstorms that we have had the past week and a half are definitely NOT favorites. On the bright side, the snow was the typical wet, heavy variety, so it has melted off fairly quickly, and; the moisture has gone a long way in hydrating the various flower bulbs that are slowly pushing their way up. Still...damn groundhog.<div><br /></div><div>But, if this is a post about favorites, I guess I better get to it.</div><div><br /></div><div>While it is cold and wet outside, it's sunny and springish inside. I recently made this centerpiece, using items from the Dollar Tree. It turned out pretty cute, if I do say so, myself.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LvQBb8l5idwxnricQc7fugY55JxkDNDVy698e1jRv4WVsAXqmP2IJxVoC8OMbA_CFMexVtcFzs4h9L-uqjyV5VxJq9pfWS8r72b8wxtmlMg79qa9Uzpst4ETZ3rBUhJGl4GZKWXZ-7dAitR_DZ_Kgme9RBn4gk2J-BAdU2em-9kBllsmzEZE5w/s640/IMG_2972.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LvQBb8l5idwxnricQc7fugY55JxkDNDVy698e1jRv4WVsAXqmP2IJxVoC8OMbA_CFMexVtcFzs4h9L-uqjyV5VxJq9pfWS8r72b8wxtmlMg79qa9Uzpst4ETZ3rBUhJGl4GZKWXZ-7dAitR_DZ_Kgme9RBn4gk2J-BAdU2em-9kBllsmzEZE5w/w480-h640/IMG_2972.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jOfKFW96tm4ZdIQt4cqEtIVgcfUZ4z_4QcsPbLOHdXrGLyjCR8IjizQYqXYQceOW9xrZMLLb6v78D9yF_Bo4AMMfllzCRzDycOkZDEFXqjmIOJxHG7hlaBDhK_vpfRQ3eHw0rvVypMQ0lUCOc-mqsNl73vkln7k3YJ0Ulc_ekPRKsI0VwG8aLQ/s640/IMG_2935.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jOfKFW96tm4ZdIQt4cqEtIVgcfUZ4z_4QcsPbLOHdXrGLyjCR8IjizQYqXYQceOW9xrZMLLb6v78D9yF_Bo4AMMfllzCRzDycOkZDEFXqjmIOJxHG7hlaBDhK_vpfRQ3eHw0rvVypMQ0lUCOc-mqsNl73vkln7k3YJ0Ulc_ekPRKsI0VwG8aLQ/w480-h640/IMG_2935.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the quest to find enough vintage milk glass vases for the wedding, I have managed to fall in love with hobnail milk glass of all types. I found this lamp on Mercari and I love how it looks in my bedroom.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKaTS4BFJgGpEwJxiCJxeDn-CfPER3edznijcUsjB6ft7YFWJo1dLxvb-y5Dw_ZVkkOiaU3enCJWJ4F2oDAC7iqrQKH9kYCJUcSGGhxtK-oqYY5SOcViY7Y7MbgKQ6t6zKKDlqpTiEeW1ukVSnEuqmzSO2mdEA3f71c2_M6qm62ZRk75yRISzag/s640/IMG_2922.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKaTS4BFJgGpEwJxiCJxeDn-CfPER3edznijcUsjB6ft7YFWJo1dLxvb-y5Dw_ZVkkOiaU3enCJWJ4F2oDAC7iqrQKH9kYCJUcSGGhxtK-oqYY5SOcViY7Y7MbgKQ6t6zKKDlqpTiEeW1ukVSnEuqmzSO2mdEA3f71c2_M6qm62ZRk75yRISzag/w480-h640/IMG_2922.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The little dish is also vintage hobnail milk glass, and I have managed to collect several additional ones that are spread out all over the house; I'll have to share the entire collection at some point.</div><div><br /></div>Last weekend, the Man-Cub, Shanti, and I grabbed breakfast at a new restaurant in Pixler while on our way to a shopping trip in Neighboring City. The restaurant is located inside the nursery where Shanti, Mom, and I like to go to pick our own flowers in the summertime; it's under new management so it has a brand new menu. I ordered the Croque Madam and it was <i>delicious</i>.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8YYltGNQJcsI8MlOCeqrdgtDglW2NHns4_3mKW6ewpUpttPzdOtOFyr4FLSzHlhaV30oYURWQBu5NGpYbgGvO4N1WVT1d0T344JJfj_j7te6IaI2t57AsI1SpoeWQkC6RMBIRIQbPiGOFE70PCfsVx1RgjLDIpmCnbqPKF013R3bUZebiyXOug/s640/IMG_2960.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8YYltGNQJcsI8MlOCeqrdgtDglW2NHns4_3mKW6ewpUpttPzdOtOFyr4FLSzHlhaV30oYURWQBu5NGpYbgGvO4N1WVT1d0T344JJfj_j7te6IaI2t57AsI1SpoeWQkC6RMBIRIQbPiGOFE70PCfsVx1RgjLDIpmCnbqPKF013R3bUZebiyXOug/w480-h640/IMG_2960.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EVI2HyueWCPqTAJSn6e-n1Z4bnMeux8IwIGl-RH4_7u9XGeLLOKNHV4xNyHrsKibQQMfiSKveT4e1nTUNBmGTycj2AUhX7WIEkNPnNwzRo8u9i3CV2N99GCecLTNC3-l6N1faxT3e4sny3eJOKROW_ZMMOQBDeWZa2t-Y4HIXOHVf4uX-v1NvQ/s640/IMG_2961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EVI2HyueWCPqTAJSn6e-n1Z4bnMeux8IwIGl-RH4_7u9XGeLLOKNHV4xNyHrsKibQQMfiSKveT4e1nTUNBmGTycj2AUhX7WIEkNPnNwzRo8u9i3CV2N99GCecLTNC3-l6N1faxT3e4sny3eJOKROW_ZMMOQBDeWZa2t-Y4HIXOHVf4uX-v1NvQ/w480-h640/IMG_2961.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8YWy8_ZqDAQxNfY6THS_orGffatV0AgFjg93PhS0usUYLRLzhicwtLFlowPCx7Y2NrLXSLi0pH27HSiMZTcXMpA7GS6imi1hfdoD2pSjiI927JQkDP6SbqWD2i8qSv9QHoyKImlJajysyMkUrLYbj20n8Zre76OnFnRG2jKxopE22z06mDX9Xw/s640/IMG_2965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8YWy8_ZqDAQxNfY6THS_orGffatV0AgFjg93PhS0usUYLRLzhicwtLFlowPCx7Y2NrLXSLi0pH27HSiMZTcXMpA7GS6imi1hfdoD2pSjiI927JQkDP6SbqWD2i8qSv9QHoyKImlJajysyMkUrLYbj20n8Zre76OnFnRG2jKxopE22z06mDX9Xw/w480-h640/IMG_2965.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Speaking of yummy things; I bought cookies and drinks for my staff this week. They have been busting their asses covering additional tasks while our FI Coordinator is away and I really appreciate their dedication. The cookies, from Twisted Sugar, were <i>ah-mayyyzing</i>, and we all agree that we prefer them over Crumbl Cookies.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZt2c_1KI6jIhwBEc0i_CAHKfZ-yZrRuap-wJ18L1kBIwcOnj5YLT846nTIEvL4at_6Y-H_4Y9NbrBA2F0Ct2v08UJIcV1MMkN2qrnglin8Q3yiO1Kj-RQNQ7jDpNA2DA-tQcmOf_1btNBWIgN2nPQMU4t-hayDKFRDOG4oGCYcWERjOopWJvZbg/s640/IMG_2999.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZt2c_1KI6jIhwBEc0i_CAHKfZ-yZrRuap-wJ18L1kBIwcOnj5YLT846nTIEvL4at_6Y-H_4Y9NbrBA2F0Ct2v08UJIcV1MMkN2qrnglin8Q3yiO1Kj-RQNQ7jDpNA2DA-tQcmOf_1btNBWIgN2nPQMU4t-hayDKFRDOG4oGCYcWERjOopWJvZbg/w480-h640/IMG_2999.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Since I mentioned our FI Coordinator, I will say that her son is responding very, very well to his cancer treatments and we are super hopeful that the family will be able to return home from Denver soon; he will continue to receive treatment in Neighboring City, but at least he will be able to sleep in his own bed, play with his dogs, see his younger brother, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>And, now I am off! I have a dressy event tonight and it probably wouldn't hurt to jump on a treadmill for a few (hours) so that I will fit comfortably into my dress. More on that in another post.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-38932758522224367032024-03-04T09:44:00.006-07:002024-03-04T09:44:25.275-07:00The Long Goodbye<p>The news from Wednesday's vet appointment was just about the worst that we could have expected. Boomer has stage 3 anal sac cancer, which has metastasized to his lymph nodes. The original tumor is about the size of a baseball, and it is firmly attached to the rectum, which makes it inoperable. The vet did give us the option of traveling to Colorado State University, where Boomer would be treated with radiation and chemotherapy in an effort to shrink the tumor, but, even if that worked, the surgery required to remove it would also destroy his rectum, which would result in the doggie version of a colostomy bag. That option might give us an additional few months with him. </p><p>Our other option, is simply to let nature take its course, which will give us somewhere between six months and a year with Boomer. The vet assured me that Boomer is in no pain (which is obvious, given his behavior, appetite, and play drive). He also said that he won't experience significant pain until much closer to the end. However, as the tumor grows, it is narrowing Boomer's colon, which will make it increasingly difficult for Boomer to poop. When we get to a point where, even with stool softeners, he is experiencing too much difficulty, or, if the cancer metastasizes to his lungs, making it difficult to breathe; we will know that it is time to let him go.</p><p>We chose option two. </p><p>I can't bring myself to put Boomer through a lengthy treatment that will just make him sick. Currently, he has no idea that he is unwell, and, I want that to be the case for as long as possible. On a practical level; it makes no sense for us to move to the Front Range to pursue treatment that will cost upwards of $20,000, to possibly gain just a few months, with a decreased quality of life. </p><p>I vastly prefer to let Boomer be Boomer for as long as we can.</p><p>To that end, we are loving on him with all our hearts. We are indulging him in all the previously forbidden snacks (plus adding a stool softener and a probiotic to his diet), playing ball whenever he wants, and doing all the things that Boomer loves to do.</p><p>I pray that we get a year with him, but I also pray that when it is time, we show him the grace of a peaceful exit without delaying it due to our own selfishness. I love him too much to be selfish.</p><p>And, that's the update.</p><p>But, it's not the end of the story; expect frequent Boomer-related content as we move forward. I want to document all of the joy that this dog experiences, and all of the joy that he brings to us and to everyone who loves him, and, trust me when I say; a <i>lot</i> of people love him. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1XdBq6yOerkgu23aWA-0q6A-ltm0rsjw4b9o008DJPHUT8pF4T4tEoIoDh-pzQI_UYvcvhfqac0EQ4ofuHY11C2SpweBia82_i-1LQ5hvu6nJ8L9qzf_dzh5KSRHhgszAWCp9aJke8ZlgfwbCbYjpsgpQUQgpvgyxiFYQyOAYGZuTB3VYdRhwQ/s640/IMG_2913.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1XdBq6yOerkgu23aWA-0q6A-ltm0rsjw4b9o008DJPHUT8pF4T4tEoIoDh-pzQI_UYvcvhfqac0EQ4ofuHY11C2SpweBia82_i-1LQ5hvu6nJ8L9qzf_dzh5KSRHhgszAWCp9aJke8ZlgfwbCbYjpsgpQUQgpvgyxiFYQyOAYGZuTB3VYdRhwQ/w480-h640/IMG_2913.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KHyon-tuqnNA63t4tyPEm8BH-V18VzSUpYFHhcD4Wmg-ESkwpmALYWMN4N__d1MTsURIKrdBSA-nYwKxEkn3cfeeKqPuse7szqe3ssQRPoWzZOUzTrDwmQib4HVGyRhWuknbOe0KtqdSkh_9DSzXu2qqof0cQ9WtIXxtHmmDOOrYHsXRz_xfeg/s640/IMG_2915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KHyon-tuqnNA63t4tyPEm8BH-V18VzSUpYFHhcD4Wmg-ESkwpmALYWMN4N__d1MTsURIKrdBSA-nYwKxEkn3cfeeKqPuse7szqe3ssQRPoWzZOUzTrDwmQib4HVGyRhWuknbOe0KtqdSkh_9DSzXu2qqof0cQ9WtIXxtHmmDOOrYHsXRz_xfeg/w480-h640/IMG_2915.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9yLCRAxTwL688thcV_Mvy7jN7OBf7zQM4c9EmX9e5VEsxr_wYhluEO28HY0lxy7T1BymBIDK9RaFW3kH7LYEAoQWZUWK3eCjXjBjjK-pI6rGLXYWbotNfJSb3B060sIMHhKNiAHXIqiiU5-Mh2BGU5J3aZivCvnY2HWj3_Pzchl-fhs7KfybZA/s640/IMG_2953.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9yLCRAxTwL688thcV_Mvy7jN7OBf7zQM4c9EmX9e5VEsxr_wYhluEO28HY0lxy7T1BymBIDK9RaFW3kH7LYEAoQWZUWK3eCjXjBjjK-pI6rGLXYWbotNfJSb3B060sIMHhKNiAHXIqiiU5-Mh2BGU5J3aZivCvnY2HWj3_Pzchl-fhs7KfybZA/w480-h640/IMG_2953.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XNDXl8xC2rtGUkX4jR9SNdSe5B2PJ9U_RabNrm7yuskB8KcaCWeU55BNUcb4F1IOVJr15UW2TS-pc1x0H3s23k4jjY9PzseiQUKi5FS_CCUS4M1p0AjVUMOx6Zghsv3Ma_y6bT3puS39LL1MpoSTkXlkRHWk6fDqdW4aW6LEDFOp9b6D1Uli6g/s640/IMG_2982.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XNDXl8xC2rtGUkX4jR9SNdSe5B2PJ9U_RabNrm7yuskB8KcaCWeU55BNUcb4F1IOVJr15UW2TS-pc1x0H3s23k4jjY9PzseiQUKi5FS_CCUS4M1p0AjVUMOx6Zghsv3Ma_y6bT3puS39LL1MpoSTkXlkRHWk6fDqdW4aW6LEDFOp9b6D1Uli6g/w480-h640/IMG_2982.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>He is a <i>very</i> good boy.</p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-25578819033065211452024-02-29T06:00:00.002-07:002024-02-29T07:05:37.025-07:00The Internets Made Me Do It<p>I have seen this DIY hack circling social media for awhile now, and, recently decided to give it a whirl. It involves candles and napkins, two things that are relatively easy to get one's hands on.</p><p>For my candles, I chose the least expensive variety available, which ended up being a three-pack from the Hellmouth. I originally wanted white, but settled for pink.</p><p>For my napkins, I chose an Easter design and planned to also use them for Easter dinner, since the actual project only requires a couple of napkins and the packages are quite large.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BQVnVfD2VF2p1MyUb23Li_tgqG_jEPN8jpgAAgPYWeO67XC0daCojOKEiGtohss2BkCHIjeY3QpX4dlT_1cHYk6JSaT7krWXakVhqpr7Ni0x5bTYEt5wftTty4cBtiC8apB7AdlZ4kZaxn_yHZjzHS5pwDd5oi1-HD3C4G3FG_YNJjTpSEC2uQ/s640/IMG_2834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BQVnVfD2VF2p1MyUb23Li_tgqG_jEPN8jpgAAgPYWeO67XC0daCojOKEiGtohss2BkCHIjeY3QpX4dlT_1cHYk6JSaT7krWXakVhqpr7Ni0x5bTYEt5wftTty4cBtiC8apB7AdlZ4kZaxn_yHZjzHS5pwDd5oi1-HD3C4G3FG_YNJjTpSEC2uQ/w480-h640/IMG_2834.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The project involves peeling the layers of the napkins down to the very top layer, which is where the design is printed, wrapping it onto the candle in the design of your choice, wrapping the candle with wax paper (wax side down), and then applying heat with a blow dryer, until the wax from the wax paper melts and attaches the napkin to the candle.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MFR17OcmyrNIii6DjR1BY1xVsCwmWzpif2z5HsV9FGynlkWa8apB-MnWhllMwugHGORnBXLoqjJL8HCXkYXwVNrloROJfkF1OjbEeG9pPBV0MYT0R6-7CK6L-g5ll4_VyKj_wee-9Lsb3UbzQM97wJo4EPLKYBNpOtiiGL97yO0Re-QkhhO5RQ/s640/IMG_2836.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MFR17OcmyrNIii6DjR1BY1xVsCwmWzpif2z5HsV9FGynlkWa8apB-MnWhllMwugHGORnBXLoqjJL8HCXkYXwVNrloROJfkF1OjbEeG9pPBV0MYT0R6-7CK6L-g5ll4_VyKj_wee-9Lsb3UbzQM97wJo4EPLKYBNpOtiiGL97yO0Re-QkhhO5RQ/w480-h640/IMG_2836.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCWZN67LV8GKHeDkL-CyYnZ-9QVi22FgcDvL8kWFsZQaXVfAqsqNw3QwzdkzhPaS17gTrTTSPkpAmc9BoZskRSS1j9BvrgkZSgh21jl2-cBD9qBkXVxRdK2XlTZo3WAx22YMtBNOFvL-p5vwDUxg-TRBHE3WuINT20dJixATjhoYiyUoGe5RrgQ/s640/IMG_2837.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCWZN67LV8GKHeDkL-CyYnZ-9QVi22FgcDvL8kWFsZQaXVfAqsqNw3QwzdkzhPaS17gTrTTSPkpAmc9BoZskRSS1j9BvrgkZSgh21jl2-cBD9qBkXVxRdK2XlTZo3WAx22YMtBNOFvL-p5vwDUxg-TRBHE3WuINT20dJixATjhoYiyUoGe5RrgQ/w480-h640/IMG_2837.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWADYbX-MljbVcWYYCCzcCEoAwb9jAe3pjFrfF44SH6mtDBTp1_nZxSh3fOXceAh8ODvHolwmhsNktibx_mjB387IzBEislGW2bzRUn5zCcJbFWrrXJmQpydt7p0z6sG7ilglWsRhB7-GHX6lozYXy6Xcx6ocKf-R_OXEprgyoDNhCZLACEhBGg/s640/IMG_2838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWADYbX-MljbVcWYYCCzcCEoAwb9jAe3pjFrfF44SH6mtDBTp1_nZxSh3fOXceAh8ODvHolwmhsNktibx_mjB387IzBEislGW2bzRUn5zCcJbFWrrXJmQpydt7p0z6sG7ilglWsRhB7-GHX6lozYXy6Xcx6ocKf-R_OXEprgyoDNhCZLACEhBGg/w480-h640/IMG_2838.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkpOU875ye3dT-eP7VuMc73PSAttOmAvI8iHLUkhHqfkxIIh7H4zhqUy1ApQ3DZFitWuVsa0jQxN7tzY8pM1L5lpiLoXh7zpNaenL98tmqc4XkYVv_Z2-H-fZ8X07IWDe9Nn7jCu503Q21DXHLkDy5vLbmpL51z1hhYWWNOsHrQ2RiyCjdiy_Mw/s640/IMG_2841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkpOU875ye3dT-eP7VuMc73PSAttOmAvI8iHLUkhHqfkxIIh7H4zhqUy1ApQ3DZFitWuVsa0jQxN7tzY8pM1L5lpiLoXh7zpNaenL98tmqc4XkYVv_Z2-H-fZ8X07IWDe9Nn7jCu503Q21DXHLkDy5vLbmpL51z1hhYWWNOsHrQ2RiyCjdiy_Mw/w480-h640/IMG_2841.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0nKNR26RejHf5isGAmY6cBxp3c5GdAXiCjWgKndKCD0ERWQ6bb0jQTz42NkLzv2l6yPQ0l31Wo3EUYSD2wIHe9IVkQtrFIl9XRTXtu-7fOR1iffDG_MY-1ri_R57_hnlLh-Oj8ZyR41XS-ph17-UTt-fcTSkPkpDIVUM5p1owPMuL-YtgKQNLA/s640/IMG_2845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0nKNR26RejHf5isGAmY6cBxp3c5GdAXiCjWgKndKCD0ERWQ6bb0jQTz42NkLzv2l6yPQ0l31Wo3EUYSD2wIHe9IVkQtrFIl9XRTXtu-7fOR1iffDG_MY-1ri_R57_hnlLh-Oj8ZyR41XS-ph17-UTt-fcTSkPkpDIVUM5p1owPMuL-YtgKQNLA/w480-h640/IMG_2845.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was even easier than the instructions imply. I ended up with a bespoke trio for my Easter decor and I am quite pleased with myself.</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcveVrxTxCDcYnzlugbr5ijv2sZXSlDtgumu4VYQIFRBLzDzOYQ5tjfTIYjfjy2EzQ1vTqm8cADlbwNHKr5qRXJLMEXFHjWAr2hhe6gP_MXKurNlN7zxsr0FEBgYotHg9NpceuZAzK_ZQtd0wdixCT887nNhB2WVkTlt3Q9Dzt3robOWHBQFGlBA/s640/IMG_2847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcveVrxTxCDcYnzlugbr5ijv2sZXSlDtgumu4VYQIFRBLzDzOYQ5tjfTIYjfjy2EzQ1vTqm8cADlbwNHKr5qRXJLMEXFHjWAr2hhe6gP_MXKurNlN7zxsr0FEBgYotHg9NpceuZAzK_ZQtd0wdixCT887nNhB2WVkTlt3Q9Dzt3robOWHBQFGlBA/w480-h640/IMG_2847.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-18565736894239215562024-02-28T06:00:00.001-07:002024-02-28T06:00:00.133-07:00What's Up Wednesday, February 2024 Edition<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxwMn7_Z2Sw0p2zdorJC9lK7hLaWJ8qJqXDOno4Q2_geiCv_1uKLRv-Mo4CTlaHbSoE4MAQPRXPbBbLr_xGVBi3laMEt_xMU4LMoKg27-nrDNQV8wBCXMcDia4Z6qf26DCIHaDP8yrhr2p1_q33NArc_w2ncJq27m94WZbwKRcoAC9MurtfE_Ew/s600/Whats-Up-Wednesday.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxwMn7_Z2Sw0p2zdorJC9lK7hLaWJ8qJqXDOno4Q2_geiCv_1uKLRv-Mo4CTlaHbSoE4MAQPRXPbBbLr_xGVBi3laMEt_xMU4LMoKg27-nrDNQV8wBCXMcDia4Z6qf26DCIHaDP8yrhr2p1_q33NArc_w2ncJq27m94WZbwKRcoAC9MurtfE_Ew/w640-h284/Whats-Up-Wednesday.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Happy almost Leap Day! And, if you are a Leap Year baby; happy-it-only-happens-once-every-four-years- birthday! I'm sure you don't feel slighted, <i>at all</i>! </p><p>Even with an extra day, February has gone by way too fast. This brings us to yet another What's Up Wednesday, courtesy of Sheaffer and Shay; be sure to tip them on your way out!</p><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><div> What I'm Eating</div></span><div><br /></div><div>It seems like I eat out a lot. Since the nest emptied out and I'm no longer cooking for a family of four; it just seems like the right thing to do. Anyhoodle, this month's restaurant offerings include a Caprese salad that was delicious...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9giw4WKrx7aFKnMls3CZNSVQoRP77nHQYCu0fy6O0REiQr9kR8WCRhLGGNwdw0agoQ9Jb-sn3ZYvOw9MOMTk8K2BjWBmnEHZbaBr0splmSLBxeKjkxiMilxMmlVR8BDiiOjANcDsafktP0Jh1A9vn4csPKieYsvrxiR_Ml_PRdum4_ogB5ZF1A/s640/IMG_2788.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9giw4WKrx7aFKnMls3CZNSVQoRP77nHQYCu0fy6O0REiQr9kR8WCRhLGGNwdw0agoQ9Jb-sn3ZYvOw9MOMTk8K2BjWBmnEHZbaBr0splmSLBxeKjkxiMilxMmlVR8BDiiOjANcDsafktP0Jh1A9vn4csPKieYsvrxiR_Ml_PRdum4_ogB5ZF1A/w480-h640/IMG_2788.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...chicken enchiladas suizas that were amazing...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2j6hMRC5B50Fy4Bv4trLe1OKEf9Fk1r2vKF7LyN0tHaKbsJACsVQF2Ojq5BotqSRcexXRTIc8SOYgVipAL8hoFAjv-Ulr96t9cFpHTcT8bgsnqqrY3o5sUarNLhZ5q1wtlrfW9CpDxv689wBs2TEH7OR7gaE3t3Ipl_GfNrGxXeekQ_FiJPpnA/s640/IMG_2826.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2j6hMRC5B50Fy4Bv4trLe1OKEf9Fk1r2vKF7LyN0tHaKbsJACsVQF2Ojq5BotqSRcexXRTIc8SOYgVipAL8hoFAjv-Ulr96t9cFpHTcT8bgsnqqrY3o5sUarNLhZ5q1wtlrfW9CpDxv689wBs2TEH7OR7gaE3t3Ipl_GfNrGxXeekQ_FiJPpnA/w480-h640/IMG_2826.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...a turkey sandwich from the local deli...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5aLo2YgFGrO0MC_rJp0u5E8jH5ZeRixV0ig2ti3ucb7tHvZcNSzx0ayJUcYmBmafmGoUyIkqDDoQs_P_IO_JOB_2U0h1DE7UxT9Qibxin5kkb6XPkxx4jrc_g2dx6-p8R2HQgBZ7QMOZ7R1IBnTDSNLDFbo7rWKb_caUHHcjx3h2NvI-rw5vFQ/s640/IMG_2903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5aLo2YgFGrO0MC_rJp0u5E8jH5ZeRixV0ig2ti3ucb7tHvZcNSzx0ayJUcYmBmafmGoUyIkqDDoQs_P_IO_JOB_2U0h1DE7UxT9Qibxin5kkb6XPkxx4jrc_g2dx6-p8R2HQgBZ7QMOZ7R1IBnTDSNLDFbo7rWKb_caUHHcjx3h2NvI-rw5vFQ/w480-h640/IMG_2903.jpg" width="480" /></a></div></div></div></div><p> ...and a bacon breakfast burrito, smothered in green chili.</p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAndYq7f3D0GJVVIMmW-DJ_16OJ1oruX-Pv4mgQCzsDZqdJhxmRnByT0MiFAGSz5I90tNQlIt5LRYuAHT1zmgRePxvl9SE3JH-TNLGKj0s_xlLl0oOH8tQ0DR4vdeoywDfC_Coe92LXYbLSWK2c9uAsKgib-4ikGNzG_1rUX9oe6nPNFJLrUo1Q/s640/IMG_2861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAndYq7f3D0GJVVIMmW-DJ_16OJ1oruX-Pv4mgQCzsDZqdJhxmRnByT0MiFAGSz5I90tNQlIt5LRYuAHT1zmgRePxvl9SE3JH-TNLGKj0s_xlLl0oOH8tQ0DR4vdeoywDfC_Coe92LXYbLSWK2c9uAsKgib-4ikGNzG_1rUX9oe6nPNFJLrUo1Q/w480-h640/IMG_2861.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I did make something at home, it was a grilled ham and cheese that I made in the air fryer. Will I ever make a grilled sandwich any other way, now? No. No, I will not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPzML6AHCe629ajj3et5pjK2yqyyMdUMlSEniel8H9dQO-7Jgrt22l4DbMLqGUiET0a9S8fvVzwHZ5Y0vSmMidm2V1OnwKCDQmcwCOV0uDIE5lmRiqgIc7P2sNTHrx4XPELdGn9pPDMmJqV-ym_xvSQP0OyB634bRpAOcUhspVB7BSYmi0Eg5pA/s640/IMG_2839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPzML6AHCe629ajj3et5pjK2yqyyMdUMlSEniel8H9dQO-7Jgrt22l4DbMLqGUiET0a9S8fvVzwHZ5Y0vSmMidm2V1OnwKCDQmcwCOV0uDIE5lmRiqgIc7P2sNTHrx4XPELdGn9pPDMmJqV-ym_xvSQP0OyB634bRpAOcUhspVB7BSYmi0Eg5pA/w480-h640/IMG_2839.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Reminiscing About</span></p><p>I'm not really reminiscing about anything, currently.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Loving</span></p><p>I tried a DIY candle project that I have seen floating around on social media for a couple of years and I nailed it. I'll do a post on it at some point. Probably. Maybe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjRwdDMNDiRLiNy2q4f5u3vR7trS6TS2cXRhBoUh1yA8vq7xNXRq1l8Y-ph8U6r-ks8fpsosTzmSegeIV0evq2bWLTUMFc-fNC2VLYtpWS13t1INMnOzVp8hExhEbOJm1ZLMV0RmQVKXfmzwJr3P1huiKwRgQM1LWWZ3XPAYHAebuidkjqXuycQ/s640/IMG_2847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjRwdDMNDiRLiNy2q4f5u3vR7trS6TS2cXRhBoUh1yA8vq7xNXRq1l8Y-ph8U6r-ks8fpsosTzmSegeIV0evq2bWLTUMFc-fNC2VLYtpWS13t1INMnOzVp8hExhEbOJm1ZLMV0RmQVKXfmzwJr3P1huiKwRgQM1LWWZ3XPAYHAebuidkjqXuycQ/w480-h640/IMG_2847.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I tried a new shade of OPI on my toes; it is definitely a spring color, which gets me in the mood for warmer weather, tulips, and Easter baskets.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkas5NnFA8xD3ptyPuCVc_EdWLKh2PMdqNO2ku2EtE-37uB669eurQXdo8jEcQDR9UEnAnaHkZL8YIZ9dNElczmdhzVJX125oXNArIwQav4Rnr4ScLuGymOEBhTOemwetMzt7yYZadHQnKc-Qp7c8snDQ_PYpf_c-q1lCCTQzGWBFuUNNwwk05Q/s640/IMG_2867.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkas5NnFA8xD3ptyPuCVc_EdWLKh2PMdqNO2ku2EtE-37uB669eurQXdo8jEcQDR9UEnAnaHkZL8YIZ9dNElczmdhzVJX125oXNArIwQav4Rnr4ScLuGymOEBhTOemwetMzt7yYZadHQnKc-Qp7c8snDQ_PYpf_c-q1lCCTQzGWBFuUNNwwk05Q/w480-h640/IMG_2867.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Polly Want A Lacquer?</i></div></i><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I've Been Up To</span></p><p>I've been practicing a lot of self care, including massages, reflexology, and facials. It's been money well spent.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4WfFu1RUaE4HjpL_PR5ABDlnWZTyLIVJULT62ZWQCqUNoVzdDbYGDxdTzm3iCf6sWF0pC7qnknFQJCwcNKg-3dCgGiJtvuZunhqzRJdKf8C8StK2FO4qye2nwfQnIMaW6ZVZI_HVJgOy46KuJ0LrEbFLveJVDF4IFd-7sim8zQh7_JcKKkkZ6g/s640/IMG_2789.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4WfFu1RUaE4HjpL_PR5ABDlnWZTyLIVJULT62ZWQCqUNoVzdDbYGDxdTzm3iCf6sWF0pC7qnknFQJCwcNKg-3dCgGiJtvuZunhqzRJdKf8C8StK2FO4qye2nwfQnIMaW6ZVZI_HVJgOy46KuJ0LrEbFLveJVDF4IFd-7sim8zQh7_JcKKkkZ6g/w480-h640/IMG_2789.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also went ahead and decorated my house for Easter. It seems early, but so is Easter this year, and, if I'm going to go to all the trouble of unwrapping my vast collection of ceramic bunnies, I'm going to enjoy them for as long as I can.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6siZQgPp_3HO2Vmxyiqk0meKvIC3pJM_XOqEiBiQeIU8b0FMHUtoBdiepPf2IMEYP2NOt5lusWpLWY86BsIc5HG9J1Mh8HgaXffg68bfxZBJ-o0QAbcu1kvgaWXqtyshyFt2mKbWgoNKZiP-57imF2A0GkxEl261iI3cfLokw7y06rKvYhCvMw/s640/IMG_2795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6siZQgPp_3HO2Vmxyiqk0meKvIC3pJM_XOqEiBiQeIU8b0FMHUtoBdiepPf2IMEYP2NOt5lusWpLWY86BsIc5HG9J1Mh8HgaXffg68bfxZBJ-o0QAbcu1kvgaWXqtyshyFt2mKbWgoNKZiP-57imF2A0GkxEl261iI3cfLokw7y06rKvYhCvMw/w480-h640/IMG_2795.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0erQvJmoKvJpRQ_xYFVHDy49L5WsGaVuxcQ5pOJ6-UBG7hTvstoWV2XzEtPH9Z3hWYEv0sCTetjDK8-oWiPkatdSxQkET0POOSeOuHQDOPH6yrILm2v-1ooPnDyE9svIW7Q6TVFJdhM5QN7UTzznzA50_EgiElhU_mWsGT64l5hjAP32ittgn6w/s640/IMG_2803.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0erQvJmoKvJpRQ_xYFVHDy49L5WsGaVuxcQ5pOJ6-UBG7hTvstoWV2XzEtPH9Z3hWYEv0sCTetjDK8-oWiPkatdSxQkET0POOSeOuHQDOPH6yrILm2v-1ooPnDyE9svIW7Q6TVFJdhM5QN7UTzznzA50_EgiElhU_mWsGT64l5hjAP32ittgn6w/w480-h640/IMG_2803.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Queen B flew home last weekend to celebrate both her birthday and the birthday of her God Daughter. We spent a lot of quality time together, including getting pedicures (more self-care).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb6RGD3f0HXaSBJ1vjT_1NQMUrM-DnzKs5Zc0NNeuphrLq9ZTY10ujMfjbITpIwRGsuNxba2jJ_4lwCpJB14_-2ELNxRmWMxx7sdZU9DHLQJsO4zX7LxxvYZhZJ6MhrmZ3QOcRSxqzr5J5CRM0nUoq2obi9HbY2a_TXkRTwV_Nlc9PXj-7nLV2Q/s640/IMG_2863.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb6RGD3f0HXaSBJ1vjT_1NQMUrM-DnzKs5Zc0NNeuphrLq9ZTY10ujMfjbITpIwRGsuNxba2jJ_4lwCpJB14_-2ELNxRmWMxx7sdZU9DHLQJsO4zX7LxxvYZhZJ6MhrmZ3QOcRSxqzr5J5CRM0nUoq2obi9HbY2a_TXkRTwV_Nlc9PXj-7nLV2Q/w482-h640/IMG_2863.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>She was excited to spend time with the rest of the family, too.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-KFdD5qmKu1rWl6O9y2JhPsOUw46g6FiRrHnAP_PElge2pwlAO7tGshaxWgayZDmS2K0oOlUdtzcTvgQhM745Dq4KBiP8FMFSGqEqmROXa1-qBIdXqfe-75shN7LTIbngMRSK6bUBHZdwiytq37rqRBb4Oc7ejAyFPMGRngQOLxEA8Otc2M0gw/s640/IMG_2870.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-KFdD5qmKu1rWl6O9y2JhPsOUw46g6FiRrHnAP_PElge2pwlAO7tGshaxWgayZDmS2K0oOlUdtzcTvgQhM745Dq4KBiP8FMFSGqEqmROXa1-qBIdXqfe-75shN7LTIbngMRSK6bUBHZdwiytq37rqRBb4Oc7ejAyFPMGRngQOLxEA8Otc2M0gw/w480-h640/IMG_2870.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy79dfcYAtzfalah2Cz6z4WhGGimHW1PUTlSunoroug5SUeJxIpvSF9Pdk56ZdGJTC4XaoZYK9ubrcxp3nwMDzRU2h93bjoOHFvlqlOmPhgIgdDNzaQhHQ12tNK6oZ3ulso8vZsz3kDAPpZekqKXgq8FTVO3wB4_PuMgeGXNxUllUX9pV9J_fkUg/s640/IMG_2883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy79dfcYAtzfalah2Cz6z4WhGGimHW1PUTlSunoroug5SUeJxIpvSF9Pdk56ZdGJTC4XaoZYK9ubrcxp3nwMDzRU2h93bjoOHFvlqlOmPhgIgdDNzaQhHQ12tNK6oZ3ulso8vZsz3kDAPpZekqKXgq8FTVO3wB4_PuMgeGXNxUllUX9pV9J_fkUg/w480-h640/IMG_2883.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Working On</span></p><p>The 10 year old son of one of my staff members was just diagnosed with leukemia, so the rest of the staff and I have been working on managing her duties while she is away with him, receiving care. We are also working on a fundraiser that we are hoping will help to alleviate some of the financial burden that comes along with that care.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulnt65C6i5HMdWFfjQ8zirVuxohzT9GRk5nFcHWY_VgNAcT0dwUDFY7UnE8ZNjrcZ926rPEfs0JLwsewU8E_omgS1KSQur0L0wV4dRc8ozZBVPECajbpDbNNzzKSNJvRUfXZ-XJndlrH5NcnAyBu45Wn8VvJjKQ6G7VHM1oU48jf8oGzIQXtmZg/s960/IMG_2782.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="960" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulnt65C6i5HMdWFfjQ8zirVuxohzT9GRk5nFcHWY_VgNAcT0dwUDFY7UnE8ZNjrcZ926rPEfs0JLwsewU8E_omgS1KSQur0L0wV4dRc8ozZBVPECajbpDbNNzzKSNJvRUfXZ-XJndlrH5NcnAyBu45Wn8VvJjKQ6G7VHM1oU48jf8oGzIQXtmZg/w640-h638/IMG_2782.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Dreading</span></p><p>Boomer Dog was recently diagnosed with an tumor that is almost always malignant. We have a consultation with a vet in Neighboring City later today to find out what our next steps are. The dread is a rock in the pit of my stomach.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Excited About</span></p><p>I have a fun event coming up a week from Friday; it will present an opportunity for my whole family to get dressed up, which doesn't happen very frequently. I'm excited!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Watching</span></p><p>My Mom, sisters, daughter, niece, and pretty much everyone I know back home are watching the new season of <i>Farmer Wants a Wife</i> along with me. Why? Because Farmer Brandon is a friend of my niece. She graduated from High School with him. I know his sister, step-mom and step-sister, but have never met him. I'm still pulling for him to find his perfect match (on a reality television series, <i>as if</i>). It's also really nice to see footage of my hometown area, and the show is doing a amazing job of showcasing its natural beauty. I may be a wee bit homesick, actually.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghovMZ_rtoBcpeh8YVgFIxDNFD9ZCYXjXSOvQs47ssyGiw74Yd9qJfBL5-FGZZTeKxyUBeXdVHPgjtUBg5Q3JrkB5BaTYwRQL3k1l3tH6i8e1uN8iv5hZeYf-2BEwM54eRtW6sPt6WlRED4X_jvaTK7cMo4iSvQot2_oiGsbaob74MSvfTsJJ7uw/s299/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghovMZ_rtoBcpeh8YVgFIxDNFD9ZCYXjXSOvQs47ssyGiw74Yd9qJfBL5-FGZZTeKxyUBeXdVHPgjtUBg5Q3JrkB5BaTYwRQL3k1l3tH6i8e1uN8iv5hZeYf-2BEwM54eRtW6sPt6WlRED4X_jvaTK7cMo4iSvQot2_oiGsbaob74MSvfTsJJ7uw/w400-h225/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb9vzPRlW-hKK_Dhlx-fJ_O4YvhZMc6YTjabxlYv_4mSY1WWx6DyYcRLRuBsup0nYHR3HyblHJML3e_SZMHQE-uv7Z8MU8p99PAuHav_FbtiBhzsckjBefyJ9uwVpibfSJ6EPz9wUyHy8hcxaH5mif9tOoZBmpgvowvnz5bN7W6q3PaJ2_5RAsA/s275/download%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb9vzPRlW-hKK_Dhlx-fJ_O4YvhZMc6YTjabxlYv_4mSY1WWx6DyYcRLRuBsup0nYHR3HyblHJML3e_SZMHQE-uv7Z8MU8p99PAuHav_FbtiBhzsckjBefyJ9uwVpibfSJ6EPz9wUyHy8hcxaH5mif9tOoZBmpgvowvnz5bN7W6q3PaJ2_5RAsA/w266-h400/download%20(1).jpg" width="266" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Farmer Brandon</i></div></i><p>I'm also watching the newest season of <i>Love is Blind</i>, because, who doesn't want to watch a shitshow?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio06_A46x7ynFyNoyQ9xrFjnr1boqRSZquLqhY0GB1X7hpQqLxHe3XT08orDCqjwsO1PbGJtoyn9RuwFnXEWYLCB-UuC0ejUe-y20ybujlkGQ54uweYV1CopoKsda6AzsDehaTif-8Oc2wfcXNvcKODGC6bportOCNXYusBKladKPY-rKP80Q0kw/s750/Is-Love-Truly-Blind-Love-Is-Blind-Season-6-Launches.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio06_A46x7ynFyNoyQ9xrFjnr1boqRSZquLqhY0GB1X7hpQqLxHe3XT08orDCqjwsO1PbGJtoyn9RuwFnXEWYLCB-UuC0ejUe-y20ybujlkGQ54uweYV1CopoKsda6AzsDehaTif-8Oc2wfcXNvcKODGC6bportOCNXYusBKladKPY-rKP80Q0kw/w640-h320/Is-Love-Truly-Blind-Love-Is-Blind-Season-6-Launches.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Listening To</span></p><p>I recently purchased a new Fleetwood Mac album from an antique store in Hooterville. Mom and I were there looking for milk glass vases for the Man-Cub's wedding when we happened upon the record selection. I made it out with just the one album, but Mom may have to pawn a kidney to pay for the giant stack of records she carted out of the place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4iA_aUMDZdVkbh3CmzTUCGZMcJezXGE70xYxBsN5m56BIemuT4yFqB_7Wos7tNBszfOhyv0Li2ALukn016Q0zJMqf_ey2yAn5LYGJ2rWsH4G4U5NR4ZBlGu1YjzbsgIsNoTzwKDCaEogdUs8CiBJpzsBVViXzTMkojUDDcnQKDs9aUJ8K9cGiQ/s1500/91DEdl81loL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="1500" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4iA_aUMDZdVkbh3CmzTUCGZMcJezXGE70xYxBsN5m56BIemuT4yFqB_7Wos7tNBszfOhyv0Li2ALukn016Q0zJMqf_ey2yAn5LYGJ2rWsH4G4U5NR4ZBlGu1YjzbsgIsNoTzwKDCaEogdUs8CiBJpzsBVViXzTMkojUDDcnQKDs9aUJ8K9cGiQ/w640-h538/91DEdl81loL._SL1500_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXu7XqaQjYocByq-vtDCWnpWrIiby1n4fEuFC-EJC504JyEy3YnFxBIrxbeZq5ktQTx5saO0ZeDTS3MFmQstJV-SbX0VCpQqT22WKDQDCJkBlAeEw6YVCcFwJkuUdvNFK3fpW_oyKPh1zhO18vlYhknyjzLDbv4A-_DEX2D0-TZ-QhDBLrZnfKA/s640/IMG_2825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXu7XqaQjYocByq-vtDCWnpWrIiby1n4fEuFC-EJC504JyEy3YnFxBIrxbeZq5ktQTx5saO0ZeDTS3MFmQstJV-SbX0VCpQqT22WKDQDCJkBlAeEw6YVCcFwJkuUdvNFK3fpW_oyKPh1zhO18vlYhknyjzLDbv4A-_DEX2D0-TZ-QhDBLrZnfKA/w480-h640/IMG_2825.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Reading</span></p><p>I'm working on <i>The Nightingale</i>, by Kristin Hannah. It's a great story and I am enjoying it so far.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VoD9k3iw1QSGU-7dktxHJUXkpzoGppaRNlIK_RCwowhulUyMH5Z9BQcTLIy5lMZ3Ae_TZ2bgv3-rIj70TFCVGXcTEkCWj3UBEOuEwO3Eug5RjQ3f3IXuhubF4E1u24LW1nBjb_IsdVczjIOJ0zKPISfmvwoEE6zT8PFkadqEOv-pH0gorG9nmg/s640/IMG_2751.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VoD9k3iw1QSGU-7dktxHJUXkpzoGppaRNlIK_RCwowhulUyMH5Z9BQcTLIy5lMZ3Ae_TZ2bgv3-rIj70TFCVGXcTEkCWj3UBEOuEwO3Eug5RjQ3f3IXuhubF4E1u24LW1nBjb_IsdVczjIOJ0zKPISfmvwoEE6zT8PFkadqEOv-pH0gorG9nmg/w480-h640/IMG_2751.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Wearing</span></p><p>I have nothing of interest to report on. You know, like usual.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Doing This Weekend</span></p><p>I may be headed to Neighboring City to purchase a dress for the event I mentioned earlier. Or, tending to the Boomer Dog if things go badly. Guess which one I would vastly prefer?</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month</span></p><p>I am looking forward to longer days! While I'm not a fan of the time change, I do appreciate having extra daylight hours after work.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Favorite Amazon Find This Month</span></p><p>I purchased this comforter set for Hugh and my bedroom and I love it. It's incredibly soft, light, but warm, and it looks great on our bed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeTHbURXlFq2Ie6eyusvWAshJoP6DPpGcQLruwXVsq4errdW2f851urqgFSo7L8y-tuBR3lekxChmOE_IyPIXuAcL66KSI8eVrORt4_4Yy7Ql8hW71jQSnDEkj71elxHiW_ddm3IEwtK9vXMb9penDupkMQB4HyvrMMAeEBrWnBMyXjaqysL41g/s1500/71MuZFGC98S._AC_SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeTHbURXlFq2Ie6eyusvWAshJoP6DPpGcQLruwXVsq4errdW2f851urqgFSo7L8y-tuBR3lekxChmOE_IyPIXuAcL66KSI8eVrORt4_4Yy7Ql8hW71jQSnDEkj71elxHiW_ddm3IEwtK9vXMb9penDupkMQB4HyvrMMAeEBrWnBMyXjaqysL41g/w640-h640/71MuZFGC98S._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-74888970058335887702024-02-26T10:53:00.002-07:002024-02-28T07:01:45.871-07:00We Ate a Lot of Cake This Weekend<p>This weekend we celebrated birthdays for both Queen B and her God Daughter.</p><p>Queen B flew into town on Thursday and Mom picked her up at the airport since both Hugh and I were working. They went to visit Oscar and Emily, as well as Hugh's sister, who was in town assisting with Oscar's care (he had back surgery the week prior and is doing really well). </p><p>I picked her up at Mom's house when I got off work and we went home to settle in for the next few days.</p><p>Friday morning, we started the day with breakfast at the Mexican restaurant in Petticoat Junction; Queen B loves smothered breakfast burritos, and she can't find them in Texas.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeRVSj9ix1eezxzfHNEmaZLI6VJklRsHxjDCU8eF32_grywEktqY9Nj4udoB-6ZulguoWXp9JlPn6XRtHQWXTqhRNJhdZA5A_wJtJaGC8ZXcRY2owZqm7vg09WvyL6AI-FOrsl-F6Ms0n0NY07QuNZgzuSXQx4UXPRUmFn987Bk_Oh6sQyUdidg/s640/IMG_2860.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeRVSj9ix1eezxzfHNEmaZLI6VJklRsHxjDCU8eF32_grywEktqY9Nj4udoB-6ZulguoWXp9JlPn6XRtHQWXTqhRNJhdZA5A_wJtJaGC8ZXcRY2owZqm7vg09WvyL6AI-FOrsl-F6Ms0n0NY07QuNZgzuSXQx4UXPRUmFn987Bk_Oh6sQyUdidg/w480-h640/IMG_2860.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After breakfast, we went into Hooterville for pedicures and some shopping.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKsGvXPI5KTm4LHVtMSmjQuDAD9DwNo8Q9gYR2StIyaQqyxSCuYRSAj4kxW6Rw9JG_LE2VH0Sbu70NuCl58zzm9uQpptG6fRrD4q1pUmxfSLB1VoMhf2ZGDYouQGzeIPIYFNkR0BQ8LIGVp8zOKOFQqS5RGGThXLdXaq4G1DhjWujKWS5TYlFog/s640/IMG_2863.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKsGvXPI5KTm4LHVtMSmjQuDAD9DwNo8Q9gYR2StIyaQqyxSCuYRSAj4kxW6Rw9JG_LE2VH0Sbu70NuCl58zzm9uQpptG6fRrD4q1pUmxfSLB1VoMhf2ZGDYouQGzeIPIYFNkR0BQ8LIGVp8zOKOFQqS5RGGThXLdXaq4G1DhjWujKWS5TYlFog/w482-h640/IMG_2863.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then we spent the rest of the day lounging around the house, until Queen B left for Neighboring City with friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday morning, we were up bright and early to travel to a ski town a couple of hours away, where we joined Queen B's bestie for her daughter's Toy Story themed birthday party. She turns three today!</div><div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYnyaHDxgpudtPsPo-KloTU4TPj05lScke2c0u_LPlRnpwblf8hOI4u0fjg1zAEz9IL9vh-GoY72zXXqfBmBtDROI8930OudPaySiugXZ6SDGHapqPzs_sVxKRggs2YMl7DUmGy8QibNrB7rkPJtyyrvR9EhGgR8fhRS_onoGoe0v1jxg8ys5Ow/s640/IMG_2870.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYnyaHDxgpudtPsPo-KloTU4TPj05lScke2c0u_LPlRnpwblf8hOI4u0fjg1zAEz9IL9vh-GoY72zXXqfBmBtDROI8930OudPaySiugXZ6SDGHapqPzs_sVxKRggs2YMl7DUmGy8QibNrB7rkPJtyyrvR9EhGgR8fhRS_onoGoe0v1jxg8ys5Ow/w480-h640/IMG_2870.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BirmbpjJULlPNcdrizzWG-WN8FmmKVJsYbosewao7d9rK5wHhxbW-Dfkd5HdNYhK3OQms1Zh-dW7qkTt7ZthWdwVoWMvrj8VO2QkivYyrVFQKSQtE1jNlK5HyAhSrCw5Skhl23lr_3Am2XjYEajjJ9911N9RtHvAjojkVyo4RyUrapBArNPPeg/s640/IMG_2871.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BirmbpjJULlPNcdrizzWG-WN8FmmKVJsYbosewao7d9rK5wHhxbW-Dfkd5HdNYhK3OQms1Zh-dW7qkTt7ZthWdwVoWMvrj8VO2QkivYyrVFQKSQtE1jNlK5HyAhSrCw5Skhl23lr_3Am2XjYEajjJ9911N9RtHvAjojkVyo4RyUrapBArNPPeg/w480-h640/IMG_2871.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The cake that her mom bought for the party was adorable. It wasn't as tasty as everyone hoped, but cake is cake, and it would have to be pretty bad for me to turn it down; it was not that bad. A tad dense, perhaps, but not that bad.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShP7vdNH-ZJTDjYesj762iDhUwCsEVmdzKRm-u0emBbwIZwnT_7JtYBXz7713nIjavTivQBDfCIyjR-uo4MmoVtWCpQMjn8_Scn9Zn0Bk0pd1GijZ8d-hzElySSX6e5yMHkoxAg6hR5qvf7769ma31S5xl0SRehz9A7cSzDcrZH0QUI07Dxd24Q/s640/IMG_2873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShP7vdNH-ZJTDjYesj762iDhUwCsEVmdzKRm-u0emBbwIZwnT_7JtYBXz7713nIjavTivQBDfCIyjR-uo4MmoVtWCpQMjn8_Scn9Zn0Bk0pd1GijZ8d-hzElySSX6e5yMHkoxAg6hR5qvf7769ma31S5xl0SRehz9A7cSzDcrZH0QUI07Dxd24Q/w480-h640/IMG_2873.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVOOYuUGht-yQBKBLecmSUGa9Bpnd9qvIWAVrzRiAk1O_ru4O8CDesVODjQzV5CMvwH5wZgYQw5moN180yA6DGYMCE1acAmvg8fJzPUzufgMcmuahYQpYOHMBlMdELXroYjoa1eaNqZOlKMaJ-XGa9md2CzrLryo-NcCWW3gcrqucJW6qpdo66Q/s640/IMG_2878.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVOOYuUGht-yQBKBLecmSUGa9Bpnd9qvIWAVrzRiAk1O_ru4O8CDesVODjQzV5CMvwH5wZgYQw5moN180yA6DGYMCE1acAmvg8fJzPUzufgMcmuahYQpYOHMBlMdELXroYjoa1eaNqZOlKMaJ-XGa9md2CzrLryo-NcCWW3gcrqucJW6qpdo66Q/w480-h640/IMG_2878.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OFhFfd1PCngBUK0qxO8DVoMC_THfdjtur4KykLBztJuM8FiyHSpi8u4gc2gYnVNY8rzLUqTKeUoI_wg4I3icXUCHTBx2J3ydCZVS7HQHucEYKBKy-iQf9ywnnJZhymdMa4fyISVdtiQRV7yMl800krXstzYP3VcyRB05SVR-YMvjQoc5hDgUog/s640/IMG_2881.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OFhFfd1PCngBUK0qxO8DVoMC_THfdjtur4KykLBztJuM8FiyHSpi8u4gc2gYnVNY8rzLUqTKeUoI_wg4I3icXUCHTBx2J3ydCZVS7HQHucEYKBKy-iQf9ywnnJZhymdMa4fyISVdtiQRV7yMl800krXstzYP3VcyRB05SVR-YMvjQoc5hDgUog/w480-h640/IMG_2881.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Later that night, we met with twenty of Queen B's other friends at a bar in Pixler. We enjoyed dinner, dancing, and watching the Man-Cub and Daughter-in-Love play pool (Shanti is a shark; who knew?).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yRmepfFOXBJpnOIeKlYwbFCcRwiqf7w8sRBH5bKQYrtKwllVhmwXBhDUadBwWIfl55iJ-kqtkbA3HloX1b3GrS8eOtkCmWPqQ3FAStV4VW7byllQcgreyOC3ktJdcdDcpbRuz6K-fTAyhyphenhyphenR_JPHg8LZYAKdm3CT2fEshklWcZeuFHvt3rJgM1A/s640/IMG_2883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yRmepfFOXBJpnOIeKlYwbFCcRwiqf7w8sRBH5bKQYrtKwllVhmwXBhDUadBwWIfl55iJ-kqtkbA3HloX1b3GrS8eOtkCmWPqQ3FAStV4VW7byllQcgreyOC3ktJdcdDcpbRuz6K-fTAyhyphenhyphenR_JPHg8LZYAKdm3CT2fEshklWcZeuFHvt3rJgM1A/w480-h640/IMG_2883.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MnqfoZkn6jB12jRPc4L9N_zcQKUEdJvwCxGoshNByHa0mHUC6bvfU2OaAE0x65Cme5eq3QyXzu4aoBSsGriZ0O3Rjk0lvM5jvgcHzWPxjSj23mwhyphenhyphenPkZGdyyV2mLFHsaFkJqO02LzXwe2jJQlbdaj0WBPf_UsKVfY1frWiNRHoLR46oPjIZC8g/s640/IMG_2885.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MnqfoZkn6jB12jRPc4L9N_zcQKUEdJvwCxGoshNByHa0mHUC6bvfU2OaAE0x65Cme5eq3QyXzu4aoBSsGriZ0O3Rjk0lvM5jvgcHzWPxjSj23mwhyphenhyphenPkZGdyyV2mLFHsaFkJqO02LzXwe2jJQlbdaj0WBPf_UsKVfY1frWiNRHoLR46oPjIZC8g/w480-h640/IMG_2885.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLG0cZJyKT5uHcCgjmnIV3NBiNHuu-81bwR3n50tFcXFH1Ah8K_QAb-AAiwhyphenhyphenHqiOwfXJ3j4aKRpJ_jsWUG1Dd3_aOgSc0Nw4PpKVY6CbsQIVjIlVwQ1Rzw1lIdGPOWlAe9nSfZmvQRfjiDF5Fp7GUIoT4ITIOD2FdInySlmo3ZvpmqMxg3DgrmA/s640/IMG_2889.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLG0cZJyKT5uHcCgjmnIV3NBiNHuu-81bwR3n50tFcXFH1Ah8K_QAb-AAiwhyphenhyphenHqiOwfXJ3j4aKRpJ_jsWUG1Dd3_aOgSc0Nw4PpKVY6CbsQIVjIlVwQ1Rzw1lIdGPOWlAe9nSfZmvQRfjiDF5Fp7GUIoT4ITIOD2FdInySlmo3ZvpmqMxg3DgrmA/w480-h640/IMG_2889.jpg" width="480" /></a></div> </div><div>Sunday evening, Mom, Oscar, and Emily joined the four of us for more cake. This time, it was an ice cream cake that Hugh picked up. We only had twelve candles, so we made Queen B blow them out twice, which was close enough to 28 for us.</div><div><br /></div><div>As an aside, how is my baby 28? Inconceivable!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9AMBUwzBvbmSHUsPXGCiVf-srgkf9c0FafdBNbnqZJi26P_OWK4qYCivnnGTossaJe5Q9Rh81f880p9PAM1f7tmJ-j8_ndNhyphenhyphenXrQxDxesqSkr1gRfti8VyZdpH2yWYVmHIxGSTttycFHL8IRD36HC-ODTEkvj6AKNQHAKjMrmRiFVjxfC7wJPg/s640/IMG_2902.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9AMBUwzBvbmSHUsPXGCiVf-srgkf9c0FafdBNbnqZJi26P_OWK4qYCivnnGTossaJe5Q9Rh81f880p9PAM1f7tmJ-j8_ndNhyphenhyphenXrQxDxesqSkr1gRfti8VyZdpH2yWYVmHIxGSTttycFHL8IRD36HC-ODTEkvj6AKNQHAKjMrmRiFVjxfC7wJPg/w480-h640/IMG_2902.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>And, that was our weekend. It was the most social I have been in a while and I think I needed that; I tend to hibernate this time of year, which isn't always the healthiest thing for me. Luckily, the days are getting longer, so I hope I venture out more.</p><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-81614462005009062462024-02-19T09:38:00.005-07:002024-02-19T09:38:51.482-07:00A Day in the Life, Faux Spring Edition<p>Sooooo, it appears that the groundhog may have been accurate in his prediction of an early spring. I mean, I'm not 100% convinced, but, I am slightly optimistic. That being said; a blizzard will probably blow into town any second now.</p><p>Anyhoodle, in light of the fact that the temperatures have been in the 50's and that I have witnessed spring flower bulbs starting to push their way up through the earth; I made the decision to spend Saturday decorating the house for Easter.</p><p>As I unwrapped my multitude of ceramic bunnies, it occurred to me that I could start a black market business for the sale of single-use plastic bags and I would make a fortune (our idiot governor banned them. <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_6d96896a-4384-11ee-99e3-bb2e94751bec.html" target="_blank">Ask him how well that went for California</a>). Also, can they truly be considered single use, when I have been wrapping these bunnies in them for <i>years</i>? Discuss.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnEgAet3mc8DcyOCDwzLomfjgAix6yq9DGa2oOuN28NQ1fVBOtSLJ3gA1VC4KFntOpmCL7AqEijugoO4LQej-XMDCF8B7UYuiBo_I0XHyAiB_EhrSfGcfr9Vyl-jtBKpZ2Y2hgwyMFFgdq8sCVx5NHzlG9rbCtV-h10gsKnGtqaNZCc6z7ArcdA/s640/IMG_2795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnEgAet3mc8DcyOCDwzLomfjgAix6yq9DGa2oOuN28NQ1fVBOtSLJ3gA1VC4KFntOpmCL7AqEijugoO4LQej-XMDCF8B7UYuiBo_I0XHyAiB_EhrSfGcfr9Vyl-jtBKpZ2Y2hgwyMFFgdq8sCVx5NHzlG9rbCtV-h10gsKnGtqaNZCc6z7ArcdA/w480-h640/IMG_2795.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Anyhoodle, while I was crafting bunny tableaus throughout my home, I was burning my favorite candle. It's a scent I created at the DIY candle store in Neighboring City several years ago and I burn it sparingly, because I'm not sure I could recreate it.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z08PkRur9wxvG_GEOHOR4gn7EasrpCpxVjL4MyGdOHbKDM_m7oi9nAUgICvr3HjBLNK-7nRKvXj82cIL9FmV4xah4OYRtB4qXK8FdoMNQs-4I77nOi4_QJmnQXBNuHa06zX5bAsbc6oABGSi2Xj1FF7NI1Wo656mMIieh1rpc85rnBfgSehWRQ/s640/IMG_2797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9z08PkRur9wxvG_GEOHOR4gn7EasrpCpxVjL4MyGdOHbKDM_m7oi9nAUgICvr3HjBLNK-7nRKvXj82cIL9FmV4xah4OYRtB4qXK8FdoMNQs-4I77nOi4_QJmnQXBNuHa06zX5bAsbc6oABGSi2Xj1FF7NI1Wo656mMIieh1rpc85rnBfgSehWRQ/w480-h640/IMG_2797.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Once the house was worthy of a visit from the Easter Bunny, I ran into Hooterville to pick up Mom for an impromptu afternoon of antiquing. I am still on the hunt for milk glass vases for the wedding, but I also enjoy a good treasure hunt. Here are a few items I loved, but ultimately left on the shelves.</div><div><br /></div><div>This vintage lozenge tin...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnfDnZhQt7jcpnKKaEDpC5ieSAFi9AstpMcLWLFwtpKC29APUvY2yMlfnrC1OOFZzTNH10a0rK3L4He-dtvL0biC3EmZOiOarlr9h6yVFxzIO1MBLy2-qxV8K6sWfVZx9WuSIptFpi5eL63JegKxEtyXZ9E88WsCkGIoPwLMt1oKzghwpvwO-XA/s640/IMG_2818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnfDnZhQt7jcpnKKaEDpC5ieSAFi9AstpMcLWLFwtpKC29APUvY2yMlfnrC1OOFZzTNH10a0rK3L4He-dtvL0biC3EmZOiOarlr9h6yVFxzIO1MBLy2-qxV8K6sWfVZx9WuSIptFpi5eL63JegKxEtyXZ9E88WsCkGIoPwLMt1oKzghwpvwO-XA/w640-h480/IMG_2818.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...these adorable cows...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpIlkue7TZtqJF5XB-bEhGA_gIfSQ33Au-0V56b_TBwcAF0H9XUE0PCXThPUwZtf082jctXQI_5gQ3oFR85w6catG-F9TBNE1O2TuKpxauTQLwU-JC_3RTbWS0OvQalT6PkhyoV1cTJigafqvGsH5vwoS_zO2-K0Mq5kBJYCBu8i4MXwhrCyxvQ/s640/IMG_2819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpIlkue7TZtqJF5XB-bEhGA_gIfSQ33Au-0V56b_TBwcAF0H9XUE0PCXThPUwZtf082jctXQI_5gQ3oFR85w6catG-F9TBNE1O2TuKpxauTQLwU-JC_3RTbWS0OvQalT6PkhyoV1cTJigafqvGsH5vwoS_zO2-K0Mq5kBJYCBu8i4MXwhrCyxvQ/w480-h640/IMG_2819.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and these German spice containers. This one was <i>haaaaard</i> to walk away from, but I don't have anywhere to display them and they deserve to be the center of attention.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-tYSOMNXnra0dcWjtwC3CaxYU6vQrCFX6VIWZHqInegM-qTeWLV3X7b9oTpK65ssO_hJdCzqLMZmrIQXzug7cLV3U9jD3YFTz9c-NNd01_rQ7CLanH01MfAQaYtFhkLFQxXB_W3P2l_FXOvnx4LaoAgyfpEVS1ZrO9pmwz_xoHq4zJokaXsnYA/s640/IMG_2821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-tYSOMNXnra0dcWjtwC3CaxYU6vQrCFX6VIWZHqInegM-qTeWLV3X7b9oTpK65ssO_hJdCzqLMZmrIQXzug7cLV3U9jD3YFTz9c-NNd01_rQ7CLanH01MfAQaYtFhkLFQxXB_W3P2l_FXOvnx4LaoAgyfpEVS1ZrO9pmwz_xoHq4zJokaXsnYA/w640-h480/IMG_2821.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You know who didn't walk away from making a large purchase? This lady, right here.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaE1TmCsK-8hgKwaS32PJBRB0bZ0koL92SLjafCCNP2XjZpDvFLCC5L7ZvePDIyri9GJ8Q-SJQJXCa0ry0CiPZ_v6da_EYyuZPYPeHlYfDHuMYyMaW4bNwA2qzYutQalebAnDUx5j50Huu-llsvpxGRwqNW4sS3mdrkW4um-RzfH5sC2Ub3KIxg/s640/IMG_2825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaE1TmCsK-8hgKwaS32PJBRB0bZ0koL92SLjafCCNP2XjZpDvFLCC5L7ZvePDIyri9GJ8Q-SJQJXCa0ry0CiPZ_v6da_EYyuZPYPeHlYfDHuMYyMaW4bNwA2qzYutQalebAnDUx5j50Huu-llsvpxGRwqNW4sS3mdrkW4um-RzfH5sC2Ub3KIxg/w480-h640/IMG_2825.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>She found a large stack of vintage records that she could not leave behind. I may, or may not, have encouraged this purchase, but, in our defense, the sale on the house in Mayberry is set to close on the 27th, and she deserves a little treat after the stress of dealing with all that.</div><div><br /></div><div>We finished the day with an early dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxDNsaueMGdtEcNfN4aJ15snK10LslcL-8s7ReP2xgfneaH7KgwKxUrCRkk1-IrBH-7s8dLTutOLwuIP0LakDUaWg3PpoeGP175-qkNEuxOUC5p5g_Ppv_YShkkOvIrftAjyElZPVcWJ9ypqdWFBg7HIWe8-81CZ3NW1Qi1NoywvUYXElQq9Wjw/s640/IMG_2826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxDNsaueMGdtEcNfN4aJ15snK10LslcL-8s7ReP2xgfneaH7KgwKxUrCRkk1-IrBH-7s8dLTutOLwuIP0LakDUaWg3PpoeGP175-qkNEuxOUC5p5g_Ppv_YShkkOvIrftAjyElZPVcWJ9ypqdWFBg7HIWe8-81CZ3NW1Qi1NoywvUYXElQq9Wjw/w480-h640/IMG_2826.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And I went home, where I took a quick inventory of the milk glass that I have managed to procure so far.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGagPVTz0KmJKz4FZArzES5lOr_2fCznZdVGtgPIa8y-ZBQagptfORbZGxJ_zvMG4PeKBZePCVSEkLtsh7JdGFL9egkmoj9GRMusDW7dPke8F55Gx2KONDPrNI4EEwme2oC2pbQxRbt-OO5w4qM1oLo8ZOwNsRBsW-mZZx3NYn0WFSNOo-UCARQ/s640/IMG_2833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGagPVTz0KmJKz4FZArzES5lOr_2fCznZdVGtgPIa8y-ZBQagptfORbZGxJ_zvMG4PeKBZePCVSEkLtsh7JdGFL9egkmoj9GRMusDW7dPke8F55Gx2KONDPrNI4EEwme2oC2pbQxRbt-OO5w4qM1oLo8ZOwNsRBsW-mZZx3NYn0WFSNOo-UCARQ/w480-h640/IMG_2833.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then, I hit the (new!) sheets.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4f3pm6T651B8g2AxIqGyOT4YOYnPXg6SJNbHQdrp3AIf_pTVndhyphenhyphenc5KC_0TPbgdjDl8gTIRFB4j_QF0iBnyMvjd41VmhHBergdj1B08cRoAVhHETpHMtvZUQhTZ89BpH_QWv5As2gdjqcrAReMcW5sPB4WGogl2ycBsgECa8QvYTrhAcJNMWaA/s640/IMG_2848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4f3pm6T651B8g2AxIqGyOT4YOYnPXg6SJNbHQdrp3AIf_pTVndhyphenhyphenc5KC_0TPbgdjDl8gTIRFB4j_QF0iBnyMvjd41VmhHBergdj1B08cRoAVhHETpHMtvZUQhTZ89BpH_QWv5As2gdjqcrAReMcW5sPB4WGogl2ycBsgECa8QvYTrhAcJNMWaA/w480-h640/IMG_2848.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK5rQzQYLoG5NXSJDrgujLwMLy1iwcVO4UbVq-oFS4RwpjTaxcbAq7zSm6i6akCEWUhEs3LhM8gtgGQeP3d5jpt0rKvkwUSbSzveONJz9lITNVScTZSWFXxIysnKHW-A6WC_6zdoi-BWxyNviQ6LRXy4_SKKCWs-TdZopyeiTcqQFfPDPy8e7zA/s640/IMG_2849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijK5rQzQYLoG5NXSJDrgujLwMLy1iwcVO4UbVq-oFS4RwpjTaxcbAq7zSm6i6akCEWUhEs3LhM8gtgGQeP3d5jpt0rKvkwUSbSzveONJz9lITNVScTZSWFXxIysnKHW-A6WC_6zdoi-BWxyNviQ6LRXy4_SKKCWs-TdZopyeiTcqQFfPDPy8e7zA/w480-h640/IMG_2849.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As an aside; is there anything better than climbing into a freshly made bed?</div><div><br /></div><div>And, that's what my early spring day looked like.</div><div> <br /><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-43148632458055012652024-02-19T09:10:00.006-07:002024-02-19T09:10:57.269-07:00Won't You Be My Valentine?<p>As is often the case this time of year; Hugh was out of town for the Hallmark holiday. Since he was in Denver, officiating the State wrestling tournament, I celebrated with Mom. We showed our age by hitting a favorite Italian restaurant during the early bird hour, which let us avoid the crowds. I joke about becoming a senior citizen, but the AARP discounts can't be beat, according to Mom. I should probably look into a membership...and I digress.</p><p>Anyhoodle, dinner was delicious; I had the Caprese salad, which was light and refreshing (heartburn following heavy meals appears to be a big part of this old age thing, which I find quite annoying). Mom had a large mushroom calzone (so, the heartburn is either a passing phase or you simply toughen up as you age; I'll keep you updated), because it was Ash Wednesday and she was abstaining from meat.</p><p>As an aside, how cute is she?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QgdHczwNzPoqI_k_6A-8g5F-9EjrLxLaX8FIKgzE4HvCjsJmbrWv8xOfxo1aNvBeryEBGwfb07nNR_pN5daN4xO1u_KrrRdRJgj4hNZ3TRXwGLs1t_DgpLDE4Os6c3NCBte9n1YjIGbYAtwsWKR_w2oHmVzx6czKwWFqpS5DGE6ez1RuS0sGbQ/s640/72964834380__8802B6A4-80F7-442F-9279-41EF024154DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QgdHczwNzPoqI_k_6A-8g5F-9EjrLxLaX8FIKgzE4HvCjsJmbrWv8xOfxo1aNvBeryEBGwfb07nNR_pN5daN4xO1u_KrrRdRJgj4hNZ3TRXwGLs1t_DgpLDE4Os6c3NCBte9n1YjIGbYAtwsWKR_w2oHmVzx6czKwWFqpS5DGE6ez1RuS0sGbQ/w480-h640/72964834380__8802B6A4-80F7-442F-9279-41EF024154DC.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYSSxocHyOA-Pv_ioiUpDI09i9IEYO2jGTgv7FbCJHebTHNPCnW5uFCesSjSBqa_oLuYu97_VEnxUf5IXStPkIy-HOBD2J8swmvg8BGNRPgo-iQo_zi19_axiamNGyIik09NBMIt7rVZMA23FaoJ7gQinZnGWsUEuCKFhoRHwTEKSffCUSv7vUw/s640/IMG_2788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYSSxocHyOA-Pv_ioiUpDI09i9IEYO2jGTgv7FbCJHebTHNPCnW5uFCesSjSBqa_oLuYu97_VEnxUf5IXStPkIy-HOBD2J8swmvg8BGNRPgo-iQo_zi19_axiamNGyIik09NBMIt7rVZMA23FaoJ7gQinZnGWsUEuCKFhoRHwTEKSffCUSv7vUw/w480-h640/IMG_2788.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In addition to dinner, I treated myself to a massage and facial at the day spa in Hooterville...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1ES8r-UYf6iQnrwWJqI5ga2tR6_vjWMaxjBcgEW-inOO60oBwXaDBESSxHmkLc42qaruYuuMtCYpyfk9NDczGcgWcIkiuujtwNVX7IHkx8OxGUavygPVxG2Dl82sVXzjGUXgBJp54iFKh2KOdqMUNwQmjzSRh8ZhnUc2Z04B1im4wAsMcL4rIg/s640/IMG_2789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1ES8r-UYf6iQnrwWJqI5ga2tR6_vjWMaxjBcgEW-inOO60oBwXaDBESSxHmkLc42qaruYuuMtCYpyfk9NDczGcgWcIkiuujtwNVX7IHkx8OxGUavygPVxG2Dl82sVXzjGUXgBJp54iFKh2KOdqMUNwQmjzSRh8ZhnUc2Z04B1im4wAsMcL4rIg/w480-h640/IMG_2789.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and Hugh gave me roses before he hit the road for Denver.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkqVzs721acDgkvFSjmjEuUJI3xVXT1xQoYdV99CLbcG4-XWrvXAf0P87vCxrUKkUT-tr-H5ymRaBovnzWqALmvcevToY2k9HCz0QLr1n_-JIevVw9Oh7yoSVOpBacyJ6ylXV2BUv2tzWx8aD-BEOwdeBTKHBZUc-k3Tjd1FxPZ-FnLdy13NE4A/s640/IMG_2854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkqVzs721acDgkvFSjmjEuUJI3xVXT1xQoYdV99CLbcG4-XWrvXAf0P87vCxrUKkUT-tr-H5ymRaBovnzWqALmvcevToY2k9HCz0QLr1n_-JIevVw9Oh7yoSVOpBacyJ6ylXV2BUv2tzWx8aD-BEOwdeBTKHBZUc-k3Tjd1FxPZ-FnLdy13NE4A/w480-h640/IMG_2854.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>All in all, it was a nice way to spend a commercialized holiday. No complaints.</p><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-10224675307306873262024-02-19T08:51:00.007-07:002024-02-19T08:51:54.694-07:00Lean Into the Hard<p>Recently, one of my team members at Not So New Job has had her world rocked in ways that I still cannot believe. </p><p>On Thursday, February 8th, her father-in-law died, unexpectedly. Two days later, her ten year old son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The family is now in Denver for what will be a long course of treatment, and they didn't even have the chance to properly mourn their loss.</p><p>I have faith that the treatment will be successful, but, while he is in treatment, life back home must still go on. The family also has an eight year old son, who is currently staying with his grandparents, as well as several dogs and a handful of chickens. Our work team is working with other friends and family to make sure that the all of their needs are covered, as well as making sure that there is a plan in place for financial assistance for the family.</p><p>It's a tough time, but we will all get them through it. If you are the praying type, I would ask for prayers for Jeremy and for his family. Cancer is an asshole. That is all.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOhOtBNtKmrjmTBCClX3je1HRS6JxOY-_ZQSMwHldfX6RF2FVUeEFAtUS_7vvYAG7KACowBb7uwbrkFUHbmc_Pl5eDojDRFyVzsoUxHSTxq4wKPhSXPNpy_oai368R_aHIYl4Fbl3EU78RGQ63ogOUMkRHvMYJo5RliXdmFdjyW9VBVW6_n7a4g/s960/IMG_2782.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="960" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOhOtBNtKmrjmTBCClX3je1HRS6JxOY-_ZQSMwHldfX6RF2FVUeEFAtUS_7vvYAG7KACowBb7uwbrkFUHbmc_Pl5eDojDRFyVzsoUxHSTxq4wKPhSXPNpy_oai368R_aHIYl4Fbl3EU78RGQ63ogOUMkRHvMYJo5RliXdmFdjyW9VBVW6_n7a4g/w640-h638/IMG_2782.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-1029527999598737252024-02-05T07:06:00.002-07:002024-02-05T07:06:40.161-07:00The Weekend That Was<p>I have a dentist appointment today; I am having a small cavity filled. This is not my favorite way to start the week, but I really didn't have much of a choice.</p><p>Knowing that this was looming on the horizon could have easily clouded my weekend, but I had planned ahead by scheduling some time at the day spa on Friday morning. I started by sweating out toxins in the sauna. I also scheduled a facial, so, after the sauna, I hopped into a cool shower and then wrapped up in the spa robe for some time in the quiet room before my treatment. It was a fabulous morning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietZN2GJY67yPNxedRtpudOX70gSJ0DKkkuaRfMYOeEUm3FshQ71U2Kx5V9yuLpy9RVbhcZVdyXKL8bIXU0LertpgXCH4na-3GpIwd7GI6P7PtQKaQ0g0E3oxvJyFieQRdh1aZ4NA4ff9NLE8jw00SSmYNSoMuWesa11x02JKQzJcEKp82eGF8gg/s640/IMG_2752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietZN2GJY67yPNxedRtpudOX70gSJ0DKkkuaRfMYOeEUm3FshQ71U2Kx5V9yuLpy9RVbhcZVdyXKL8bIXU0LertpgXCH4na-3GpIwd7GI6P7PtQKaQ0g0E3oxvJyFieQRdh1aZ4NA4ff9NLE8jw00SSmYNSoMuWesa11x02JKQzJcEKp82eGF8gg/w480-h640/IMG_2752.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>When I left the spa, I ran a few errands, including picking up a package of diapers for a party that Hugh and I were invited to on Saturday night, it was a beer and diapers shower for a father-to-be, who is the son-in-law of one of Hugh's officiating buddies. I had never heard of a shower for the dad-to-be, so I was intrigued.</p><p>While I was perusing the Huggies section of the local Hellmouth, I was chatting with Jules, who called from the road; her daughter required her assistance in moving this weekend, so she was headed to the Front Range. I love talking to my friends, and it was especially good to spend some time in conversation with Jules.</p><p>Saturday, I puttered around the house before heading out to the shower that I mentioned earlier. It was a surprise for the guest of honor, and I would say that it was a successful one. His wife and in-laws were very proud of themselves for pulling it off, and the couple will be set on diapers for quite some time. The party was held in a room in the back of Hooterville's newest brewery, which was a great venue for a beer and diaper shower.</p><p>After the shower, Hugh and I grabbed a quick dinner, which will have to suffice for our Valentines Day celebration this year, as Hugh heads for the State wrestling tournament on the 14th.</p><p>Sunday, I caught up with work at the hardware store before taking Boomer to the park for some fetch. The weather was really nice, so maybe that stupid rodent's prediction of an early spring will be accurate (I'm not holding my breath).</p><p>We finished the day with dinner at Mom's with the Man-Cub and Daughter-in-Love. We chatted all things Wedding, including the centerpieces. I have managed to scavenge eleven milk glass vases locally and am waiting for delivery of four more from various vendors on Mercari. I haven't been to the neighboring towns to check out the antique stores, consignment shops, Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc., so I am confident that I will manage to gather all of the vases that we need well before August.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmX4rseOnEIHJyhRzDbmnJ4Mw6ypr3QJ8N30x8eIJONI5cmg9edOnjalkAY-kTl34rLcimqMHI-3VEhYf8ZasFGo4Lj_4ox3JHis40BU3PbzECuSEACzOgkgzkpNpIsB66gqEb-ZRopwr1eBTA2PI4Hs13_WiTamvFh_gAQmOKyIUlS0NiFiNCBA/s640/IMG_2756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmX4rseOnEIHJyhRzDbmnJ4Mw6ypr3QJ8N30x8eIJONI5cmg9edOnjalkAY-kTl34rLcimqMHI-3VEhYf8ZasFGo4Lj_4ox3JHis40BU3PbzECuSEACzOgkgzkpNpIsB66gqEb-ZRopwr1eBTA2PI4Hs13_WiTamvFh_gAQmOKyIUlS0NiFiNCBA/w480-h640/IMG_2756.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>And, that's about it for my weekend. This morning, the sunrise is putting on quite a colorful show and I'm sure it's going to be a beautiful day, regardless of the fact that my face will be numb.</p><p>Focusing on the bright side can't hurt, right?</p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-10753191351685270512024-02-02T07:35:00.003-07:002024-02-02T07:35:55.757-07:00Tell Me Lies<p>Happy Groundhog Day! </p><p>Punxsutawney Phil just predicted an early spring. I will give him the benefit of the doubt...for now.</p><p>This is the first time in a number of years that he predicted an early spring, and, with an accuracy rate that stands at roughly 36%, can he really be believed?</p><p>Time will tell, but I'm going to go ahead and make my own prediction: Phil is a big 'ol liar.</p><p>Stay tuned.</p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-76170858954518650742024-01-31T05:30:00.000-07:002024-01-31T05:30:00.136-07:00What's Up Wednesday, January 2024 Edition<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGD4n8KHna3lCwZkUFTmHqToi5sJIHryr-IhpvOUyND9ur9ltwkFxVLchTu2Uv7Xkf5S2zLsOHrxWGrplXlOc6Yqgps3Uivwtjy0LNA6SysL9Yff_-bePdBvEFwXEr6G7SD4JtUc3D43JaSt6r8T-JORDwMdAeuCXX_0trT9H63ERQONfivpvH_A/s600/Whats-Up-Wednesday.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGD4n8KHna3lCwZkUFTmHqToi5sJIHryr-IhpvOUyND9ur9ltwkFxVLchTu2Uv7Xkf5S2zLsOHrxWGrplXlOc6Yqgps3Uivwtjy0LNA6SysL9Yff_-bePdBvEFwXEr6G7SD4JtUc3D43JaSt6r8T-JORDwMdAeuCXX_0trT9H63ERQONfivpvH_A/w640-h284/Whats-Up-Wednesday.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I've toyed with the idea of skipping this post a few times over the years, but never more so than this month; there just hasn't been a lot going on and I hate to risk boring what little audience I have here. I'm doing it anyway, but it's definitely a risk.</p><p>Consider yourself warned! And, as always, thanks to Sheaffer and Shay for hosting.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Eating</span></p><p>In addition to the usual daily fare (pasta, salads, soup, etc.), I have had a couple of yummy restaurant dinners.</p><p>Mom and I ate at one of the local Mexican restaurants before attending a play at the community theater earlier this month. I had the chicken fajitas, which were amazing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6ZYcjIhsdLQ8306w90inVXSJU7lY5GdHnTKH6PnUNxYZaYbIaCskcUG97hsRTBOnhxM126proitJF6yNe5T_9n3RrjvIYGi4kqETvM07LgwQ9wlKJZC3UVMuYN-2rEnurPOuRnhMZPITDw61ck832giXS-kXQQpvXZiN0Cdd7W-vAFHOjqiwhw/s640/IMG_2665.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6ZYcjIhsdLQ8306w90inVXSJU7lY5GdHnTKH6PnUNxYZaYbIaCskcUG97hsRTBOnhxM126proitJF6yNe5T_9n3RrjvIYGi4kqETvM07LgwQ9wlKJZC3UVMuYN-2rEnurPOuRnhMZPITDw61ck832giXS-kXQQpvXZiN0Cdd7W-vAFHOjqiwhw/w640-h480/IMG_2665.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A few weeks later, Hugh, Mom, Kristi, and I went to the fancy steakhouse, where I had the blackened chicken, which was also quite tasty, despite the sad quality of the photo below.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuQ77j3nFg4fdyOcZrClN8thUBsosb-W1IASU158xHSL829gHHR8ESKN_uBqVUDywPo3xC8umi24B5E0bhxrvvTZxJD_rA0NdHXwiDQUqyLA4of4L4wc1auisWhQN8tZ3t8Si8RveoG7AgMEPj7hO2YChCxj8WkRZ8q2NC2bTzm-UOqMgdyaO-g/s640/IMG_2737.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuQ77j3nFg4fdyOcZrClN8thUBsosb-W1IASU158xHSL829gHHR8ESKN_uBqVUDywPo3xC8umi24B5E0bhxrvvTZxJD_rA0NdHXwiDQUqyLA4of4L4wc1auisWhQN8tZ3t8Si8RveoG7AgMEPj7hO2YChCxj8WkRZ8q2NC2bTzm-UOqMgdyaO-g/w480-h640/IMG_2737.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Reminiscing About</span></p><p>Memories have been popping up on my phone this month, specifically, memories of the team breakfasts that the Basketball Moms and I hosted for the boys while they were in High School. I miss the Booster Club Moms like crazy, and, while I still catch up with them as often as possible, our lives have taken off in all directions, just like our boys did. Still, those breakfasts will always be remembered fondly.</p><p><a href="http://www.mscongeniality.com/2016/01/team-breakfast-by-numbers.html" target="_blank">Team Breakfast 2016</a></p><p><a href="http://www.mscongeniality.com/2017/01/last-basketball-team-breakfast-by.html" target="_blank">Team Breakfast 2017</a></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Loving</span></p><p>Kristi arrived for a visit on the 21st and I have loved catching up with her. Her business here requires her to return on occasion, and I'm glad she knows she always has someplace to stay. The next time she comes, Erin will be able to come along, which will be awesome. In the meantime, we snuck some fun in during her stay.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Mk0F0P_hkk_StcIcbSiu4WPtfQ62yrTH6uhUpNzNiredIEbT2fK_UDyv2gRDgM01FDH6-bfSTwZ5FW-4cG4S-ygiKjCRISiI0u1g15wqrpCrXxUpwFZ3OXiFIm5ugeeLabJXrJxZBHwdBQAt9vyNHU7QRGpr7mcM4YgrFIS4KsMW9S_QkClTA/s640/IMG_2742.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Mk0F0P_hkk_StcIcbSiu4WPtfQ62yrTH6uhUpNzNiredIEbT2fK_UDyv2gRDgM01FDH6-bfSTwZ5FW-4cG4S-ygiKjCRISiI0u1g15wqrpCrXxUpwFZ3OXiFIm5ugeeLabJXrJxZBHwdBQAt9vyNHU7QRGpr7mcM4YgrFIS4KsMW9S_QkClTA/w480-h640/IMG_2742.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>She left for the airport early this morning and I was sad to see her go.</div><div><br /></div>In other news, I've been embroidering quite a bit this month and I love it. I was out of practice and it definitely showed in my first project, but, muscle memory is a real thing and I improved, quickly. I have a motive for wanting to get back into the craft, but that is a story for a much later date.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIyNwDfPKdWbkuByfn9JggpICcByS_mJGRjlp8SegMmhy4S9CTz4y8TwVxzeQ7R7_y8x748Q8oehnaz2Uq4gBWuEfs7B0LECNQzy1dGKMu7E8AeLt1WnxbGyiEd5T11oQYfWzx1_1d_-juk8_9DtsV92SKuj0_Yc_IFcfGeyPlWHfOcYxGxNQQQ/s640/72738489827__ECC61C82-2457-492F-8802-C815AE3FAC29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIyNwDfPKdWbkuByfn9JggpICcByS_mJGRjlp8SegMmhy4S9CTz4y8TwVxzeQ7R7_y8x748Q8oehnaz2Uq4gBWuEfs7B0LECNQzy1dGKMu7E8AeLt1WnxbGyiEd5T11oQYfWzx1_1d_-juk8_9DtsV92SKuj0_Yc_IFcfGeyPlWHfOcYxGxNQQQ/w480-h640/72738489827__ECC61C82-2457-492F-8802-C815AE3FAC29.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MfaytLH8Z-8e3AzSYp9hsIZRIFdsSKk9QlNP_Y9l3n7K9DWsOJLDwYLIIaYWuZoox50yQCtoXzkasimRg2VglB8epdC4wrUYhbVJ_bLdzlVrHiFpzc8DI3ASYm-8PNBLewHZrdpRsZxrpA-atK_9GhU7JGo68eh_Nu0_5xDRy1Mysyt14uJpfw/s640/IMG_2714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MfaytLH8Z-8e3AzSYp9hsIZRIFdsSKk9QlNP_Y9l3n7K9DWsOJLDwYLIIaYWuZoox50yQCtoXzkasimRg2VglB8epdC4wrUYhbVJ_bLdzlVrHiFpzc8DI3ASYm-8PNBLewHZrdpRsZxrpA-atK_9GhU7JGo68eh_Nu0_5xDRy1Mysyt14uJpfw/w480-h640/IMG_2714.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I've Been Up To</span></p><p>The weather has been less snowy than one would expect from Colorado in January (don't worry; I'm sure the blizzards will be rolling in any day now), so I have taken advantage of the mild temperatures by visiting the nearby wetland area for some birding. The cranes are wintering there, currently, and, while I can't get as close to them as I would like; I still got s few shots.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U2KokeD0ApggROo9h4YN-IuqJw8agRHW4mMTr4UHWd7ranGeAxQpmEilSikmN5NYEsex8bqewPBsbHgs__8WoLJyTduqySHJ_WRBv_FCKOF4NjvpqP3TnfKYqrbUnM8wuzYCGyXUY56xbSLiY1R3rVPpCQh_hwVnUKWGDyRbQfQRdTr_l8ETiw/s4843/018.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="4843" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U2KokeD0ApggROo9h4YN-IuqJw8agRHW4mMTr4UHWd7ranGeAxQpmEilSikmN5NYEsex8bqewPBsbHgs__8WoLJyTduqySHJ_WRBv_FCKOF4NjvpqP3TnfKYqrbUnM8wuzYCGyXUY56xbSLiY1R3rVPpCQh_hwVnUKWGDyRbQfQRdTr_l8ETiw/w640-h386/018.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimOdarZZkQbIO2GTLVyNqgSSHtIvsy0jRJAY07I5sasR9RALwlMBcGcQ0DyNcQN2AAd6_5TBeJQWm4964H3bQi8iDXn8vdukQp7rUujpN0hY9FLuNPnKKEMQsXtKzQlQcs1uuHgmvPBM1wBntKsL1ln7ncmyznoJ7rBPu9erpvAUtkRac8yEa3w/s3867/021.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2312" data-original-width="3867" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimOdarZZkQbIO2GTLVyNqgSSHtIvsy0jRJAY07I5sasR9RALwlMBcGcQ0DyNcQN2AAd6_5TBeJQWm4964H3bQi8iDXn8vdukQp7rUujpN0hY9FLuNPnKKEMQsXtKzQlQcs1uuHgmvPBM1wBntKsL1ln7ncmyznoJ7rBPu9erpvAUtkRac8yEa3w/w640-h382/021.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGRmIPS6h_2zNSFaGRhx18-dskkMDpZcW4s-04zrc34x_0Ndsp18wakfu87N8ezbBPlDVRp_f8Bwerf2_sHEGDvQU9sr5qlpCTw5EUF71ohLbglmHdYYQNpyzpr4ZqYPI8MGgLdRAVE2-nqOWjVvHld5UaGbxITDxYU-thp0k1fqGmuTNzAfxTw/s6000/029.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGRmIPS6h_2zNSFaGRhx18-dskkMDpZcW4s-04zrc34x_0Ndsp18wakfu87N8ezbBPlDVRp_f8Bwerf2_sHEGDvQU9sr5qlpCTw5EUF71ohLbglmHdYYQNpyzpr4ZqYPI8MGgLdRAVE2-nqOWjVvHld5UaGbxITDxYU-thp0k1fqGmuTNzAfxTw/w640-h426/029.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEOa7w_u15WFZNhbwxouNr6udvnKBq6kxSvt-gY5CUC6Xr8on6ZcXInXf0xjRVTGs6WZkNwBrsNMQbzUWSFORnh3SbnevGk3DW0b0xMjyyu-SfUVHcvT0xzDkYJGZv9s5B6X5Lq91Ppq3Df6cfOUdg0c-aOynKpE3MfrB-ULmLdoWUi-OI9FWtA/s4932/029.55.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2671" data-original-width="4932" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDEOa7w_u15WFZNhbwxouNr6udvnKBq6kxSvt-gY5CUC6Xr8on6ZcXInXf0xjRVTGs6WZkNwBrsNMQbzUWSFORnh3SbnevGk3DW0b0xMjyyu-SfUVHcvT0xzDkYJGZv9s5B6X5Lq91Ppq3Df6cfOUdg0c-aOynKpE3MfrB-ULmLdoWUi-OI9FWtA/w640-h346/029.55.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpG4KhCiyFu0VmKMilBTz_vtmz-6vDDhOpZLG98zoadKZIdeU0kIb95GxitqCh-J9ZR50eBusDOYS8GNpQ5uWAPrTP5iHIZMTlxH7_Lbd1Ey8d_3SJL1vB92vRniLunZxyWr47uA_VGMPEKp5uidD7aAcyiBldxg-i3QhFVpllh_Tgzqy3WdR1pw/s5282/042.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3070" data-original-width="5282" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpG4KhCiyFu0VmKMilBTz_vtmz-6vDDhOpZLG98zoadKZIdeU0kIb95GxitqCh-J9ZR50eBusDOYS8GNpQ5uWAPrTP5iHIZMTlxH7_Lbd1Ey8d_3SJL1vB92vRniLunZxyWr47uA_VGMPEKp5uidD7aAcyiBldxg-i3QhFVpllh_Tgzqy3WdR1pw/w640-h372/042.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Working On</span></p><p>I'm pitching in on the wedding planning in whatever ways the Daughter-in-Love requires. Currently, I am scouring thrift stores, antique shops, Mercari, and other online shops for milk glass vases. Shayla wants to fill a variety of them with wildflowers and then group them together on the tables as the centerpieces, which, I think will be lovely. I've already secured fifteen of the roughly forty that we will need, so I clearly understood my assignment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiOxboFz6ZyP_0CPVwMKIMwxZomlAflB1PUH5W4a1jPfYezOaGdR0mblfttrKrVAr4w9yVyBOIZ2AgaFTLJVQPoS3KXtELNztWzXtQeqNG0MfktvGttvOTZYaOK-AOWpwz413IKcyiHxf6W-1ADOZZV_kPImV5S0_gGt-PmoYFaRqsUs8PTSG0Q/s640/IMG_2745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiOxboFz6ZyP_0CPVwMKIMwxZomlAflB1PUH5W4a1jPfYezOaGdR0mblfttrKrVAr4w9yVyBOIZ2AgaFTLJVQPoS3KXtELNztWzXtQeqNG0MfktvGttvOTZYaOK-AOWpwz413IKcyiHxf6W-1ADOZZV_kPImV5S0_gGt-PmoYFaRqsUs8PTSG0Q/w480-h640/IMG_2745.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Dreading</span></p><p>Planning for fundraising season starts in earnest this week. I have already confirmed large sponsors for the virtual 5K in April and we have the first committee meeting for the Barn Dance next week. I feel like I am on a never ending carousel of suck when it comes to fundraising. I need to win the lottery so I can retire.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Excited About </span></p><p>I'm hesitant to let myself get excited about it yet, <i>buuuut</i>, there is a chance that I will be traveling to the UK in May. The window of time in which I would be able to pull off a trip is incredibly narrow this year (work, work, wedding, etc.) and May looks like the best possibility. Unfortunately, the juggling that will need to take place in order for me to actually take the trip is dependent on other people picking up my duties here (hardware store duties, specifically) and I don't know if I can depend on that. It's still an exciting prospect, though, so maybe I will let myself get a little bit excited.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Watching</span></p><p>Mom and I saw a production of A Walk in the Woods at the community theater this month. The play was not my favorite but I have to give mad credit to the two men who made up the entire cast of the show; they had two <i>solid hours</i> of dialogue to memorize (and one was spoken in a Russian accent, which could not have been easy to maintain!) and they executed it flawlessly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOp4yBkivrTB20SJ-Zwm65hFP8KGCWUkkOFHYsVWhgownUNVu3T_jW615JYC2rLNfLgWCF4014iZQqQZRGGlYyOed-HMEE376FeEBIiED8q5UUaTLaCgYxQYWqeXIG2JKzpu7JvxeQd-HVVOOkRXH1z50FNVdpzxb2AGObhoTaeVQxcjULlwYiw/s640/IMG_2668.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOp4yBkivrTB20SJ-Zwm65hFP8KGCWUkkOFHYsVWhgownUNVu3T_jW615JYC2rLNfLgWCF4014iZQqQZRGGlYyOed-HMEE376FeEBIiED8q5UUaTLaCgYxQYWqeXIG2JKzpu7JvxeQd-HVVOOkRXH1z50FNVdpzxb2AGObhoTaeVQxcjULlwYiw/w480-h640/IMG_2668.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Listening To</span></p><p>At the moment, I am listening to a <i>SERIALously</i> podcast on Spotify. It's about the Chris Watts case, specifically about Nichol Kessinger, who was his affair partner and whom people have long suspected of being involved in the murder of Chris's wife and daughters. I guess we will never know, sadly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJGoatGr0KohJlrYbUV7244FJ28g87M-zT6pNms-gYh48yLyYIkR_ZhxD5K6UA8e2OrLu4dlx9kkGWQAlucY_8HqpNzhKOGsz9iYt51LGPyBMF0iLHMgeYSXpOk6qcFb1pXfjXX599tebv3sHf8jxgT9LJabDA6rBnnE4dSZY9zyxOPjQPNjA5Q/s500/51OpUMrzuJL._SL500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJGoatGr0KohJlrYbUV7244FJ28g87M-zT6pNms-gYh48yLyYIkR_ZhxD5K6UA8e2OrLu4dlx9kkGWQAlucY_8HqpNzhKOGsz9iYt51LGPyBMF0iLHMgeYSXpOk6qcFb1pXfjXX599tebv3sHf8jxgT9LJabDA6rBnnE4dSZY9zyxOPjQPNjA5Q/w640-h640/51OpUMrzuJL._SL500_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Reading </span></p><p> I picked up this book by Kristin Hannah to read while I sit in the sauna at the day spa and I could not put it down. I finished it in two days and enjoyed it very much. I typically enjoy her work, and this one was one of my favorites. The synopsis of the book is below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHG_rKPkS4KQVwbkn01ycGqywnyaJxZgCtthYqDdiCjNzK0edfsGrkt76m9Kuq06v1WbQ1py4JL_9yRfjM25YRPLElbY0IpqxVcOyQChaV2l0jAmf0gkiFFIGc_QEZFLbs_5KSRb5I3t6F7u32N6CgcvIKiXG1TZ1z-WJntwynRhuc5HD4fStYw/s640/IMG_2736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHG_rKPkS4KQVwbkn01ycGqywnyaJxZgCtthYqDdiCjNzK0edfsGrkt76m9Kuq06v1WbQ1py4JL_9yRfjM25YRPLElbY0IpqxVcOyQChaV2l0jAmf0gkiFFIGc_QEZFLbs_5KSRb5I3t6F7u32N6CgcvIKiXG1TZ1z-WJntwynRhuc5HD4fStYw/w480-h640/IMG_2736.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: #fdfffa; border: 0px; color: #474039; letter-spacing: 0.0075em; margin: 0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span style="border: 0px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.01em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.01em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes when you open the door to your mother’s past, you find your own future…</span></em></span></p><p style="background-color: #fdfffa; border: 0px; color: #474039; letter-spacing: 0.0075em; margin: 0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, these two estranged women will find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. On his deathbed, their father extracts one last promise from the women in his life.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: #fdfffa; border: 0px; color: #474039; letter-spacing: 0.0075em; margin: 0px 0px 1.3em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>It begins with a story that is unlike anything the sisters have heard before—a captivating, mysterious love story that spans sixty-five years and moves from frozen, war torn Leningrad to modern-day Alaska. The vividly imagined tale brings these three women together in a way that none could have expected. Meredith and Nina will finally learn the secret of their mother’s past and uncover a truth so terrible it will shake the foundation of their family and change who they think they are.</i></span></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Wearing</span></p><p>I have been making a serious effort to wear items from my closet that I haven't worn in a while. My goal is to not repeat an outfit this month, and, so far, I have been successful. As I pull things from the closet, I am making decisions about whether or not to keep them; if I haven't worn them in some time, or if I don't like how they feel, look, fit, etc., I am throwing them in the Donate bag. I'm making great headway.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">What I'm Doing This Weekend</span></p><p>I don't have a lot planned, which is not a bad thing, at all. I do want to work on my embroidery projects, and, I need to do some reorganizing in my craft room, but, otherwise, I'm just going to play it by ear.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180; font-size: large;">What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month</span></p><p>Queen B is coming home for her birthday and we are so excited to see her!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Favorite Amazon Find</span></p><p>I needed bookends for the shelves on our entertainment center and wanted something different. These bronze bunnies are absolutely adorable and sturdy enough to hold up my heaviest volumes. I love them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDBnH73pfqMOi7wNaQUrmubyTECvnqgHlGBQLWA54rwH-XJsq5y14-4Lg2zOl8_NY86ZmsbrLwXNbpEXmbi2qOPEyHLxWulI6Z2hFeal_P4HRD1F-mM2KZhX6e_3r6MSgO7qoV5s2We3zFIl4lpTzbw-XIjxoYiYfH7nPXOmFdOFTXR9LfTIkaA/s1265/81WA8zYn+aL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="1265" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDBnH73pfqMOi7wNaQUrmubyTECvnqgHlGBQLWA54rwH-XJsq5y14-4Lg2zOl8_NY86ZmsbrLwXNbpEXmbi2qOPEyHLxWulI6Z2hFeal_P4HRD1F-mM2KZhX6e_3r6MSgO7qoV5s2We3zFIl4lpTzbw-XIjxoYiYfH7nPXOmFdOFTXR9LfTIkaA/w640-h492/81WA8zYn+aL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-42278180583047516692024-01-19T17:27:00.007-07:002024-01-19T17:38:50.891-07:00Friday Favorites, January 19, 2024 Edition<p>Welcome to the first Friday Favorites post of 2024! Yes, we are slightly more than halfway through the month; do you have a point?</p><p>Anyhoodle...</p><p>...my enjoyment of embroidery continues, and, along with that, comes a lot of new favorite embroidery accessories.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunIeCgDxi0ggdSKZK6j2ObmGEwA7AF8PKDF0ipI2HsC-wHbkjDXuiVsrF3_Y4cZGI31e-tFFVxHlHo4wawEl9RGLkjNl5o9dsmzjXfwnTH4G30StXjDIlO5KwljvwYXAgMlmlHPzIxr1bxuy0j37UzgJ5Ttk74Z-2O3gbRpxxRGb8S2k0zGv9fA/s640/IMG_2632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunIeCgDxi0ggdSKZK6j2ObmGEwA7AF8PKDF0ipI2HsC-wHbkjDXuiVsrF3_Y4cZGI31e-tFFVxHlHo4wawEl9RGLkjNl5o9dsmzjXfwnTH4G30StXjDIlO5KwljvwYXAgMlmlHPzIxr1bxuy0j37UzgJ5Ttk74Z-2O3gbRpxxRGb8S2k0zGv9fA/w480-h640/IMG_2632.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This needle box combines two favorites in one; a place to keep my needles and a nod to one of my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries. The book nerd in me <i>squealed</i> when I saw it on Amazon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Like,<b style="font-style: italic;"> squealed</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkFHp90EpRnP9PsprywXs90IdglEwUXwIo0LNQ-cBGMv16LWgvBQjjtuVnSC6prA5VORbYiF4awA8yPG7FN__8JN-UHuP77cg23TepRhWboJ_sY4Gpxl8C8YaRB5l8QA5Y0hE_xwRZ8Ao7NT6bv4Tmf3NWUuw9K0BeClOjgh81qBLgxGsToAgPg/s640/IMG_2633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkFHp90EpRnP9PsprywXs90IdglEwUXwIo0LNQ-cBGMv16LWgvBQjjtuVnSC6prA5VORbYiF4awA8yPG7FN__8JN-UHuP77cg23TepRhWboJ_sY4Gpxl8C8YaRB5l8QA5Y0hE_xwRZ8Ao7NT6bv4Tmf3NWUuw9K0BeClOjgh81qBLgxGsToAgPg/w480-h640/IMG_2633.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am also incredibly happy with the sewing box that I picked up at Michael's. It holds everything I need and is super-cute while doing so. The super-dorky lighted magnifying glass that I wear around my neck is a favorite, despite the fact that it makes me look...super dorky.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BoPHvhLa0xKNYNbWOxmXKELR1KHJMdyIqWR0ON1KotE4OG_v8g4Y3mQwZSMi8UcIWvCqU-M0Mz8bZIwGDC1Q-YxBiO_UMfuyEcgSxaj0yy8UPsDf-4G2GUNnPSEPIXqD-mtS7IPYoyQBom-C3l3QrR3t_i6U3BHJYJqc5wSNVt2EDh7o_u-bZA/s640/IMG_2640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BoPHvhLa0xKNYNbWOxmXKELR1KHJMdyIqWR0ON1KotE4OG_v8g4Y3mQwZSMi8UcIWvCqU-M0Mz8bZIwGDC1Q-YxBiO_UMfuyEcgSxaj0yy8UPsDf-4G2GUNnPSEPIXqD-mtS7IPYoyQBom-C3l3QrR3t_i6U3BHJYJqc5wSNVt2EDh7o_u-bZA/w480-h640/IMG_2640.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not quite as dorky as the eye massager that I bought myself after listening to Queen B extol the virtues of the unit that we bought her for Christmas, however.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b1iy_vjlrA7-N5lua_L8y-VA6AH76ZbPcfVl5cBOTFAjS0APsI-qT3nWfg1cgE2asswL4ev3PGtRzmFIRvtkAPRj36oqB8gSsGB_K3ebV60LMwi4a-Klhofu8FsN8ayCa-qLMhzEO3jpDD_kcKx5ZvzXVDCYJwCF26PdG1dQ3hFxWWiQEXriwg/s640/IMG_2637.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b1iy_vjlrA7-N5lua_L8y-VA6AH76ZbPcfVl5cBOTFAjS0APsI-qT3nWfg1cgE2asswL4ev3PGtRzmFIRvtkAPRj36oqB8gSsGB_K3ebV60LMwi4a-Klhofu8FsN8ayCa-qLMhzEO3jpDD_kcKx5ZvzXVDCYJwCF26PdG1dQ3hFxWWiQEXriwg/w482-h640/IMG_2637.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br />The machine massages the eyes and temples, is heated, connects to my playlist via bluetooth, and is absolutely amazing at relaxing me when I'm mid-migraine. Worth every penny.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVEVzrtC-pht9r9Syw9Z0ZVKmQ5ayRiwiNCFtqQJY4-s74fkqWYrXNTFHUX-QuRBINuhe_LQZJeIkt0rdMj4huiLBh3MuDbio4GH5HIDbaTRPsAkVhx_FtI_gPG6hWPMMcR1AsHe3gfZ8a-YxynaKihiKZe1R3FpdkR_pWFwQXnA12vYw_jnCTg/s640/IMG_2641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVEVzrtC-pht9r9Syw9Z0ZVKmQ5ayRiwiNCFtqQJY4-s74fkqWYrXNTFHUX-QuRBINuhe_LQZJeIkt0rdMj4huiLBh3MuDbio4GH5HIDbaTRPsAkVhx_FtI_gPG6hWPMMcR1AsHe3gfZ8a-YxynaKihiKZe1R3FpdkR_pWFwQXnA12vYw_jnCTg/w480-h640/IMG_2641.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Also worth every penny is the vintage peacock hair clip that I found on Mercari. I'm a huge fan of these pieces from the 30's and 40's and ones that aren't missing large numbers of stones are not easy to find. This one is pristine.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfslkwW2Fjl5HM_6gcvtyPuskUgrSDupW9r_AMLpCRPvlQbxZTI9U_pu2g0grPmfdk2lkWc0w7RWxk2ycC9QGWbDNs7wV-IS4fpqKW3zDO9Tm7YfSpU_O1SOcXjA0ilkKS9ysWJcDxvl8jZI9oPRycUSz3Vl-mz0dGLRKVBc1xpViQ41WEuB1C4g/s640/IMG_2662.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfslkwW2Fjl5HM_6gcvtyPuskUgrSDupW9r_AMLpCRPvlQbxZTI9U_pu2g0grPmfdk2lkWc0w7RWxk2ycC9QGWbDNs7wV-IS4fpqKW3zDO9Tm7YfSpU_O1SOcXjA0ilkKS9ysWJcDxvl8jZI9oPRycUSz3Vl-mz0dGLRKVBc1xpViQ41WEuB1C4g/w480-h640/IMG_2662.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried really hard to get a good picture of the clip in my hair, but, sadly, I am no contortionist, so these will have to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIq2oB8m4mw3BwN19NJSMKOWicEnT_2yg8fV2orD_H8v3O54l1nv3fEtRNoDB2GPcbUhWlxvId6e3sPQl0fPaByOVMJdcY_mqrJKmQDiTfog9Z3ZVkN3-ujcYHRlgxzPQFyg5JFqpor6JiJKJ3f_jpPkgXi_y79oPH8pY_vv2T14iIErO8RmyDGw/s640/IMG_2684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIq2oB8m4mw3BwN19NJSMKOWicEnT_2yg8fV2orD_H8v3O54l1nv3fEtRNoDB2GPcbUhWlxvId6e3sPQl0fPaByOVMJdcY_mqrJKmQDiTfog9Z3ZVkN3-ujcYHRlgxzPQFyg5JFqpor6JiJKJ3f_jpPkgXi_y79oPH8pY_vv2T14iIErO8RmyDGw/w482-h640/IMG_2684.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVMcJ14dxdmjv2jaov16N6rvIvG60q6isBc5gtHocWmMQPI_cNjWVqV8pZAlmHx0S63s6ela0h1GZM7g7hjp3jkVbxkdUC6NaZPnkudG9mhScz4_atJccmCyDdhMVQyU3H7jd8jaSIP09K6okiaWLQuty-cdYN3Qscv0PYbWs-VoN4CaIFsMz0Q/s640/IMG_2692.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVMcJ14dxdmjv2jaov16N6rvIvG60q6isBc5gtHocWmMQPI_cNjWVqV8pZAlmHx0S63s6ela0h1GZM7g7hjp3jkVbxkdUC6NaZPnkudG9mhScz4_atJccmCyDdhMVQyU3H7jd8jaSIP09K6okiaWLQuty-cdYN3Qscv0PYbWs-VoN4CaIFsMz0Q/w482-h640/IMG_2692.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I went to my second massage in a week on Monday. The first massage (the Wednesday before) released some toxins in my body that I believe ultimately resulted in my migraine on Thursday evening, but that was my fault for not stepping up my water intake to flush my system. I avoided that issue on Monday.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And, lastly, since I'm riding the self-care bandwagon so hard; I also made an appointment to sit in the infrared sauna at the day spa. I had four sessions left on the package that I bought last year and I am determined to use them before they expire. After the sauna, I was encouraged to dip into the cold plunge, but I declined. I'm not a cold plunge kind of gal.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlo6JYmqdtg5ojBd5RQmaNk-25DsH-Efp3cx1XEh-CF4-YIivpto-TRiJi1tn9jb5ht3cmcLOwWX-6mWA2-PsSLgOzNDsZmhOhgqD_trM1PJy1qxRk4IgMfBSTrk_yso6GhyphenhyphenYPnlIZt1WR1mt9b3n1efKAABzA_FB_yLgRPAi8jbJ2vzIUWG00bg/s640/IMG_2693.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlo6JYmqdtg5ojBd5RQmaNk-25DsH-Efp3cx1XEh-CF4-YIivpto-TRiJi1tn9jb5ht3cmcLOwWX-6mWA2-PsSLgOzNDsZmhOhgqD_trM1PJy1qxRk4IgMfBSTrk_yso6GhyphenhyphenYPnlIZt1WR1mt9b3n1efKAABzA_FB_yLgRPAi8jbJ2vzIUWG00bg/w480-h640/IMG_2693.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61V6nZuxWuPRS8wSPHi2sQrwR3z7FRcgKrEkIQoC_IHwFZN0BqFeh7bHU0D8sjdZWoF2g3sXbkERiLR7zQKvrpQuJM8tFQwWpx_5Ctm5jWSN8Ce-Pd4dT2i2xtr3ErKC9fg_UcJLs1uECln8SRzA2xhEthYUR0mQbtK6Hn2cF0s71-4ktfhyphenhyphenDTg/s640/IMG_2694.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61V6nZuxWuPRS8wSPHi2sQrwR3z7FRcgKrEkIQoC_IHwFZN0BqFeh7bHU0D8sjdZWoF2g3sXbkERiLR7zQKvrpQuJM8tFQwWpx_5Ctm5jWSN8Ce-Pd4dT2i2xtr3ErKC9fg_UcJLs1uECln8SRzA2xhEthYUR0mQbtK6Hn2cF0s71-4ktfhyphenhyphenDTg/w480-h640/IMG_2694.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>Freezing my ass off is not a favorite.</p><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-36077092395769460752024-01-17T07:00:00.010-07:002024-01-17T09:49:44.422-07:00Life Lately<p>I think this is the longest pause that I have taken on this blog since starting it back in 2006. That includes time that I stepped away for vacations,etc. Sadly, I have not been on vacation, so that is no excuse for my absence; I've just not felt terribly motivated to write, felt that I had little to share, and have been focusing my energy in other directions. </p><p>And, that's ok. What once would have given me anxiety in this regard has been replaced with a feeling of peace; this space is here for me to visit when I choose to do so and not something that I should feel pressured to maintain on the days that I feel less than inspired.</p><p>Today, I feel inspired enough to share what's been going on around here, lately. Soooo, it's been cold. And, snowy. And, while I hate snow, I have to admit that you can't beat the view of snow-capped mountains.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uusBbT4IbTu28jNvee2pUeG-lo9eSRPv4ZQlhdWF_XCgLKj0mi6ImGuOZsTR1N-7Q2XYQ0RQMuvTefcj6jlkMnnu_ZFUV477L5ljiQg_ImkuL88ItnC4fPa_xbFAhb6ROcAC29DV46sm7lIdRNf2An6nI-ml0ET9SOoaHfWvllaDPYgkidDu4w/s640/IMG_2642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uusBbT4IbTu28jNvee2pUeG-lo9eSRPv4ZQlhdWF_XCgLKj0mi6ImGuOZsTR1N-7Q2XYQ0RQMuvTefcj6jlkMnnu_ZFUV477L5ljiQg_ImkuL88ItnC4fPa_xbFAhb6ROcAC29DV46sm7lIdRNf2An6nI-ml0ET9SOoaHfWvllaDPYgkidDu4w/w480-h640/IMG_2642.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>What do I hate most about the snow? Shoveling immediately comes to mind, followed by driving in the stuff. Also, I'm a girl who enjoys a clean car, and, slushy roads make for a hot mess of a vehicle. Luckily, we have a monthly subscription to a local car wash; they recently opened a new, larger location, and I have been making sure that I squeeze every cent out of that subscription, I assure you.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfjWt9u7FOY9vLCTH4ElCpRtwUnJN8iUTvRE9KLIifJ-vLeGjFmdPIBvnc0ffyugFgMA9vjSNBSzhT5wAR613-WAmkmUjPzgLXhfxpkwyioPP1hLQQIDn-lgogyXegxhZrV41_T7YponKIWLuuPfkzTyqbRZJ3Uua_faYcV8z8LdPLAkV7m_V9g/s640/IMG_2644.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfjWt9u7FOY9vLCTH4ElCpRtwUnJN8iUTvRE9KLIifJ-vLeGjFmdPIBvnc0ffyugFgMA9vjSNBSzhT5wAR613-WAmkmUjPzgLXhfxpkwyioPP1hLQQIDn-lgogyXegxhZrV41_T7YponKIWLuuPfkzTyqbRZJ3Uua_faYcV8z8LdPLAkV7m_V9g/w480-h640/IMG_2644.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Since it's too cold outside to do much of anything, I have been revisiting an old hobby: embroidery. My grandma Molly taught me to embroider when I was a child; I hadn't picked up a needle in years, but I was inspired by some TikTok videos, so I decided to try my hand at it, again. It's quite relaxing, and Guinness loves when I sit still long enough for him to snuggle in.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3r7NF9KbBypfMeTgpHPnDfT-QeSxhWEMP6Kz-WBvgPsm8UeOjGu9EJF1H1Zb2GwPryhn57uuhoXkk0R-jsUY3gsWBqRVn-rhKbEXVen0n5LPoAv2q2qzIeGoiPhoiuvar-G9ffC1VR8oEoSjFyCVa2h1I5rWjAg_aihOZGK1o-cMZkA-OUq2XQ/s640/IMG_2647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3r7NF9KbBypfMeTgpHPnDfT-QeSxhWEMP6Kz-WBvgPsm8UeOjGu9EJF1H1Zb2GwPryhn57uuhoXkk0R-jsUY3gsWBqRVn-rhKbEXVen0n5LPoAv2q2qzIeGoiPhoiuvar-G9ffC1VR8oEoSjFyCVa2h1I5rWjAg_aihOZGK1o-cMZkA-OUq2XQ/w480-h640/IMG_2647.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2K1jAgsm2NYLAApcag6exR2BPdtQ7UQYOezT0KBnheBL2fWNlRWyvt8zCQH0d3twEw6H1c2eZQjlSxpcvGHlPQE4aIqFHMYIOkVDMTb_Y7fdiCajYY_43dEif9T3CbTvWwjhMZ46_1-z_eM9kkoUZzdzn1awoJSur82jKrjvDs8rNkW4gE7ieg/s640/IMG_2655.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2K1jAgsm2NYLAApcag6exR2BPdtQ7UQYOezT0KBnheBL2fWNlRWyvt8zCQH0d3twEw6H1c2eZQjlSxpcvGHlPQE4aIqFHMYIOkVDMTb_Y7fdiCajYY_43dEif9T3CbTvWwjhMZ46_1-z_eM9kkoUZzdzn1awoJSur82jKrjvDs8rNkW4gE7ieg/w480-h640/IMG_2655.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9FQNcHkGdzX1e4y2RG8oJOQMkeuegs9XKtqG9FthZLds_RNHHHfny84x05dIwwMhgydvhMKIYEK32-OvL7cKQMsu6wk721TADLDNhcqK8QPsY7fLd3VNinhegQ-R0Nq3g5q-ascS77B3wrisLSkS19K6kKU3xj8XAi-fL89r8GB-rjsGI7TGtQ/s640/IMG_2657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9FQNcHkGdzX1e4y2RG8oJOQMkeuegs9XKtqG9FthZLds_RNHHHfny84x05dIwwMhgydvhMKIYEK32-OvL7cKQMsu6wk721TADLDNhcqK8QPsY7fLd3VNinhegQ-R0Nq3g5q-ascS77B3wrisLSkS19K6kKU3xj8XAi-fL89r8GB-rjsGI7TGtQ/w480-h640/IMG_2657.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tARJ8RrsgkEm65yM8ZMuxMjLVPkvXh5_Mvko3Eh23Wbwzj1UuEBs3q8VUbIYACup3yoDmpc-syYSqpYoX-QB-2tZArYRB4-ErwcyEA5riZeLH_5Gms65VSSUCAAtAXla35tfXLYDmNNr42cqgg0MV5A-7aDyHKF7r5zJX9KW1Q9QXLbXKXwWNg/s640/IMG_2672.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-tARJ8RrsgkEm65yM8ZMuxMjLVPkvXh5_Mvko3Eh23Wbwzj1UuEBs3q8VUbIYACup3yoDmpc-syYSqpYoX-QB-2tZArYRB4-ErwcyEA5riZeLH_5Gms65VSSUCAAtAXla35tfXLYDmNNr42cqgg0MV5A-7aDyHKF7r5zJX9KW1Q9QXLbXKXwWNg/w480-h640/IMG_2672.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mom and I did venture out one of the chilly nights; we grabbed dinner at a local Mexican restaurant before attending another play at the community theater. We have both enjoyed this season so far, and I am certain that I will purchase season tickets again next year (Hugh is thrilled to have Mom here to attend the plays with me; he enjoys them on the very rare occasion, but is uninterested in the majority of the offerings).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI9RMHcjDy-bwrQQAxj4OnlhIjdI0O6_hOu5NS3Kw_LXlZQSlCQcH8XK7E1zyiXQdT_nnc6oCfxcIqgCG04XwzfdPaPgTk2hAQWJ-4sfxzU5SOnJpLGrQO_jKRoE1WggKHlcRRBoo5U6GQZ_ZZi2LSOFRi6fhc0CZbZtUiXUcp-eFLuvpfY0Tug/s640/IMG_2664.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMI9RMHcjDy-bwrQQAxj4OnlhIjdI0O6_hOu5NS3Kw_LXlZQSlCQcH8XK7E1zyiXQdT_nnc6oCfxcIqgCG04XwzfdPaPgTk2hAQWJ-4sfxzU5SOnJpLGrQO_jKRoE1WggKHlcRRBoo5U6GQZ_ZZi2LSOFRi6fhc0CZbZtUiXUcp-eFLuvpfY0Tug/w480-h640/IMG_2664.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZxVfezRFuN-tVFXDMZHN2T54Jy3EqYxta9ioETtIJhQ4qAkpao6nlNs4KxM_aVj4jrnViJ0lA0vCSG4C4NHcgNxyaMd8sX5R8zilVvbVum3K6wVYPGdA6qM8oUDn4UAqazQiPUthh6nGcqjXUd16dCSotSvwhT8_cOkqaX1DMsy6Nu04Zj9D5g/s640/IMG_2665.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZxVfezRFuN-tVFXDMZHN2T54Jy3EqYxta9ioETtIJhQ4qAkpao6nlNs4KxM_aVj4jrnViJ0lA0vCSG4C4NHcgNxyaMd8sX5R8zilVvbVum3K6wVYPGdA6qM8oUDn4UAqazQiPUthh6nGcqjXUd16dCSotSvwhT8_cOkqaX1DMsy6Nu04Zj9D5g/w640-h480/IMG_2665.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPODp1vFua4556NwXWPAvpdfQx_F1qxeGGQYfcRiLsDxCUcLZ82Nnxpb6FBwWgeMG9Up5V6-Yfqrn-Y60KLhSLmYfpBvmFDgVvyu2vqaf4a5s7Lq1y2DfP_oQwIMr7Erabp_9-Lsn8tnvg2WWPBNvGdKDjFR6uAqltdihqBW6QO4WgqAKIx4EZg/s640/IMG_2668.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPODp1vFua4556NwXWPAvpdfQx_F1qxeGGQYfcRiLsDxCUcLZ82Nnxpb6FBwWgeMG9Up5V6-Yfqrn-Y60KLhSLmYfpBvmFDgVvyu2vqaf4a5s7Lq1y2DfP_oQwIMr7Erabp_9-Lsn8tnvg2WWPBNvGdKDjFR6uAqltdihqBW6QO4WgqAKIx4EZg/w480-h640/IMG_2668.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDkolGg6PqkypA2jIv2lVMopyMt8wSas8EqCthF_okjrj3S0Wv45IctUsta6Pps85o7F3UhfQLkDSL6W4gBHPsoq4mIOtbuUt_YnGZw21tCmNNEqNG1GaMRWQ11JrQc-bBDZ-i6l0MbV4-XVDVsGcC6FlIRXmrUDeuM7YA3xw1HZ9nJciQGafXQ/s640/IMG_2671.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDkolGg6PqkypA2jIv2lVMopyMt8wSas8EqCthF_okjrj3S0Wv45IctUsta6Pps85o7F3UhfQLkDSL6W4gBHPsoq4mIOtbuUt_YnGZw21tCmNNEqNG1GaMRWQ11JrQc-bBDZ-i6l0MbV4-XVDVsGcC6FlIRXmrUDeuM7YA3xw1HZ9nJciQGafXQ/w482-h640/IMG_2671.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, I have been indulging in more frequent massages because, hunching over an embroidery hoop can be pretty stressful on the back and shoulders; who knew?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83W560k3d0Y-f52heFYrmrKvQLiOBhgcoHyPZ_rXEoKfCK7Vg6nwb77I3prhLwsylNx2Nzm00Trnnnqq_mLFTSyen-9PD-Aiw1tyDvHssRHNmNqdZWVWV_C_GScIruetC5OlIGkoh0g_n3R5wUQxbTSvxZwEZDa0_UySQJKzZFSrVVNMgUmcsZA/s640/IMG_2673.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83W560k3d0Y-f52heFYrmrKvQLiOBhgcoHyPZ_rXEoKfCK7Vg6nwb77I3prhLwsylNx2Nzm00Trnnnqq_mLFTSyen-9PD-Aiw1tyDvHssRHNmNqdZWVWV_C_GScIruetC5OlIGkoh0g_n3R5wUQxbTSvxZwEZDa0_UySQJKzZFSrVVNMgUmcsZA/w480-h640/IMG_2673.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And, that wraps it up for now. I'm not sure when I will feel inspired enough to write again, but it could be sooner, rather than later, as the kids have finally set a wedding date! August 10th, which is less than seven months away! I'm so excited and have already given Hugh his marching orders for the rehearsal dinner that we will be hosting the night before the wedding. It's going to be one of my favorite events, ever, I just know it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Definitely stay tuned for that!</div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-74940762232085393402024-01-02T07:27:00.003-07:002024-01-03T06:53:01.401-07:00Move<p>Welcome to 2024!</p><p>Did you make it through the ball drop? Shockingly, Hugh and I did. We were watching a series on Netflix that Queen B had recommended and before we knew it, the neighborhood erupted in fireworks, alerting us to the stroke of midnight. I think it's a good sign that we were awake to see it.</p><p>I have high hopes for 2024, despite the issues plaguing our world. I am truly hopeful that we humans will pull it together and stop being dicks to each other. I'm planning to do my part, anyway.</p><p>This brings me to my goals for 2024, as well as the word that I am going to use as my guidepost. The word is Move, and it's something that can be utilized in a lot of different ways. I chose it because, back in 2020, I had an experience wherein a old childhood reached out from out of the blue to tell me that she had had a vivid dream of my Dad, asking her to tell me to move. It resonated with her hard enough to actually reach out, so I believe it was important to my Dad and, at the time, I was struggling through the Trifecta of Suck; hearing from my friend did at least get me off the couch and on the path to better days.</p><p>I haven't forgotten it, and, I think the advice to move was sound. So, I'm using the word to motivate me this year, and, the goals that I'm setting will require motion in some way, shape, or form, so; there you have it.</p><p>As for the goals:</p><p>-Move my body more. </p><p>-Do all the things; extend the invitation, accept invitations when offered, spend time with family and friends, try new things, re-discover the old things that bring me joy.</p><p>-Hustle harder at work; make things happen instead of always responding to what is happening. </p><p>-Use the things; treasured items, precious things, everyday things. They are all meant to be used without fear of damage and for the purpose of creating happiness.</p><p>-Write more posts here than last year.</p><p>-Move my body more. Because that one bears repeating.</p><p>That's it.</p><p>Now, let's get a move on.</p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-73521497715401754592023-12-31T07:00:00.002-07:002024-01-02T07:08:41.843-07:002023: The Year in Review<p>This post is one of my favorite ones to write each year. It gives me a chance to look back at how much our family has changed and grown in just twelve short months, and, this year; those months seemed shorter than ever. Time really does seem to enter warp speed the older you get.</p><p>If there is anything that I can say about 2023, it is that it was our year for hosting friends and family. It seems like each month offered opportunities for us to spend time with those that we love, and, for that, I am incredibly grateful.</p><p>As always, the post is extremely picture-heavy, so I apologize for that in advance.</p><p>January</p><p>We kicked off the New Year with a fondue party with Erin and the foster child that she and Kristi were housing (Kristi was in Florida, visiting her mom, I believe). This alone shows how much can change in a year, as Erin and Kristi are now living abroad. Crazy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu_a_Ss62ml-MQpZ_AtcIqpREQOyHl4GfaGf4sMm9ItIxD5CK7uEiqUqXhoIh63tcZzNG1DD6wCrH5uPp23cms3IqCtbYfZGRD_In1TgSbva4kv_E5yIMtTB5QCTYOtjfpN9yeh9H_x7VUkWHVmhI0Z6j9uIt6utleuwTGEmO3gTiLqrSXh0VuQ/s640/IMG_8737.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu_a_Ss62ml-MQpZ_AtcIqpREQOyHl4GfaGf4sMm9ItIxD5CK7uEiqUqXhoIh63tcZzNG1DD6wCrH5uPp23cms3IqCtbYfZGRD_In1TgSbva4kv_E5yIMtTB5QCTYOtjfpN9yeh9H_x7VUkWHVmhI0Z6j9uIt6utleuwTGEmO3gTiLqrSXh0VuQ/w482-h640/IMG_8737.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamZK-XoGYAaFAEY5J8oMvOXyZzT7utFfJ2dJCJcJ_ENOZC7wRpoG6qd-GRW-RDRNxHMn5nysFFDAS69Bq_xbVVYVCTnHHlR-pWyN_14Ke95xfPh2YuMS3LzMvs_fNJXryMuTXBjmceG8XsMjSmCEI_UqRNZD_8xFykYjwmz0DB9UzB775y2Q2GQ/s640/IMG_8741.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamZK-XoGYAaFAEY5J8oMvOXyZzT7utFfJ2dJCJcJ_ENOZC7wRpoG6qd-GRW-RDRNxHMn5nysFFDAS69Bq_xbVVYVCTnHHlR-pWyN_14Ke95xfPh2YuMS3LzMvs_fNJXryMuTXBjmceG8XsMjSmCEI_UqRNZD_8xFykYjwmz0DB9UzB775y2Q2GQ/w640-h482/IMG_8741.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>February</p><p>Queen B made the first of what would be many, many trips home this year. We celebrated her birthday with a surprise party that our Katie girl organized. It's not easy to surprise Queen B, so we felt quite satisfied with our accomplishment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh914YruBbAwkRX1xlPXM_cVHP5lk_z3-DPnzgGhCwTRZNDU6uw0Y9eLkWWqHhQK7_mGypuFKMTrCQXKvTsMaPDbjITPRaKxGaw-SD-eusx4mlcicfLshyphenhyphenV3JXmPJpBjYfqTArmhBkgJhkKv36wwRyoimAmtapbWJLbznzetQHt6X6fAw5kfgI-NA/s640/IMG_9082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh914YruBbAwkRX1xlPXM_cVHP5lk_z3-DPnzgGhCwTRZNDU6uw0Y9eLkWWqHhQK7_mGypuFKMTrCQXKvTsMaPDbjITPRaKxGaw-SD-eusx4mlcicfLshyphenhyphenV3JXmPJpBjYfqTArmhBkgJhkKv36wwRyoimAmtapbWJLbznzetQHt6X6fAw5kfgI-NA/w480-h640/IMG_9082.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf3R8Zh_W_Z48K-vFsClT-D4jRTMotchwH0ejPTXDgGZXoPPtITlFr2CpZVMmEyhU9pi-XCENBKA56xpg8DLFU-cdT3BCy8SbBV3Wt8GbgNrDRWXLsk7UzV8AmIqxMdNNf5p2PDKzDrAzAI6pldgnHdpPMhQ1w1FcGBo8yPQsGbRaBw4dIlDeYA/s640/IMG_9086.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf3R8Zh_W_Z48K-vFsClT-D4jRTMotchwH0ejPTXDgGZXoPPtITlFr2CpZVMmEyhU9pi-XCENBKA56xpg8DLFU-cdT3BCy8SbBV3Wt8GbgNrDRWXLsk7UzV8AmIqxMdNNf5p2PDKzDrAzAI6pldgnHdpPMhQ1w1FcGBo8yPQsGbRaBw4dIlDeYA/w640-h480/IMG_9086.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The following day, we made the trip over the mountains to celebrate Queen B's goddaughter's second birthday. We absolutely love this family and are always so excited to spend time with them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y2JjuRds_rZOV5W_pDt7A5HWOxbPLYC77dATLMlYcubv8I8c5o85ZyxqBvcV6UeUMx1_3yLH9QDLXpAEC3fHhVriDHh0ZJZCDCJn6kP8fdfNTysJOJfAGAIdnyt0nKThbCDoktsM80TBHJAX3YpnnPeQgdOTMzWxdMibo2CLNu24KDFZdgLW2Q/s640/IMG_9095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y2JjuRds_rZOV5W_pDt7A5HWOxbPLYC77dATLMlYcubv8I8c5o85ZyxqBvcV6UeUMx1_3yLH9QDLXpAEC3fHhVriDHh0ZJZCDCJn6kP8fdfNTysJOJfAGAIdnyt0nKThbCDoktsM80TBHJAX3YpnnPeQgdOTMzWxdMibo2CLNu24KDFZdgLW2Q/w480-h640/IMG_9095.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNu0chdRdmQDLH1S0eVtPc9JGRZTWiAMLjh4TWrue06e80_DVwzAXV2qyGaGyOR8rHyT1hmQBYXQssFxeutOsMnR3E7OwEPxsQAIEOpSpHXonRigA9o-z50v5R6O53y6cBSxHf739nk4T0qHRnpGXq8cVTMfOu7s6Wm0Vkhu5ZVux_opCQqvN8w/s640/IMG_9098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNu0chdRdmQDLH1S0eVtPc9JGRZTWiAMLjh4TWrue06e80_DVwzAXV2qyGaGyOR8rHyT1hmQBYXQssFxeutOsMnR3E7OwEPxsQAIEOpSpHXonRigA9o-z50v5R6O53y6cBSxHf739nk4T0qHRnpGXq8cVTMfOu7s6Wm0Vkhu5ZVux_opCQqvN8w/w480-h640/IMG_9098.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKvkIgerARUnpiksKG-npXVgZvwJdy7hcasBDR0XgIfM856YoshmFw-1dkUwQDtwVyPRfe7bPhOB3cWrJaNg1H1zEUAvT9i3zdYMBer5bI9sIUSAishCBBWAMo5KEeHoVWXWfaRubVR-N8zl10OLZhArOs_LvK7za88SP4-ItIpO3f_HyRu9D8g/s640/IMG_9099.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKvkIgerARUnpiksKG-npXVgZvwJdy7hcasBDR0XgIfM856YoshmFw-1dkUwQDtwVyPRfe7bPhOB3cWrJaNg1H1zEUAvT9i3zdYMBer5bI9sIUSAishCBBWAMo5KEeHoVWXWfaRubVR-N8zl10OLZhArOs_LvK7za88SP4-ItIpO3f_HyRu9D8g/w480-h640/IMG_9099.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcUPFW_tHX-LLbt6-RxCnXb1ZUrVCOKu3ZnAqsReMfTe8VXGlfhLPLcKbdIruEsaVTw2aQBk7iOymM0EXaZ0ySVvVmnLWkG7v1vnqlc7ABk7iVFpE_XkokTYF2DcvE_gVJdnXT9Yzd0qwlA689s3Zr8tzoddSrAhCqz9vX4SsSLsFyZYE3Ymx8Q/s640/IMG_9102.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcUPFW_tHX-LLbt6-RxCnXb1ZUrVCOKu3ZnAqsReMfTe8VXGlfhLPLcKbdIruEsaVTw2aQBk7iOymM0EXaZ0ySVvVmnLWkG7v1vnqlc7ABk7iVFpE_XkokTYF2DcvE_gVJdnXT9Yzd0qwlA689s3Zr8tzoddSrAhCqz9vX4SsSLsFyZYE3Ymx8Q/w482-h640/IMG_9102.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You may remember that I had made the decision in the fall of 2022 to stop fighting the gray in my hair. This is where we were in February.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-UHoQosld0OocSLskERnVkzJi0A037jHs97vLnGVRhnUW0qrqvDpWvG-VF40vhWF_Pgiq9PUF0uewuAYrDl-fhx904clqRIoHCDfYaYZkKZD5k83C0u0GQ_l8IM9lY-sOPzkG67cxf7g0k-vGzbzFavNjstZsSHKOpIR1WHuBkk3md5n0sHK1w/s640/IMG_8896.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-UHoQosld0OocSLskERnVkzJi0A037jHs97vLnGVRhnUW0qrqvDpWvG-VF40vhWF_Pgiq9PUF0uewuAYrDl-fhx904clqRIoHCDfYaYZkKZD5k83C0u0GQ_l8IM9lY-sOPzkG67cxf7g0k-vGzbzFavNjstZsSHKOpIR1WHuBkk3md5n0sHK1w/w482-h640/IMG_8896.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>March</p><p>I found myself with some free time on my hands this month and thought that I would spend it catching up on the kids' scrapbooks. I think I managed to catch Queen B's up to her senior year in high school. It's still a work in progress. It didn't help that I was constantly interrupted by my fur babies, who demand almost more attention than my humans.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXBzcg7QVg3IDWjd6k6gDKZE_5UBAK0eNOAqndDBVfK0J9gWblKzsYmZtGC4DCOwpms6Hoi1Gq7ii9DQ-8iFzYHXCdvI_O8VPSIlNww2YjTA-Vc9aLX0teBhSvPtDJB8MyhoT5fwfI2D2Y89493ysCCoxo-E4rKHOqYQFKhMEEz-z7hHAMVEHTw/s640/IMG_9188.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXBzcg7QVg3IDWjd6k6gDKZE_5UBAK0eNOAqndDBVfK0J9gWblKzsYmZtGC4DCOwpms6Hoi1Gq7ii9DQ-8iFzYHXCdvI_O8VPSIlNww2YjTA-Vc9aLX0teBhSvPtDJB8MyhoT5fwfI2D2Y89493ysCCoxo-E4rKHOqYQFKhMEEz-z7hHAMVEHTw/w480-h640/IMG_9188.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We also started working on the annual 5K for Not So New Job, which meant a photo shoot starring everyone's favorite runner.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANqVUPPczlng91DAl_J9dROqWn13TCa2Ii-8xQJEMRIwkjk6TKOqIK5_le5m2EORkIkXuBsHPhoRxzwqeOcFTWgcdXJHQKbDXBtBVeGWXRvpRkwijds3tFHUe9xJ96-iSbHqpPFAo_Lesn63y1CDu0epxVemXj6BidUJdT7uRQHdr7OEWdXmERA/s640/IMG_9218.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANqVUPPczlng91DAl_J9dROqWn13TCa2Ii-8xQJEMRIwkjk6TKOqIK5_le5m2EORkIkXuBsHPhoRxzwqeOcFTWgcdXJHQKbDXBtBVeGWXRvpRkwijds3tFHUe9xJ96-iSbHqpPFAo_Lesn63y1CDu0epxVemXj6BidUJdT7uRQHdr7OEWdXmERA/w480-h640/IMG_9218.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div> </div><div>And, speaking of photo shoots; I also squeezed in a weekend visit with Phoebe and her daughter. We had taken senior pictures for her in both the summer and fall, but she wanted winter pictures as well, since very few of her classmates would be able to copy her. She's competitive, that one.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze1NdLqvrnVsC-yehfF1TFjyssY_5yf6ydzrRwY3jbHAvTUzIb1tXjoYMemcaOKL0YvoremCAuYStY9UMkRwMrpeI676pquzfykxyp8i1SwMTd0v8Ylqb4GHoTx_mP5suUaMbrkjbibEgB7RzQsmijclaK8gOh_hEGAsecag4Z8YJJy8C6PQlYw/s6000/109.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze1NdLqvrnVsC-yehfF1TFjyssY_5yf6ydzrRwY3jbHAvTUzIb1tXjoYMemcaOKL0YvoremCAuYStY9UMkRwMrpeI676pquzfykxyp8i1SwMTd0v8Ylqb4GHoTx_mP5suUaMbrkjbibEgB7RzQsmijclaK8gOh_hEGAsecag4Z8YJJy8C6PQlYw/w426-h640/109.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div>While we were shooting, a giant glop of slushy snow fell out of a tree and onto Phoebe's head. We got a good laugh out of that.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYRcJ-u4mPW95IDqmkpJCvJzqFw0ThIq_SRXk0Pb6hgJVbQMNan8ouZyeUN8u77bks-7lPonvnR19PblvpDx0AShpWUR9ayVRIIVbS9rvy7nU4vGY7vdOY9pJ40x3uzeHfOI1r7XieKbwXAQetsdb-hHCt9lRXzSn2AYO9clLvErfE7A04FlUpw/s6000/118.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYRcJ-u4mPW95IDqmkpJCvJzqFw0ThIq_SRXk0Pb6hgJVbQMNan8ouZyeUN8u77bks-7lPonvnR19PblvpDx0AShpWUR9ayVRIIVbS9rvy7nU4vGY7vdOY9pJ40x3uzeHfOI1r7XieKbwXAQetsdb-hHCt9lRXzSn2AYO9clLvErfE7A04FlUpw/w426-h640/118.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERf5-LstdSxPyvfTHjvMzvUAP8AjxNyKGWxY8_XsBsB8q33-O134XV2ApHtcQa3nFF2frnxDRf9mQ43jhfmp-uRY4qsYY-0GGity0YqQJi5PAa3qk4_G75Vk-JA27zeMC9Ct8VVYPUmVKfbaw-NrV77p5Q48miCLYrpCuXx5rmnIGRL1Q0gIgUA/s6000/119.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERf5-LstdSxPyvfTHjvMzvUAP8AjxNyKGWxY8_XsBsB8q33-O134XV2ApHtcQa3nFF2frnxDRf9mQ43jhfmp-uRY4qsYY-0GGity0YqQJi5PAa3qk4_G75Vk-JA27zeMC9Ct8VVYPUmVKfbaw-NrV77p5Q48miCLYrpCuXx5rmnIGRL1Q0gIgUA/w426-h640/119.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>April</div><p>I hosted Easter brunch, but not before Mom and I decorated a batch of cut sugar cookies, requested by the Man-Cub.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-CWJzOH_e1rrN6fCDxc4bOL9kjoUvjek-luYbNrLE6MTRGD8pC2n81v76oDrDtvmQREVJgMTu_QrIqViYbN9iz1rYuq4is84VoxO4TLbg85pik42hIcT8NVyT41JhvorrZCI5HRvdI4PB0jiCkehQKfZFbs2n1AuPTo_aXYgseEUFgAZU1ubhQ/s640/IMG_9441.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-CWJzOH_e1rrN6fCDxc4bOL9kjoUvjek-luYbNrLE6MTRGD8pC2n81v76oDrDtvmQREVJgMTu_QrIqViYbN9iz1rYuq4is84VoxO4TLbg85pik42hIcT8NVyT41JhvorrZCI5HRvdI4PB0jiCkehQKfZFbs2n1AuPTo_aXYgseEUFgAZU1ubhQ/w480-h640/IMG_9441.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mom, Oscar, Emily, the Man-Cub and Shanti, Erin and Kristi all joined us. We decided on doing a brunch this year, so that we could attend an adult Easter egg hunt at Mama Jill's later that afternoon. It was actually quite fun, so we will probably do that again in the future. Brunch is so easy to prepare, and, there are mimosas!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_A_EvCuiDdHpjI53s-tfwq5ObHgylYCyG0TNRLwlp9k3NSGayAGMC_vHb_Tu_rx2I-NSjODrJAvnQ8nm3FFkr2__hnVgshcWYpLV1C-u-r9Vz_FPwsRANvIF6Ngo-baAA0r5F9BzrynkvcIab_3DPFema3wbGSuo24Zp2Qd2ZIrCMga_vl9EXA/s960/IMG_9500.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_A_EvCuiDdHpjI53s-tfwq5ObHgylYCyG0TNRLwlp9k3NSGayAGMC_vHb_Tu_rx2I-NSjODrJAvnQ8nm3FFkr2__hnVgshcWYpLV1C-u-r9Vz_FPwsRANvIF6Ngo-baAA0r5F9BzrynkvcIab_3DPFema3wbGSuo24Zp2Qd2ZIrCMga_vl9EXA/w480-h640/IMG_9500.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOt-gTxnkPjdrQkLOl5aDzwHROjajP1PRwaXWGNX-2rZDoeF-8yVMHk9093X1jUFa08noEpjcz2bhW6tNfM1FWDrMuvVfM72eBG293L5O7ezlobuUforEMCTCWCnPltzIVIr-5Xcr_Praih0Pl_uzuzqE83gQGdJ-h41HgKIpRKdx9-ueWOj-yHg/s960/IMG_9501.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOt-gTxnkPjdrQkLOl5aDzwHROjajP1PRwaXWGNX-2rZDoeF-8yVMHk9093X1jUFa08noEpjcz2bhW6tNfM1FWDrMuvVfM72eBG293L5O7ezlobuUforEMCTCWCnPltzIVIr-5Xcr_Praih0Pl_uzuzqE83gQGdJ-h41HgKIpRKdx9-ueWOj-yHg/w480-h640/IMG_9501.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMdPWMbFzP83iZ8ybV8TmNovS2ldvH4-LjmJYafCSHyfDUrJtzlNF68-BuzEOcR2JiMrNv1SeDADBGhohjFlm-rFj7L4VqlCZk1vBXrv48AaT1LLxKJqctFix5fwrLtiQfz9go3kqJRrcvmpSd0d4Vv34IPw2CIvs3hESDMQ9KRH3eaMEywrdmA/s960/IMG_9502.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMdPWMbFzP83iZ8ybV8TmNovS2ldvH4-LjmJYafCSHyfDUrJtzlNF68-BuzEOcR2JiMrNv1SeDADBGhohjFlm-rFj7L4VqlCZk1vBXrv48AaT1LLxKJqctFix5fwrLtiQfz9go3kqJRrcvmpSd0d4Vv34IPw2CIvs3hESDMQ9KRH3eaMEywrdmA/w480-h640/IMG_9502.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later in the month, Mom and I headed over the mountains to Mayberry, where we attended my great niece's ballet recital and spent some time with her and her father, the Rebel Without a Cause, who, it should be noted, is still a rebel, even at the ripe old age of 32. We're hopeful that he will eventually mature.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0Gn5mBFFJXIqoa56hv-snerMJUs6VOQ-IaUIoZYMqK-fJttwS0fpUY4MjbMQ4hk5nRDXsYnk8nvaoqvnw-FEhHrpMtEF13AlA-CRbx1ETQepajwurpJFfYdyeaq4h02b-tiK5lQSo7hWOUIWK86bDCul_b_xHmHtfr6VILxl-6G5nmOBr283bw/s6000/008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0Gn5mBFFJXIqoa56hv-snerMJUs6VOQ-IaUIoZYMqK-fJttwS0fpUY4MjbMQ4hk5nRDXsYnk8nvaoqvnw-FEhHrpMtEF13AlA-CRbx1ETQepajwurpJFfYdyeaq4h02b-tiK5lQSo7hWOUIWK86bDCul_b_xHmHtfr6VILxl-6G5nmOBr283bw/w640-h426/008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOECcxb7bAt0pNYS5oVQ7Y94pIEGhT94tMzOViVyTP45OqenPJLSVU3M3KXosjOyoKNLgVULEwovV9ra_mcXHhmLyUCKvas6mF4Xbeo0TEKQYpnpVMFcnLYsfRRqNPlfBIwYiYE0eCcnNs5e-Mhu6MxmfViNKMN2QpOLtMXvXwsxfXpNSBn5ZPlw/s6000/018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOECcxb7bAt0pNYS5oVQ7Y94pIEGhT94tMzOViVyTP45OqenPJLSVU3M3KXosjOyoKNLgVULEwovV9ra_mcXHhmLyUCKvas6mF4Xbeo0TEKQYpnpVMFcnLYsfRRqNPlfBIwYiYE0eCcnNs5e-Mhu6MxmfViNKMN2QpOLtMXvXwsxfXpNSBn5ZPlw/w640-h426/018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokLyNKVffRN_sLbliQ5mq6Y_J-U4dluJSIWOlVXm4FlxkeLFlYXM_An4M2TK0MMvW9oQ7uaY-mviC8po_oZ12_bLI6tvTgWme8pjxGzcV8Jz0R47wjPkiT7uJHVCK2DIcyZvxoTw_bShruUUGWlWgMhYMsR9TypMO6GqjuB0wms5vPDvoXI5MRg/s6000/020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokLyNKVffRN_sLbliQ5mq6Y_J-U4dluJSIWOlVXm4FlxkeLFlYXM_An4M2TK0MMvW9oQ7uaY-mviC8po_oZ12_bLI6tvTgWme8pjxGzcV8Jz0R47wjPkiT7uJHVCK2DIcyZvxoTw_bShruUUGWlWgMhYMsR9TypMO6GqjuB0wms5vPDvoXI5MRg/w640-h426/020.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigpAxrHVB7r9Vur0ywIHgRfdIsAtkLqeN-7JZF77ANdXhOnxAQVibyFn59bdMf3Nfuc2fJ2FMCW7K1vPZHx97v5sLydy0xDzT2zPsKlR2cMfwnbMMJrkyPmDeHEK2mO3SCX4qzfqk6mLHpZEx-cDQH5mVMbdaGcfN26yhOKcpP2qN2AIjZfHbHA/s640/IMG_9614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigpAxrHVB7r9Vur0ywIHgRfdIsAtkLqeN-7JZF77ANdXhOnxAQVibyFn59bdMf3Nfuc2fJ2FMCW7K1vPZHx97v5sLydy0xDzT2zPsKlR2cMfwnbMMJrkyPmDeHEK2mO3SCX4qzfqk6mLHpZEx-cDQH5mVMbdaGcfN26yhOKcpP2qN2AIjZfHbHA/w482-h640/IMG_9614.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz__R5kIQTPFSZ5C6O2CFYQ6VXUYsR99BqNNMsLYPi2lkFyRPyjDQaLrRldIo8KqTP7aCHuE1RXoWTCSAlaKzpsZfBwfEsFo_qbop7wbOUrr78NvxMe2eKfaaZdyULDo5gF8s8OPAshWmq2K-GR8jhxySIS5IaX7lOqfBjdCNB4RNeNKV3GVu3TA/s640/IMG_9615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz__R5kIQTPFSZ5C6O2CFYQ6VXUYsR99BqNNMsLYPi2lkFyRPyjDQaLrRldIo8KqTP7aCHuE1RXoWTCSAlaKzpsZfBwfEsFo_qbop7wbOUrr78NvxMe2eKfaaZdyULDo5gF8s8OPAshWmq2K-GR8jhxySIS5IaX7lOqfBjdCNB4RNeNKV3GVu3TA/w480-h640/IMG_9615.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>May</div><div><br /></div><div>I planted my garden this month, crossing my fingers that it would be more productive than it was the prior summer. Spoiler: it was. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicD6ZEv7L1uPTmoomz0C0j6H0qPq7BjRZANPDSWE8VIxRHrMXtXxVI8avPl0T47VC-gPqmK1wT4P-MyivWcW3kwwESzPmR502ByrJcq_9efT38pXUJPb0AOxWXFfIZRg-1D_OqNw2BfouBYrZjffznMPL4YtrSC7gfy5EgszaXDjeXL4VuQZlPeQ/s640/IMG_9707.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicD6ZEv7L1uPTmoomz0C0j6H0qPq7BjRZANPDSWE8VIxRHrMXtXxVI8avPl0T47VC-gPqmK1wT4P-MyivWcW3kwwESzPmR502ByrJcq_9efT38pXUJPb0AOxWXFfIZRg-1D_OqNw2BfouBYrZjffznMPL4YtrSC7gfy5EgszaXDjeXL4VuQZlPeQ/w480-h640/IMG_9707.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DZLltJclyjjLnzbx19F4kEHlfhkvyw83T81kmWUC53O_74sIOqOqOpn9Y-lCDhEOVXQWBNoazbCVA_bO35OL8zW4OdTC8lGhz-8NjhQ46gn6UGRf5zEwlqlr9-OPp3vVnFOfKYEQnLYglgFAlu6NvYpCIOQksBVrWr26g3rlEJem1XGPiz4skA/s640/IMG_9709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DZLltJclyjjLnzbx19F4kEHlfhkvyw83T81kmWUC53O_74sIOqOqOpn9Y-lCDhEOVXQWBNoazbCVA_bO35OL8zW4OdTC8lGhz-8NjhQ46gn6UGRf5zEwlqlr9-OPp3vVnFOfKYEQnLYglgFAlu6NvYpCIOQksBVrWr26g3rlEJem1XGPiz4skA/w480-h640/IMG_9709.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This month, we also started working our way through the items on Erin and Kristi's Colorado Bucket List, starting with making hats at the DIY Hat Bar at a local small business. It was a lot of fun and the hats made the cut when it came to what the girls were packing for the move.</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX62P0GAQm3NuSYyEyU5_wks6LMJkT3mMyALZhAB98rd_PuYD32W8DahlKsn5OQU6HIF1fGI4fdEGXGexK0HUXSRkrdcDYXLVGWsN3ZpqI3JUe0GygbRqsXdWkY8H3HR4wyNqxJR0BirakpUS6H_Ev5LWqKF95COTskWM7CYjp-urU_iAylLNKgQ/s640/IMG_9883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX62P0GAQm3NuSYyEyU5_wks6LMJkT3mMyALZhAB98rd_PuYD32W8DahlKsn5OQU6HIF1fGI4fdEGXGexK0HUXSRkrdcDYXLVGWsN3ZpqI3JUe0GygbRqsXdWkY8H3HR4wyNqxJR0BirakpUS6H_Ev5LWqKF95COTskWM7CYjp-urU_iAylLNKgQ/w480-h640/IMG_9883.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOz8RDwi88uZySCQG-PhbT1NPHYhFQioQ5w1xLvssgSaF1oXPqB8iI794I4YDaoUvmX6qkqBYcrO7T_ZPv3XDNq-E4Iar0OOE4KtPAnxzMEIEs1PTti_Nn_IXKEV36fsHbXECoOm7qLTIPrtya7fNkFgRqW0BVuw_xJp3YhdmCwp7_3HZDN1m17Q/s640/IMG_9916.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOz8RDwi88uZySCQG-PhbT1NPHYhFQioQ5w1xLvssgSaF1oXPqB8iI794I4YDaoUvmX6qkqBYcrO7T_ZPv3XDNq-E4Iar0OOE4KtPAnxzMEIEs1PTti_Nn_IXKEV36fsHbXECoOm7qLTIPrtya7fNkFgRqW0BVuw_xJp3YhdmCwp7_3HZDN1m17Q/w482-h640/IMG_9916.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD2RyG-RmGo25Nlv6H4rZZPTN9NeLv5anF3aKz-w7Icqkih7aW-UyRiF5PSDRratk6mK_1-owHjmuAYeY_CLAL3_pfYdztdYL5cmV_HHcGwM4tnIwSfvxWWcAndSjAvzSegl47k98ZVfH0ucXe7sHz1d7MEELbDQRDf3tBZSD8xQLyYPC_DWqHQ/s640/IMG_9918.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD2RyG-RmGo25Nlv6H4rZZPTN9NeLv5anF3aKz-w7Icqkih7aW-UyRiF5PSDRratk6mK_1-owHjmuAYeY_CLAL3_pfYdztdYL5cmV_HHcGwM4tnIwSfvxWWcAndSjAvzSegl47k98ZVfH0ucXe7sHz1d7MEELbDQRDf3tBZSD8xQLyYPC_DWqHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9918.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PP26743eqa3xPekBvbDa8_lH1GkxhZBeFplrLqKH-X55vBFJSoYwMT1eu81OiuDbptCN2oqvVjAZqzde2UO9OKp_mJxnNAH6-gAIX0_PRLL772KmfWzJYT6teEA2pO_fTJ8iccYYzo0kDHxvd8RiTr4L53gah5AAgZ5vdQl0asUG0zqspjqO5A/s640/IMG_9919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PP26743eqa3xPekBvbDa8_lH1GkxhZBeFplrLqKH-X55vBFJSoYwMT1eu81OiuDbptCN2oqvVjAZqzde2UO9OKp_mJxnNAH6-gAIX0_PRLL772KmfWzJYT6teEA2pO_fTJ8iccYYzo0kDHxvd8RiTr4L53gah5AAgZ5vdQl0asUG0zqspjqO5A/w480-h640/IMG_9919.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mom and I also tried something new; we visited an iris farm just outside of Petticoat Junction. The drive to the farm was gorgeous, the day was beautiful, and the company was perfection. Definitely something that we plan to do again in 2024.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvp4dTG4DO2y_It3oPCvfRPwHbDInZIaw22q00MQk_xrQoIM5IvAsQyMUFHtRpjylmF3k8EvzaPXqRyMEAweKYOiok6gtFONXBDb7Ym09OmqQfcFy-PnhwmEHHmN4YMPvfwtaA-3nN6eSzTEZ1AwquvbDVX2GoWGaKhE6w3tg6lRThg4StD7riQ/s640/IMG_9964.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvp4dTG4DO2y_It3oPCvfRPwHbDInZIaw22q00MQk_xrQoIM5IvAsQyMUFHtRpjylmF3k8EvzaPXqRyMEAweKYOiok6gtFONXBDb7Ym09OmqQfcFy-PnhwmEHHmN4YMPvfwtaA-3nN6eSzTEZ1AwquvbDVX2GoWGaKhE6w3tg6lRThg4StD7riQ/w480-h640/IMG_9964.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPHnathGD_0IBls7hSX22_xovyGDPvdS4bBJ1JLR-KmQecsXPM5XCZiOcTk5uCo2FOoCdxgo_v5WqL1teaQoQRX9TDPP-GDL_SazMYvP7WyTl2ZzMYrjQ3x10nT__SanzdjHrez07UcSoVGwOfcUYhXrFTxZfw-gsp5f4YWMKpaMe6Bkuw8wZJA/s640/IMG_9967.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPHnathGD_0IBls7hSX22_xovyGDPvdS4bBJ1JLR-KmQecsXPM5XCZiOcTk5uCo2FOoCdxgo_v5WqL1teaQoQRX9TDPP-GDL_SazMYvP7WyTl2ZzMYrjQ3x10nT__SanzdjHrez07UcSoVGwOfcUYhXrFTxZfw-gsp5f4YWMKpaMe6Bkuw8wZJA/w480-h640/IMG_9967.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OLKRG8B48mveYxtW0HG1TCAnp_ud8BH1i3BNB_bvQY2WykMdaBaRntQL97Y4Coykx4UHlpxUGySBbFb_2SHP8bSdgEggyT21l1w67jxt3F5vJVTqqHdeeHDpBfk7ra6Ejig7xfI9oZg-dlK_F98xNyae4xV7fNlUlUEQah0-FN1x13Dn-zGl1g/s640/IMG_9968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OLKRG8B48mveYxtW0HG1TCAnp_ud8BH1i3BNB_bvQY2WykMdaBaRntQL97Y4Coykx4UHlpxUGySBbFb_2SHP8bSdgEggyT21l1w67jxt3F5vJVTqqHdeeHDpBfk7ra6Ejig7xfI9oZg-dlK_F98xNyae4xV7fNlUlUEQah0-FN1x13Dn-zGl1g/w480-h640/IMG_9968.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Memorial Day weekend, Hugh, the Man-Cub, Shanti, and I went 4-wheeling and cave exploring. It was a fun way to spend a day.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyMdzHz2l5Wo4zVvXbPkmxNEuCzppaQfryCdiY0_PLn5qHus4WgpjZydRVRJHJiXY0fsPz3M1pKRsjdjwOuTjusXBPS1NXqA8ZBmiHdPK3DmbGP9UE2IYuDJovj2cAhEP22QEJoY-wuHAVRDIUhIk5HECdXfmsh_llNXtm7nbpvbMRIx-lI7ypA/s640/IMG_0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyMdzHz2l5Wo4zVvXbPkmxNEuCzppaQfryCdiY0_PLn5qHus4WgpjZydRVRJHJiXY0fsPz3M1pKRsjdjwOuTjusXBPS1NXqA8ZBmiHdPK3DmbGP9UE2IYuDJovj2cAhEP22QEJoY-wuHAVRDIUhIk5HECdXfmsh_llNXtm7nbpvbMRIx-lI7ypA/w480-h640/IMG_0009.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPCbLDQYjiz0HBMVJRjprH1d7as4yZO5xZQW1EH9N8YWvZ_5cspWybgL2AXY3o6VEUlLWt6W4p2mki-Rj9HyT7KLQilX0Mbbd9dHBaKzfKAYRVM4tQnjfbYyyKlBuo02yjm8Ltqh7yzbshSjO61kOG86gkYt1PCQE3ZPUI7GMHW1trQNjDNTO0Q/s640/IMG_0011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPCbLDQYjiz0HBMVJRjprH1d7as4yZO5xZQW1EH9N8YWvZ_5cspWybgL2AXY3o6VEUlLWt6W4p2mki-Rj9HyT7KLQilX0Mbbd9dHBaKzfKAYRVM4tQnjfbYyyKlBuo02yjm8Ltqh7yzbshSjO61kOG86gkYt1PCQE3ZPUI7GMHW1trQNjDNTO0Q/w482-h640/IMG_0011.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZonRPBUDQiK1jO5FVRl7v-DnTgsNeK-DCCELgoOsA2FyDtUt3f0A0i0UJuHvZssfgQpnhNkf3X_OW0pfs-1qFKlb9UPukm83XMu6J5031OJSKxR44NLXsHtfpCtwsoKubA5tGTOC2GttT7sYEBStRmt6__S1IHLkeufiUXyQtnxDPTCKnnePuyw/s640/IMG_1373.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZonRPBUDQiK1jO5FVRl7v-DnTgsNeK-DCCELgoOsA2FyDtUt3f0A0i0UJuHvZssfgQpnhNkf3X_OW0pfs-1qFKlb9UPukm83XMu6J5031OJSKxR44NLXsHtfpCtwsoKubA5tGTOC2GttT7sYEBStRmt6__S1IHLkeufiUXyQtnxDPTCKnnePuyw/w480-h640/IMG_1373.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>June</p><p>The first weekend in June, I had a yard sale and the most exciting thing I can say about that is that the Man-Cub chose that day to tell Hugh and me that he intended to propose to Shanti in October/November, when they were planning to vacation in the Dominican. To say we were excited would be an understatement. It also meant keeping the secret for five months. Torture!</p><p>In June, Hugh also graduated from the Fire Academy...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF52ahqeP0nDJh1bgqMTTJozeQQheAyBtF8jqblekJOBqR8Nz_HsJwySwDbhwxlIC2c8CTeIiZ17d9CO_5LvJ5BNe43ztLPdvXy_pEcl4jhuYHc3Dcgs9tJXDthQDmu-WGvKctr5qbm6puVaCLMrsK6_ZKOY_CEgwsGwC6ZCq7i9aeCGnu3FKZQ/s6000/005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF52ahqeP0nDJh1bgqMTTJozeQQheAyBtF8jqblekJOBqR8Nz_HsJwySwDbhwxlIC2c8CTeIiZ17d9CO_5LvJ5BNe43ztLPdvXy_pEcl4jhuYHc3Dcgs9tJXDthQDmu-WGvKctr5qbm6puVaCLMrsK6_ZKOY_CEgwsGwC6ZCq7i9aeCGnu3FKZQ/w426-h640/005.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XM-pdpWTT1AZNDbi3acjbilsvp84W38v8WlYpA5FQ-KBUC500t6zOL7FPudUtmZyWVGCNfihxhwm2RRULVplFyTP3uTVoDoBTbG86ZhowBKZ8s5xkRObAndCNmfbo8I2RtrxCienMwkBtRi1Ri93kCUzvZ74Gl3XjRKPuJw0s6_dsj8MvQu3NA/s1024/006.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XM-pdpWTT1AZNDbi3acjbilsvp84W38v8WlYpA5FQ-KBUC500t6zOL7FPudUtmZyWVGCNfihxhwm2RRULVplFyTP3uTVoDoBTbG86ZhowBKZ8s5xkRObAndCNmfbo8I2RtrxCienMwkBtRi1Ri93kCUzvZ74Gl3XjRKPuJw0s6_dsj8MvQu3NA/w640-h426/006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>...we attended Kaley and Isaac's gender reveal...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6Eb4ThETIgFJEFMIOSEGuN0iYyNC3QLW9vH6auA9gF_fif4D4-CoS6gHloscORybqCKDxKeBLPcTicaphbtDvHACC5Sgc2u9ny03hhkLt_aE5jaXt0uAulszPRYfMQ4TJPusDXFAEWRHvEuJD0hz45IGcaTh9V2eyNl7Ue_0JD954Jn8r08ayw/s6000/016.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6Eb4ThETIgFJEFMIOSEGuN0iYyNC3QLW9vH6auA9gF_fif4D4-CoS6gHloscORybqCKDxKeBLPcTicaphbtDvHACC5Sgc2u9ny03hhkLt_aE5jaXt0uAulszPRYfMQ4TJPusDXFAEWRHvEuJD0hz45IGcaTh9V2eyNl7Ue_0JD954Jn8r08ayw/w426-h640/016.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8uVp-Vvm5pYUHSnzaJI35HyNHMvpDs_Lc6Eep9KoxiOsKRGzu6d8eoKq5UF-p8adRFXr3PZcB7ewWJHUa8vIYR7YmNQ4jjPGUZWCMjizmq39AvfZnNKwxmu__jU_ECpxstuBjARmR4X1EnJEmUP3tqy4r6-7iAcNpUDq2VRvW9tefnI7ZKVVMA/s6000/029.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8uVp-Vvm5pYUHSnzaJI35HyNHMvpDs_Lc6Eep9KoxiOsKRGzu6d8eoKq5UF-p8adRFXr3PZcB7ewWJHUa8vIYR7YmNQ4jjPGUZWCMjizmq39AvfZnNKwxmu__jU_ECpxstuBjARmR4X1EnJEmUP3tqy4r6-7iAcNpUDq2VRvW9tefnI7ZKVVMA/w426-h640/029.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEPX5M6lE9XEqZo3OSEk6hFt3v-bs9IrtrVRmQoRjwxXagSd1ndO4soH8UJLBMbmSW-c__25c7OOVAsMPdB6UJkPKFrOc4wQBWnQOysui9e2nsGwuM-yhwzlQ4InHTmVRB5uUg45Ueuh0P8BnDizz_yKR2v2At6_5JGKD8jR4lGSbpSd8w9VL-g/s6000/040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEPX5M6lE9XEqZo3OSEk6hFt3v-bs9IrtrVRmQoRjwxXagSd1ndO4soH8UJLBMbmSW-c__25c7OOVAsMPdB6UJkPKFrOc4wQBWnQOysui9e2nsGwuM-yhwzlQ4InHTmVRB5uUg45Ueuh0P8BnDizz_yKR2v2At6_5JGKD8jR4lGSbpSd8w9VL-g/w426-h640/040.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuAern3KXYQA1G3Z1ge969UUJ5drYuDq9ydHYtTbwK90bSoJ_rxKLKzxZrKsw7Nc467YtyihFeBXxNMjeD1eNeV4nFLSesMb0_Kle3KRJXbzTps4mpDSn-6RXBypX4JApKEZIzcq6I0XfOYcaHCNDKIZshdps9-vb1_cjf7nknw2knDiU4_yk_Q/s6000/049.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuAern3KXYQA1G3Z1ge969UUJ5drYuDq9ydHYtTbwK90bSoJ_rxKLKzxZrKsw7Nc467YtyihFeBXxNMjeD1eNeV4nFLSesMb0_Kle3KRJXbzTps4mpDSn-6RXBypX4JApKEZIzcq6I0XfOYcaHCNDKIZshdps9-vb1_cjf7nknw2knDiU4_yk_Q/w426-h640/049.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>...we celebrated Father's Day with a BBQ for Hugh and Oscar...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHTi6BS7mlJuxfkDhmFNyGXcs3-VXrZ92zNZ9jOp4uUTHqaVK67k18UChV_21TKNCiB4t7bbvjExaS2LTx7XO-yx8IqkKR9dT05RW1TwoW9rNo6bMrtlQUYzt9iEZEBPUSyUIkegLuXEfWlnmH-4Mrh6lo4IUucb0ID7Strg192D5divhQQGCYQ/s640/IMG_0325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHTi6BS7mlJuxfkDhmFNyGXcs3-VXrZ92zNZ9jOp4uUTHqaVK67k18UChV_21TKNCiB4t7bbvjExaS2LTx7XO-yx8IqkKR9dT05RW1TwoW9rNo6bMrtlQUYzt9iEZEBPUSyUIkegLuXEfWlnmH-4Mrh6lo4IUucb0ID7Strg192D5divhQQGCYQ/w480-h640/IMG_0325.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SLzoTZ8WcP139_y_9odkwLzXFzMyMfOfYFLSG_LzkjXWMDgyiSO9PF1H7vLh9aJ08wsS7p7E9lwibv2o1R6ddPE1W21RmgmDtOQlW1kRvWkHQkCcGlSTATrJQFD7M5IjLqh8qQ4By2WybgbDt06kbl0wfaOdYPp13fzCnoJyuO7nOcnjgkZ-Dw/s640/IMG_0334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SLzoTZ8WcP139_y_9odkwLzXFzMyMfOfYFLSG_LzkjXWMDgyiSO9PF1H7vLh9aJ08wsS7p7E9lwibv2o1R6ddPE1W21RmgmDtOQlW1kRvWkHQkCcGlSTATrJQFD7M5IjLqh8qQ4By2WybgbDt06kbl0wfaOdYPp13fzCnoJyuO7nOcnjgkZ-Dw/w480-h640/IMG_0334.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...our Katie Girl got hitched...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nCkujT7QyKnq25WIl9C8JQakaJmfuQFWVw1ZJOl6z8mo2z53rsAUDFPcbGgL9qRS7FhhJnz55lkau7H0pXVNyYKQpnw9PNqx05v7aeNkIdIELWUve_WmOEKLREKkBe3l-NWUWafds52bxpwk3J_GBbQohEXe4sLNvg0uYys1SmXrbW-Lr9QFiA/s6000/154.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nCkujT7QyKnq25WIl9C8JQakaJmfuQFWVw1ZJOl6z8mo2z53rsAUDFPcbGgL9qRS7FhhJnz55lkau7H0pXVNyYKQpnw9PNqx05v7aeNkIdIELWUve_WmOEKLREKkBe3l-NWUWafds52bxpwk3J_GBbQohEXe4sLNvg0uYys1SmXrbW-Lr9QFiA/w426-h640/154.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRG2eNoPsuETIoJk9XcbBN1eTkgLRkN5es4YHueVzrpQwhgmxkvfCpQmwH0crjkBI1bteCKmjFSKFYYb7I2hMDFBTEuXvDDSNtcFKVXR9AzJR1559E5nIcFJuenqF2oegKKohWOkafh9oJ-3z2eLfOSXLZ74ErtPumyejnYbXKOshP0Vo8wLK_g/s6000/160.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRG2eNoPsuETIoJk9XcbBN1eTkgLRkN5es4YHueVzrpQwhgmxkvfCpQmwH0crjkBI1bteCKmjFSKFYYb7I2hMDFBTEuXvDDSNtcFKVXR9AzJR1559E5nIcFJuenqF2oegKKohWOkafh9oJ-3z2eLfOSXLZ74ErtPumyejnYbXKOshP0Vo8wLK_g/w426-h640/160.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58f1sgS_B-e5xWxzI2rjT0k3czGdLR85wJfRJq0axtvSL3CsE-QxYbAJ7EFprTFogsDe0RS5jzX7jNaltNqLsjW_6exWBN_8X7zJZvyhbPYIwK0uX1Bs19D6zeoT-yyWrnHi2kV771lJZoFx9FhGmfPdUucwbz__p7vKAoVSwU3OihG66-l14sQ/s6000/164.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58f1sgS_B-e5xWxzI2rjT0k3czGdLR85wJfRJq0axtvSL3CsE-QxYbAJ7EFprTFogsDe0RS5jzX7jNaltNqLsjW_6exWBN_8X7zJZvyhbPYIwK0uX1Bs19D6zeoT-yyWrnHi2kV771lJZoFx9FhGmfPdUucwbz__p7vKAoVSwU3OihG66-l14sQ/w426-h640/164.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrmhif4v3_kEbeNfUv20NDphXeFqLSywMjDp_1OjstpxjSdY5aMz8H03Da37lPEP-oaK_vDL0tkL7vKeBascs6C6JvjwsSxKo77qVPphN3DCJgNEhTnNR0FbNkB3OGq9lHbonZ-PriSe5E2hWAua3qWQ1KRQhWpOQEn6EjPuu1APySHZUY4A3mQ/s6000/133.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrmhif4v3_kEbeNfUv20NDphXeFqLSywMjDp_1OjstpxjSdY5aMz8H03Da37lPEP-oaK_vDL0tkL7vKeBascs6C6JvjwsSxKo77qVPphN3DCJgNEhTnNR0FbNkB3OGq9lHbonZ-PriSe5E2hWAua3qWQ1KRQhWpOQEn6EjPuu1APySHZUY4A3mQ/w640-h426/133.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7v6fj92dQYpozDY1htvQTD7RcjtVKECshVMXLnVoJzV8FlCFb9sMUx5yORM6DQdkE_ZjcRdn8qcG8-tQVwdiArLdWEBdGPNJ_y6YFgcrj8k3ViJJDWltGrsGKtSNEIOqt0uUcwv6fz9KhxhVOehUO50gMqBhIWHk9lt1rqCn9AUMfyRIpaKKFQ/s6000/135.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7v6fj92dQYpozDY1htvQTD7RcjtVKECshVMXLnVoJzV8FlCFb9sMUx5yORM6DQdkE_ZjcRdn8qcG8-tQVwdiArLdWEBdGPNJ_y6YFgcrj8k3ViJJDWltGrsGKtSNEIOqt0uUcwv6fz9KhxhVOehUO50gMqBhIWHk9lt1rqCn9AUMfyRIpaKKFQ/w426-h640/135.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DaQcor09x4P6knXzJq82nuiGKf7SDu67gcsDHJKhBFlpSqkhWaVue9l-5ktAVVcBR3LrDks18cBMOWV9jeXCb0LMqyFSd4kxWTEbDMgMn3nCJk-wci265JelDt-LXPzPImxrqyVmGFS8oyELHPNOah1KsW_tuCI4FQf7DyCX92y5kY879re23A/s640/IMG_0519.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DaQcor09x4P6knXzJq82nuiGKf7SDu67gcsDHJKhBFlpSqkhWaVue9l-5ktAVVcBR3LrDks18cBMOWV9jeXCb0LMqyFSd4kxWTEbDMgMn3nCJk-wci265JelDt-LXPzPImxrqyVmGFS8oyELHPNOah1KsW_tuCI4FQf7DyCX92y5kY879re23A/w428-h640/IMG_0519.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and we hosted a 60th anniversary party for Oscar and Emily that was attended by the majority of the extended family (missing one nephew, who was on a trip to Israel).<br /><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLti3pCQEds6Foy0i-BMynn5zxIcpaBDuo-fiZSSJ7noMhgYB8XqoG40v2Fd-3WXCi6cs96ojLnNq7PkPbj1wiwqDZllUdnFHpJ9NaSApHJdrlQqSZ8DJ16CYhkasKdUZveirhIlfZQgQ25F-2D7fCEotbZvr72304YX3z3DGU44XoIbFWQKzJvA/s6000/045.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLti3pCQEds6Foy0i-BMynn5zxIcpaBDuo-fiZSSJ7noMhgYB8XqoG40v2Fd-3WXCi6cs96ojLnNq7PkPbj1wiwqDZllUdnFHpJ9NaSApHJdrlQqSZ8DJ16CYhkasKdUZveirhIlfZQgQ25F-2D7fCEotbZvr72304YX3z3DGU44XoIbFWQKzJvA/w640-h426/045.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBeDXztcjd_BQQFAbc54vdZgoBrmfqd2KvIEzuna2MOzqikaIrMfnuhKXdX2ma6E2uwX3xOAkjrB85A6DblOhQbIOvviyrGSrqPfqbHEGrUlw5LWqgjgiSvX40V6BwP0cpUWJrFeD1bozmNwmLEi2IIOHIQdOiRlEuJ4Am8nOGMAUzhwOchMUaQ/s6000/101.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBeDXztcjd_BQQFAbc54vdZgoBrmfqd2KvIEzuna2MOzqikaIrMfnuhKXdX2ma6E2uwX3xOAkjrB85A6DblOhQbIOvviyrGSrqPfqbHEGrUlw5LWqgjgiSvX40V6BwP0cpUWJrFeD1bozmNwmLEi2IIOHIQdOiRlEuJ4Am8nOGMAUzhwOchMUaQ/w640-h426/101.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPscatSbxeeX6mWy2jM3nH5dlXKR-aSAYPjx0N1oIbx_5h5x9yWLuT21iN1Qr7_yJ7rov62wXxGlBJNX4BZMowwf7LncFRK8Wi7qnQiV_XpjXuxVN0KAy_wm3ros84HRw2mGquud6gq_F-DfWvbezVDzuMxiJsUgj96c_OZwzq4cVobcgLUpZ3w/s6000/052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPscatSbxeeX6mWy2jM3nH5dlXKR-aSAYPjx0N1oIbx_5h5x9yWLuT21iN1Qr7_yJ7rov62wXxGlBJNX4BZMowwf7LncFRK8Wi7qnQiV_XpjXuxVN0KAy_wm3ros84HRw2mGquud6gq_F-DfWvbezVDzuMxiJsUgj96c_OZwzq4cVobcgLUpZ3w/w640-h426/052.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5I7MShNZcK2D91A3sDhVpleHGbw7XX4aJBIDWQGmI9_rC6io4CRqOswQ2cpHy9h-gbYBRhbxP_e4seamnmeVjMVg9DkI6UvVxsKSoNDeRgofwiYyQy3vl6OrbJO6Lj9lTg3HKDQl1xhD6mHQCyECDjfk13_QjRZhtwaHO7RY2ojOihCMQWG2tLA/s640/IMG_0416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5I7MShNZcK2D91A3sDhVpleHGbw7XX4aJBIDWQGmI9_rC6io4CRqOswQ2cpHy9h-gbYBRhbxP_e4seamnmeVjMVg9DkI6UvVxsKSoNDeRgofwiYyQy3vl6OrbJO6Lj9lTg3HKDQl1xhD6mHQCyECDjfk13_QjRZhtwaHO7RY2ojOihCMQWG2tLA/w480-h640/IMG_0416.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>July</p><p>Hugh, Erin, Kristi, Tom, Sean, and I went on our annual 4th of July camping trip. While we were there, we did a retro photo shoot of the girls with their beloved vintage camper. Photo shoot with Tink was on the Colorado Bucket List.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpgoImKQgpL5INm6qqC-AsQmsTdgNoRuMGduh0gjg4KOHqPew-SuXuiVgr2CznmK7jpd6YBFPpVG6HoWW_q54alaXRsrTb0LKmhxsMWXem9NMtnNMDzN4X1D7uXN_rA0jCFo5wJZAmSd9XSd-bShpaqIwg7DO6C-HIsjhO3c6MuOKM3lXGM4t9A/s6000/028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpgoImKQgpL5INm6qqC-AsQmsTdgNoRuMGduh0gjg4KOHqPew-SuXuiVgr2CznmK7jpd6YBFPpVG6HoWW_q54alaXRsrTb0LKmhxsMWXem9NMtnNMDzN4X1D7uXN_rA0jCFo5wJZAmSd9XSd-bShpaqIwg7DO6C-HIsjhO3c6MuOKM3lXGM4t9A/w426-h640/028.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVMrqvgtmxi_GBRRUKIFahUVrXn8PMTr5zK3ywqgMZzYVMB0gfO8zF3T_byfuzpsntUT1iZT9uBI-49bU3K_aPR2NFs4dZcvqB1C0BmuHZzzwViookyzKBZRC9tflmj8-27gKO20iK-NEbUGLOn3AmfD32wndYPY2JbjEbz19tYdQ4OC999JfcA/s6000/041.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVMrqvgtmxi_GBRRUKIFahUVrXn8PMTr5zK3ywqgMZzYVMB0gfO8zF3T_byfuzpsntUT1iZT9uBI-49bU3K_aPR2NFs4dZcvqB1C0BmuHZzzwViookyzKBZRC9tflmj8-27gKO20iK-NEbUGLOn3AmfD32wndYPY2JbjEbz19tYdQ4OC999JfcA/w426-h640/041.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrWCrMLL7JuiFuqf2P6a00vLj_6lkVRM8zflZRHyLPrIaIU-3NPx9hee93i-RE8W9_xLjEhTR0FvVF0Se5WXAofLJKftW4lAPwcuddIC6Hvk9eDGqqrPh5Q27xayu4v_EP3Jk81rjX3CtJSpvgG6E1VS-kzhx1TyqEPEi_Pzb4IxOgdEHk1MH1g/s6000/153.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrWCrMLL7JuiFuqf2P6a00vLj_6lkVRM8zflZRHyLPrIaIU-3NPx9hee93i-RE8W9_xLjEhTR0FvVF0Se5WXAofLJKftW4lAPwcuddIC6Hvk9eDGqqrPh5Q27xayu4v_EP3Jk81rjX3CtJSpvgG6E1VS-kzhx1TyqEPEi_Pzb4IxOgdEHk1MH1g/w640-h426/153.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The trip was memorable in many ways, not the least of which is that it was probably our last, since the girls were well into their relocation plan.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN1VpDa2613Esw9_t6NkmH4L-bCMzllRu7M9Y9t2n_95QekMM2XRL4IaKz4JlAptTkQbJt3Q140A0crNjbB6yR5iBiBSoUCY7ZeDtdZjaIFdqmU4eEjUX3g49FZPGla3T399NYaVHEHiUapwMU5Tm97OWGgdDcsQtZvpozDzxOfPHiFlfkWZjGA/s6000/173.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN1VpDa2613Esw9_t6NkmH4L-bCMzllRu7M9Y9t2n_95QekMM2XRL4IaKz4JlAptTkQbJt3Q140A0crNjbB6yR5iBiBSoUCY7ZeDtdZjaIFdqmU4eEjUX3g49FZPGla3T399NYaVHEHiUapwMU5Tm97OWGgdDcsQtZvpozDzxOfPHiFlfkWZjGA/w640-h426/173.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswkHFS8_0Pgv-3E9I0RPwMG3BP5XGVlED43h5iN82SPL1CBHtknxk5UGflxs1d0xSk17W8czLNoYMjq4trZ6lx6bw9D6JzlbRorymuC9M5eQpdja3zNmzvkYUKKfEShOKbTJmdIdhmkrPTCPwxsP0Z2c-FG5bFpVFjjRDZLPb-lilgAC2sXcy-g/s2048/357461459_10230123136212846_6739495500103822679_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswkHFS8_0Pgv-3E9I0RPwMG3BP5XGVlED43h5iN82SPL1CBHtknxk5UGflxs1d0xSk17W8czLNoYMjq4trZ6lx6bw9D6JzlbRorymuC9M5eQpdja3zNmzvkYUKKfEShOKbTJmdIdhmkrPTCPwxsP0Z2c-FG5bFpVFjjRDZLPb-lilgAC2sXcy-g/w640-h480/357461459_10230123136212846_6739495500103822679_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was also the most beautiful July in recent memory. The snowy winter and rainy spring made for the most gorgeous wildflowers in the high mountain meadows, and we took full advantage of them.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ3rexnie1WYtA4-4qEtwp_ci0rdaJJ-qK3qyOHBYGwNzlRHOFkD3rrIiQ9WvOmnbo0Pb8gtlFfaG9gphAyqi1YJpVwdIcN945-Vbap1ZNQ84_2C-JYTIxdA-hYeTEJGkn9GcEfCVly89o5oy0_pv6wtiA-eLBe2LUrWc5Vm8uhmGNjGuX-30HQ/s2048/357473508_10230123064091043_1165145107215616383_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ3rexnie1WYtA4-4qEtwp_ci0rdaJJ-qK3qyOHBYGwNzlRHOFkD3rrIiQ9WvOmnbo0Pb8gtlFfaG9gphAyqi1YJpVwdIcN945-Vbap1ZNQ84_2C-JYTIxdA-hYeTEJGkn9GcEfCVly89o5oy0_pv6wtiA-eLBe2LUrWc5Vm8uhmGNjGuX-30HQ/w480-h640/357473508_10230123064091043_1165145107215616383_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMQv0qndcMI6uRDDeNM7WarXjnbSQBH8fKJxHy6S5F2QdkLFOvQWr4DVis1ZseaxloQ_OUbm9RgrheYL_Cb4xvttq7gKMF8FMPZq1ImrNlOhB_2zDD80DtS1Dp6df-2Dn-ABmV_vvtB5X3qkxBGxdh2mOcfEbWUgfQb9DmLkx91BiyP0QLB7y9A/s2048/357528008_10230123064371050_1122451632244920709_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMQv0qndcMI6uRDDeNM7WarXjnbSQBH8fKJxHy6S5F2QdkLFOvQWr4DVis1ZseaxloQ_OUbm9RgrheYL_Cb4xvttq7gKMF8FMPZq1ImrNlOhB_2zDD80DtS1Dp6df-2Dn-ABmV_vvtB5X3qkxBGxdh2mOcfEbWUgfQb9DmLkx91BiyP0QLB7y9A/w480-h640/357528008_10230123064371050_1122451632244920709_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFPgnfaD_3PBH8zB1IxjlPRg2ubbBCe2vcB48W4och_IocV5q3EnsRH31lohevMVaxgTtCWS5-gUxzyOpD-aGP4Jg3WcTWEHiYFdntxLYtunrU8BNWg2CxXzJkr_OV2enoV9Mjfm5lAC3OZU01wQmayJNEsABGS37QQX4TVUa5MMH5DzBA8IbPQ/s2048/357574337_10230123067051117_4573285029487220207_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFPgnfaD_3PBH8zB1IxjlPRg2ubbBCe2vcB48W4och_IocV5q3EnsRH31lohevMVaxgTtCWS5-gUxzyOpD-aGP4Jg3WcTWEHiYFdntxLYtunrU8BNWg2CxXzJkr_OV2enoV9Mjfm5lAC3OZU01wQmayJNEsABGS37QQX4TVUa5MMH5DzBA8IbPQ/w480-h640/357574337_10230123067051117_4573285029487220207_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dID8N2JEC05W4MEvqdu9B88OUdtqaxkurYNfxva8xPPCEmPUpEXxe_uwmxdtLjDGoKIyrh1Ye20yyt2sHoYHPPISDo_QkTYX8suLwLqxonP3YcJ-Pz1Cc6zP8MBsNGRY79kJlIqwjTt0nXbQGgLb3K-xgN3-2AzrZr9P5R5N19jRIMvl_bIeaA/s2048/357483803_10230123064291048_2851739852759638175_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dID8N2JEC05W4MEvqdu9B88OUdtqaxkurYNfxva8xPPCEmPUpEXxe_uwmxdtLjDGoKIyrh1Ye20yyt2sHoYHPPISDo_QkTYX8suLwLqxonP3YcJ-Pz1Cc6zP8MBsNGRY79kJlIqwjTt0nXbQGgLb3K-xgN3-2AzrZr9P5R5N19jRIMvl_bIeaA/w480-h640/357483803_10230123064291048_2851739852759638175_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm going to miss doing things with this group 😢</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn2QuTCRXkCEaF5mgzgRzRDS7DAu29cZkNHSq9BQ4c48vVPKZhq17zuvpv8uxbszSFv3vQaejaw9oMJuFuiLOeckCF6XJQOB0AMUBKqNYZA_pS3HkH4pLiM_OJdjaOssJayIjs_Chq9CvXZEERTv5wkpCVOPk-9CQ6X49W4z-Z3KChluQ_y_DVg/s2048/357497039_10230123066371100_6184418806552002598_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn2QuTCRXkCEaF5mgzgRzRDS7DAu29cZkNHSq9BQ4c48vVPKZhq17zuvpv8uxbszSFv3vQaejaw9oMJuFuiLOeckCF6XJQOB0AMUBKqNYZA_pS3HkH4pLiM_OJdjaOssJayIjs_Chq9CvXZEERTv5wkpCVOPk-9CQ6X49W4z-Z3KChluQ_y_DVg/w480-h640/357497039_10230123066371100_6184418806552002598_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Thankfully, I still have Shanti and the Man-Cub! Hugh and I spent the actual 4th of July holiday with them at the Cherry Days festival in a neighboring town. Before the festival, we went cherry picking in one of the local orchards. We had cherries for days!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlZTR-ib7XF5pxo0sI1UJz0GJZgtgwlOjwiKqS3QZ3QHfYVvzF7eMf1cRzUQpBp4k0Q6P6tclp2FVDqgGPsyqADTsSwp92tqYpCjoL_6zd4uIVVGOQZXlEYlw_ROOY7T8dIWddOgc67SVrg0aDAEPYrZLYgxMawUGO44_As5Fz-hINwFKSxAmlA/s6000/028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlZTR-ib7XF5pxo0sI1UJz0GJZgtgwlOjwiKqS3QZ3QHfYVvzF7eMf1cRzUQpBp4k0Q6P6tclp2FVDqgGPsyqADTsSwp92tqYpCjoL_6zd4uIVVGOQZXlEYlw_ROOY7T8dIWddOgc67SVrg0aDAEPYrZLYgxMawUGO44_As5Fz-hINwFKSxAmlA/w426-h640/028.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjtWBYwEoDtAKqULlsa2OwTKUjGoZkwz7NL9vaEx0mUX4Smakb_EF9gbmM74Vg7T57Jzdt__EwhmIJCaolL69dpMqGyjDum0aItB6sJTW6UAFYh5WrO6-JoNptHjlcuLhvw-NrwMf8fF1oQj6U2NOuDN2axeh6BIbZ4OVeq0E7MZuv0ulOkTo6Q/s6000/056.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjtWBYwEoDtAKqULlsa2OwTKUjGoZkwz7NL9vaEx0mUX4Smakb_EF9gbmM74Vg7T57Jzdt__EwhmIJCaolL69dpMqGyjDum0aItB6sJTW6UAFYh5WrO6-JoNptHjlcuLhvw-NrwMf8fF1oQj6U2NOuDN2axeh6BIbZ4OVeq0E7MZuv0ulOkTo6Q/w426-h640/056.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQpciLxuOzb-NvTNAXJL10k-CfJygbQob3ewLTaclZdGX0dcGta204Hq8HjaSRPLjmwGou7PAqObDPY0pLy8PBEO96UA5sDwlJc4Z0guFJma1UTX83KbJRgOaD71yI8df5T3xpQ0epd6FRDsWYbJH3-hiaDlZGxcp_zxCdlzzxkYXcegrNT9dgQ/s640/IMG_0684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQpciLxuOzb-NvTNAXJL10k-CfJygbQob3ewLTaclZdGX0dcGta204Hq8HjaSRPLjmwGou7PAqObDPY0pLy8PBEO96UA5sDwlJc4Z0guFJma1UTX83KbJRgOaD71yI8df5T3xpQ0epd6FRDsWYbJH3-hiaDlZGxcp_zxCdlzzxkYXcegrNT9dgQ/w640-h480/IMG_0684.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Later in the month, we hosted the annual golf tournament fundraiser for Not So New Job. It was Erin and Krist's last one (are you sensing a theme, here?). We will miss our most ardent volunteers, for sure. However, it was at the tournament that my staff and I decided to do more than just talk about learning how to golf. More on that, later.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokxbAtWk6mM4owUcvzpHoau6JQeKe7vmzLML7FCfYPo7xE7Mbh4C_oibHmp7auJyywtzgpQMjVZdyD_HjyZ2l_cF00piKeXlZpYqLRviQtOwbKWeQtTFAoK0AFqP6C4pwlVNeCyCGIQ-ItapmkHVdPXsu1fTi4Lb2T5AcK4Srr-0-UTx9dBaIXA/s6000/008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokxbAtWk6mM4owUcvzpHoau6JQeKe7vmzLML7FCfYPo7xE7Mbh4C_oibHmp7auJyywtzgpQMjVZdyD_HjyZ2l_cF00piKeXlZpYqLRviQtOwbKWeQtTFAoK0AFqP6C4pwlVNeCyCGIQ-ItapmkHVdPXsu1fTi4Lb2T5AcK4Srr-0-UTx9dBaIXA/w640-h426/008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjab1AuqJ1MiHcWzCUikUs8aW-Qbzcm5aC-pssFYkDYBoP3hyphenhyphensKT5Ux6Oi5sf5eF52T1Q2opn4losQHKLc49lFHxWTzCR1NEJ3bR0ewerUgx37VQVtGtGmZqVyFS-0lPQwd_eBTlFXwiURcGF6XS3Q6gp9gNMQNo6bWNJhlebkt-0BHWDcG6q7a6Q/s6000/017.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjab1AuqJ1MiHcWzCUikUs8aW-Qbzcm5aC-pssFYkDYBoP3hyphenhyphensKT5Ux6Oi5sf5eF52T1Q2opn4losQHKLc49lFHxWTzCR1NEJ3bR0ewerUgx37VQVtGtGmZqVyFS-0lPQwd_eBTlFXwiURcGF6XS3Q6gp9gNMQNo6bWNJhlebkt-0BHWDcG6q7a6Q/w640-h426/017.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This year, the Man-Cub joined Hugh's team and I think he really enjoyed himself. I loved having him there.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKFlTI9yEuZwCj8CXVBPje0iklsL_3QbknB8E7KWPf7WEGWk6j8FtYX0maoMnT9_qwnkPW8mY26BFWmItrRLmscNtbbQZiU2NXf83oGW3pM7QZcn5vwV2k9fKst76R0X5lVKaJTY_L9lIG6gpYxwamDJp7FSyKMSdKJI_AcCQTKrfiPxK3oQXvQ/s640/IMG_0866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKFlTI9yEuZwCj8CXVBPje0iklsL_3QbknB8E7KWPf7WEGWk6j8FtYX0maoMnT9_qwnkPW8mY26BFWmItrRLmscNtbbQZiU2NXf83oGW3pM7QZcn5vwV2k9fKst76R0X5lVKaJTY_L9lIG6gpYxwamDJp7FSyKMSdKJI_AcCQTKrfiPxK3oQXvQ/w482-h640/IMG_0866.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I ended the month with a trip to New Mexico with The Girls for our annual Girl's Weekend. It was so much fun! We stayed on T's new (old) houseboat, went speed boating with one of her co-workers and his wife, slow-trolled around the lake on T's pontoon, and just generally enjoyed our time together. I always end our trip wishing we had more time together. So grateful for these amazing women and our 34 year friendship.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyOAup0KU9Nf6BKpt1Q452wv1nbyCdgmPKkHoVnej19lw1GW4ByyPWCXLhI3pNB52mUJvV9tj_SmhLUZnnkEcAF5fz5J6UdptJ1YL0aaXhA8gsvvWkNtT_Mkps8WPKOG1V5L-LR9sHTANc92eTHEgKvG7KnMoZQk8dh-qmM9LuW836wkCkvO_2A/s2048/358432481_10230171127532599_6553261387484597418_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyOAup0KU9Nf6BKpt1Q452wv1nbyCdgmPKkHoVnej19lw1GW4ByyPWCXLhI3pNB52mUJvV9tj_SmhLUZnnkEcAF5fz5J6UdptJ1YL0aaXhA8gsvvWkNtT_Mkps8WPKOG1V5L-LR9sHTANc92eTHEgKvG7KnMoZQk8dh-qmM9LuW836wkCkvO_2A/w480-h640/358432481_10230171127532599_6553261387484597418_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yeqn6k3JZ7UmSNfbVUagaZL5WdOEJaWofpwNErLZKX6bXp2adqtz9kPSs-74tOr7sk9OInE_-arA_3oqnqDbRUK2SFwy9S4mx15UwJqc-u2KjjO05OqrxUmgkXXoYlJmLc3QKC8Z6LE2aDuReRsUEPlm49KU_bLmvsrUax6bVXEw3Hybwr9Wqw/s2048/358439671_10230171129252642_2805057397083637288_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1538" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yeqn6k3JZ7UmSNfbVUagaZL5WdOEJaWofpwNErLZKX6bXp2adqtz9kPSs-74tOr7sk9OInE_-arA_3oqnqDbRUK2SFwy9S4mx15UwJqc-u2KjjO05OqrxUmgkXXoYlJmLc3QKC8Z6LE2aDuReRsUEPlm49KU_bLmvsrUax6bVXEw3Hybwr9Wqw/w480-h640/358439671_10230171129252642_2805057397083637288_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACyK2yTxYRintaPJs3Y1NneS_zR3EyW58ydro3261OETUGCD-z2z2nUlwABhC1uQqbsdSUbDoSaMiaDXV9Xwd_ktxSYqYFQ6Eyv3V38XBLiirMlFqM2MJ9ErRE86oPiQcp0rARLMcaCSLrgRSQJI1c3m3rZYg6RDMiJAp4obg-MuevhbhXefr4Q/s2048/358444854_10230171127812606_4375531348350763774_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACyK2yTxYRintaPJs3Y1NneS_zR3EyW58ydro3261OETUGCD-z2z2nUlwABhC1uQqbsdSUbDoSaMiaDXV9Xwd_ktxSYqYFQ6Eyv3V38XBLiirMlFqM2MJ9ErRE86oPiQcp0rARLMcaCSLrgRSQJI1c3m3rZYg6RDMiJAp4obg-MuevhbhXefr4Q/w480-h640/358444854_10230171127812606_4375531348350763774_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz32hh3yOpftgtfjDuc2NoVomHiFfbR9FPZe-4IzSoP44EF2pQysoBT8ixEK-MRO_0pEAO44oC5AMlNNgDTNadFTZ7uMXAzdnM6OLGzS__Zlvw0ESiaWkUi3YH6siTfrP6WInDTRR_2qVNIFOpzromNzoTForMaKDLEir4HVf-P6bYh6KUAVTLWQ/s960/358589464_10230171120932434_4556362206930893643_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz32hh3yOpftgtfjDuc2NoVomHiFfbR9FPZe-4IzSoP44EF2pQysoBT8ixEK-MRO_0pEAO44oC5AMlNNgDTNadFTZ7uMXAzdnM6OLGzS__Zlvw0ESiaWkUi3YH6siTfrP6WInDTRR_2qVNIFOpzromNzoTForMaKDLEir4HVf-P6bYh6KUAVTLWQ/w640-h480/358589464_10230171120932434_4556362206930893643_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWjuC-a7Gdg78d370OS0Nc67GVPD04-c7Sh_0vLDwVdBVE09VGUOxm58Cl1pwO_pOlZmkyDGSH1U0MCbKcQ5y_C-xyCoGEoubYI9ICo40cxOE3sGkjrujcs1lxXR1cprSWPSqhV7sxh8SE0YGMLFP88eWmIKPd94i7E7h5Ea6jAWlTb5maIE6bw/s2048/358620163_10230171126052562_1293331421653050775_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWjuC-a7Gdg78d370OS0Nc67GVPD04-c7Sh_0vLDwVdBVE09VGUOxm58Cl1pwO_pOlZmkyDGSH1U0MCbKcQ5y_C-xyCoGEoubYI9ICo40cxOE3sGkjrujcs1lxXR1cprSWPSqhV7sxh8SE0YGMLFP88eWmIKPd94i7E7h5Ea6jAWlTb5maIE6bw/w480-h640/358620163_10230171126052562_1293331421653050775_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>August</div><div><br /></div><div>August was another month filled with friends and loved ones. We started off with Kaley's baby shower.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiatIlnxgWRZKkAjNtNDMs65DwhiaMLDuHJDg4tb5OZV585NPMOlbnLguNgiiBfrZ6CSxCbVDpKyRnWMb3qoexSpxLxv8gvUCA9AcmlFwaWyiSVUVo4hTdjPaxaK_ADeBelUriLJv8ofkws8yPPFlz1wRLlbMlJFjOr0uo8Z672U_q-R7OuKuTPQ/s6000/002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiatIlnxgWRZKkAjNtNDMs65DwhiaMLDuHJDg4tb5OZV585NPMOlbnLguNgiiBfrZ6CSxCbVDpKyRnWMb3qoexSpxLxv8gvUCA9AcmlFwaWyiSVUVo4hTdjPaxaK_ADeBelUriLJv8ofkws8yPPFlz1wRLlbMlJFjOr0uo8Z672U_q-R7OuKuTPQ/w640-h426/002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocj4ec4KoMEABX8Zv0FswT8GjH31yfHeQtVQ2wZ4u4NBz0gvl4-FcS0Z1kIrAVRBZu7O4euL_rQ6eFvJwIy3a55Ko6WC-_mM6xkzupQZRhRl5JqYExOTo7FQ1MY4gFqDUZbPUDyudibclFcwblKGsJYwjlZX3MlWYqt3wqtvEn988jGspHuCW7A/s6000/011.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocj4ec4KoMEABX8Zv0FswT8GjH31yfHeQtVQ2wZ4u4NBz0gvl4-FcS0Z1kIrAVRBZu7O4euL_rQ6eFvJwIy3a55Ko6WC-_mM6xkzupQZRhRl5JqYExOTo7FQ1MY4gFqDUZbPUDyudibclFcwblKGsJYwjlZX3MlWYqt3wqtvEn988jGspHuCW7A/w426-h640/011.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzlYr-qHWEzXpqbmzinuhzdln-UpgtNvaID77KIlBUg89WUXKjhq7mYG1IVlJ4yT51h8YZiojVrP7bmq9BPX4a7rb6yul7vDVmSZSN1Rf9C8WB42AzMl23DGfDt24g5viYw-tfBdtIhunbWEPCkqwLJJwsOPl9HrYmf0bnPSZIAPwJhApbjlsqg/s6000/050.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyzlYr-qHWEzXpqbmzinuhzdln-UpgtNvaID77KIlBUg89WUXKjhq7mYG1IVlJ4yT51h8YZiojVrP7bmq9BPX4a7rb6yul7vDVmSZSN1Rf9C8WB42AzMl23DGfDt24g5viYw-tfBdtIhunbWEPCkqwLJJwsOPl9HrYmf0bnPSZIAPwJhApbjlsqg/w640-h426/050.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Followed by the bridal shower that Queen B and I threw for Miss Mia.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu4L3OzUaxiQPqWs2-95tOyyQqUJ001T4kItEvZcLBDaXxh6bKrGP8F-5EGWmUlbISbMBzy_BxIDQzZd0ClnIjNEY5vQQOYs-KLq3UCJrq0vYq-M35T8Uim23Bjj1z-w0UdxiV8c_hPnjS7vs-4UMFQuu8clcYn_vIBCNU1tymY04V_ppBbnYyQ/s6000/016.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu4L3OzUaxiQPqWs2-95tOyyQqUJ001T4kItEvZcLBDaXxh6bKrGP8F-5EGWmUlbISbMBzy_BxIDQzZd0ClnIjNEY5vQQOYs-KLq3UCJrq0vYq-M35T8Uim23Bjj1z-w0UdxiV8c_hPnjS7vs-4UMFQuu8clcYn_vIBCNU1tymY04V_ppBbnYyQ/w426-h640/016.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQqlfZikV_23Uhewk7mi4SRGrc73LcoBEiq9AQqpMcOix2M9ga6LU6F5E_7hIqEEsv5JkZXxGm3KEwjfo81UwkcXI-CHyxa1NmMbktsM6jl5BzDHvR5dKuwBpqEEnT9rUSZ5xslAqF9yIfJhMNKbsTEzd71AkCd9e3ln3z-yUf3ny1JSMgN_tog/s6000/028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQqlfZikV_23Uhewk7mi4SRGrc73LcoBEiq9AQqpMcOix2M9ga6LU6F5E_7hIqEEsv5JkZXxGm3KEwjfo81UwkcXI-CHyxa1NmMbktsM6jl5BzDHvR5dKuwBpqEEnT9rUSZ5xslAqF9yIfJhMNKbsTEzd71AkCd9e3ln3z-yUf3ny1JSMgN_tog/w426-h640/028.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vP4lYZbH-gREFwovywg8XKytIAmDE1mhTDZo_d9hzc0bx3Ow0Ka9oKZO3HQC21cLKx2Moz8P2_bLAbQUqiJrab8HXgkJo34gs6YGejLa05nVVvw7HD3RZD-fdh3SL_Cix8rbsKiPzsR6GTVZ7K5V9m66mMu-OgXPJR-ryZPIoF1zarqtjvOT3Q/s6000/120.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vP4lYZbH-gREFwovywg8XKytIAmDE1mhTDZo_d9hzc0bx3Ow0Ka9oKZO3HQC21cLKx2Moz8P2_bLAbQUqiJrab8HXgkJo34gs6YGejLa05nVVvw7HD3RZD-fdh3SL_Cix8rbsKiPzsR6GTVZ7K5V9m66mMu-OgXPJR-ryZPIoF1zarqtjvOT3Q/w640-h426/120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Later in the month, my staff and I started golf lessons! We signed up for a weekly clinic at the golf course that hosts the tournament for Not So New Job after being encouraged to do so by the General Manager and his Golf Pro. The clinic is called Wild Women Wednesday, which should tell you all you need to know. It was a blast and, I can report that several of us, including myself and Shanti (she and Kristi joined the staff in the lessons) now own a set of clubs, as well as several really, really cute golf outfits. We are going to sign up for the first clinic offered in 2024.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BkAcysAfPKbFdzWdtI2xANCAFXniYNL-lYRY1fYDL4HxTYzihp2IiGtHGwrW7v-Q-MM6FK-k975KJRZsgCX-YCnY78goX8HtIy3ALLs1Z6m-Cza4xWDAPBl4WXBPPzL7nllDz1JRMLCp4UJXdxOMN5YaKoVENbgykR7N4MtRZf4Q3KpGEc-ZNw/s640/IMG_1229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BkAcysAfPKbFdzWdtI2xANCAFXniYNL-lYRY1fYDL4HxTYzihp2IiGtHGwrW7v-Q-MM6FK-k975KJRZsgCX-YCnY78goX8HtIy3ALLs1Z6m-Cza4xWDAPBl4WXBPPzL7nllDz1JRMLCp4UJXdxOMN5YaKoVENbgykR7N4MtRZf4Q3KpGEc-ZNw/w480-h640/IMG_1229.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqYCjs2G-S5RaHw2bkxNBj0J6fEWLUX4suSNZmnKQ-x4BS-tFSipmQyDn2R8lvdcQxyHdfgrp14eRsyc-3QW_OT7eYtDxGskLPRmIG6axLKfu7VTTyk0kAYxO0JtYONcL_lf-BOsrdqmURV5ygVC_gPbnRCH62jp8GBXc17kpivBp0Ff-84fU0Q/s640/IMG_1230.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqYCjs2G-S5RaHw2bkxNBj0J6fEWLUX4suSNZmnKQ-x4BS-tFSipmQyDn2R8lvdcQxyHdfgrp14eRsyc-3QW_OT7eYtDxGskLPRmIG6axLKfu7VTTyk0kAYxO0JtYONcL_lf-BOsrdqmURV5ygVC_gPbnRCH62jp8GBXc17kpivBp0Ff-84fU0Q/w480-h640/IMG_1230.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv0dE0aX0_Y53Ywf8FHslMmA6oYBmAOSnVboJGl9cQqM2HJCOjlyrwEL_EMKm_NeKmgwUWP-dRmvuhDDg3RBkXMTcegGzcvwa7auhDTGP97DgTpUn5Pj1n6LeTDc6Ha7qsugDZLJ1zIDigAV8CA2FrgiFs2Ol5nvZ6FHdpMiuepgx-japBOgXGg/s640/IMG_1245.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv0dE0aX0_Y53Ywf8FHslMmA6oYBmAOSnVboJGl9cQqM2HJCOjlyrwEL_EMKm_NeKmgwUWP-dRmvuhDDg3RBkXMTcegGzcvwa7auhDTGP97DgTpUn5Pj1n6LeTDc6Ha7qsugDZLJ1zIDigAV8CA2FrgiFs2Ol5nvZ6FHdpMiuepgx-japBOgXGg/w480-h640/IMG_1245.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpyQqcAXstPs_Hs7I1vLgl7SpHd_QBsnw6RjPevQIIbVmhihFd5nkaPCn7ZWwer2B_ef4MbyfNjBvhkXoHwDgajP8gFH5sQt_WZ_DBXxQdahEzfjKTjMXdSDhvjk2xLfDr4THUx4Gzty2h9vGT99aakiSrjz_boHpdpbp135pDfsxc7wI2fqXrQ/s640/IMG_1248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpyQqcAXstPs_Hs7I1vLgl7SpHd_QBsnw6RjPevQIIbVmhihFd5nkaPCn7ZWwer2B_ef4MbyfNjBvhkXoHwDgajP8gFH5sQt_WZ_DBXxQdahEzfjKTjMXdSDhvjk2xLfDr4THUx4Gzty2h9vGT99aakiSrjz_boHpdpbp135pDfsxc7wI2fqXrQ/w480-h640/IMG_1248.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Mom, Shanti, Shanti's mom, and I visited the cut-your-own flower farm, where we made bouquets. I really enjoy Shanti's mom and, since the Man-Cub had already asked for her dad's blessing to propose; her mom was also keeping the secret. We shared a lot of knowing glances, if you know what I mean.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s4NHVsIApYw9dgsFykJWdFHWX7LIhvuNBNHInVj6_vomcPqWngRHp1RBbkYJEULCzOvEzB8JxykMzHLTbm98vx7DYyqrbvu2LhmZtJRZkAvyyDvWHvBVMsdWE6PA_Kj8whYnRjgL8YBad4pqvatKl5uKase_gKWJhAbcfBn5JT9Jr_FWeEzzeg/s640/IMG_1277.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s4NHVsIApYw9dgsFykJWdFHWX7LIhvuNBNHInVj6_vomcPqWngRHp1RBbkYJEULCzOvEzB8JxykMzHLTbm98vx7DYyqrbvu2LhmZtJRZkAvyyDvWHvBVMsdWE6PA_Kj8whYnRjgL8YBad4pqvatKl5uKase_gKWJhAbcfBn5JT9Jr_FWeEzzeg/w480-h640/IMG_1277.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAuDa3qv20VLB9Fb6CgrlA5aZ3I47NtpKpTJ7WZktkr8Ml984zaS2pI8Jy0LCqxd-NGPWbpXR2q34E9CGtqI7CWeMWnPWE7yMANOCOEdMHoyy-K2c58Or-rSK_qmUmYuSyjYKfc_uNb_NOHkJHutyS8_fGr_kmErFV6EXdioMbEPAnYETdAc7gg/s640/IMG_1273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAuDa3qv20VLB9Fb6CgrlA5aZ3I47NtpKpTJ7WZktkr8Ml984zaS2pI8Jy0LCqxd-NGPWbpXR2q34E9CGtqI7CWeMWnPWE7yMANOCOEdMHoyy-K2c58Or-rSK_qmUmYuSyjYKfc_uNb_NOHkJHutyS8_fGr_kmErFV6EXdioMbEPAnYETdAc7gg/w480-h640/IMG_1273.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFstxnMvXGAeeWI8iQkcsjWuNBR_oAwoOonSCMNTN65gxyQpM3HyI7iW-fDoh61H62RaylyReOdAP9pPmAz57dKMKNo_2POFK9SF799Q7LFaSpeV_M23C7WWDxbe6bJlauvdQEzgI-cmnUKAA-QJhEhru-qIQkYXc-03nLLn42l4bV5R-Dg2s8iA/s640/IMG_1290.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFstxnMvXGAeeWI8iQkcsjWuNBR_oAwoOonSCMNTN65gxyQpM3HyI7iW-fDoh61H62RaylyReOdAP9pPmAz57dKMKNo_2POFK9SF799Q7LFaSpeV_M23C7WWDxbe6bJlauvdQEzgI-cmnUKAA-QJhEhru-qIQkYXc-03nLLn42l4bV5R-Dg2s8iA/w480-h640/IMG_1290.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A few days later, I hosted the Bon Voyage party for Erin and Kristi. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBpNw7vQFmBuninw-7jXHPDkNfOh_gg6wg20O84ZErflc-1Rx4_MDk1SKqzfIfqVNmUN9SVLSqZICl620mHRe27XIbR3X5JhTnL_YRiNZSwAR4QYI5OZZCD2x9ACFUu80y3lhS_QZAn43grpq6ro6tgPusX0c4OIAwOjuA10w4OT_HUv6ggxt2w/s640/IMG_1345.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBpNw7vQFmBuninw-7jXHPDkNfOh_gg6wg20O84ZErflc-1Rx4_MDk1SKqzfIfqVNmUN9SVLSqZICl620mHRe27XIbR3X5JhTnL_YRiNZSwAR4QYI5OZZCD2x9ACFUu80y3lhS_QZAn43grpq6ro6tgPusX0c4OIAwOjuA10w4OT_HUv6ggxt2w/w480-h640/IMG_1345.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsUq28q90f-iVNkKHGIWThZF5IVY3udZRjfQ17aUkri4-5vT8WFZqe_EF14YsCfCw1hPfq7G60YnYPnE-Iuvbeou_47mYdyhr2GcqzwpBiYXi-_0vR-i7mV5lsX_T5Me4uF_9Bm2xznhGeQRQ49Ltoz5Mc3-4Z8u5hqoo42IBCxBf71x_7RRw_Q/s640/IMG_1350.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsUq28q90f-iVNkKHGIWThZF5IVY3udZRjfQ17aUkri4-5vT8WFZqe_EF14YsCfCw1hPfq7G60YnYPnE-Iuvbeou_47mYdyhr2GcqzwpBiYXi-_0vR-i7mV5lsX_T5Me4uF_9Bm2xznhGeQRQ49Ltoz5Mc3-4Z8u5hqoo42IBCxBf71x_7RRw_Q/w480-h640/IMG_1350.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>September</div><div><br /></div><div>We started the month off with Miss Mia's wedding.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW2u_HeVe7syqY16WZ3jefMBEO4QgyyK3tt8pbdMdzW7HkQ70O6bYLVqXg7Q1KoEISjJGy57hOeds_yxNAxncpcuHwtvalKjc3ES0uW0gmp88pKI5Tlj7ICiHPfPFCj8xJlUK7xpvb40ggDcgQYabc6jbHqbByXD-_f0iVKAqgqcWqXZLVQTiOw/s5184/IMG_0919.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW2u_HeVe7syqY16WZ3jefMBEO4QgyyK3tt8pbdMdzW7HkQ70O6bYLVqXg7Q1KoEISjJGy57hOeds_yxNAxncpcuHwtvalKjc3ES0uW0gmp88pKI5Tlj7ICiHPfPFCj8xJlUK7xpvb40ggDcgQYabc6jbHqbByXD-_f0iVKAqgqcWqXZLVQTiOw/w426-h640/IMG_0919.5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqBEdQM2oFG62t7SL1yX_seyS6kqyvFncuTyi2L02G8qFZkRlr2zB-0o9nriJ25JXUUTqwtxzUJXhzYNaBUoXW-G2NX79RPqFfpYkYUuKwxofup2Akb9-3KQuACGDAlzC8JrnubjSE1by5UUMX6q9TR4TTVuRTRH8CUXKJ7Fnjhagjie48ifpVQ/s5184/IMG_0929.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqBEdQM2oFG62t7SL1yX_seyS6kqyvFncuTyi2L02G8qFZkRlr2zB-0o9nriJ25JXUUTqwtxzUJXhzYNaBUoXW-G2NX79RPqFfpYkYUuKwxofup2Akb9-3KQuACGDAlzC8JrnubjSE1by5UUMX6q9TR4TTVuRTRH8CUXKJ7Fnjhagjie48ifpVQ/w640-h426/IMG_0929.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvbvKtPgEq9AhANWg9pDYyNXhv0hbFYaviWS5vnlj6wxKJQg6KXZBdh50r9CZx4RbTw2Zup5TNLpXxboDZU_eO6CoPDPyEVF1yUQAgAqSUsZsFw7PUEDEtjo-_LXdYRqW-029yA5vAz7AkX78mmRaTWHfIq6OiCzipk-6zNcBLuyP7jaatynzjA/s2002/IMG_1419.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="1126" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvbvKtPgEq9AhANWg9pDYyNXhv0hbFYaviWS5vnlj6wxKJQg6KXZBdh50r9CZx4RbTw2Zup5TNLpXxboDZU_eO6CoPDPyEVF1yUQAgAqSUsZsFw7PUEDEtjo-_LXdYRqW-029yA5vAz7AkX78mmRaTWHfIq6OiCzipk-6zNcBLuyP7jaatynzjA/w360-h640/IMG_1419.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Enjoyed our last golf lesson, which saw us actually playing a few holes (baby steps!).</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQNlq8s8vzh4hGaoi8Gh-iUhak8EooHjDiKRPd-ZxDUcgjfc-OmJz4bYEfFG8Ib0R2sgP1yDkEOL-cubhFa1K_kftE-gsP06A0PDQ07rhEsqRq-kOoDc2e-JuqVvp7tZW173leqKQJP6Ds_XIcp_dqMlD3BkI5Y34u-W11Au_TlLF2Kxd2t6PDA/s640/IMG_1432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQNlq8s8vzh4hGaoi8Gh-iUhak8EooHjDiKRPd-ZxDUcgjfc-OmJz4bYEfFG8Ib0R2sgP1yDkEOL-cubhFa1K_kftE-gsP06A0PDQ07rhEsqRq-kOoDc2e-JuqVvp7tZW173leqKQJP6Ds_XIcp_dqMlD3BkI5Y34u-W11Au_TlLF2Kxd2t6PDA/w480-h640/IMG_1432.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFot83d3MHD9LCgBPs3oYJHbtQCN31SjJWTTeDzL0mkGMhvAQSttvtJ0OdxQQ71Xx8GdDn21EiPjPP2uNT8zflxNfnojruylyuxPpyY2wKKkLEcvfqfOJYBhfLrETR5msnQyEGCmL5PTn1jSfdKJk1ol1Lqw5w_siyFJCPTPMubyCPMgGlRU9Gg/s640/IMG_1435.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFot83d3MHD9LCgBPs3oYJHbtQCN31SjJWTTeDzL0mkGMhvAQSttvtJ0OdxQQ71Xx8GdDn21EiPjPP2uNT8zflxNfnojruylyuxPpyY2wKKkLEcvfqfOJYBhfLrETR5msnQyEGCmL5PTn1jSfdKJk1ol1Lqw5w_siyFJCPTPMubyCPMgGlRU9Gg/w482-h640/IMG_1435.jpg" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And Not So New Job hosted its' annual Barn Dance, at which Hugh, the Man-Cub, and Shanti volunteered.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KvmyEXpHu-6zMVl_6yckZ2vMJqT1HV98wEIDBBBV7eq9efxZ4-dc7UNZFahRHPMVvLEc8zloNG9p32ATguxnGDpa27eadXM0mi52g-yZBBHbQ7ufu8SQVbZ4WPduw6b7iZz8vO-5k6-aBYvJ_C6wXLQXRZmGtAawrDskOEXtfXGOnfIh0KUmdQ/s564/1f5a4f508772b6d423035ca88155aa81.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="564" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KvmyEXpHu-6zMVl_6yckZ2vMJqT1HV98wEIDBBBV7eq9efxZ4-dc7UNZFahRHPMVvLEc8zloNG9p32ATguxnGDpa27eadXM0mi52g-yZBBHbQ7ufu8SQVbZ4WPduw6b7iZz8vO-5k6-aBYvJ_C6wXLQXRZmGtAawrDskOEXtfXGOnfIh0KUmdQ/w640-h426/1f5a4f508772b6d423035ca88155aa81.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHcytMV8QvXxprHJ3QZznZlcnp8BdBfz_gMLqa_IoFz-QyhesQ3yoaT1ZUBIyTHzVlHnns2WA_hjt48k0cUNwj08XXTHExfaTD_9aMYDm6BlA-B35EHhUyjak0OUzmNLbz0dyfsVLRdKY4ItTfHA2csVRrrHKLfpC4mk1ty_Vg_mDyXOvb1zOfw/s564/88e2f337d46b92128f1186fa79e902e9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="564" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHcytMV8QvXxprHJ3QZznZlcnp8BdBfz_gMLqa_IoFz-QyhesQ3yoaT1ZUBIyTHzVlHnns2WA_hjt48k0cUNwj08XXTHExfaTD_9aMYDm6BlA-B35EHhUyjak0OUzmNLbz0dyfsVLRdKY4ItTfHA2csVRrrHKLfpC4mk1ty_Vg_mDyXOvb1zOfw/w640-h426/88e2f337d46b92128f1186fa79e902e9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m0Jkn0dGINNY3Jb9NHhlF4tNw_aOaTouAdRF_hvF72w0WwGwnBuLOoDZC5F4EyMK2J4mK3rJLPFhgAzUXFRdT15SHK4ZKEI-iDacyvn6SFjcKR3amXUOrOpFcZgGZhzIz4RQCIFKgDXKFlh8Z_Zj2R_bRKixhHG4b-4RW3axmuqjWcxDW6MEhw/s563/d6ffaa5f6d3e384dfb88af5e0e8235c5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="563" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2m0Jkn0dGINNY3Jb9NHhlF4tNw_aOaTouAdRF_hvF72w0WwGwnBuLOoDZC5F4EyMK2J4mK3rJLPFhgAzUXFRdT15SHK4ZKEI-iDacyvn6SFjcKR3amXUOrOpFcZgGZhzIz4RQCIFKgDXKFlh8Z_Zj2R_bRKixhHG4b-4RW3axmuqjWcxDW6MEhw/w640-h482/d6ffaa5f6d3e384dfb88af5e0e8235c5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The following day, Erin jetted off for the UK, leaving behind Kristi, who was awaiting her official VISA. She stayed with us, and, to keep her mind off the wait, we jumped into Fall activities, including a trip to Pickin' at the Pea, where we each found treasures and where Hugh fell in love with Mennonite slow-drip coffee.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtn1sc-Oh1bAMIb3NPCtLOw16_-POZvMN8f4RaPqnr9qSup3IEOW6tJom99iP_n1x6pGhIW20Y9Qg0aH3gNTxZX58pJ6_2wlMi7l5c9HJMGdryNEcBsFw3pDtYcXhO2btNqHzH6A_rOHdgFnk7eMwwePWvI0blSsH0qVhh3AWNoJIEWuJyI7IxEg/s640/IMG_1583.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtn1sc-Oh1bAMIb3NPCtLOw16_-POZvMN8f4RaPqnr9qSup3IEOW6tJom99iP_n1x6pGhIW20Y9Qg0aH3gNTxZX58pJ6_2wlMi7l5c9HJMGdryNEcBsFw3pDtYcXhO2btNqHzH6A_rOHdgFnk7eMwwePWvI0blSsH0qVhh3AWNoJIEWuJyI7IxEg/w640-h482/IMG_1583.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIDbqzDibWFDkMbsIDKu-8HLQei387ENWo1UPbPFeyaN4noDjeeH-0N4kvN6VLUuYFCYHr5K-WF75VxiovMyV3ZjwztcYffbC-ZUYw4cslICQlAwHZ0VbL9dgXZ72wKeVUkvGDVbwxWZXw-QVBpOOL6QbKvTFukflh14v82_NjwhtKdcBzc1UyQ/s640/IMG_1522.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIDbqzDibWFDkMbsIDKu-8HLQei387ENWo1UPbPFeyaN4noDjeeH-0N4kvN6VLUuYFCYHr5K-WF75VxiovMyV3ZjwztcYffbC-ZUYw4cslICQlAwHZ0VbL9dgXZ72wKeVUkvGDVbwxWZXw-QVBpOOL6QbKvTFukflh14v82_NjwhtKdcBzc1UyQ/w480-h640/IMG_1522.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmwAjsYQ9Wp4YIwNslxpxSFx4ct_KTmPrEbyVqqO0JzCRi73PBihrKSu6C7LQhhXot40bSvkEpc09DzkKKJOMdx73tpQhluex49HkW9eUZeN84Yx5t1op1q3OTCrm4ewFbPcJnYbg31DmRPqtsFTCLnK8W8gzwidRNYL896g-CRGCozp08ce_g/s640/IMG_1534.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBmwAjsYQ9Wp4YIwNslxpxSFx4ct_KTmPrEbyVqqO0JzCRi73PBihrKSu6C7LQhhXot40bSvkEpc09DzkKKJOMdx73tpQhluex49HkW9eUZeN84Yx5t1op1q3OTCrm4ewFbPcJnYbg31DmRPqtsFTCLnK8W8gzwidRNYL896g-CRGCozp08ce_g/w480-h640/IMG_1534.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmy9aQQqEJCF6LhlzhxpGFZ_iV5T1kaNC9eSg2z15Y3P7izlnQU5UKws0pty89EDfPbxgS0Pn11rzsqCUXoyVvyFXu6aavgAxC3YrZkjiOez9WFIrdsz7utefMI88vOkFdje2scVJHgiNK-9DGxXVU8006T_kpiAb-1WHH2n0N5B_GYZTHFxSqA/s640/IMG_1564.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmy9aQQqEJCF6LhlzhxpGFZ_iV5T1kaNC9eSg2z15Y3P7izlnQU5UKws0pty89EDfPbxgS0Pn11rzsqCUXoyVvyFXu6aavgAxC3YrZkjiOez9WFIrdsz7utefMI88vOkFdje2scVJHgiNK-9DGxXVU8006T_kpiAb-1WHH2n0N5B_GYZTHFxSqA/w480-h640/IMG_1564.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We also canned pickles, because my cucumber haul from my garden this year was off the cuff. We have pickles to last until next year, without a doubt.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtawibXBwK55IFEn0-ny6DqEDim94NW2ro5pihYGszvar3mVPD_SMqy9N1yM3I0nCCTUmJkMqYEh_on-P2pDWYDMZkIP5tU69dFiX6hoBZUyeS73eQ4VMcq6Vo9QAmDDTP1Wmf-BSqAPzBrFUpDINyxMz7S22SbJ1aYNLFelbUjvclyEyTy54smQ/s640/IMG_1603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtawibXBwK55IFEn0-ny6DqEDim94NW2ro5pihYGszvar3mVPD_SMqy9N1yM3I0nCCTUmJkMqYEh_on-P2pDWYDMZkIP5tU69dFiX6hoBZUyeS73eQ4VMcq6Vo9QAmDDTP1Wmf-BSqAPzBrFUpDINyxMz7S22SbJ1aYNLFelbUjvclyEyTy54smQ/w480-h640/IMG_1603.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WUj7J2_YHHnJDaoYvqBgs60zKHVSAzENDbwTdkVISDf9BfHNC32lPPKMNwPuRJ-VZkCS4c-IXyicNtC3mIsQD91MSsLNyvtAIb154mzdt50VGwyHui84eclNgAbxY-mrodQ-_F9RVWXSDrFKBsndNCMejvI7rbYlimQOFE0lbLIFkFzdemSVrw/s640/IMG_1604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WUj7J2_YHHnJDaoYvqBgs60zKHVSAzENDbwTdkVISDf9BfHNC32lPPKMNwPuRJ-VZkCS4c-IXyicNtC3mIsQD91MSsLNyvtAIb154mzdt50VGwyHui84eclNgAbxY-mrodQ-_F9RVWXSDrFKBsndNCMejvI7rbYlimQOFE0lbLIFkFzdemSVrw/w480-h640/IMG_1604.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We also attended the third annual Apple Pie contest hosted by a local orchard. Hugh usually judges the contest, but was at EMT class, so was unable to attend. This was probably a good thing, because Mom entered the contest this year and, we wouldn't want her third place finish to be questioned on the basis of favoritism.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWged6eEt-zNlBJSFc1R7I-LzJJtqdwmIjI4vNjMBxv5xkSGZZ0oWxyOc_vTpSbnQhMXdE-AVdPNct_pk43LOv-ri2op2vbGzlJYA_zwOqef_BXnMPBF_EDuhCRSr8It1IVnFlAKcsALxPXUrqvECdO3IFynvXv7Nvumz2l8tkADWBajmSI7slw/s640/IMG_1634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWged6eEt-zNlBJSFc1R7I-LzJJtqdwmIjI4vNjMBxv5xkSGZZ0oWxyOc_vTpSbnQhMXdE-AVdPNct_pk43LOv-ri2op2vbGzlJYA_zwOqef_BXnMPBF_EDuhCRSr8It1IVnFlAKcsALxPXUrqvECdO3IFynvXv7Nvumz2l8tkADWBajmSI7slw/w480-h640/IMG_1634.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-zZLKvOuN3SasoSew103oUyoxSS7yApqX9EoEv_a0SJOITb5x4S7XTNM3fr_IMkKaGkkcVVV7lZObYrJ7S_MJNLFT7OH7XKi1bDpP2O6QUya_nRS6bec4wt3VqWFO1cWGvd-F6uhCjZ1DtccSGk-URquv2uSUX4DK_860KQWeuQUf4U3bD_GAg/s640/IMG_1635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-zZLKvOuN3SasoSew103oUyoxSS7yApqX9EoEv_a0SJOITb5x4S7XTNM3fr_IMkKaGkkcVVV7lZObYrJ7S_MJNLFT7OH7XKi1bDpP2O6QUya_nRS6bec4wt3VqWFO1cWGvd-F6uhCjZ1DtccSGk-URquv2uSUX4DK_860KQWeuQUf4U3bD_GAg/w480-h640/IMG_1635.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LwU_Dl5WyTKz4VxzB_VCcnlAKEM-rHGu-uIgu73ZADwBvl4PTFa8YWphlE9r7IU-e0wZebtDB3LevliMNbb5qGlSo59pUA_NcLuPxscB5iTsGFWqDkqZ2igRE0pb305o8Mzx08c4DRtoisTNlODcPCFyftPN-Z9JutvDRjQFSisjn5jgGydEJw/s640/IMG_1639.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LwU_Dl5WyTKz4VxzB_VCcnlAKEM-rHGu-uIgu73ZADwBvl4PTFa8YWphlE9r7IU-e0wZebtDB3LevliMNbb5qGlSo59pUA_NcLuPxscB5iTsGFWqDkqZ2igRE0pb305o8Mzx08c4DRtoisTNlODcPCFyftPN-Z9JutvDRjQFSisjn5jgGydEJw/w480-h640/IMG_1639.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuSiYprNByWAI0bt4jbGIovlClIT8DE3sp8gbiTwDFrUhzt1ETZ9a3rioLFKPlYwXOuZEP1SSBmO79Z8O_K5H2Z_Ri0wIs3sZBtnZcSqhXTAP34L33fa78_4PYC12SyBonKWxSxPikx98mtlSjI-yOuDpUJuMPkxjpb57L7UIb_5RmW05nJRbOQ/s640/IMG_1644.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuSiYprNByWAI0bt4jbGIovlClIT8DE3sp8gbiTwDFrUhzt1ETZ9a3rioLFKPlYwXOuZEP1SSBmO79Z8O_K5H2Z_Ri0wIs3sZBtnZcSqhXTAP34L33fa78_4PYC12SyBonKWxSxPikx98mtlSjI-yOuDpUJuMPkxjpb57L7UIb_5RmW05nJRbOQ/w480-h640/IMG_1644.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnRJC2YeJr7HFLoX0yVJU4YKBBc8E10HKjUvhgqFR69_Q4kB_dZJoCumbSrLzg1MW4HxndKISBI29VKptHncf0hIXrijL6X1nX3bsKaAlWAoSDiWbpebGHXSxfM1CYRBQcBa-QJZFViKFZ0TToRQNfremddE_tgXVafVPRelVKgqm7JliaPHsuA/s640/IMG_1668.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnRJC2YeJr7HFLoX0yVJU4YKBBc8E10HKjUvhgqFR69_Q4kB_dZJoCumbSrLzg1MW4HxndKISBI29VKptHncf0hIXrijL6X1nX3bsKaAlWAoSDiWbpebGHXSxfM1CYRBQcBa-QJZFViKFZ0TToRQNfremddE_tgXVafVPRelVKgqm7JliaPHsuA/w480-h640/IMG_1668.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj9DZrr6EMDrhuGXkEc8UVC2BfY8hqdlZ51zy7ZMLolllNB4i9pYcBBe2jVYUgfeUCzHmymNCeKI32xq6CsBhunS0gB4avqY2NtfnIOsDMiPumSURAfDtZAIcBqJ9DyRzbbwho0Y8TVVS98wndmaeYmn36Op-Bd7rehF6OQ8qL4l43YWL4vTi8g/s640/IMG_1686.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj9DZrr6EMDrhuGXkEc8UVC2BfY8hqdlZ51zy7ZMLolllNB4i9pYcBBe2jVYUgfeUCzHmymNCeKI32xq6CsBhunS0gB4avqY2NtfnIOsDMiPumSURAfDtZAIcBqJ9DyRzbbwho0Y8TVVS98wndmaeYmn36Op-Bd7rehF6OQ8qL4l43YWL4vTi8g/w480-h640/IMG_1686.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe4agpA8WSbfE1oT2tBZXTQivp23qLt-yiE6zruOWM7r-IdqyxD9RgkT-vLRDaRyre5ikKmxFzn7kOV78T-48VTwgVTj-T7y403fCxo4jprnwibpKqpk0Aa3DJxwXupN0G7zPdfhupaqcfI1551AKD8NFmgZN_49wxXIqCXCOe7b0O16nqBkSqA/s640/IMG_1710.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe4agpA8WSbfE1oT2tBZXTQivp23qLt-yiE6zruOWM7r-IdqyxD9RgkT-vLRDaRyre5ikKmxFzn7kOV78T-48VTwgVTj-T7y403fCxo4jprnwibpKqpk0Aa3DJxwXupN0G7zPdfhupaqcfI1551AKD8NFmgZN_49wxXIqCXCOe7b0O16nqBkSqA/w482-h640/IMG_1710.JPG" width="482" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ended the month with a rowboat photo shoot, which is something that I've had on my Photography Bucket List for ages. The Man-Cub and Shanti were such good sports and I'm hoping they will indulge me in another shoot next summer. Maybe as their official engagement pictures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiA7sGpxLGyMr9oPQ5efH_TwTYkm74VhuvpoCeIXlBkuvfnGpLfiq2xengE9WLhvH2SvSGNqT11jS1dPGyniNwFpUz9WRTHgVowbLpNkFQjaYiBXVA9c0WvUDLqsg6BciZ7VVR4O2gwYpvFSoRQciub2ROE5_T9aYN_LRpsRnas3FvjVjMsp3SA/s5184/034.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiA7sGpxLGyMr9oPQ5efH_TwTYkm74VhuvpoCeIXlBkuvfnGpLfiq2xengE9WLhvH2SvSGNqT11jS1dPGyniNwFpUz9WRTHgVowbLpNkFQjaYiBXVA9c0WvUDLqsg6BciZ7VVR4O2gwYpvFSoRQciub2ROE5_T9aYN_LRpsRnas3FvjVjMsp3SA/w640-h426/034.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVDVmWL0Mujy1RGEqLvxGkY5M8V4NjsvhoeJZrqCe4FDXSu7VousCQfdTnJjFosASYdZV_CmTjSJ1rCTUixJAHuYubj7jqhoRImCn4Y13W9UgvN8OgaHh8ojL474cYtPrWQmBf6XiAXfEdMVJifEe1WsxQApYYVVBGPLQHfHDtvVjemPYnbShHQ/s5184/032.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVDVmWL0Mujy1RGEqLvxGkY5M8V4NjsvhoeJZrqCe4FDXSu7VousCQfdTnJjFosASYdZV_CmTjSJ1rCTUixJAHuYubj7jqhoRImCn4Y13W9UgvN8OgaHh8ojL474cYtPrWQmBf6XiAXfEdMVJifEe1WsxQApYYVVBGPLQHfHDtvVjemPYnbShHQ/w640-h426/032.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5XsfUvo10xFOYMRtaADKpZf2F-W7tTu8PQAKvQcCatEaH5esMxVZzl5SYDudh9_BrQ3W5YdXtDPoODSbAjCc1yKn-eNf9AvLTXslmFeM_UIZWMayirCr2rbGuPbE5XwXmy0M11sxBYvXwIJ7BSLOg-jTyguiA22e6qFxgnJMO_6y0uoKwfTISg/s5184/027.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5XsfUvo10xFOYMRtaADKpZf2F-W7tTu8PQAKvQcCatEaH5esMxVZzl5SYDudh9_BrQ3W5YdXtDPoODSbAjCc1yKn-eNf9AvLTXslmFeM_UIZWMayirCr2rbGuPbE5XwXmy0M11sxBYvXwIJ7BSLOg-jTyguiA22e6qFxgnJMO_6y0uoKwfTISg/w640-h426/027.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pSjpBacp9K26yOiTcq03QddmRGMPlEKmToSHMPbJ1k7Hfqy26DS7bUQrghMWd_VaB86GkvL3ojY9mhgBaW8H8j7btTjxD_13VZvlG6jkrsfT9qPQtFRwzVDdA7_BMOeEjpMmM7HOY8A5Bh017rA1eaVY3UDcMKxWa3I44sCD7W0mKhufUdxleg/s5184/003.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pSjpBacp9K26yOiTcq03QddmRGMPlEKmToSHMPbJ1k7Hfqy26DS7bUQrghMWd_VaB86GkvL3ojY9mhgBaW8H8j7btTjxD_13VZvlG6jkrsfT9qPQtFRwzVDdA7_BMOeEjpMmM7HOY8A5Bh017rA1eaVY3UDcMKxWa3I44sCD7W0mKhufUdxleg/w640-h426/003.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>October</div><div><br /></div><div>The gray was coming in hot and heavy by this point. I'm not hating it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM5YgOZz58Mr1MnhcPylPFXfaE20LLJ5oSsCUv5fDJQ8MM9s3pAWQVzMVHW9N0fUqPiMH3I0mCpDCtCs0J2mK2wwp7g6l0kkakVnbVkCGuygb_88u8BTVXf_h2bnN6yICwRrchQAKh2e7kFiF3tpjIgolx53Ug5Fngdmju_j0fYD2IoouYyyXKg/s640/IMG_1632.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM5YgOZz58Mr1MnhcPylPFXfaE20LLJ5oSsCUv5fDJQ8MM9s3pAWQVzMVHW9N0fUqPiMH3I0mCpDCtCs0J2mK2wwp7g6l0kkakVnbVkCGuygb_88u8BTVXf_h2bnN6yICwRrchQAKh2e7kFiF3tpjIgolx53Ug5Fngdmju_j0fYD2IoouYyyXKg/w482-h640/IMG_1632.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You all know that October is my favorite month and that Halloween is my jam. This year was no different, in fact, I added a new event when I joined Mama Jill and some other friends in a Supper Club; I hosted in October and the Witches' Supper will be an annual event, moving forward. Even if the Supper Club itself is less consistent than we'd hoped.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1JItfDbS1gz_XQhb5J1sdI6zre4H1bBYqrHcLg5YGFbPC5ihMSrkVYgf7RqcQELc9tRxp2GH3x393Tzsr9Lkhv9xZ9D5b9o5LRDH0PgxvKr_38ehLhZ5qYef4rC8EgL_WWG0joPXXGAjVXIUbrRuWezMNWFtWp0g8hdqX4SrJ06zVRXps_h_mg/s640/IMG_1935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1JItfDbS1gz_XQhb5J1sdI6zre4H1bBYqrHcLg5YGFbPC5ihMSrkVYgf7RqcQELc9tRxp2GH3x393Tzsr9Lkhv9xZ9D5b9o5LRDH0PgxvKr_38ehLhZ5qYef4rC8EgL_WWG0joPXXGAjVXIUbrRuWezMNWFtWp0g8hdqX4SrJ06zVRXps_h_mg/w640-h480/IMG_1935.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvs38fGG1y3IcR5S2JcILLnKCIW9SjUKARlJA_tT5VhweTAOgtFTxaQ40AnArdu269KKdzOx8t6qxvj6Tf4OsR7ix8yZGgGvBU23xNwvzMr_8CaeF2V2WP7r6lXMJES16kYSZYuqU1U5HhsBrz5M2hkCSr4VXjvxAQq3miSgGiTphcU_n_IdqwRw/s640/IMG_1938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvs38fGG1y3IcR5S2JcILLnKCIW9SjUKARlJA_tT5VhweTAOgtFTxaQ40AnArdu269KKdzOx8t6qxvj6Tf4OsR7ix8yZGgGvBU23xNwvzMr_8CaeF2V2WP7r6lXMJES16kYSZYuqU1U5HhsBrz5M2hkCSr4VXjvxAQq3miSgGiTphcU_n_IdqwRw/w640-h480/IMG_1938.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The day after the Witches' Supper, the Man-Cub, Shanti, and I joined Jules and her Boy Toy for a trip through a not-so-haunted corn maze in Neighboring City. It might not have been scary, but it was fun. Plus, I don't get to see Jules nearly as much as I would like, considering she lives an hour away. I really need to do better at that in the new year.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBCEriqgmUKQbe4f3dPyt2UX8MyiGkNJlURuF-Ndaml6cPG4f7ASZeloUp54DRKJmSd7-55qRkoQ1R_OrlWY_OnTAOG4Lu8mnuXHzIEYil0SjYXrJm924J8CwKubPrkZUBHFsr0pIVzMr2YH90Tt8CUaSVK68vbxWpqnDcqxLlzmJtUYYobv_MQ/s640/IMG_1967.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBCEriqgmUKQbe4f3dPyt2UX8MyiGkNJlURuF-Ndaml6cPG4f7ASZeloUp54DRKJmSd7-55qRkoQ1R_OrlWY_OnTAOG4Lu8mnuXHzIEYil0SjYXrJm924J8CwKubPrkZUBHFsr0pIVzMr2YH90Tt8CUaSVK68vbxWpqnDcqxLlzmJtUYYobv_MQ/w482-h640/IMG_1967.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Meanwhile, Kristi finally made it to Wales! Her VISA was finally approved the day before Supper Club, so she started a thirty-some hour journey to join Erin.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFSTqxgVwl8GlX8gJuxZT159BpyYnGZGHCofU7M8hmO38RECcu_6lxcIm01gioiCWFMGgWq-YcmnngkKsJdzjRkaP6QpKrvGJGX9m6RQ1CvdYVMTJMaoZOZSp49Xuymv-wq4RZsHKhkGdx9oP77pTk1F2gS9lJ2zRfoN4G6ygKlikKxOC4PqqMQ/s960/IMG_1987.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFSTqxgVwl8GlX8gJuxZT159BpyYnGZGHCofU7M8hmO38RECcu_6lxcIm01gioiCWFMGgWq-YcmnngkKsJdzjRkaP6QpKrvGJGX9m6RQ1CvdYVMTJMaoZOZSp49Xuymv-wq4RZsHKhkGdx9oP77pTk1F2gS9lJ2zRfoN4G6ygKlikKxOC4PqqMQ/w480-h640/IMG_1987.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Before the month was out, the Man-Cub and Shanti helped me dip some caramel apples, which is something that hadn't happened in my kitchen in <i>years</i>.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOatdtDVjiF1fnFOG5RJiFBnOeoCv4EeuGYCjRaLy_W99RbCWlJrgU0UhZnCbG1ucfc6crlHKuMmGpcYJXiDG9smXO48FHrWm0BLoiQJNJMtsPF1S66soLtSM4MSvcnrWG0OL3oSrEpPElrD3rfWCO0aiICh7k8CofyxqjdXhdC_O7oEHsAjsqug/s640/IMG_2030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOatdtDVjiF1fnFOG5RJiFBnOeoCv4EeuGYCjRaLy_W99RbCWlJrgU0UhZnCbG1ucfc6crlHKuMmGpcYJXiDG9smXO48FHrWm0BLoiQJNJMtsPF1S66soLtSM4MSvcnrWG0OL3oSrEpPElrD3rfWCO0aiICh7k8CofyxqjdXhdC_O7oEHsAjsqug/w480-h640/IMG_2030.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0iwOS2TdMPpEIUGlj2CmKAfwDwQO0ZAZVyiIiP4hE5U2ab87mPku38a_Dke_ikbjRFlMKQ3iU40GCE4osd5RzQL2TAIF1gCpfe7pDRqufCILcJ2TWHdksrlOEF7vwIk2KIDLg8vVVeJSFytZxyUyzL8uXzN9G-wvHvqH1upIhlAn9FK117a9-g/s640/IMG_2032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0iwOS2TdMPpEIUGlj2CmKAfwDwQO0ZAZVyiIiP4hE5U2ab87mPku38a_Dke_ikbjRFlMKQ3iU40GCE4osd5RzQL2TAIF1gCpfe7pDRqufCILcJ2TWHdksrlOEF7vwIk2KIDLg8vVVeJSFytZxyUyzL8uXzN9G-wvHvqH1upIhlAn9FK117a9-g/w480-h640/IMG_2032.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And, it wouldn't be a year in review without documentation of the skeleton display!<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsplWRN7RJ2jvMnfXjCMz3m49o1u9tWO_Tc4YNx0E9mGHZV1sE5cOk5AkKmhA9NYw16zQWlx7g5zKEleOtlbyJqbUjo9XqWl1ooEreCLbl_CRiPRRH_CiHmgP_iRhLejtvh5_-eITwM4bcy8lEXtzGGCS0Oq8bWwvNvOMAhhawgx6oY4xhsWF_mw/s5184/007.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsplWRN7RJ2jvMnfXjCMz3m49o1u9tWO_Tc4YNx0E9mGHZV1sE5cOk5AkKmhA9NYw16zQWlx7g5zKEleOtlbyJqbUjo9XqWl1ooEreCLbl_CRiPRRH_CiHmgP_iRhLejtvh5_-eITwM4bcy8lEXtzGGCS0Oq8bWwvNvOMAhhawgx6oY4xhsWF_mw/w426-h640/007.5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJi206yNjP0-YOZHIa_JFk0S54IOE0JfQPyjAcHc7cvLKCXAJyLBUGxjlb9yml8i6y-GpKq-GlmFdtGNho-4hzjbhTMfT8faU4xo8ItOz8mnXH-ds248oVy-FXTIjxhYE_Ng6vsV0MX8urivirks88JwOAn_8byYMURvEFaAXLNz79X2B7H74ZQ/s5184/011.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJi206yNjP0-YOZHIa_JFk0S54IOE0JfQPyjAcHc7cvLKCXAJyLBUGxjlb9yml8i6y-GpKq-GlmFdtGNho-4hzjbhTMfT8faU4xo8ItOz8mnXH-ds248oVy-FXTIjxhYE_Ng6vsV0MX8urivirks88JwOAn_8byYMURvEFaAXLNz79X2B7H74ZQ/w426-h640/011.5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj1iI92IcyOnVv8gOxdNDTEV8OrO6D9cy6GjXFqfUGoL98jGD5iaYO2EpRUE83-RoCMwu2gwPHbjwaRBpyMZHTTn6nj160S8Z21Tu7p7IefF-GesVuQVMW3NBFYqn9ArEIO7nP3AKhIvmLAgXfHsM3sCiOYSWgLOLBKl_SOnRoOlfkgoaw8EEHw/s5184/014.5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj1iI92IcyOnVv8gOxdNDTEV8OrO6D9cy6GjXFqfUGoL98jGD5iaYO2EpRUE83-RoCMwu2gwPHbjwaRBpyMZHTTn6nj160S8Z21Tu7p7IefF-GesVuQVMW3NBFYqn9ArEIO7nP3AKhIvmLAgXfHsM3sCiOYSWgLOLBKl_SOnRoOlfkgoaw8EEHw/w640-h426/014.5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2G6FRP_FZFhmDVmM2pQrEVtJwn2L6WuW_V72ZWP_LLxzhIqGQuo9uEnyp7fO3AbtFxCGGoUkYEHAeYDXfBLWuhdoTcfl-k2CtFgCuQ6CaV5-GaIOCCZL1Fg15SVqKAkSea2z05KWbu-P2B55L3-bydU8peG37XhU_TDwJkm7h31_JV0FAGxI6A/s640/IMG_2076.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2G6FRP_FZFhmDVmM2pQrEVtJwn2L6WuW_V72ZWP_LLxzhIqGQuo9uEnyp7fO3AbtFxCGGoUkYEHAeYDXfBLWuhdoTcfl-k2CtFgCuQ6CaV5-GaIOCCZL1Fg15SVqKAkSea2z05KWbu-P2B55L3-bydU8peG37XhU_TDwJkm7h31_JV0FAGxI6A/w480-h640/IMG_2076.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaASI7TC0_yG5UvDykaX0bcicw6kxBVl92Q67IHYxY7D6ZVCmfd5Z7t1v_wiAwJpF2mi76BjY0cJRzzyCd9oSY9Mp6UctWl3yaPIWKi9t0nrQZH_2DN212aPTOB7s_UpRFgR01pnw7BQnAugmkKmytlVNgFoAlF7XAnOTDvY-0UzzOWFzlox0qtA/s640/IMG_2085.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaASI7TC0_yG5UvDykaX0bcicw6kxBVl92Q67IHYxY7D6ZVCmfd5Z7t1v_wiAwJpF2mi76BjY0cJRzzyCd9oSY9Mp6UctWl3yaPIWKi9t0nrQZH_2DN212aPTOB7s_UpRFgR01pnw7BQnAugmkKmytlVNgFoAlF7XAnOTDvY-0UzzOWFzlox0qtA/w640-h480/IMG_2085.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>November</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally! We were able to let the cat out of the bag!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIul4rjeJThmo4HR9xEk6hCFmWYYwTobFW7d-e0_kjpnUKBn2qYNSNQtIiPIikXj6P_mmxEqZDaNriJHYcb8CIx4j767B6sWsHHCGVhOoM7FZ5OS5dbIfE48F3i8HwHANSAQ3CmNNQquAt42ltzvFsEI5LZYQ2uI8Jb7QfwQ7N6PwdQ5M9VJDxw/s600/400121888_10231007489921136_4231571812282097091_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIul4rjeJThmo4HR9xEk6hCFmWYYwTobFW7d-e0_kjpnUKBn2qYNSNQtIiPIikXj6P_mmxEqZDaNriJHYcb8CIx4j767B6sWsHHCGVhOoM7FZ5OS5dbIfE48F3i8HwHANSAQ3CmNNQquAt42ltzvFsEI5LZYQ2uI8Jb7QfwQ7N6PwdQ5M9VJDxw/w480-h640/400121888_10231007489921136_4231571812282097091_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJw6O3pWgmWpbTcsvUxY5dqdAZJTeKIB7Ki20l9EFoivC4XdSzsQyVkpLqoYv09btitcbT1a-XQDzcOqezwSp947qYTaggKcorN4nO_d9dABMCLRSpWrXPV6Vy5chrv17rFjDGI61f0UWF6yqbr_8MJ0mGMSTNxwZl2O7mBx7CtZ0IzOvFNDClXw/s2001/400397886_10231007490041139_3487466720486105368_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2001" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJw6O3pWgmWpbTcsvUxY5dqdAZJTeKIB7Ki20l9EFoivC4XdSzsQyVkpLqoYv09btitcbT1a-XQDzcOqezwSp947qYTaggKcorN4nO_d9dABMCLRSpWrXPV6Vy5chrv17rFjDGI61f0UWF6yqbr_8MJ0mGMSTNxwZl2O7mBx7CtZ0IzOvFNDClXw/w360-h640/400397886_10231007490041139_3487466720486105368_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa0G2oF9Pi8geuQQ5enhlXQDoGSb6oXhpvdapzNcM5OLgTrmvId0WFmzGQG2Ip58XtV6HknqPDYIJ6CEB4G3-R1bWuZLF8tpfbQJYNOTJE_JNqdY_3OmWH6ynJPitGFmQ76gSIT41OGTmyZwCy1ahQzfTbKEumh_ET2kpp0GdONhToAK7rMZpAw/s640/IMG_1687.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa0G2oF9Pi8geuQQ5enhlXQDoGSb6oXhpvdapzNcM5OLgTrmvId0WFmzGQG2Ip58XtV6HknqPDYIJ6CEB4G3-R1bWuZLF8tpfbQJYNOTJE_JNqdY_3OmWH6ynJPitGFmQ76gSIT41OGTmyZwCy1ahQzfTbKEumh_ET2kpp0GdONhToAK7rMZpAw/w480-h640/IMG_1687.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>They haven't set a date yet, but we are patient people, obviously.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanksgiving dinner was a quiet affair this year, with just Hugh, Mom, Oscar, Emily, and myself in attendance; I didn't mind, I knew that we were going to have a full house for Christmas, so I was savoring the quiet. Shanti and the Man-Cub did stop by for dessert and to participate in the photo shoot for the annual Christmas card, however (more on that, later). Queen B and the Rodeo Princess stayed in Texas, where they were joined by my cousin's daughter for Thanksgiving dinner, which they had at a friend of the Rodeo Princess. They did send us pictures and also FaceTimed with us during the photo shoot (again, more on that, later), so we felt their presence with us.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaG_sqIodCLoAiZ-PXu4YPGl25fPsUk5bzjknz-G8QpbM4zrk9t5I_ko6ZGGbScybsViWzUSYiJoLSKVArxFI6it6SFhUsk_dSQ0gCh6W8p404EiuPY7agS0gpP_DKo6XXBop8QVFeOJiv0TpRBIdTpfAkYylyBK-d09csX76G3CB4jEvytCYwA/s640/IMG_2187.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaG_sqIodCLoAiZ-PXu4YPGl25fPsUk5bzjknz-G8QpbM4zrk9t5I_ko6ZGGbScybsViWzUSYiJoLSKVArxFI6it6SFhUsk_dSQ0gCh6W8p404EiuPY7agS0gpP_DKo6XXBop8QVFeOJiv0TpRBIdTpfAkYylyBK-d09csX76G3CB4jEvytCYwA/w480-h640/IMG_2187.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoO0kgfYIAUz3GonOw-v7NDKpSrSwOl39QjE-OreWLVZ_Krs5_tVUDY-ujN__MOmYIFM1ze6kj1lX9eHnH_nRVutYK-Ak_rMoejAo8N295_XyRnmlQjUxoP7_GfbYqZZ8JJk73a1KaTfFEjLSu94Eo0VvRrsJqRmfYkvs0I3oVlnPVpBG1BkIYA/s640/IMG_2190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoO0kgfYIAUz3GonOw-v7NDKpSrSwOl39QjE-OreWLVZ_Krs5_tVUDY-ujN__MOmYIFM1ze6kj1lX9eHnH_nRVutYK-Ak_rMoejAo8N295_XyRnmlQjUxoP7_GfbYqZZ8JJk73a1KaTfFEjLSu94Eo0VvRrsJqRmfYkvs0I3oVlnPVpBG1BkIYA/w480-h640/IMG_2190.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA867DMiIr-w9bfTJif-XE6QnXfj7cRijNs3KUKjCLD0tO0xYGtRXlJoqdW6ubtrUv2ddbrfYuX9WUgNSNeziaKwG306bErOC5U4KvSQxDzQ6XxtQJE4RoK22RlFgkvQ9bgvuRiJijHHSH6XEicrHeAl14zsAwPP6n1AQQ677mB4nYG8bfD7bF6A/s640/IMG_2196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA867DMiIr-w9bfTJif-XE6QnXfj7cRijNs3KUKjCLD0tO0xYGtRXlJoqdW6ubtrUv2ddbrfYuX9WUgNSNeziaKwG306bErOC5U4KvSQxDzQ6XxtQJE4RoK22RlFgkvQ9bgvuRiJijHHSH6XEicrHeAl14zsAwPP6n1AQQ677mB4nYG8bfD7bF6A/w480-h640/IMG_2196.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMINeGQR9OnpUUll0ypEpB420W10iXR9ai4hJq5w_q8f1eJUun5xUGy_2EeFbfLqaN1YpI1ZSJGjg5SGPEx4m4ges25GsC8hS_0fR4RTogBNZQkDVe35h_supKyD9cDclb2qUxxN0TgjMdiVuG28CALxLaPCFtUnmTWo9NU2_s6x4WMTkh5fvGA/s640/IMG_0330.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMINeGQR9OnpUUll0ypEpB420W10iXR9ai4hJq5w_q8f1eJUun5xUGy_2EeFbfLqaN1YpI1ZSJGjg5SGPEx4m4ges25GsC8hS_0fR4RTogBNZQkDVe35h_supKyD9cDclb2qUxxN0TgjMdiVuG28CALxLaPCFtUnmTWo9NU2_s6x4WMTkh5fvGA/w480-h640/IMG_0330.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>On the last day of the month, I boarded a plane for Texas. The flight was a gift from my staff, who knew I would like nothing more on the occasion of my 55th birthday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Queen B met me at baggage claim and we headed for our hotel, where we got ready for the first adventure of the trip; a carriage ride through Highland Park, where we viewed the Christmas lights.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzlJ94U5-h_To4t5PUmcSpU44xmbFaBk9Yqe0BqfaB5iCukHx3Gy3nK9I1ylETURmass2g1SevokH5EL9NYKkBfDc14ypQK9amzbIoeBXa8rvX3lYxwJySyWp1p2oYHc18l2suUqO3KBVAmSFhxkxpQGJhtSCTZ4IGPWxv7NRgr-gKg_WhQC2FA/s640/IMG_2280.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzlJ94U5-h_To4t5PUmcSpU44xmbFaBk9Yqe0BqfaB5iCukHx3Gy3nK9I1ylETURmass2g1SevokH5EL9NYKkBfDc14ypQK9amzbIoeBXa8rvX3lYxwJySyWp1p2oYHc18l2suUqO3KBVAmSFhxkxpQGJhtSCTZ4IGPWxv7NRgr-gKg_WhQC2FA/w482-h640/IMG_2280.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBihVD8152-QLQABCdA-cWbH4TKgpH11UV9e6GAAFzsoVVw4K6mdL2J8WQmRMJhQSjSv_p_U-10GhQfyHNh-jKOgg3hgsYH0rlHGkZrc1dtW0Cq6dA8Obp7SdFJwqctm5nmXMjEfdwXWgS3j4AGispW5sqiHjgHjqTFjH22u0gk4pNXz0ItSehhg/s640/IMG_2281.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="482" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBihVD8152-QLQABCdA-cWbH4TKgpH11UV9e6GAAFzsoVVw4K6mdL2J8WQmRMJhQSjSv_p_U-10GhQfyHNh-jKOgg3hgsYH0rlHGkZrc1dtW0Cq6dA8Obp7SdFJwqctm5nmXMjEfdwXWgS3j4AGispW5sqiHjgHjqTFjH22u0gk4pNXz0ItSehhg/w482-h640/IMG_2281.JPG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMt6cruaOzsWajIFq6PsgroW891gpD1vvVCfyQyncu4NfFjibeKnbBaQ5byRn5xQsdN5PfHvPasv2khFGf5FMCAQMyP9AlOomwx2muJWCwPZXtsa9umkC81uQ01jyPxSpBJgI0w73DLkhddXMtzpQx_TshxCxYHTkUIW6k4jFHW5Wfk4dBXJ42Q/s640/IMG_2400.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMt6cruaOzsWajIFq6PsgroW891gpD1vvVCfyQyncu4NfFjibeKnbBaQ5byRn5xQsdN5PfHvPasv2khFGf5FMCAQMyP9AlOomwx2muJWCwPZXtsa9umkC81uQ01jyPxSpBJgI0w73DLkhddXMtzpQx_TshxCxYHTkUIW6k4jFHW5Wfk4dBXJ42Q/w480-h640/IMG_2400.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>December</div><div><br /></div><div>In the following days, we visited a German Christmas Market...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXaYq20cCPoz-k6vSdfnggqXTV9OJomh-s3nd1pQ7xp0h1HiZxAUixpu0cY-61kuun2MhRoeEFB6gU9L-hIAbYV_ur3u1kz3kfFoHXGOq-Ir2-esvmuoWI4a3Q-P4OGliQk6NheAVTaYtkEwH7V1DyP-m3j5hPpZ63QCEz2859_VNPszV0cGfrw/s640/IMG_2291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXaYq20cCPoz-k6vSdfnggqXTV9OJomh-s3nd1pQ7xp0h1HiZxAUixpu0cY-61kuun2MhRoeEFB6gU9L-hIAbYV_ur3u1kz3kfFoHXGOq-Ir2-esvmuoWI4a3Q-P4OGliQk6NheAVTaYtkEwH7V1DyP-m3j5hPpZ63QCEz2859_VNPszV0cGfrw/w480-h640/IMG_2291.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...hosted a sip'n'paint...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWy86hMvh3azNcSNKuOIndJPEvG4i1pKsj1K0SbvhfPE-hwqA9fDmI7tkMIpmaC_irFSF4vC1eYv0CnKRI9JAGiaEbh_byZl6VKfhGew7kLPf7EKmh22QrzVmwpCAJQi0Hbk-oMoxGGv5DttDqFq6RXGm1wLvZYCk94YIlA-jUyKmBbETyt9PPQ/s640/IMG_2322.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWy86hMvh3azNcSNKuOIndJPEvG4i1pKsj1K0SbvhfPE-hwqA9fDmI7tkMIpmaC_irFSF4vC1eYv0CnKRI9JAGiaEbh_byZl6VKfhGew7kLPf7EKmh22QrzVmwpCAJQi0Hbk-oMoxGGv5DttDqFq6RXGm1wLvZYCk94YIlA-jUyKmBbETyt9PPQ/w480-h640/IMG_2322.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2nmZjumVkGA80uQwSqYDR5yOodWxoDqUGwBu7JhTGJeBoyrGIOt1gzK9qAePTZ12pIMbOGVIJi3X_4cZnu_Q0WjLSgAsMO8yDtxZPTJC4FKgdThW6P37zLLy6B0s971e1BRN1SogUBmYvyaPGvk9VI4F-6HWeOaSRm3kEeg4WbSE83ecQLUs5g/s640/IMG_2325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2nmZjumVkGA80uQwSqYDR5yOodWxoDqUGwBu7JhTGJeBoyrGIOt1gzK9qAePTZ12pIMbOGVIJi3X_4cZnu_Q0WjLSgAsMO8yDtxZPTJC4FKgdThW6P37zLLy6B0s971e1BRN1SogUBmYvyaPGvk9VI4F-6HWeOaSRm3kEeg4WbSE83ecQLUs5g/w480-h640/IMG_2325.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...thrifted our way from Hico to Ft. Worth...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ6869K-g_X9IGsNFKe_mhrcwwvNoreuPLVvzgx93018KoSAoT8naHsO80X3FbE1j8zF4MtQrZgX0wjqk0cPV4kN1jgpCzKpsYtRNfTrc2MHfOy6iwdWUWVCkGDfbFsIchN5Z7c27JVPuys_czNU65jxdGWoz6s5KYhJzAyeD2m152Fml4_WCHw/s640/IMG_2335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ6869K-g_X9IGsNFKe_mhrcwwvNoreuPLVvzgx93018KoSAoT8naHsO80X3FbE1j8zF4MtQrZgX0wjqk0cPV4kN1jgpCzKpsYtRNfTrc2MHfOy6iwdWUWVCkGDfbFsIchN5Z7c27JVPuys_czNU65jxdGWoz6s5KYhJzAyeD2m152Fml4_WCHw/w480-h640/IMG_2335.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>... and generally just enjoyed each other's company.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once I got home, it was a race to Christmas. Mom, the Man-Cub, Shanti and I attended the community theater's holiday production...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfTaQKgI8jaXBmoGQG9aylHT3JC33gkx8mLRBEDfGtsASbYLdZS9aMXFuPdQdOEAv1C-lbA6ZpY0whtlelU-HmnzfCXjGinmsEhsIlpo-NAe3OnXi3WWWN3H35rBhXft_a_mFfxKc-ZJ5Yb6T-EDHLsC4PRhBQdwGTBxZZPnuQYPdqnS6debGPA/s640/IMG_2393.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfTaQKgI8jaXBmoGQG9aylHT3JC33gkx8mLRBEDfGtsASbYLdZS9aMXFuPdQdOEAv1C-lbA6ZpY0whtlelU-HmnzfCXjGinmsEhsIlpo-NAe3OnXi3WWWN3H35rBhXft_a_mFfxKc-ZJ5Yb6T-EDHLsC4PRhBQdwGTBxZZPnuQYPdqnS6debGPA/w640-h482/IMG_2393.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYt89rmN_TsMseO8S4K37C3FwXTHnMz_0ecXspJH9Gopyo3waduggPZUICcWB3GLQ4QORKWW49TUcZ7AnsiuzBqX7v9DFBo9BtkpXmlHe4ImS6ej2WY6I9KjiZlVdJCM74Ns3YVy0Leux4Sdxjot8OpFgnDZ_Rf_wyvuZi_V11vf2QRJF2Zr8Gg/s640/IMG_2395.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYt89rmN_TsMseO8S4K37C3FwXTHnMz_0ecXspJH9Gopyo3waduggPZUICcWB3GLQ4QORKWW49TUcZ7AnsiuzBqX7v9DFBo9BtkpXmlHe4ImS6ej2WY6I9KjiZlVdJCM74Ns3YVy0Leux4Sdxjot8OpFgnDZ_Rf_wyvuZi_V11vf2QRJF2Zr8Gg/w480-h640/IMG_2395.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...I sent out our Christmas card...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxZ0r9e05jhCeOwaj9-NjeAO-puHH2Skxc67DH_d6Dafw6QCpbpGQ4qhVScm6XhLWrpkVDRe6M6SS2v-PcNf_h_X05j-j6V2xZAiMJ7QLXO0HkAxfjf7MdG-ytti9FBKJUwHo277pIN2IuVE5VgOFS2HYVyBnWETzps5R9JnAbuWfaPa5gAeSUw/s640/414445396_10231195990673537_6643251914749931769_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="640" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxZ0r9e05jhCeOwaj9-NjeAO-puHH2Skxc67DH_d6Dafw6QCpbpGQ4qhVScm6XhLWrpkVDRe6M6SS2v-PcNf_h_X05j-j6V2xZAiMJ7QLXO0HkAxfjf7MdG-ytti9FBKJUwHo277pIN2IuVE5VgOFS2HYVyBnWETzps5R9JnAbuWfaPa5gAeSUw/w640-h510/414445396_10231195990673537_6643251914749931769_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and I laughed at the out-takes from that photo shoot.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdm_7OtDaU7QR1OAtmNBTRWMpK57ROONVPiw2o6vRBXoYftB8cKqZVIUORZ_QEn_hBA0CqLkdEBVw9DsedLAfe-2UTXxT8QezEUQaakqzwpPKRAxVTFG1VItThlTFaOweCamJDbVseTkmbHK6PU4VukEHEcBbwQVedNhkckaFw_oiNrsX98MnTQ/s5184/IMG_1334.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKdm_7OtDaU7QR1OAtmNBTRWMpK57ROONVPiw2o6vRBXoYftB8cKqZVIUORZ_QEn_hBA0CqLkdEBVw9DsedLAfe-2UTXxT8QezEUQaakqzwpPKRAxVTFG1VItThlTFaOweCamJDbVseTkmbHK6PU4VukEHEcBbwQVedNhkckaFw_oiNrsX98MnTQ/w426-h640/IMG_1334.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMA8dyCP5loMvLHkve7_u6gEV7KcGZs1H8hAQASpcFr1Fi4lPDP_gAHzMoDb8AaUuBpEZ8QR-g1oYrTNKbJUdk0DIkz0Zdg2B428t4_79rDoUG2sdrGpame-HOk8-rXkqa0SRHsJaw94tba0yhIEJXSO-wsv6L8FNASSgaSo74WM94gPxePPtQw/s5184/IMG_1341.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMA8dyCP5loMvLHkve7_u6gEV7KcGZs1H8hAQASpcFr1Fi4lPDP_gAHzMoDb8AaUuBpEZ8QR-g1oYrTNKbJUdk0DIkz0Zdg2B428t4_79rDoUG2sdrGpame-HOk8-rXkqa0SRHsJaw94tba0yhIEJXSO-wsv6L8FNASSgaSo74WM94gPxePPtQw/w426-h640/IMG_1341.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIcZVINvJZxBcbBPidutvSME1X9CQ5SrE0QP690juG0y9khzYgqjEgbcT476QW8JVI95oNtpRzWoGd2935wj3u7wmv-pg04DTomOnWxYlPdZ_NT5aAn88jSo5xgZu-PM85hsdjvN-lXDSelLUcAOb50tu0tHsg75W5_Ca59monk1Fg1dh80F2PQ/s5184/IMG_1347.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIcZVINvJZxBcbBPidutvSME1X9CQ5SrE0QP690juG0y9khzYgqjEgbcT476QW8JVI95oNtpRzWoGd2935wj3u7wmv-pg04DTomOnWxYlPdZ_NT5aAn88jSo5xgZu-PM85hsdjvN-lXDSelLUcAOb50tu0tHsg75W5_Ca59monk1Fg1dh80F2PQ/w426-h640/IMG_1347.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrII7_H7rj9M2HMep2X1J_lFXEcTmh4AcMtBrQOok6u0l1S25rT2263o7TGL_aKzK46CcsOhIiq584xg2uJGpL8ZeLkKbcFXIWRxoRkRRsDM6MxX2JcXcqWXFw4MNJQvpiJGC3DIgDwmOLpw6fEf-7d5kTsMzQD0Mkb5mvZGdyo7QlpL23HBEhw/s5184/IMG_1394.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrII7_H7rj9M2HMep2X1J_lFXEcTmh4AcMtBrQOok6u0l1S25rT2263o7TGL_aKzK46CcsOhIiq584xg2uJGpL8ZeLkKbcFXIWRxoRkRRsDM6MxX2JcXcqWXFw4MNJQvpiJGC3DIgDwmOLpw6fEf-7d5kTsMzQD0Mkb5mvZGdyo7QlpL23HBEhw/w426-h640/IMG_1394.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxwiqfvZw1PAa5UiyhfWhf4YZljHnFRSgyn0dJwijmN66kJaQOWb1zkzXSpb-zYioL8bnnbU2mYNrzgIh9vgfT5HrKLhtTearB-oovFVHTez4rvm07jCGQtqVf7xv0oxvqvCbw3y51SRjMfHAatHeH2tys0JxBnPRDphD9LlsyVdbXOKFcS9mHw/s5184/IMG_1395.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxwiqfvZw1PAa5UiyhfWhf4YZljHnFRSgyn0dJwijmN66kJaQOWb1zkzXSpb-zYioL8bnnbU2mYNrzgIh9vgfT5HrKLhtTearB-oovFVHTez4rvm07jCGQtqVf7xv0oxvqvCbw3y51SRjMfHAatHeH2tys0JxBnPRDphD9LlsyVdbXOKFcS9mHw/w640-h426/IMG_1395.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOjZoB1ZVxVoRyB_0zF_pHI1a9DpVq_4u_ZDtEm8ifn_AZisQ19Qb22-SBhA2qrQrRZCukPmWlBMHWFOVGxKwMlB1mrhXffp5yVgHguOoqJdwRjkk3iAk_5oe5q8J5Orgcjwy4wx9sRzNbvhJXYnelWdehgiPiMCwnNnm8XI8SKGqhsfsrsIXUA/s5184/IMG_1415.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOjZoB1ZVxVoRyB_0zF_pHI1a9DpVq_4u_ZDtEm8ifn_AZisQ19Qb22-SBhA2qrQrRZCukPmWlBMHWFOVGxKwMlB1mrhXffp5yVgHguOoqJdwRjkk3iAk_5oe5q8J5Orgcjwy4wx9sRzNbvhJXYnelWdehgiPiMCwnNnm8XI8SKGqhsfsrsIXUA/w640-h426/IMG_1415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> </div><div>A couple of days before Christmas, we hosted the 3rd Annual Holiday Cocktail Contest, at which Shanti took top honor, ending Queen B's winning streak.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K6McFmtkOoQv_Zoj_2DPxbOsneskAiceRu6UPXxDPNHMb5ZeBFkKmyfHmh6EeYsGzCR0zXZRjb_UrSYz4bqMJDx0YAGohXWZHXlbhB_5rJE9Q_rC_wMoAOW15OS35T0SDlQLYtcdKmhti5I8EBmFOA4697fHr33QllEWU-NxIUh5uJ8VFXfC6w/s600/411713157_10231192987838468_2555909026924553780_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K6McFmtkOoQv_Zoj_2DPxbOsneskAiceRu6UPXxDPNHMb5ZeBFkKmyfHmh6EeYsGzCR0zXZRjb_UrSYz4bqMJDx0YAGohXWZHXlbhB_5rJE9Q_rC_wMoAOW15OS35T0SDlQLYtcdKmhti5I8EBmFOA4697fHr33QllEWU-NxIUh5uJ8VFXfC6w/w640-h480/411713157_10231192987838468_2555909026924553780_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And, on Christmas day, we were joined by all of my extended family, with the exception of my older sister.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluEtuuOBSJZsi5Kw83J_qRn4bR1zSAuh_aOyJRFaDerImr3_KbHumGU7TGaEAzsoQrKMsYsNCrbx4MFSxwfe0r48jW_NfGUU6ErWt-0tOyzqcNPEO-C_u6XcGhWeRkLABRfbIAnHKNjqcVQb5oVAgP80eBuMwAigdDEWM9pdWx393u7e1gUUz6Q/s640/IMG_2589.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluEtuuOBSJZsi5Kw83J_qRn4bR1zSAuh_aOyJRFaDerImr3_KbHumGU7TGaEAzsoQrKMsYsNCrbx4MFSxwfe0r48jW_NfGUU6ErWt-0tOyzqcNPEO-C_u6XcGhWeRkLABRfbIAnHKNjqcVQb5oVAgP80eBuMwAigdDEWM9pdWx393u7e1gUUz6Q/w480-h640/IMG_2589.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQ_2CjRxP72eZPWAhqUznZ9xRXvNjl7rEQVcaoVhpQWPQCoxikq2QoJI4oeNMrN7rVCDyBVx2SPmu4NNgbe65bz7KMCGrpQFC12I8f-3NEAJWMi7UzcUhMSZ2u1JH_vKLaOL-d3NsZ5eTm8u8iW9y15Zp-Oi1IgILSKMkYyAp7cz6rFlPnLoOZQ/s640/IMG_2599.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQ_2CjRxP72eZPWAhqUznZ9xRXvNjl7rEQVcaoVhpQWPQCoxikq2QoJI4oeNMrN7rVCDyBVx2SPmu4NNgbe65bz7KMCGrpQFC12I8f-3NEAJWMi7UzcUhMSZ2u1JH_vKLaOL-d3NsZ5eTm8u8iW9y15Zp-Oi1IgILSKMkYyAp7cz6rFlPnLoOZQ/w480-h640/IMG_2599.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU88myR0zXuhGSGBmRw02kbf3QnXMUmbPiYzS2DdL0c-1gk88Jm6Is-gre1wHv_RabbddJgpNplrKV5Lo1id6Air9LpQ3JwfvKGkPURGoYl-2V8xDfzpoXtUEcWSZdmCuWdkgCtSUt8Jhed2FfF7kHpUgqiSRa_5uo_vxw_M6LUc0ffHlsI7qO3Q/s640/IMG_2614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU88myR0zXuhGSGBmRw02kbf3QnXMUmbPiYzS2DdL0c-1gk88Jm6Is-gre1wHv_RabbddJgpNplrKV5Lo1id6Air9LpQ3JwfvKGkPURGoYl-2V8xDfzpoXtUEcWSZdmCuWdkgCtSUt8Jhed2FfF7kHpUgqiSRa_5uo_vxw_M6LUc0ffHlsI7qO3Q/w480-h640/IMG_2614.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPiLvGVRNd-LFsHWpPHIRxa2ULzwh3HQWEbvsTx37IqBji2P_LdKY_907MAPCXgL8ITmQvIa0tuCWPZeAN4gaAUFKUg4artDwF0jZkvPpPHwWl7KZE6uRAK4Hk0PzsXd27Y1HEtWuEWyMPEr6ItOnChpfgWWjUUdY23I5KhNbE6xa2oQ27SAxYA/s640/IMG_2615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPiLvGVRNd-LFsHWpPHIRxa2ULzwh3HQWEbvsTx37IqBji2P_LdKY_907MAPCXgL8ITmQvIa0tuCWPZeAN4gaAUFKUg4artDwF0jZkvPpPHwWl7KZE6uRAK4Hk0PzsXd27Y1HEtWuEWyMPEr6ItOnChpfgWWjUUdY23I5KhNbE6xa2oQ27SAxYA/w480-h640/IMG_2615.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was a lovely holiday and I enjoyed having so many people that I love in my home. Like I said at the beginning of the post; time with family and friends was the theme of the year and I have zero complaints about that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hugh and I will end the year quietly; just the two of us at home. I'll be surprised if we make it to the ball drop, honestly and I'm fine with that.</div><div><br /></div><div>My hope for the new year is that we will, once, again, be surrounded by friends and family, and that we will have opportunities to celebrate together. There is nothing more important than time with our loved ones.</div><div><br /></div><div>On to 2024!</div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-12914008593626806272023-12-30T12:23:00.001-07:002023-12-30T12:23:26.968-07:00What Day Is It?<p>We are solidly in that no-man's land, between Christmas and the New Year; is it Friday? Saturday? Who the hell knows? Does it matter? No, no it does not.</p><p>We still have turkey leftovers in the fridge and PTO to be used, so it doesn't really make sense to keep track of the days. This year, in particular, it is of less importance to me because I am nursing my first significant cold in more than three years. By significant, I mean that I have resorted to a couple of doses of Theraflu, not that I am bed-ridden or anything like that.</p><p>I am, however, using the cold as an excuse for which to further procrastinate on the de-Christmasing of my house. Instead, I continue to enjoy the tree lights and seasonal joy. I'll get to it, tomorrow and will still have it down prior to returning to work next week.</p><p>That's my story and I'm sticking to it.</p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-4814046162071513592023-12-29T07:08:00.008-07:002023-12-29T07:08:53.118-07:00Christmas Chronicles: Christmas Day<p>Christmas day went by in a blur of presents, food, and family. I decided to do pajamas again this year, after taking a break last year (and giving everyone a fuzzy blanket on Christmas Eve), and the family humored me by professing to love them. I mean, honestly, how many Christmas pj's does one person really need? I might have to come up with something new next year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYDWK2tKrFfejmxfHgfCChaYkghqb-x_pHbcWXMC8qB9qrSbFLJ8ISIMcljRSstE6bXnCKq4Rb8GqT2PmlS4KgMZ_JBf_F5B9LO71BBvw0OSE4L1AZV_YZSl7u65MUkEkybNOgDFEsK9cVIprM1ufXxkmH1HkTChebQJVlliAqutXLbNTWcNViw/s640/IMG_2589.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYDWK2tKrFfejmxfHgfCChaYkghqb-x_pHbcWXMC8qB9qrSbFLJ8ISIMcljRSstE6bXnCKq4Rb8GqT2PmlS4KgMZ_JBf_F5B9LO71BBvw0OSE4L1AZV_YZSl7u65MUkEkybNOgDFEsK9cVIprM1ufXxkmH1HkTChebQJVlliAqutXLbNTWcNViw/w480-h640/IMG_2589.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlcTGNF-P0wDhgO94PT7nJKJhnPoLjqjEknTm8nlVS83dBMxRIaSa1fytQjGf5EkwDyBrTq5hOLD3abOQQVWyilSHWxyeTAHE0ZmFTv-3xDe6kte-1WY371Lh2wVHNB1ho6u5c9UaMg2TCqTaH7FyLsky_fWXx13VOoxE2x-N_5UD0EeIvUMqLg/s640/IMG_2591.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlcTGNF-P0wDhgO94PT7nJKJhnPoLjqjEknTm8nlVS83dBMxRIaSa1fytQjGf5EkwDyBrTq5hOLD3abOQQVWyilSHWxyeTAHE0ZmFTv-3xDe6kte-1WY371Lh2wVHNB1ho6u5c9UaMg2TCqTaH7FyLsky_fWXx13VOoxE2x-N_5UD0EeIvUMqLg/w480-h640/IMG_2591.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As the kids have become adults, it has gotten harder and harder to shop for them for Christmas, but I think I did a pretty good job this year. Queen B got a pair of massaging, heated/cooled eye goggles with bluetooth music. They are meant to help with migraines and relaxation in general. I got a pair for myself, as well, and am hoping that I like them.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicg8tCFSc5f1o2sBkmGuatBizffJ4OxWW62ARX9CSp0L-ZSPB0FD3IhOe2HuvbKDBzZvivdOVLbIn_hb4z5DjVMJcGpoQYPgnSIf5Wn7n_wZMuL3DscAOAZZ8pdKFUfCFYdcpwUceBPUQG1c5x6x0rUjGwzwaH4290k3A03WrlcPBsLqEOWYBH8g/s640/IMG_2579.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicg8tCFSc5f1o2sBkmGuatBizffJ4OxWW62ARX9CSp0L-ZSPB0FD3IhOe2HuvbKDBzZvivdOVLbIn_hb4z5DjVMJcGpoQYPgnSIf5Wn7n_wZMuL3DscAOAZZ8pdKFUfCFYdcpwUceBPUQG1c5x6x0rUjGwzwaH4290k3A03WrlcPBsLqEOWYBH8g/w480-h640/IMG_2579.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoTUGPYPzNJYHfexBFQi1BdTRPt4ibw8ziZSsYbg0gnt6VrUv1lm9YtZ9d76q9AF9r3FUswwLivVVRR7QCqPAJr1evvVjoNz2F9bmz-q3o4_OdlAp2qVELWBvIXsj-G-s1V2nqV_wGT7yl4I-mQ2ZZkoWECNgW8XifW9VWW5eEonmODjAoXzEWg/s640/IMG_2580.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoTUGPYPzNJYHfexBFQi1BdTRPt4ibw8ziZSsYbg0gnt6VrUv1lm9YtZ9d76q9AF9r3FUswwLivVVRR7QCqPAJr1evvVjoNz2F9bmz-q3o4_OdlAp2qVELWBvIXsj-G-s1V2nqV_wGT7yl4I-mQ2ZZkoWECNgW8XifW9VWW5eEonmODjAoXzEWg/w480-h640/IMG_2580.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHhrBECtIIKFHSH5orL8GGkDrO-_V4r8SnU3-Xgf01cQ0R_zC-SVY0jdFtPlqLCcjUulVA6qfuBmEvdls1qwojPGcOGtrmRg6X34MTcbNYxA96kIXCG5jgPev5JnG6upYuKxgn8rGH53jOzvYD16WKjSMXscXwu93U-_jO6yNj3hyfmFuZ7c_2A/s640/IMG_2582.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHhrBECtIIKFHSH5orL8GGkDrO-_V4r8SnU3-Xgf01cQ0R_zC-SVY0jdFtPlqLCcjUulVA6qfuBmEvdls1qwojPGcOGtrmRg6X34MTcbNYxA96kIXCG5jgPev5JnG6upYuKxgn8rGH53jOzvYD16WKjSMXscXwu93U-_jO6yNj3hyfmFuZ7c_2A/w480-h640/IMG_2582.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Once we cleaned up the last piece of wrapping paper, it was time for me to chain myself to the kitchen. I had a 22 pound turkey this year and it was so big, it didn't fit in my roaster, which meant lifting it into and out of the oven. Good thing I'm relatively strong.</div><div><br /></div><div>This year, we had almost our entire extended family with us for the holiday, including my nieces, nephews, and sister, Barbie. Mom really wanted a picture of her with all of her grandkids and great grandaughter, so we made sure to make that happen. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh930-C3McEXBJjZTJqCF4RhVcAoANtb93RDxGSoiUXk_vOfwA6dQmegl-4vgZ6S4_X7WI24cGS7KXT-sdPNAycmfcQ8s2oQAnfDPp3SWgNmaPfGJlpUndptT1CMnqjmfE8euQrfPenzy8kjv8FwQLUCjz87TnzRVu23eB3tfAl_k1wwF71vZrmpA/s640/IMG_2599.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh930-C3McEXBJjZTJqCF4RhVcAoANtb93RDxGSoiUXk_vOfwA6dQmegl-4vgZ6S4_X7WI24cGS7KXT-sdPNAycmfcQ8s2oQAnfDPp3SWgNmaPfGJlpUndptT1CMnqjmfE8euQrfPenzy8kjv8FwQLUCjz87TnzRVu23eB3tfAl_k1wwF71vZrmpA/w480-h640/IMG_2599.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDgpmrtvL97b2qX8rJa52yhsrnmFmau1gRKTxrInlBYakv9vFtjQ_V-U91jw3ux-k6AHv1jtvFclqkQvk3DV8ztQ5MWTCZatRCJy_eZw2kTwxR0aoRiVnlLQM7rMPSh_Ccrl_xSwib0Qo5ZeQUfxBtkbNt045gV_R3xVUDeqaQmHTxq2QEaX7ww/s640/IMG_2602.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDgpmrtvL97b2qX8rJa52yhsrnmFmau1gRKTxrInlBYakv9vFtjQ_V-U91jw3ux-k6AHv1jtvFclqkQvk3DV8ztQ5MWTCZatRCJy_eZw2kTwxR0aoRiVnlLQM7rMPSh_Ccrl_xSwib0Qo5ZeQUfxBtkbNt045gV_R3xVUDeqaQmHTxq2QEaX7ww/w480-h640/IMG_2602.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQebO_m2xlt8wZpq7W7ZwBpkXrpYmOW7Q4-MgpsrPBYMuwOp6W3ncBF2uAQvdCwpApJ3KiMt0vZ4eFAOAMNQutMxstx0Fb6lpJTqrrjWiPpcye4Az2mFS8TcKzqZjS8XdK83yIIJFXFPPlotxvznvtbsF9vy_rOt9qvYqzzVYXLPPYFgs3-GO3tQ/s640/IMG_2614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQebO_m2xlt8wZpq7W7ZwBpkXrpYmOW7Q4-MgpsrPBYMuwOp6W3ncBF2uAQvdCwpApJ3KiMt0vZ4eFAOAMNQutMxstx0Fb6lpJTqrrjWiPpcye4Az2mFS8TcKzqZjS8XdK83yIIJFXFPPlotxvznvtbsF9vy_rOt9qvYqzzVYXLPPYFgs3-GO3tQ/w480-h640/IMG_2614.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFNWi2Y6pLBDlftuKEiV1x6sQ1QIrDrEOn_PVePd7f9qiLxJIvC9qj_vM1paltXLZHVpmmMkjYcY4Oxi0z-4jlHnoRsSH_JDbKXx1vVQyi_6o8CaPp2MLRaZWgo_iGOeJ-Y3blMua45P-ZJbCoTSLCdp0xYEO4mRkbXXdnkTPnecQpd_EJBGFoA/s640/IMG_2615.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFNWi2Y6pLBDlftuKEiV1x6sQ1QIrDrEOn_PVePd7f9qiLxJIvC9qj_vM1paltXLZHVpmmMkjYcY4Oxi0z-4jlHnoRsSH_JDbKXx1vVQyi_6o8CaPp2MLRaZWgo_iGOeJ-Y3blMua45P-ZJbCoTSLCdp0xYEO4mRkbXXdnkTPnecQpd_EJBGFoA/w480-h640/IMG_2615.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We made sure Oscar and Emily also posed for pictures. You never know how long you have with the people you love, so it's important to document the memories you make together. I feel so blessed to have had this Christmas to do exactly that, even if I was worn down and exhausted by the end of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Worth it.</div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-30948505109761491752023-12-28T08:33:00.001-07:002023-12-28T08:35:01.848-07:00Christmas Chronicles: Christmas Traditions<p>I can't let a Christmas go by without documenting our family traditions, especially since we are in a season of transition as Empty Nesters, with adult children and; our traditions may change or disappear all together as the season changes.</p><p>One tradition that I assume we will eventually retire is the family Christmas card. I think card sending, in general, is on the decline, as we receive fewer and fewer each year. It is also getting harder to come up with fun ideas for our card each year, although, this year was a no-brainer for me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBhpQcXnqYQbnDVtUi1jB9kGrSDsRfyhyphenhyphenoZP_SjScVS0BACK9cXdXcVmyx1OpB5H09jVPs4RTMwlLerFm6dAfKL3qvF8RSZO1xHfXmtTEIahcwfh8S-rI85LOOS2u1NE1mCrLUywukDHDYXPwr_dOFoRcq3BLr2yuq7NirvJXnRk8ZRlW5J46mw/s640/414445396_10231195990673537_6643251914749931769_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="640" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBhpQcXnqYQbnDVtUi1jB9kGrSDsRfyhyphenhyphenoZP_SjScVS0BACK9cXdXcVmyx1OpB5H09jVPs4RTMwlLerFm6dAfKL3qvF8RSZO1xHfXmtTEIahcwfh8S-rI85LOOS2u1NE1mCrLUywukDHDYXPwr_dOFoRcq3BLr2yuq7NirvJXnRk8ZRlW5J46mw/w640-h510/414445396_10231195990673537_6643251914749931769_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One of our newer traditions is the Christmas cocktail contest; we held the 3rd annual event this year. I'm not sure how long something needs to occur before it can be officially considered a tradition, but I think we are well on our way. This year, Shanti took down Queen B, who was the reigning champion two years, running. I placed a very respectable fifth place, so I'm not complaining. This year, we added a couple of categories to the judging criteria, including costume and creativity in the drink name. Next year, we will be moving the event into the garage, where we can set up space heaters and enough tables and chairs for the event, since it has doubled in size and is expected to grow again.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCssPXJad0ylO5Rnki-czvuD1Ay9h7AxoRn8KH4zFSJ9ZKnjtxw9W7MG9MEPsptgj7S7M0rBFBDXsbDHJi5om7R0zYnTC-owj28eZNxQiIMze5eoknC7eM756a71jjfm2TrrToZbau3iTfZG1mk1r_QN74lrgIfZRudhXN55sdNaCSxG5vq1GQg/s600/411713157_10231192987838468_2555909026924553780_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCssPXJad0ylO5Rnki-czvuD1Ay9h7AxoRn8KH4zFSJ9ZKnjtxw9W7MG9MEPsptgj7S7M0rBFBDXsbDHJi5om7R0zYnTC-owj28eZNxQiIMze5eoknC7eM756a71jjfm2TrrToZbau3iTfZG1mk1r_QN74lrgIfZRudhXN55sdNaCSxG5vq1GQg/w640-h480/411713157_10231192987838468_2555909026924553780_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We didn't make popcorn balls this year, but we did make sure to gather together to decorate cut sugar cookies. I made far fewer this year and I'm sure we will still be eating them until Valentines Day, but it is one of the traditions that the kids don't seem ready to let go just yet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3h6zttCJvwLuBtKgIJC0zPrk54rEyEIxL58WwDZM8iSS14lrSZv_UKPwMtSd7o7jdPWcxi31UKBORH8nsvO94Crk9_m4sMGZF_pyFnKhUK7_0iC3Z6Z4T8ZYJMxub2uFJamVos8AyKUqA_ZmI0mQKFfo_HreOW3d_K7SDUMGb8WbrsrQk8rl48A/s640/IMG_2557.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3h6zttCJvwLuBtKgIJC0zPrk54rEyEIxL58WwDZM8iSS14lrSZv_UKPwMtSd7o7jdPWcxi31UKBORH8nsvO94Crk9_m4sMGZF_pyFnKhUK7_0iC3Z6Z4T8ZYJMxub2uFJamVos8AyKUqA_ZmI0mQKFfo_HreOW3d_K7SDUMGb8WbrsrQk8rl48A/w480-h640/IMG_2557.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqopBdSawdfpBJf3jSNmi3CZZhErSuhfMb_f35CShoMr3sgHMBRs2H6ZF1yFkShhcdeTefwpUqv0uS5C1eSXVgivkgzzhvZRJz2TZGNGzw5cQbk2pRmfuqiNhNu5MWFIH2h9UcTJTDHhLSTiXN3h4D1mvRA8JR6uRO-0ESCwHG2vTQ5iLairui8g/s640/IMG_2558.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqopBdSawdfpBJf3jSNmi3CZZhErSuhfMb_f35CShoMr3sgHMBRs2H6ZF1yFkShhcdeTefwpUqv0uS5C1eSXVgivkgzzhvZRJz2TZGNGzw5cQbk2pRmfuqiNhNu5MWFIH2h9UcTJTDHhLSTiXN3h4D1mvRA8JR6uRO-0ESCwHG2vTQ5iLairui8g/w480-h640/IMG_2558.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEdi3hTp0Lu0Fm9MI_g3Qv4uKwxmOBAkf72teoK7c0wG-x69DFnnoZq8wGh2gpvHKJFHYHtO9HNB-G90d2dGsJu_40D4vfK7y7RDwb-rVkn4Pb7ehn11J4Y4YxpXzt8c6wXQ2PC_fjNBtOI2OKRgGXEqxXFNcBytABgMQ-9XGCX7cuulnDJD4Pw/s640/IMG_2559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEdi3hTp0Lu0Fm9MI_g3Qv4uKwxmOBAkf72teoK7c0wG-x69DFnnoZq8wGh2gpvHKJFHYHtO9HNB-G90d2dGsJu_40D4vfK7y7RDwb-rVkn4Pb7ehn11J4Y4YxpXzt8c6wXQ2PC_fjNBtOI2OKRgGXEqxXFNcBytABgMQ-9XGCX7cuulnDJD4Pw/w480-h640/IMG_2559.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cuoVjbf3RnH36LtFTxpgSO4Xf67JXST54J0QdHINfBRnuWePeeiVq4pVJcQgkVgeR2JOTBrzO96zsyiV-xI9sBwZxIzJDY3lGVva3nPUiydrFhiYc5gjFld7nHZXktsVBRP38_aa-LEAJBfSBtQ7OdfWcy26YqP-AuWdpG6j1eZ0fThEDAoGGg/s640/IMG_2563.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cuoVjbf3RnH36LtFTxpgSO4Xf67JXST54J0QdHINfBRnuWePeeiVq4pVJcQgkVgeR2JOTBrzO96zsyiV-xI9sBwZxIzJDY3lGVva3nPUiydrFhiYc5gjFld7nHZXktsVBRP38_aa-LEAJBfSBtQ7OdfWcy26YqP-AuWdpG6j1eZ0fThEDAoGGg/w480-h640/IMG_2563.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I found a snow globe cookie cutter in my collection and have no recollection of having purchased it. The kids did a fantastic job decorating the cookies I made with it, however, so I need to remember to pull it out again next year.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmbRoGeA1nYhmogRq3w3OFk20BQc8iWq72vM_ulRzG_twlpBIl1xWHn4Ij49SCk_FPOsyQIj9aqt5sTJvm5R3Nt8EhDLQj4_9Hroa0jFzH73_UQsxZFNOOsti1f6qlH60ZKpdVYBl90Fywb071qF_ve1PLbk7lbPtzwG-I_tLSFcr9aO8r7fvMw/s640/IMG_2564.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmbRoGeA1nYhmogRq3w3OFk20BQc8iWq72vM_ulRzG_twlpBIl1xWHn4Ij49SCk_FPOsyQIj9aqt5sTJvm5R3Nt8EhDLQj4_9Hroa0jFzH73_UQsxZFNOOsti1f6qlH60ZKpdVYBl90Fywb071qF_ve1PLbk7lbPtzwG-I_tLSFcr9aO8r7fvMw/w480-h640/IMG_2564.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDoJattPLwW2A7SodrdThzVfI9wQHecZ_iqwuuH5VWKRyMhnR0P4Hh9ODBYKwKxp_h4iFNMLQ2ww0Eu7yVpB56NSANE3HMaETzepkmOQBZFwn04V4HlY5pdU4f9nEpl-LgDELZH6evUIEcCnNwFhg-IarS402hrw_HdeFdWME4xnpsPLQTdEQ0w/s640/IMG_2565.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDoJattPLwW2A7SodrdThzVfI9wQHecZ_iqwuuH5VWKRyMhnR0P4Hh9ODBYKwKxp_h4iFNMLQ2ww0Eu7yVpB56NSANE3HMaETzepkmOQBZFwn04V4HlY5pdU4f9nEpl-LgDELZH6evUIEcCnNwFhg-IarS402hrw_HdeFdWME4xnpsPLQTdEQ0w/w480-h640/IMG_2565.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Times change, traditions change, grow, slip away...but, long after we are gone, tradition will be the silver thread that tethers the memory of us to those we leave behind. </div><div><br /></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-16618876480898653142023-12-27T08:38:00.001-07:002023-12-27T08:38:32.011-07:00What's Up Wednesday, December 2023 Edition<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgFNZTT7Z2X35aUATuny9egT_9S-oPUEBF_H6Ldr9TeqrWXdUYJm8tZ0klXNUW9SbrXe0hx5UlhWEZbVx493RTfSlbxMHPWzsuNVoYnlig6mgpAKYlrhFKd0E5kFPGDuxlCx4SAZmnZ7VH4wJmepD3knLxkiZEIFPEca5eFY2K-DeXBNnJV6WZg/s600/Whats-Up-Wednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgFNZTT7Z2X35aUATuny9egT_9S-oPUEBF_H6Ldr9TeqrWXdUYJm8tZ0klXNUW9SbrXe0hx5UlhWEZbVx493RTfSlbxMHPWzsuNVoYnlig6mgpAKYlrhFKd0E5kFPGDuxlCx4SAZmnZ7VH4wJmepD3knLxkiZEIFPEca5eFY2K-DeXBNnJV6WZg/w640-h284/Whats-Up-Wednesday.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />I don't think Sheaffer and Shay are doing the link-up this month, but I'm going to answer the prompts, anyway; I like having them to look back at over the years. Plus, I'm eleven months in; can't quit now!<p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What We're Eating</span></p><p>I don't have any pictures of our meals, lately. I think I've been in survival mode as the holidays approached, which meant eating whatever was on hand. We did have a fabulous turkey feast on Christmas day, so there is no doubt what we will be eating for the rest of the week (the turkey weighed 22 pounds and took<i> foreverrrrr</i> to cook). In fact, I threw the carcass in a pot yesterday and made a turkey stock that will be used in soup either today or tomorrow, and, I am very much looking forward to a turkey pot pie before the week is out. So, yeah...turkey...we're eating turkey.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What I'm Reminiscing About</span></p><p>Christmas was a great celebration; we enjoyed the company of our parents, my sister, her son, my niece and nephew, and our kids. I would be lying if I said that I haven't been reminiscing about when the kids were small and we all got together, though. Those days were chaotic and loud and crazy and messy and I miss them like crazy. Christmas really is for children, and I miss having littles under foot. As it was, our "littles" spent Christmas day playing inappropriate card games and drinking me out of champagne. Mimosas and Cards Against Humanity for the win, I guess.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VeTfdS_Slet8zMXJF5b3NeZvRCvCU_sM5tuK1Q2SXiMnx-aNQkdjrx-k0e0yi_LPh-l2YRan9Xw3a2U3nC5BYuFJE6bcvNmQLq-nXOpSzK21_VBy3r2M0y3OPKJU9EWnTLMHZdSF0CSCS1YMozHT6Dzu07SlcejDwD6b-IieVWF2LhKTnbEuTg/s1500/IMG_2617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VeTfdS_Slet8zMXJF5b3NeZvRCvCU_sM5tuK1Q2SXiMnx-aNQkdjrx-k0e0yi_LPh-l2YRan9Xw3a2U3nC5BYuFJE6bcvNmQLq-nXOpSzK21_VBy3r2M0y3OPKJU9EWnTLMHZdSF0CSCS1YMozHT6Dzu07SlcejDwD6b-IieVWF2LhKTnbEuTg/w480-h640/IMG_2617.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What I'm Loving</span></p><p>When I got up to put the turkey in the oven at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day, I discovered a gift that Santa had left while I was sleeping. Not only do I love the gift, but I love that Queen B was Santa in this scenario; she was so proud of herself! She had purchased the blow mold in November and made arrangements to have my niece drive it down from Texas. I love how much she enjoyed surprising me, and it goes without saying that I love the blow mold.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_apkeYR4aZvW463DEmIGlIhT4VjLtsXZwlO2WTN6M0S5HJctFj79Yo12m6YjMiutsVmM1zX_DBrlJHqb3NMyBK5_UexdgS4OWFhtAQl1EPwuVITMY5CeUcotL-z-eC5HBoohCNKQuIp7QOH_yuWj0QgwglCTVhxayJPkuXGwL_B9d0JYlHZgb6A/s640/IMG_2578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_apkeYR4aZvW463DEmIGlIhT4VjLtsXZwlO2WTN6M0S5HJctFj79Yo12m6YjMiutsVmM1zX_DBrlJHqb3NMyBK5_UexdgS4OWFhtAQl1EPwuVITMY5CeUcotL-z-eC5HBoohCNKQuIp7QOH_yuWj0QgwglCTVhxayJPkuXGwL_B9d0JYlHZgb6A/w480-h640/IMG_2578.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What I've Been Up To</span></p><p>This month was all about preparing for-and celebrating- Christmas. I celebrated with my staff at a new wine and whiskey bar in Hooterville, where we wore ugly sweaters and exchanged Secret Santa gifts. We also put together a card for all of our friends at our partnering agencies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18fEJvbq8bkwq_jWGZVy48HsHb3uwaZgv6ClRmltLdane7E9V3EFRD0PWDD_P-cDvHtbtYBX9V4se9JAqD2Rwc081nwfEZSMMfTUgM3qmqHkn4kKiLIWam13MEIV4D2kZBh8dDtDLYUiZzcqFp8ejz_sFLu7pWO1bSxEeMbQdEEz3CnVDs41LEg/s640/Green%20and%20Red%20Christmas%20Greeting%20Photo%20Card.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="454" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18fEJvbq8bkwq_jWGZVy48HsHb3uwaZgv6ClRmltLdane7E9V3EFRD0PWDD_P-cDvHtbtYBX9V4se9JAqD2Rwc081nwfEZSMMfTUgM3qmqHkn4kKiLIWam13MEIV4D2kZBh8dDtDLYUiZzcqFp8ejz_sFLu7pWO1bSxEeMbQdEEz3CnVDs41LEg/w454-h640/Green%20and%20Red%20Christmas%20Greeting%20Photo%20Card.PNG" width="454" /></a></div><br /><p>We also made it a point to dress up for a photo for the card that we posted to our social media accounts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc3dgHUrgF_kKudDbpI-zA4mkMk4mUfh5r1HNlHLqiawuT7uJB1IqBJC0ROoyOEvBYmz2DSPpJDNu-cFL43PmR3wZ67WM6CrOfDHoLUaLhI611cy63r7ixH7bu85LoxDM2oCLz5-_kDC7JriGcrlsy4g9ub-2W6gnLs0jWymprXY1ouIVTLaC9g/s640/Orange%20and%20Black%20Holidays%20Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="640" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc3dgHUrgF_kKudDbpI-zA4mkMk4mUfh5r1HNlHLqiawuT7uJB1IqBJC0ROoyOEvBYmz2DSPpJDNu-cFL43PmR3wZ67WM6CrOfDHoLUaLhI611cy63r7ixH7bu85LoxDM2oCLz5-_kDC7JriGcrlsy4g9ub-2W6gnLs0jWymprXY1ouIVTLaC9g/w640-h458/Orange%20and%20Black%20Holidays%20Card.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The Christmas card that my family sent out this year was also a lot of fun to make. We are so excited about adding Shanti to our family! Still no date, yet, but; she did "accidentally" find her wedding dress while on a spur-of-the-moment trip to a bridal salon in Neighboring City with her mom and her sister, who was visiting for Christmas. It is gorgeous and now I really can't wait for them to make it official!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrnKOI-9x_n1Z16okr9stfU7YiHssOmCi29CqBBFUs0VvDTZCUjHctljRsRrEA8NyfOPTvvFyNCMX7gUo5kIZFIOlzFySZ-5tlJE4jy8xSNG_PsGVIvNbd1NBqDpnHBN5o7SL2zqpKyf7bDNQBliKxvUYlry7fsxRuHq0g6KaMagK-NDwdthyZw/s640/414445396_10231195990673537_6643251914749931769_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="640" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrnKOI-9x_n1Z16okr9stfU7YiHssOmCi29CqBBFUs0VvDTZCUjHctljRsRrEA8NyfOPTvvFyNCMX7gUo5kIZFIOlzFySZ-5tlJE4jy8xSNG_PsGVIvNbd1NBqDpnHBN5o7SL2zqpKyf7bDNQBliKxvUYlry7fsxRuHq0g6KaMagK-NDwdthyZw/w640-h510/414445396_10231195990673537_6643251914749931769_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I also took a trip to Texas to spend some time with Queen B earlier in the month. We had a great time! We took a carriage ride to see the Christmas lights in Highland Park, searched or treasures in every antique store between Stephenville and Ft. Worth, shopped at a German Christmas market, hosted a sip'n'paint with for a group of her friends, and just generally enjoyed being together.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6yyNlMPY7FpsBFOLTdCJ99s_-aeXP-OiThm4tVyqcT9jb3g4QmJ5cYHb0LcsLkGMe-FirXcBLxOP_2JEZizScf_lBYZF22LU34o1k5eQcYjJZIrmPw-GTtZlIeHjnIaZPKlujPsgMV_lFK4XQ1NbdKJRqbaLDTEDv7l00xddnzqtVZoPImcCCw/s640/IMG_2400.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6yyNlMPY7FpsBFOLTdCJ99s_-aeXP-OiThm4tVyqcT9jb3g4QmJ5cYHb0LcsLkGMe-FirXcBLxOP_2JEZizScf_lBYZF22LU34o1k5eQcYjJZIrmPw-GTtZlIeHjnIaZPKlujPsgMV_lFK4XQ1NbdKJRqbaLDTEDv7l00xddnzqtVZoPImcCCw/w480-h640/IMG_2400.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cvcX2MKKa7qwvdPzAhSzndGl4JgWkKwIB0OA1KXapCkqsKuScHnLPvRdLD72O_EWZ2Lb8c15tzfQEGnaISMN6-vHYBCUxRknoMZxHah4E0uh613Eh6PX1ie283sY7N5ZRJ4Hlnz5hP7CgTZCQ85PsDTjLuUJrXTmv-SaT2E2AGwP5XyV30Ibdw/s640/IMG_2291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cvcX2MKKa7qwvdPzAhSzndGl4JgWkKwIB0OA1KXapCkqsKuScHnLPvRdLD72O_EWZ2Lb8c15tzfQEGnaISMN6-vHYBCUxRknoMZxHah4E0uh613Eh6PX1ie283sY7N5ZRJ4Hlnz5hP7CgTZCQ85PsDTjLuUJrXTmv-SaT2E2AGwP5XyV30Ibdw/w480-h640/IMG_2291.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGxxoM5JmrTaaMH1RVYesj8QOINBA7cCtN9V1dFscarmdSGdAL2-KZB8btxe3roibLy2CeFgJJ9dCc48cr3HRXiQsSAmLwYU4nekuhBHvGs4dq-GuC7E4vT7izEqDaAWPTu3UnnB6W7rOjMt_3RkXsVHTGKnCexv9LuvnkeT71iHmUwzVPdFPtw/s640/IMG_2325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGxxoM5JmrTaaMH1RVYesj8QOINBA7cCtN9V1dFscarmdSGdAL2-KZB8btxe3roibLy2CeFgJJ9dCc48cr3HRXiQsSAmLwYU4nekuhBHvGs4dq-GuC7E4vT7izEqDaAWPTu3UnnB6W7rOjMt_3RkXsVHTGKnCexv9LuvnkeT71iHmUwzVPdFPtw/w480-h640/IMG_2325.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoInrwlS5p7xRAv4kth5QYkVEBtOpINv8SDI-M998b6GjjoYzT0HpRHHWlKJbY5ONLKzfPeAOBJl26RoTI3OD7N73wbGfZ-gj3_jz-r-69R4yFzsw37NTMH7KTV0Y_JAAKZ7D586aQ4XUi0fzRhQgDt3XzwgWwmYVxP40lbOpgd-QERQqmGyCVw/s640/IMG_2337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpoInrwlS5p7xRAv4kth5QYkVEBtOpINv8SDI-M998b6GjjoYzT0HpRHHWlKJbY5ONLKzfPeAOBJl26RoTI3OD7N73wbGfZ-gj3_jz-r-69R4yFzsw37NTMH7KTV0Y_JAAKZ7D586aQ4XUi0fzRhQgDt3XzwgWwmYVxP40lbOpgd-QERQqmGyCVw/w480-h640/IMG_2337.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What I'm Working On</span></p><p>I am slowly working on taking down the Christmas decorations. And, by slowly, I mean at a snail's pace. Yesterday, I put away the Winterberry dishes that we used on the table for Christmas dinner. Today, I plan to dismantle the wrapping station in my office; returning it to a crafting room and not Christmas Central. Tomorrow, I will tackle everything but the tree (it will probably come down on New Year's Day). It's always faster to take the decorations down than to put them up.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What I'm Dreading</span></p><p>I'm not really dreading anything! Unless you count the physical labor involved in getting all of the Christmas boxes back down from the attic and back up again. But, I'm trying not to think about that.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What I'm Excited About</span></p><p>I'm excited about the possibility of traveling to the UK to visit Erin and Kristi in the new year. Kristi will be here in January, and we are going to plan my trip!</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What I'm Watching</span></p><p>I watched all of my favorite claymation Christmas classics this year! Including <i>Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and The Year Without a Santa Claus</i> (Queen B's request, not my fave). The only one we missed was The Little Drummer Boy, but I am on the hunt for it (I have all of them on DVD, but we no longer have a functioning DVD player; we're working on that).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecAnPWOx2PUUl9pq6bOdXRJwjTfqMCshKaGLvLJunQOTFWKYuBim-AbNZXaipPojw9xAugaSOxfrRukqwsgL3817TSfJ1tett-RmrBemvoLDte06mMSLGpjoXVk7JgERRdzFjxk84FmM4Gz1pkdy_Kq6RMn2KetbSTJ845D4FDAPNdHAJjQ96Qg/s640/IMG_3527.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecAnPWOx2PUUl9pq6bOdXRJwjTfqMCshKaGLvLJunQOTFWKYuBim-AbNZXaipPojw9xAugaSOxfrRukqwsgL3817TSfJ1tett-RmrBemvoLDte06mMSLGpjoXVk7JgERRdzFjxk84FmM4Gz1pkdy_Kq6RMn2KetbSTJ845D4FDAPNdHAJjQ96Qg/w480-h640/IMG_3527.JPEG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What I'm Listening To</span></p><p>I have been playing my Christmas albums on repeat; this is my favorite time of year to use my record player. I like to listen to the carols as I wrap presents and bake.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What I'm Reading</span></p><p>I picked up this book at a Barnes & Noble while I was in Texas and read through it in two days.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIHpZBz1eaNNQA0wCYtXFWMj62p5JtRsB4fzRtApp5LD1cALRmDxYNLGgD-VoTWIYYAzwQtZrdUCHoKKA2PYJ3c4-jaien-X-6sMFmrBkksKWEpn5NR7_E05a90gV6EACsHjhAtqOUhIRM3nEUl4f0Aqy0mk_NK6J0UPapXKzvP-9OOimf23LSg/s640/IMG_2332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIHpZBz1eaNNQA0wCYtXFWMj62p5JtRsB4fzRtApp5LD1cALRmDxYNLGgD-VoTWIYYAzwQtZrdUCHoKKA2PYJ3c4-jaien-X-6sMFmrBkksKWEpn5NR7_E05a90gV6EACsHjhAtqOUhIRM3nEUl4f0Aqy0mk_NK6J0UPapXKzvP-9OOimf23LSg/w480-h640/IMG_2332.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What I'm Wearing</span></p><p>I've been rotating through my Christmas pajamas, of which I have <i>many.</i> </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What I'm Doing This Weekend</span></p><p>I'm pretty sure I will still be taking down my Christmas decorations, see above: snail's pace.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;">What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month</span></p><p>I am actually looking forward to getting back into a work/life groove. I have plans for my physical and mental health as well as a renewed energy for my job (time off will do that; who knew?). I am also looking forward to having Kristi visit, as well.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Favorite Amazon Find</span></p><p>My Amazon purchases were primarily gift this month, so I don't really have a favorite. I'm sure I'll have something awesome to report next month.</p><p>And, that's it for both the month and the year! The next installment of this link-up will happen in a brand new year. Here's hooping it will be a good one!</p><p><br /></p>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-5780615868106330482023-12-26T09:56:00.004-07:002023-12-26T09:56:27.241-07:00Christmas Chronicles: Holiday Home Tour 2023<p>Happy Boxing Day!</p><p>What's that you say? We don't celebrate Boxing day in the US? That's true, but maybe we should! An extra paid day off after Christmas day would be a huge benefit for employees. I have the whole week off (fingers crossed that no emergencies interrupt the week), so I am catching up on blog posts, even if the content is a bit stale.</p><p>This post is about my Christmas decorations; I would skip it, but I need to document it for prosperity's sake because, this year; I departed from my decades-long tradition of having white lights on my tree. When Hugh and I found ourselves shopping for a new tree, I chose one that has both white and colored lights, so I chose to embrace the color, going in a more vintage direction with the decorations, as well.</p><p>I purchased several sets of mercury glass beaded garland and a few sets of reproduction bubble lights and mixed them with the glass ornaments that I already owned; which gave the tree an old-fashioned feel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrOWUu2AvbaqGgpqR6jDaV3F5H_kaYzrYCeassK8M8tZeETPo3wfpYhQtPQ-mX3FKP43THKt_Zp7kHXSzTruDoZeWK4mu6ii58KRxX2bOcOIQ1KUNupoBFc0I8K-Dy0VvVZVlZSaINT9cdHbGUGj4Djzma0O6nETWhZ-x7zezHkfMC7IrIyH7_w/s5184/122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrOWUu2AvbaqGgpqR6jDaV3F5H_kaYzrYCeassK8M8tZeETPo3wfpYhQtPQ-mX3FKP43THKt_Zp7kHXSzTruDoZeWK4mu6ii58KRxX2bOcOIQ1KUNupoBFc0I8K-Dy0VvVZVlZSaINT9cdHbGUGj4Djzma0O6nETWhZ-x7zezHkfMC7IrIyH7_w/w426-h640/122.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><p>This summer, when the Cub told me of his plan to propose to Shanti, I also ordered several ornaments from an artist on Etsy so that I could start a new tradition...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfZeWSY_FWcaM3MTrLRxDRJ3sDVGLFxeb8XaqHez-HMvjWTsp3Jc1qd5foXu9DQu0Rw3QfuZW9M4_wNxXmGGB8iH1EuEP09XnECLXA5fNrUBB9aUBYngizi7hBqjHZhbEwbahK5GgydhZI7Ty7FxGyR0-VMzmKZyykOa4IlsSK54_3c-9stdmbA/s5184/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfZeWSY_FWcaM3MTrLRxDRJ3sDVGLFxeb8XaqHez-HMvjWTsp3Jc1qd5foXu9DQu0Rw3QfuZW9M4_wNxXmGGB8iH1EuEP09XnECLXA5fNrUBB9aUBYngizi7hBqjHZhbEwbahK5GgydhZI7Ty7FxGyR0-VMzmKZyykOa4IlsSK54_3c-9stdmbA/w640-h426/030.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PUCjyxd-qRXCIaKK9Lwda8oCpD3bArj6LLFTX9uVe9a8416S3YMItQQC8_qXw6IMDC4GYsRTlSTZmCuMn5qH7b7MOCP3TLtamqnWEnMkUD9vw3gcCO8UhaEXS3-qE7SWCtBllNVLFvNxGx_QafecVNsyZFuVcwHWd5qvWUR-6eKnOCEbFZddjw/s5184/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8FuO7GH9MhyaDBWx93BbkI0IN9vhyddp_TC40JlRbcvhBHAtdBqJRJEj6a7AqgfUjPjGWJOJBdVUKn20H-oKpxb4C10CQEgU-6E068tfqF-aB5uJ2XiMn-t1zRUWYhx9wQpVAM2x6Pwk2xn-jX2ihoS7PJTq8qyvnFXkgDWic_yFuOUjC6f2RA/s5184/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8FuO7GH9MhyaDBWx93BbkI0IN9vhyddp_TC40JlRbcvhBHAtdBqJRJEj6a7AqgfUjPjGWJOJBdVUKn20H-oKpxb4C10CQEgU-6E068tfqF-aB5uJ2XiMn-t1zRUWYhx9wQpVAM2x6Pwk2xn-jX2ihoS7PJTq8qyvnFXkgDWic_yFuOUjC6f2RA/w640-h426/033.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwz1_gojG4LU9mG73Z41RaSonpepgbt7HgKqXIdDYNJqI5QiHaFRmni4dFxb3uIgLhlK96k1FOv0AdhQ1jxPxDB5JERZfEOyp4EJQz9KFlzrVadQshe_aNaUF7gsx9v6tVlMoB4RFKfHKhCKWBq1lupxmcfjSi9FrQhD1MOptLsc6RuIsm3U1Jqw/s5184/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwz1_gojG4LU9mG73Z41RaSonpepgbt7HgKqXIdDYNJqI5QiHaFRmni4dFxb3uIgLhlK96k1FOv0AdhQ1jxPxDB5JERZfEOyp4EJQz9KFlzrVadQshe_aNaUF7gsx9v6tVlMoB4RFKfHKhCKWBq1lupxmcfjSi9FrQhD1MOptLsc6RuIsm3U1Jqw/w640-h426/036.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>...family members who spend Christmas with us are represented on the tree! I am planning to grow the ornament collection as the family grows. My sister teased me about it being very "Days of Our Lives", and she's not wrong, but I don't care. I love having them to look at each year, and, since I included an ornament for my Dad; it's like he will be with us, too.</p><p>The Man-Cub's proposal inspired another change that I made this year; we replaced the stockings that we have used since the kids were born with new stockings that will be easier to add to as we gain new family members, hopefully.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviIuaon1q5NGgE7zh8WGiliEJ56WajnmAa_xNsS58KqXTs5V31Jr0EeS5kW0GctOP5CiWLj_eutLarPfW04CvBYmKuOOvtG7BQb0aaVon74HEQ_Ry4JBDngRrg-yhHFZKtc7rBtDQRWMBvy8JtGYlhJt0FQBHw5y21rkEKGJVgaVxUkgx491GrA/s5184/123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviIuaon1q5NGgE7zh8WGiliEJ56WajnmAa_xNsS58KqXTs5V31Jr0EeS5kW0GctOP5CiWLj_eutLarPfW04CvBYmKuOOvtG7BQb0aaVon74HEQ_Ry4JBDngRrg-yhHFZKtc7rBtDQRWMBvy8JtGYlhJt0FQBHw5y21rkEKGJVgaVxUkgx491GrA/w426-h640/123.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><p> The rest of my decor was a mix of vintage and new. I used several of my smaller blow molds in the house, as well as displaying my Grandma's old plastic angels and the wise men that Mom made when I was a kid. I rolled vintage sheet music that my sister had found for me and displayed it by my record player; the music was Christmas carols, so it was perfect.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaQJyb3o6OrENuguAXuJjLe-5d5NvVs4JQWUlh8MXqz0pwGLBaGlI3MLh1qGd2Q0F9hJTemohKje6hCPB2auagb26yYj_ZdnYGPOdnB8unScU7yi8oJP9a32hQBzmbtCkmeYCv8N8LMoH3ZXaTjgYwW5nW4g5Lqre5bOLinfC2-GoXey5gtOaRw/s5184/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaQJyb3o6OrENuguAXuJjLe-5d5NvVs4JQWUlh8MXqz0pwGLBaGlI3MLh1qGd2Q0F9hJTemohKje6hCPB2auagb26yYj_ZdnYGPOdnB8unScU7yi8oJP9a32hQBzmbtCkmeYCv8N8LMoH3ZXaTjgYwW5nW4g5Lqre5bOLinfC2-GoXey5gtOaRw/w640-h426/006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXLZPZbFVndvw8NZ8Kapafku4k9EIyXEfFqYpVo7j36zOvIjt0jpdwwn3uJdRoUl2ZMbiCbfKdOAIQFW6L-MMrvKOJ_5lAsTByo58m6bRRVpHBpsuegdRhvXyiZjtlvhKlJMdmuPuDSGk5BuPO3E6OvP1bdNftx_ELSBKPlDvDkh8MwhYo6P-Rw/s5184/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQC7xTfX-f-mittPFJr-_Yzg4JT_QUr_n9cra_KajqH0nybWXm7LTLm7FWxkW-tLpEV88ypww6u8qoXmBvuOogmIGjhRYmbCYbP96JoHEGG3shWmPTWteGq656P38U-eUn1gS14ULYFaT1X7r1zJj7Xca-16BVhhEmVLA8Js9p4ZwCm8x8hjLsg/s5184/116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQC7xTfX-f-mittPFJr-_Yzg4JT_QUr_n9cra_KajqH0nybWXm7LTLm7FWxkW-tLpEV88ypww6u8qoXmBvuOogmIGjhRYmbCYbP96JoHEGG3shWmPTWteGq656P38U-eUn1gS14ULYFaT1X7r1zJj7Xca-16BVhhEmVLA8Js9p4ZwCm8x8hjLsg/w426-h640/116.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZexqQ4hYzyWFNPZ9_mdrpSecoapGWayb3hDzwqR5543aSv6lJxUqpNDoUWZuoSLYnHJHEytqJKNi2cAbb5V6mrRAF8mFlMK2QUjcy0AduUnQiE2h779TsdEKM7cKC04lNP0sAk_n1jgXsOms7veGFmPYxMXsy9vzc4wMqDxuR8TARLGzchJk7XQ/s5184/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZexqQ4hYzyWFNPZ9_mdrpSecoapGWayb3hDzwqR5543aSv6lJxUqpNDoUWZuoSLYnHJHEytqJKNi2cAbb5V6mrRAF8mFlMK2QUjcy0AduUnQiE2h779TsdEKM7cKC04lNP0sAk_n1jgXsOms7veGFmPYxMXsy9vzc4wMqDxuR8TARLGzchJk7XQ/w426-h640/118.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1932NvKI8jtcuNVyywAbdbpUU3U4fLNmV2mJZxV-qNwHhm5UbD_ELWb6ilMorR8vJVyDsdbfAb_wIpd1L2MHA95cLEqzod7Y9iZZcm4B5Uz17_jdGKhjozumgz1fXLPApITN1Zq6oredirvke5XxB1nsPSzUlepVaQQmSQBh7GAqpjg1n4Tc0tA/s5184/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1932NvKI8jtcuNVyywAbdbpUU3U4fLNmV2mJZxV-qNwHhm5UbD_ELWb6ilMorR8vJVyDsdbfAb_wIpd1L2MHA95cLEqzod7Y9iZZcm4B5Uz17_jdGKhjozumgz1fXLPApITN1Zq6oredirvke5XxB1nsPSzUlepVaQQmSQBh7GAqpjg1n4Tc0tA/w426-h640/002.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The outside of the house didn't change much from last year, except for the "flying" reindeer that Hugh rigged up. He did a great job and is now plotting how to make them fly higher next year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCHa_IePaJtiFUEqqn-XYftXDfL10RxEffsswJ1GI94aVFbOXuiHBrh8Rt8Rl2H2RSZk_BDEuqXZqalHv-N4lhDsiM18IeWQZMekS-NTTGNbGubtPDNVZOe7mZo3C4Tc6uD2x0RJsItUQZAJDvelg_uO5D6vNvrrSDBS7NbEfhi9FD6FHA8G-fw/s5184/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCHa_IePaJtiFUEqqn-XYftXDfL10RxEffsswJ1GI94aVFbOXuiHBrh8Rt8Rl2H2RSZk_BDEuqXZqalHv-N4lhDsiM18IeWQZMekS-NTTGNbGubtPDNVZOe7mZo3C4Tc6uD2x0RJsItUQZAJDvelg_uO5D6vNvrrSDBS7NbEfhi9FD6FHA8G-fw/w640-h426/075.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl2yKxwvIfXT5kFXQWTbEOStVkDa3v2-lmwNVRc5u8HjYvFKi6h0aKpxiy6oV5AeZYYiiZo4qAwlHnjhuB0Tks1CUT-HQ1rDevJPmcdNOt2v64LeL-6k4aG89gxHZAS7GsgIWqEJ_ZvqDGfqrBvwbTBcw3dAa5AjawpPNwmu0y5i_dCm1sknfyQ/s5184/080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl2yKxwvIfXT5kFXQWTbEOStVkDa3v2-lmwNVRc5u8HjYvFKi6h0aKpxiy6oV5AeZYYiiZo4qAwlHnjhuB0Tks1CUT-HQ1rDevJPmcdNOt2v64LeL-6k4aG89gxHZAS7GsgIWqEJ_ZvqDGfqrBvwbTBcw3dAa5AjawpPNwmu0y5i_dCm1sknfyQ/w426-h640/080.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH1WnnRR-IpA17kAFyIQDJO9or0Sido080S7BqDZ4PNOjhOFmrByb0O77OrhoGNq4D4k8ToQ3vdzMa5-zSV6n1glhZXf_QTslir82uIu2HAgbbgRkSsP_9rJLrMOsk3YjtR_v3yCkRshi5xN3taw84apcUNkJA_pqaa4dykJzdHSLPm5HZNixWA/s5184/083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDH1WnnRR-IpA17kAFyIQDJO9or0Sido080S7BqDZ4PNOjhOFmrByb0O77OrhoGNq4D4k8ToQ3vdzMa5-zSV6n1glhZXf_QTslir82uIu2HAgbbgRkSsP_9rJLrMOsk3YjtR_v3yCkRshi5xN3taw84apcUNkJA_pqaa4dykJzdHSLPm5HZNixWA/w640-h426/083.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZRUNroBA61BzlEla1_LV-xjZBtr8NQ7D7VhXF5SrTnhREbDkys5g9eiE2_DhCAfhXY1Z-bI1_1ygepciyEdFVf7vPhr2G1p817DVcaGWp6A7k7_Fwm__0tALfyoDjZDBXRR663aDnnTemFzTM1PHQMnhPe42MBurq-yyBuOFnk6o2bvB5NSHxw/s5184/084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZRUNroBA61BzlEla1_LV-xjZBtr8NQ7D7VhXF5SrTnhREbDkys5g9eiE2_DhCAfhXY1Z-bI1_1ygepciyEdFVf7vPhr2G1p817DVcaGWp6A7k7_Fwm__0tALfyoDjZDBXRR663aDnnTemFzTM1PHQMnhPe42MBurq-yyBuOFnk6o2bvB5NSHxw/w426-h640/084.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNGSHIIleqeBV6k1GWjWzw70wwFc6m7H3j1vVsO6TxFI0adOMYhvtisOojRgE9qv4JBTgvf_X6CcW8WhoPxHmlfpvjbWM_9ZDl31KgcSKWWnmn3FJ1viDXdHFcJ-gLv3mCwr49zzKMUwO_l-zX5apP66ZyvNwMJD-afPIppCyw6he0STV-W14PQ/s5184/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNGSHIIleqeBV6k1GWjWzw70wwFc6m7H3j1vVsO6TxFI0adOMYhvtisOojRgE9qv4JBTgvf_X6CcW8WhoPxHmlfpvjbWM_9ZDl31KgcSKWWnmn3FJ1viDXdHFcJ-gLv3mCwr49zzKMUwO_l-zX5apP66ZyvNwMJD-afPIppCyw6he0STV-W14PQ/w640-h426/047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWU37KTy0-sSo85Ms1eXeEychLeMOY_qRAmZcg_oR9JNZ-OCxfAch3mLVfCF0saBQxae4FZ-0jDJPI13yf3TvHbXUyuLhl2cTU-3l-zivEm3k4WggukN0kGUIvC_yN8_-9TvcJt3T3BwBJUflLS-MJ7dmornOTkxz5SNaxazZJYhQNNSDGJz_ORg/s5184/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWU37KTy0-sSo85Ms1eXeEychLeMOY_qRAmZcg_oR9JNZ-OCxfAch3mLVfCF0saBQxae4FZ-0jDJPI13yf3TvHbXUyuLhl2cTU-3l-zivEm3k4WggukN0kGUIvC_yN8_-9TvcJt3T3BwBJUflLS-MJ7dmornOTkxz5SNaxazZJYhQNNSDGJz_ORg/w426-h640/049.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4sHoJBrSwnw9kYIJ44Qp2ONn61bccLI7zBotc-CeDkXJP38pR-aiLApKdbI19D3NQBgY18B6sndDW-IxaHZMz27CEHxMDJvzwbJqlzsi1u_9QMp35OVnBmWlv17fr2_UOKXycfI0Ehumie4wxwi3gp2wVbJVdP8NzXICssi_5zGKURjxNslXew/s5184/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4sHoJBrSwnw9kYIJ44Qp2ONn61bccLI7zBotc-CeDkXJP38pR-aiLApKdbI19D3NQBgY18B6sndDW-IxaHZMz27CEHxMDJvzwbJqlzsi1u_9QMp35OVnBmWlv17fr2_UOKXycfI0Ehumie4wxwi3gp2wVbJVdP8NzXICssi_5zGKURjxNslXew/w640-h426/051.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbjg9yjo31P8EMb84JGkJsD2q806eMjpI-iTydcGpF0Q2lpXK9G6-hh9Fb7ZRohZ7EJQJmlaGByImd1oq_1o3S55NMvxuAFl4TzDX7pf8lvn9aoRT2Zu1nJI_v-SVFkgCsClkEnKsk8V9xSpJA5rD_03oZVuQjL2-qgvnxHyq9hZBW4Z4Ya-bNw/s5184/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbjg9yjo31P8EMb84JGkJsD2q806eMjpI-iTydcGpF0Q2lpXK9G6-hh9Fb7ZRohZ7EJQJmlaGByImd1oq_1o3S55NMvxuAFl4TzDX7pf8lvn9aoRT2Zu1nJI_v-SVFkgCsClkEnKsk8V9xSpJA5rD_03oZVuQjL2-qgvnxHyq9hZBW4Z4Ya-bNw/w426-h640/054.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3H_GlRFiFXF6oKiLd7rhGupCs_Y7Sd6ayQAXRnnMs4ajl8h88us5gioDp3s9ZN8rNC8cwY39328UYB5Zn94we7b7T7nxvmS-qhdWQxv-D00B8V4JZrL9eiYujIxJNnK_GKXaGAm9ehDj_WhN1CBRdr2xzf3Cc9kWXp2mDbQ8EHV7xW92cORzBw/s5184/063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3H_GlRFiFXF6oKiLd7rhGupCs_Y7Sd6ayQAXRnnMs4ajl8h88us5gioDp3s9ZN8rNC8cwY39328UYB5Zn94we7b7T7nxvmS-qhdWQxv-D00B8V4JZrL9eiYujIxJNnK_GKXaGAm9ehDj_WhN1CBRdr2xzf3Cc9kWXp2mDbQ8EHV7xW92cORzBw/w640-h426/063.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaAGPD8DWVVFUzDDqB0mMlJwzzhiejzrCzQ3H0SZdtSwwkw_ZvaklOPmFne3H9llETnadPm7H0k2O5N7tv5UqzzYWNthek-ht9WXAElUPjrYOr0MprN4Y0oepUL7sG9FvueaW5A7AbAemKyEgBtUgSEGL315PzAoDw7ya66mG-qNX2ZNsLKtazA/s5184/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaAGPD8DWVVFUzDDqB0mMlJwzzhiejzrCzQ3H0SZdtSwwkw_ZvaklOPmFne3H9llETnadPm7H0k2O5N7tv5UqzzYWNthek-ht9WXAElUPjrYOr0MprN4Y0oepUL7sG9FvueaW5A7AbAemKyEgBtUgSEGL315PzAoDw7ya66mG-qNX2ZNsLKtazA/w640-h426/064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>So, that's it! Better late than never, and, another useful documentation tool for next year, when I will have forgotten half of what I own and most of how I've used it.</p><p>That's actually becoming the theme of this space, honestly. </p><p><br /></p><br />Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32790080.post-55452985580685186082023-12-22T08:46:00.009-07:002023-12-22T08:46:54.032-07:00Friday Favorites, Friday Before Christmas Edition<p>It's hard to believe that Christmas is just three days away; I feel woefully unprepared, despite having pretty much everything that I need.</p><p>In addition to having the things that I need, I also have some things that I did not truly need, but am happy to have snagged, regardless. This includes the cutest tins from the Marks & Spencer display at Target this year. When I saw the display, it reminded me of Erin and Kristi, so how could I pass it up?</p><p>Kristi has since made it her mission to go to the Marks & Spencer near them to see if they have different versions of the tins that I got.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXSwIpW4jAK0OSsnPumBpbbPknVkx9KcsbhvEsidyXxHV6fy_uGopRNloCJH_c0HNfsuPZBiuadfWjA1-PywjOLyLyM9ZyV_x3Jb_tS2bgPvRIEDTE98j48F5q353v6XSKbceyS4gyL05ay62ORoSnyhTzZkaSqiVDgimRLFq6xG7PXMAHfy58Q/s640/IMG_2128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXSwIpW4jAK0OSsnPumBpbbPknVkx9KcsbhvEsidyXxHV6fy_uGopRNloCJH_c0HNfsuPZBiuadfWjA1-PywjOLyLyM9ZyV_x3Jb_tS2bgPvRIEDTE98j48F5q353v6XSKbceyS4gyL05ay62ORoSnyhTzZkaSqiVDgimRLFq6xG7PXMAHfy58Q/w480-h640/IMG_2128.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdT6KukqCVWUV_vEJL7dekFF4REdSjQNnw6Qt4LEQDRJ5591xlKun6moWokrj32ncYAJj_gUgt1e5SCMSr4yq6z9BjWbR0TTdH95GTvHXVhsJpx-t-C6SZCFouSpDrewIl30sb_W4dcBKOdzickmapvY2tImtW7kpqsJ-byn4Ig7A8aRKE38-Cg/s640/IMG_2131.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdT6KukqCVWUV_vEJL7dekFF4REdSjQNnw6Qt4LEQDRJ5591xlKun6moWokrj32ncYAJj_gUgt1e5SCMSr4yq6z9BjWbR0TTdH95GTvHXVhsJpx-t-C6SZCFouSpDrewIl30sb_W4dcBKOdzickmapvY2tImtW7kpqsJ-byn4Ig7A8aRKE38-Cg/w480-h640/IMG_2131.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, what did I get? A tin that plays music, two tins (three, actually; I went back for one that isn't pictured below) that light up, and a tin that has a projector carousel that both plays music and projects a holiday scene as it spins. I displayed them in the kitchen window, with the cedar, cranberry, and orange garland above them. I like to think that the display is a good representation of something the girls might see in Wales.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtXwXikhefD9rqIr5GQZrlHSY0d5aZsHTW-GFXw-hqxo-nu9MbDCVMhfUHQrJ39hk5Tgd9DgCk0wBjo0cucKHVMj_x3bRpGB5qv95pLrJoJPnYiu74t7NXMtwG7bhk1tSxmYaRT6ntFFacXMV5_cjMKaIKj7gf94dwxCJms6PZJaSuOTZW26Jdw/s640/IMG_2213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHtXwXikhefD9rqIr5GQZrlHSY0d5aZsHTW-GFXw-hqxo-nu9MbDCVMhfUHQrJ39hk5Tgd9DgCk0wBjo0cucKHVMj_x3bRpGB5qv95pLrJoJPnYiu74t7NXMtwG7bhk1tSxmYaRT6ntFFacXMV5_cjMKaIKj7gf94dwxCJms6PZJaSuOTZW26Jdw/w480-h640/IMG_2213.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlycvLIneJbx4qVLxH2UHZ-dsTlER7t9SNNRFNqN6lClsQtFdMGa6MKj4U0LF-d_kCznWKnUQRMdqxYcWkSZnRvfk1XBykSjGil0oVKB5_Ibmobh0QT___vtL1A5CSFyJM5r5Td59X89_21-XuVQjcz1YjfkT8jmuf-VVmozwIN7h28C8z7i00PA/s640/IMG_2219.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlycvLIneJbx4qVLxH2UHZ-dsTlER7t9SNNRFNqN6lClsQtFdMGa6MKj4U0LF-d_kCznWKnUQRMdqxYcWkSZnRvfk1XBykSjGil0oVKB5_Ibmobh0QT___vtL1A5CSFyJM5r5Td59X89_21-XuVQjcz1YjfkT8jmuf-VVmozwIN7h28C8z7i00PA/w480-h640/IMG_2219.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs8pe6QIeGWiBqYwcSG2n3Xbt9hye_Gg9sVb8CqC4tdgaYpkT6w0Ta-4SkWE8driic6ei_mByS6PkKELJInmT5scXWOAFgIrZBPeUGh_Ox_wju1w8YyIh8FTQZVxQX62IJpk_WTr65CEZtuZZhyMud8naLRxZoh0l6ml21IDUwxkPRR7hTYpfnQ/s640/IMG_2431.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvs8pe6QIeGWiBqYwcSG2n3Xbt9hye_Gg9sVb8CqC4tdgaYpkT6w0Ta-4SkWE8driic6ei_mByS6PkKELJInmT5scXWOAFgIrZBPeUGh_Ox_wju1w8YyIh8FTQZVxQX62IJpk_WTr65CEZtuZZhyMud8naLRxZoh0l6ml21IDUwxkPRR7hTYpfnQ/w480-h640/IMG_2431.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0jvYULPPboMkQEm2RP1yahex8dC2RCoWgbUwEVIzIzK9efWR3wX-73zxS9PSqFz5yxl8uJWuGCt3hMTDgQBRgEIDesAO7G_ge4P5_DF_z_RUO0FdYh3rLOk5UCr_S372CtVwVYmoWzs5RW_tZjTJoLI-GELycEXKCahFNZHFTYKHZsCmeT6pLw/s640/IMG_2433.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0jvYULPPboMkQEm2RP1yahex8dC2RCoWgbUwEVIzIzK9efWR3wX-73zxS9PSqFz5yxl8uJWuGCt3hMTDgQBRgEIDesAO7G_ge4P5_DF_z_RUO0FdYh3rLOk5UCr_S372CtVwVYmoWzs5RW_tZjTJoLI-GELycEXKCahFNZHFTYKHZsCmeT6pLw/w480-h640/IMG_2433.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In other favorites; Josh wines offers free custom labels for their bottles and you can bet I snagged up a couple in celebration of the Man-Cub and Daughter-in-Love's recent engagement. Still no official wedding date, but Shanti did purchase her dress recently, so I am hopeful that it will be soon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPJ31Sykk7pdoxT_dMQ3cFvioF-UX7hf_7e1ja3Fq9-m8_Du_SZNktkv_3HaqXPkyASNhTNueSdjvLPkNHfLAXsj4JEL1PCix-Xr4kdfwmkRPymxXDtNkDfx0dMcVCwjoeyhoIO7ba4TsemI4F6dICBSQpnTo0m9-QS9EcQCJX1UBWe65nH4Bmg/s640/IMG_2376.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPJ31Sykk7pdoxT_dMQ3cFvioF-UX7hf_7e1ja3Fq9-m8_Du_SZNktkv_3HaqXPkyASNhTNueSdjvLPkNHfLAXsj4JEL1PCix-Xr4kdfwmkRPymxXDtNkDfx0dMcVCwjoeyhoIO7ba4TsemI4F6dICBSQpnTo0m9-QS9EcQCJX1UBWe65nH4Bmg/w360-h640/IMG_2376.PNG" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday, we officially closed Not So New Job until next year (hopefully!). We had our staff Secret Santa earlier in the month and our office manager drew my name. We had a twenty dollar limit, so you can imagine my surprise when I opened up two huge mercury glass ornaments, which are usually priced between $30-$50 apiece. She was so proud of finding them at the local Heirlooms for Hospice store, not only because she knew I would love them, but because her purchase went to supporting a cause that she is passionate about. I love how they look on my tree!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDD8DzlKy9ayrSZFVhb6OdssFLnWE77B_dU3Rpo952zPYbJ2N-G1ocT4Gym-DQ8rskWM9J52-t2vFG7teuKWcodZZ1r91lBZxgVTsAR8cIoMl0001cG_hCsuvxSEzgMrofBOWMs9FizTJkHcDBPIwtdAnsRZs5S-xdTkZ7PpbPyWCAQI42oz-WA/s640/IMG_2381.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDD8DzlKy9ayrSZFVhb6OdssFLnWE77B_dU3Rpo952zPYbJ2N-G1ocT4Gym-DQ8rskWM9J52-t2vFG7teuKWcodZZ1r91lBZxgVTsAR8cIoMl0001cG_hCsuvxSEzgMrofBOWMs9FizTJkHcDBPIwtdAnsRZs5S-xdTkZ7PpbPyWCAQI42oz-WA/w480-h640/IMG_2381.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>We busted out the ugly sweaters for our celebration, which was fun. Then, a few days later, we posed for a picture for our official holiday card to our partners and social media followers.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1wq0RAmv3fHpiXvNcK7DaMlPqEIQItDNW3_LDg_qO3fpEHmFZDiHgb3gpkXmDKKGj312_-XVmgf0IHUt60h-tPaR7YrOzGT0QlrGjv5_1HlEUGixEgCDG9XLSd-akQBkfg7UQ4e96js7KS01QtVyWeICsUEaxReeVQx7JciLY1h6cdBciT87Wg/s640/IMG_2424.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1wq0RAmv3fHpiXvNcK7DaMlPqEIQItDNW3_LDg_qO3fpEHmFZDiHgb3gpkXmDKKGj312_-XVmgf0IHUt60h-tPaR7YrOzGT0QlrGjv5_1HlEUGixEgCDG9XLSd-akQBkfg7UQ4e96js7KS01QtVyWeICsUEaxReeVQx7JciLY1h6cdBciT87Wg/w480-h640/IMG_2424.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvZknkqqO6EZ2Dp_ITdxHNJaTe_Cfnd0i2C9UGjhOqarHH0CbyfJayHRh8ePIW-PfbUXgE7f-sSHozdaCPmLTR_vnEiB-zCe5LUv9ISdYvsZdbMSom8v8EPHGzrquc4ILy9ZO7cY2E9yPijo7fT7uy6s3HuOWb9JEWitZkRTer_UPbt-M0ymCew/s640/Orange%20and%20Black%20Holidays%20Card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="640" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvZknkqqO6EZ2Dp_ITdxHNJaTe_Cfnd0i2C9UGjhOqarHH0CbyfJayHRh8ePIW-PfbUXgE7f-sSHozdaCPmLTR_vnEiB-zCe5LUv9ISdYvsZdbMSom8v8EPHGzrquc4ILy9ZO7cY2E9yPijo7fT7uy6s3HuOWb9JEWitZkRTer_UPbt-M0ymCew/w640-h458/Orange%20and%20Black%20Holidays%20Card.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Switching gears, I have been having a moment with vintage Christmas decor this year, and I love the items that I have picked up at the local antique stores and online vintage markets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZLy9IJIgZRJRDRsOeQ1OKHQ4Ryv6uh5js7eVosscwBk4TsECBCyFI7ZvgVIXqUSiWOcV5tYCM55Q7DqylJ00qYWvwCfGr5qgG-2kA9oNhW_NlcbZ0UUJcj7pxUWnp7sFMDKmo0GyMEfdkNdJY0E5PzDhkd2tu717mIrkPLPlF2SDgF3u0VifYA/s640/IMG_2386.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZLy9IJIgZRJRDRsOeQ1OKHQ4Ryv6uh5js7eVosscwBk4TsECBCyFI7ZvgVIXqUSiWOcV5tYCM55Q7DqylJ00qYWvwCfGr5qgG-2kA9oNhW_NlcbZ0UUJcj7pxUWnp7sFMDKmo0GyMEfdkNdJY0E5PzDhkd2tu717mIrkPLPlF2SDgF3u0VifYA/w480-h640/IMG_2386.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Mixing vintage finds with reproduction items from the same era is a fun new way for me to add seasonal fun to locations in the house that don't always get decorated.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUOJxMGCRuCienYxvoF4Al9vZnfVQk448_WTXYPCjhfpLf9bCvO8fMR80c7mrV1IcUiYelvZOC2WwJOBXYnijhMWjBDdyAnIa78aQtO2iKZ9c2mjZoxa11aMa54l-LJX16Pe39xRk5CCyxL_CWBZHv-n3K9Ik8v4c0JSa_AYwyX5g7pr8hysVnQ/s640/IMG_2388.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUOJxMGCRuCienYxvoF4Al9vZnfVQk448_WTXYPCjhfpLf9bCvO8fMR80c7mrV1IcUiYelvZOC2WwJOBXYnijhMWjBDdyAnIa78aQtO2iKZ9c2mjZoxa11aMa54l-LJX16Pe39xRk5CCyxL_CWBZHv-n3K9Ik8v4c0JSa_AYwyX5g7pr8hysVnQ/w480-h640/IMG_2388.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And, speaking of decorations; it's almost time for my annual Holiday Home Tour. As you know, it took Hugh an hot minute to get the outside displays lit this year, so I am a bit behind on pictures. However, I should be able to post, soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fingers crossed, anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Friday!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><br /></div>Chellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08600513358054517533noreply@blogger.com0