tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36946402336489379532024-02-19T17:50:41.466-08:00Shades of BlueSerenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-46594039373737074022015-02-22T20:44:00.000-08:002015-02-22T20:45:26.966-08:00Fun CropsHello, Long Lost Blogger Friends!<br />
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I hope you are all well. It's been quite some time since I posted to my long forgotten blog. Can't really even say why I stopped posting but I'm looking forward to getting back to blogging.<br />
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A lot has happened since last I posted but that tends to happen when more than a year passes between blog posts. My last post was about Logan's trip to Australia and New Zealand. Funny, as I post now, he's in France on yet another school trip. And between these 2 trips he went to Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Florida. Lucky kid, right?<br />
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Another thing that happened is together with my friend, Ora, we created a company called Fun Crops. We host monthly 12-hour crops at a local hotel. We have a Meetup group called <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Queens-Scrapbooking-Project-Life-Meetup/" target="_blank">Queens Scrapbooking / Project Life</a>. We also have a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fun-Crops/313888575437891?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page. We are working on creating a website which will be up soon but for now, you can see all the details about our monthly events on our Meetup page.<br />
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Needless to say, I'm extremely excited about Fun Crops. I love scrapbooking and have wanted for years to create a company in the industry. I'm over the moon happy that this dream has finally come true. We are new and have lots of work ahead of us but our croppers love what we are doing so we're on the right track to make Fun Crops something special and successful.<br />
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If you are in the New York City area, I hope you will come to our crops. If you are not located locally, join our Meetup group anyway. Who knows, you might come to New York some time and it'll be so very nice to meet you.<br />
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Have a great evening!<br />
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<br />Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-9664248784189852892013-11-06T06:54:00.000-08:002013-11-06T06:54:21.280-08:00Down Under - New Zealand Part 2So here are some more pictures of my son's amazing trip to the other side of the world. <br />
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I hope you enjoyed the pictures from yesterday's post. I have lots more to share with you today and I can even give a bit more detail about some of these pictures.<br />
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Now what trip to New Zealand would be complete without a visit to Hobbiton? Logan's tour group visited the movie set that was created for the Lord of the Rings movies. Here is a link so you can read more about it if you like. <a href="http://www.hobbitontours.com/">http://www.hobbitontours.com/</a> Pretty interesting stuff on that site so check it out if you have a moment. Logan said it was a pretty cool place and I bet it was. <br />
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What a cute house. I love the round doors.<br />
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After touring Hobbiton, they went to the Agrodome where they learned about sheep and sheep shearing. Here's a link <a href="http://www.agrodome.co.nz/">http://www.agrodome.co.nz/</a><br />
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Logan said it was amazing how fast they sheared the sheep and it doesn't hurt them. Makes me think of the Pixar animated short film called "Boundin'" about the sheared sheep. <br />
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I love the Cheviot sheep behind Logan with his mouth open. Check out the horns on the one Logan is posing with. <br />
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Look at the smile on my son's face. Is he happy or what? That boy just loves animals. Seeing him this happy just makes my heart soar with gratitude that we were able to send him on this trip where he made memories that he will have forever. <br />
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Well, that's all for now. There'll be more coming so stop back here when you have a moment.<br />
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Until then, have a great day!Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-36678339995615503832013-11-05T10:56:00.002-08:002013-11-05T10:57:06.602-08:00Down Under - New Zealand. Part 1I can't believe that I've completely forgotten to post pictures from Logan's Australia and New Zealand trip last June. He took 971 pictures, all with his iPod. We'd given him a camera and two 32gb sd cards but the camera broke after he dropped it as they were climbing a volcano on the first day. Nice, right? It couldn't have broken on the last day? Oh no, it had to be the first day. So he, being the son of a scrapbooker, did the only thing he could given the circumstances, he used his head and his iPod, thankfully! <br />
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Could you imagine my disappointment had he not taken pictures of his trip and experiences? I can tell you, I would not have been a happy camper and he knew it.<br />
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Naturally, since I didn't go on the trip with him, I don't have much to impart in the way of details regarding the pictures. I'm lucky if I can tell you which were taking in NZ and which were in Australia, omitting the obvious ones, of course. <br />
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I'm not quite sure if NZ can be included in the Down Under phrase or if that is strictly for Australia's use but for my purposes, I'm going to assume they both fall under that category. Well, here goes. Get ready for a litte Down Under tour. <br />
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Fans of Lord of the Rings will recognize this statue which greeted them at the NZ airport.<br />
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There's Logan with Auckland behind him. If you look closely, you can see a rainbow. He said he saw quite a few rainbows there. </div>
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Not quite sure where this is in NZ but the sky is lovely with another rainbow.<br />
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I love the water feature here. I think it's some kind of a memorial.<br />
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I just love this shot. </div>
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Of course, Gollum from Lord of the Rings had to be there too.<br />
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Not quite sure what the deal is with this hole. <br />
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What a nice spot from which to overlook the city complete with a bench.<br />
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I really should have Logan tell me about these pictures as I post them but that doesn't stop me from enjoying them. I hope you enjoy looking at them too. </div>
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I'll be back with more pictures and perhaps even some more details. After all, it would be nice to tell you more about them.</div>
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Wishing you a happy day. </div>
Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-30181987238028554382013-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:002013-10-11T13:41:04.821-07:00Happy Birthday, Logan!My son turned 16. I can't believe he's that old already. My, how the time goes by quickly. He's a young man and I'm very proud of the man he's becoming. He is, by far, my greatest achievement and I'm thankful to be his mom.<br />
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At his request, we went out to dinner at Red Lobster. He was craving some lobster or crab legs. He couldn't quite make up his mind which prior to going. Being seated in the restaurant didn't make it any easier to decide so he did the only logical thing, he ordered both! He had a rock lobster tail and an order of snow crab legs. Initially, I thought this was going to be another dinner where his eyes were bigger than his stomach but he surprised us by putting it all away. He was quite satisfied after devouring his crustacean dinner.<br />
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Jim looks like a lobster himself with his red face. They'd gone to the beach earlier in the day so that accounts for why he's so sunburned. I wish that man would learn to use sunscreen. <br />
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Check out my drink aptly called Alotta Colada! The glass was huge. I love the sidecar of extra alcohol hanging off the rim. <br />
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I had to take a picture of this guy sporting a "Spock" haircut. <br />
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His crab came before the rest of our meals so we watched him adeptly crack the shells.<br />
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And a little something sweet to sing Happy Birthday over.<br />
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We had an excellent meal which we shared with 2 other good friends who happily joined us to celebrate his special day. </div>
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It was a nice day and Logan had fun but so did Jim and I.</div>
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Here's wishing you all a nice day too.</div>
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Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-798767430345502132013-06-29T23:41:00.001-07:002013-06-29T23:42:13.685-07:00Australia BoundWell, it finally came. The day we planned for a year and a half finally arrived. Last Thursday Logan began his long awaited trip to Australia and New Zealand. For the longest time it seemed like it took forever for this day to come and all of a sudden it was upon us.<br />
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We were all excited about this trip. Jim and I are happy we were able to give him this opportunity but I must admit I was very nervous too. I'm still nervous but I'm dealing with it.<br />
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I'm expecting him to bring me home fabulous pictures so I made sure to take pictures of him leading up to departure to add to my Project Life album. <br />
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Here he is unloading his luggage from my car at JFK.<br />
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We were the first to arrive at the airport. We waited about a half hour and then others started showing up. The knot in my stomach was growing as the time for him to leave drew nearer. <br />
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He's checking in here. The suitcase I packed for him was 31 pounds which was well under the 44 lb weight limit. He'll have some room for souvenirs on the return trip. <br />
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Once everyone was checked in, they started to move towards security. I stopped them and asked if they would pose for a group shot. I heard someone moan, "already?" and then everyone laughed. It was funny because they knew they'd be group shot posing for the next 2 wks. None of the other parents there had said anything but once I did, the other parents all lined up to take their own pictures of the group.<br />
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There are only 14 traveling from Logan's school but they will meet up with 2 other groups along the way. <br />
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Once we'd all taken our pictures, it was time to say goodbye. Logan came to me and hugged me. I had trouble letting go of him but I did with tears in my eyes. He hugged me again and then Jim and I left him as I had to go back to work.<br />
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I still can't believe my son is on the other side of the planet now. I hope he has an incredible adventure. I can't wait to see him and hear all about his trip. Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-91338953501733322662013-06-03T09:20:00.002-07:002013-06-03T09:25:09.652-07:00Flea MarketingHello, friends.<br />
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I'm not a frequent visitor to flea markets but last weekend we went to one with Leo and Andi. This huge flea market takes place a number of times during the year on an airfield in Stormville, New York. It's about an hour and a half north of me so it's not too far. Due to the large crowd it draws, Leo suggested we get there early. So, we got up very early at 5:15 am and were out the door by 6 am. We picked up Caterina and then continued upstate. We broke up the drive by meeting Andi and Leo at their house about an hour north and then we followed them to Stormville. <br />
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The flea market is divided into sections and it even has a food court. One can find almost anything as there are vendors selling a variety of things. We saw booths selling all sorts of things like antiques, furniture, socks, clothing, leather goods including bikers' gear, coffee, bird feeders, lawn ornaments, plants and veggies, incense, hair care products, kitchen supplies and lots of other stuff. There was even a guy selling insect eating pitcher plants.<br />
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It was chilly but sunny day. There was a good breeze too which warranted jackets. I even wore a pair of knit gloves but it felt good to be outside walking around.<br />
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Here are Andi and Leo. They were kind to bring bagels and juice for breakfast which we enjoyed once we got there.<br />
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I had Jim stand on the picnic table bench and take a few shots in either direction. This was taken around 9 am so there weren't too many people there yet. When we left it was packed and the car line to get in the entrance was backed up for miles in both directions. It was a good thing we listened to Leo and got there early. <br />
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This was the view to the left of where we sat to eat breakfast.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct7tNIQUhKHVnXs6qI-yosZvz6uX80D2lLdLhCr3k3j9r30nRPaF_zeg3OOVSxn3HA4v2QmvMGK6ODlEXOMLHfBtHeLDChc0Zia64CLpOQ9uVvGbAjp-pUk8JZmioBYqSYQaBqQ6GIYg/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhct7tNIQUhKHVnXs6qI-yosZvz6uX80D2lLdLhCr3k3j9r30nRPaF_zeg3OOVSxn3HA4v2QmvMGK6ODlEXOMLHfBtHeLDChc0Zia64CLpOQ9uVvGbAjp-pUk8JZmioBYqSYQaBqQ6GIYg/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The vehicles you see belong to the vendors. </div>
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My mother-in-law and her boyfriend were vendors, too. He makes wooden lawn ornaments and other cute things. Thank goodness I had their spot number which made it easier to find them. <br />
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Here are Logan, Jim and Caterina.</div>
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I bought a few things that day. I found a vendor selling trimmings for a dollar so I bought some cute little fabric flowers and embellies that I can scrap or even use in my Project Life layouts. I also bought some ribbon. My favorite find of the day was a pretty blue bird feeder that now hangs from a shepherd's hook outside my house. <br />
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After we left the flea market, we went back to their house where we had a great lunch. After Leo did the fish rubbing that I mentioned in the previous blog post, he, Jim and the kids went fishing while Andi and I enjoyed some girl time.<br />
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When we finally got home that evening, I saw a couple of flies buzzing around my trash cans. I made the joke that we should have bought that pitcher plant. <br />
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It was a long day but as always, whenever we are with Leo and Andi, we have a great time.<br />
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Thanks for reading. Here's hoping you find some bargains of your own. Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-51366468543098523092013-05-29T19:56:00.002-07:002013-05-29T19:56:53.973-07:00Fish RubbingEver hear of it? I'm a big time crafter and I hadn't heard of it either but it's pretty cool. <br />
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We were visiting with our good friends, Leo and Andi, on Sunday when Leo decided to do some fish rubbing with the kids.<br />
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Leo pinned a real fish down on a board and then painted it different colors. </div>
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He then laid a t-shirt over the painted fish and gently rubbed the paint into the shirt. Here you can see Leo rubbing the shirt as Logan looks on.</div>
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And here is what the finished product looked like. </div>
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Caterina took her turn painting the fish with her choice of colors. </div>
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And her finished product. </div>
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Once your fish print is on, all you have to do is turn the shirt inside out and iron it to heat set the paint.<br />
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Very cool craft, Leo! Thanks for teaching me something new and for the shirts for the kids.Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-60966145739034807082013-05-28T21:57:00.001-07:002013-05-29T19:57:12.844-07:00Memorial Day at the Rockaway Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a week of rainy, damp weather, Memorial Day happily brought blue skies and warmer temps. Unfortunately, it also brought some serious wind.</div>
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We were all eager to enjoy some pleasant weather and being that Memorial Day marks the opening of our local beaches, we decided to put that brand new wetsuit our neighbor, Dave, bought Logan to use. Dave had mentioned he was going to go to the beach so we joined him.</div>
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Upon arrival at the beach, the damage created by Superstorm Sandy was apparent. Many of the houses across from the beach had major damage. The most stunning site, though, was the missing boardwalk. I had trouble processing the boardwalk was actually gone.</div>
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These are the supports for the boardwalk. For as far as I could see, there was no boardwalk in either direction. This is the view to the left of where I was standing at Beach 91st Street. </div>
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This is the view to the right. I was also surprised by how high the sand was under the supports.</div>
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I was saddened to see such damage but there was hope to be seen too as I saw stacks of wooden planks which means they are going to start rebuilding the boardwalk. <br />
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Once we got settled on the sand, Dave and Logan took a walk to see the newly built comfort station. I caught this picture of them as they were on the way back. <br />
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Logan decided to try the new wetsuit and go surfing. The water temp was only in the 50's but he was determined. Jim helped him into the suit. It was hilarious to watch them trying to get it on. You can tell from Logan's face, they were working hard. <br />
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Once it was on, however, he looked like a surfer dude with his board in hand. He was happy to have it on because it kept him warm from the blowing wind. About that time, I was wishing I had a wet suit, too, because I was freezing. <br />
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I love this shot of him. The wind had the zipper pull behind him flying.</div>
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Here he is waiting to catch a wave. </div>
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Paddling.</div>
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Getting up.</div>
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He enjoyed surfing but it was just too cold from the wind so we decided to call it a day. I was so glad as the two towels I had wrapped around me weren't providing much warmth or protection from the wind. We packed up and headed back to the car.<br />
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I'm looking forward to going back later in the summer to see what progress has been made in rebuilding the boardwalk.Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-27592776723271024032013-05-27T23:35:00.002-07:002013-05-28T21:57:25.720-07:00Hello, Friends.<br />
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I hope you are all enjoying spring. May has been a lot more like April around here. We got a lot of rain this month but look what all that rain has done to my plants.<br />
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There are some baby orange peppers budding here. </div>
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First tomato of the season is already growing. </div>
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My green pepper plants have grown a few inches too. </div>
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I even have strawberries.</div>
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This Double Million Bells is simply gorgeous. I just love this plant. </div>
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This picture doesn't really capture the bright pink tones of this plant. It's really pretty.</div>
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We went to a huge flea market on Sunday where I picked up this blue bird feeder. I bought some bird seed today. Jim filled it up and hung it. I think it's a bit too low so I have to raise it some.<br />
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Jim weed whacked the grass this afternoon and I love how nice it looks now. Seeing all these flowers when I come home makes me so happy. Although, I think I have to ask my neighbor to trim that tree a bit as it is encroaching on my walkway making it hard to get by. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYymBVzTYRkUH-uCQccYKSLrRFTVAXADG8ElO6j3nidsE6V6L18xOQtkNpiNYjvbnbS-qmCnXI6BtgCFyU7dhv_tRTribC7HuL95oQrZr1uYeDALBfMF92oUKQR13c-kAo3ioYFBTdrAw/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYymBVzTYRkUH-uCQccYKSLrRFTVAXADG8ElO6j3nidsE6V6L18xOQtkNpiNYjvbnbS-qmCnXI6BtgCFyU7dhv_tRTribC7HuL95oQrZr1uYeDALBfMF92oUKQR13c-kAo3ioYFBTdrAw/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My strawberry plants in the center are flanked by flowers. Well, they will be flowers soon. I planted these from seed last month and they are really filling in nicely. </div>
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Here's a picture of the porch. See how it needs one of those 3 tiered pots on the right. It looks unbalanced but not for long. That brown potted bush is my neighbor's. </div>
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Here's another flower box filled with mixed seeds. Look how full it's going to be. I went a bit crazy planting seeds but it was easy to get carried away. The bag of seeds I bought had more than 50,000 seeds in it.</div>
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I spray painted my little bench a bright red. It's definitely seen better days and winter dulled the color so it needed a bit of refreshing. I placed 3 pots on it which I planted with flower seeds. There are sprouts popping up through the soil. The other four pots to the left were also planted with seeds. As you can see, it shouldn't be long before some blossoms are showing. I'm eager to see what kind of flowers will bloom. I bought a bag of mixed seed so who knows what's going to show.</div>
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Jim and I went to Home Depot this morning where he spotted this 3 tiered potting system. I loved it but wondered how he would mount it to our porch. Well, it's apparent my doubt was unwarranted because he had these up in no time. I filled them with Wave Petunias which will cascade downward. I'm going back to Home Depot tomorrow to get another set of tiered pots and more petunias which he will hang on the other side of my porch. You know me, I love symmetry. <br />
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And of course, Raven had to get in on the planting. </div>
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I'm having fun doing all this planting. I'm hoping you're having fun too this spring.</div>
Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-4267177673059964452013-04-25T05:37:00.000-07:002013-04-25T05:39:13.130-07:00Intersection PicturesOk, so you read the story of how the timing of the traffic light was changed due to my request. I thought I'd show you the intersection. I should have included pictures in my previous post but I kept forgetting to take my camera with me.<br />
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Logan and Caterina had an early review class today for a chemistry test they are going to take tomorrow. (We'll be up early tomorrow again so they can go to another review class. Ugh!) Happily, I remembered to bring my camera as we were leaving the house today. I took these pictures while we were waiting at the light.<br />
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This is at 6:30 in the morning which accounts for the lack of life in this picture except for those two pedestrians. Trust me, an hour and something later which is when we usually go through that intersection, the picture will look quite different. There will be double parked trucks of all sorts, from sanitation to tractor trailers, on either side of the street because their drivers have left them to get their breakfast and coffee from that coffee shop on the left just after the Just Tints car detailing shop with the blue awning. Traffic will be backed up for blocks because of the light and the bottle neck created by the trucks. <br />
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This is the view coming from the opposite direction after I dropped off Logan and Caterina at school. That side will also be bottled necked because of the coffee shop on that side, again, just after the auto body place on the left. You can see 2 trucks already double parked there on either side of the street creating that bottle neck. <br />
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While things are better now since the timing change, traffic will never flow perfectly smoothly there unless they stop the trucks from double parking. However, those hard working men need their coffee to make this city run so we will continue going around them. Nonetheless, I'm happy because that timing change shaved extra minutes off my commute and in this city, that's a good thing!<br />
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Here's hoping your commute is a good one. Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-86762932483434273802013-04-23T06:56:00.000-07:002013-04-23T06:56:55.285-07:00One voice...or in this case, one email, can bring about a change, even in a city as big and dynamic as New York City. It comes as a huge and pleasant surprise to me as well that a simple request submitted online to a city agency could not only be acknowledged but then fulfilled in a relatively short time frame. <br />
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No doubt you're wondering to what am I referring. Well, every day I travel the same route to take Logan to and from school and to generally get around in my neighborhood. After years of experience, I've determined it's the best route due to it having the fewest traffic lights. If you know anything about NYC, there's a light on nearly every single corner. It can take 20 minutes to go just a few blocks because of all the lights. My tried and true route has worked for years but in recent months, one particular traffic light has been messing up a carefully mapped out travel plan designed to get me where I need to go in the shortest time. <br />
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This traffic light was causing a back up blocks long and it would take 4 or 5 changes for one to actually get through that intersection. The light was longer on the north/south street and shorter on the east/west street and this was a problem because the east/west street has by far the higher traffic volume.<br />
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So one day last January after sitting at that light way too long and way too many times, once I got home I went online to the Department of Transportation's website. After a bit of searching I discovered I could request a traffic study on that light. At the time, I wasn't even sure such a thing could be done. I just knew I'd wasted enough time at that darn light. I submitted the traffic study request and this is the response I received...<br />
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<span></span> <br />
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<i><span>Thank you for your email concerning the timing of the traffic signals on Steinway Street and 20<sup>th</sup> Avenue in Queens . </span></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span class="bodytext1"><span>Signal
timing cycle lengths usually fall between 45 and 120 seconds. The
timing for each signal is determined based on traffic volume and traffic
patterns in each particular area. </span></span><span>Our Signal Engineering Division will conduct an analysis of the signal timing to <span style="color: black;">determine if the signals are operating properly with adequate amount of time allocated for safe crossing of pedestrians.</span></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span>The
careful consideration of all relevant information is necessary to reach
a solution that will be in the best interests of public safety as well
as allowing for well managed street operations. The Borough Commissioner
will inform you of our findings and recommendations by end of March
2013 . </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span>Information about traffic signals is available on the DOT web site at <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/faqs/faqs_signals.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/faqs/faqs_signals.shtml</a>. </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span>The
safety of our residents is of primary concern to the NYCDOT. Please be
assured that we will fully investigate this matter. Your participation
in transportation issues which affect your community is greatly
appreciated.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span>Customer Service Division</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span>New York City Department of Transportation</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Ok, so after reading that, I didn't really expect anything to happen. After all, this is New York City, a city of millions of people and nearly 12,000 traffic lights. So imagine my surprise when the following emailed attachment came.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i>This is in
response to January 10<sup>th</sup> e-mail to the 311 Customer Service Center
regarding the operation of the traffic signals at the intersection of Steinway
Street and 20<sup>th</sup> Avenue.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i>As a result of
our investigation completed last month, we have modified the timing of the
signals at this location (and adjacent intersections) to improve
coordination.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>We believe this change
will alleviate the problem outlined in the e-mail.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i>Thank you for
bringing this matter to our attention.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<i> </i><span style="mso-tab-count: 7;"></span><i>Sincerely,</i><span><i></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<i>
</i></span><i>Dalila
Hall</i><span><i></i></span><i> </i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Deputy
Borough Commissioner</i><span><i>
</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Can you believe it? Isn't that something else? I'm very happy to report traffic is moving much better at that intersection. Good job New York City!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span> </span></div>
Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-55031977300257866792013-04-22T14:26:00.003-07:002013-04-22T14:27:07.226-07:00Spring is springing!I'm so happy Spring is here. It's still pretty chilly outside but it's coming. <br />
<br />
In my eagerness to welcome spring, I've been busy playing in the dirt! I've been enjoying getting my hands dirty and not only have I been having fun but look what's happening because of it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
These are my strawberries. There's actually 2 plants in that box but this one is much taller. Both are flowering. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkfw4oVQ9PdD7bIcKIyKAyfSo9PdreBT7K0CHcQRO78jodlaGd5bMwPalImNZqGqeTTwYNFoR33ubFpA6orDHTLzrZpGVanSNKRSgfoDno4ZlaVpMBUrGCuXXLXoXjWSyItvklt1iuCI/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkfw4oVQ9PdD7bIcKIyKAyfSo9PdreBT7K0CHcQRO78jodlaGd5bMwPalImNZqGqeTTwYNFoR33ubFpA6orDHTLzrZpGVanSNKRSgfoDno4ZlaVpMBUrGCuXXLXoXjWSyItvklt1iuCI/s400/DSC_0012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These are my green and red peppers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPGd_Srs5v4t_VAJSXaH6n6QyN1p__4MbghOlwl_3_AdbfDfSJeWxquZviim6E4Pua6-gVG8VOUlftUTg-kiioAW3AmIZPcU_LVWI0231D1Y8lFe51Njp4U2Zur9FTXAX7jg-0UXNy7A/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPGd_Srs5v4t_VAJSXaH6n6QyN1p__4MbghOlwl_3_AdbfDfSJeWxquZviim6E4Pua6-gVG8VOUlftUTg-kiioAW3AmIZPcU_LVWI0231D1Y8lFe51Njp4U2Zur9FTXAX7jg-0UXNy7A/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is an orange pepper plant.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR6peVlmne73_8dHtZV8GvHDXRthfnSs8Cvnf83xLfBsKOy_cxhbquz-CZMwoUdlRvZy9LonK1NzX6GqY1NxfiYT0Dp2RHgU40tNyPHPNNNK6gZZXrUAt5ZlrdlvE-aR_dCrZhrc-WI0/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR6peVlmne73_8dHtZV8GvHDXRthfnSs8Cvnf83xLfBsKOy_cxhbquz-CZMwoUdlRvZy9LonK1NzX6GqY1NxfiYT0Dp2RHgU40tNyPHPNNNK6gZZXrUAt5ZlrdlvE-aR_dCrZhrc-WI0/s400/DSC_0021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
These are cucumbers. I haven't put up the wire yet that they will climb up and let the cucs hang which will yield larger ones. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvScT8NdGmw2NFflECsRus7tUqv2pjnCDBr-XeyA6kpqNoSoR7hLFQ_G2letJw2r5QYMWp1F1kCqhCiYeQ-WC8nsushHk99UPsUFrhm_IJj_oXHkUCB2XDSz_kOaxyGDldxH3cfdk2CHw/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvScT8NdGmw2NFflECsRus7tUqv2pjnCDBr-XeyA6kpqNoSoR7hLFQ_G2letJw2r5QYMWp1F1kCqhCiYeQ-WC8nsushHk99UPsUFrhm_IJj_oXHkUCB2XDSz_kOaxyGDldxH3cfdk2CHw/s400/DSC_0027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is a hanging pot just bursting with new flower sprouts. I bought a butterfly garden seed mix so I'm not exactly sure what kind of flowers these will be but there will be plenty of blooms. I'll probably have to thin these a bit. </div>
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This window box is also going to be flowers. I have 2 others that will be flowers as well. </div>
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I have plans to paint my outside railing and spray paint my little bench that sits in the front of my house. Unfortunately, it was way too cold to be outside that long painting a fence railing today. It was also way too windy today to do any spray painting so I'll have to wait for a better day. <br />
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Happy Spring!!!Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-20539806078015753632013-04-17T22:09:00.001-07:002013-04-17T22:09:44.245-07:00Another GiftHello, friends.<br />
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I think you'll remember last year when our neighbor, Dave, bought Logan a surfboard. You can read about it <a href="http://shadesofblue-serene.blogspot.com/search/label/Friends">here</a>.<br />
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Well, tonight, that kind man did it again. Dave came over tonight; we thought to say hello and hang out for a while. He had a box with him which he gave to Logan. In the box was a brand new wetsuit. Yes, that's right. Dave bought my son a wetsuit to go along with the surfboard he got last year. <br />
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Logan couldn't wait to try it on. It's a perfect fit. The kid didn't want to take it off. You can see how happy he is. <br />
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Look at Logan's big smile here. He's beaming with joy. I, on the other hand, was in tears from Dave's kindness. His generosity towards my son has touched my heart. <br />
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Now Logan is ready to go surfing. They are both looking forward to a fun summer catching waves.<br />
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A most heartfelt thank you to Dave! <br />
Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-42830577333282026242013-03-18T17:39:00.002-07:002013-03-18T17:39:43.873-07:00Winter Woes<br />
I guess my asking Mother Nature to keep winter away fell on deaf ears because we've got another snow storm in full swing right now. It started as sleet earlier tonight but now we've got big flakes and it's sticking.<br />
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It's hard enough hobbling around on crutches and a walking boot in good weather. This snow is just making things harder. I need spring and a new ankle. <br />
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On a happy note, I saw carts of pretty, colorful flowering plants outside the supermarket today.<br />
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Spring can't be far away if they've got the plants out for sale, right? Until then, I'll keep singing the song........snow, snow go away.Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-32933498589440568502013-03-16T13:33:00.001-07:002013-03-18T17:39:51.318-07:00Snow, snow go away...<br />
come again another day. Oh and dear Mother Nature, would you please make that day many months from now. Looks like winter just doesn't want to let go of her grips on us. Here we are March 16 and it's snowing right now. <br />
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I'm so ready for spring. It's been a long, cold and snowy winter. I want to go flower shopping at the nursery and
replant them in my flower boxes that will grace my porch. I want to buy a
couple of lovely hanging plants to hang from my awning, perhaps a Million Bells plant or two. I just love this plant with all its happy little blooms.</div>
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<img height="393" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.florifacts.umn.edu/2006%20Annual%20Trials/Calibrachoa%20Superbells%20coral.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="524" /> </div>
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Here's hoping wherever you are, spring is springing up all around you. </div>
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Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-47567567871854219782013-03-08T21:08:00.000-08:002013-03-18T17:40:02.016-07:00Another display layoutHello, friends.<br />
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As promised, I'm back with another post showing a layout that I'll be displaying on the classroom wall at Michael's. It's another simple one which helps promote my Scrapbooking 101 class that I teach. <br />
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Doesn't he look happy? How exciting the first day of school is. It's so full of promise. Well, at least it was for me; I liked school. Especially after a long, boring summer, I was itching to get back to school. <br />
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I like the bright colors of this layout The colors and Logan's big smile make me happy. <br />
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Here's wishing you all a bright day!Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-7090090900750542792013-03-08T19:26:00.001-08:002013-03-08T19:30:04.709-08:00Out With The Old...<div style="text-align: left;">
and in with the new! </div>
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This was my old car. A 2010 Nissan Murano. </div>
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But now it's gone and this pretty thing is mine for the next 36 months.<br />
Say hello to my brand new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe.</div>
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<img height="359" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.zercustoms.com/news/images/Hyundai/2013-Hyundai-Santa-Fe-UK-4.jpg" style="margin-top: 17px;" width="560" /> </div>
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I actually went to the Hyundai dealership looking for the Vera Cruz which was a car my friend, Kathi, had as a loaner during a scrap retreat weekend. I was sad to learn the Vera Cruz has been discontinued. But once I saw this new Santa Fe with its blue lighted dash board, I was sold.<br />
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I was glad to see the Murano go. It was a long 3 years with that car. I've had the Santa Fe a week now and so far I'm totally loving it. It's so pretty and filled with lots of features the Murano didn't have like heated seats which has been wonderful with our cold weather lately. </div>
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The coolest feature is the bluetooth which allows me to make phone calls but the voice of the person I'm calling comes out of the car's speakers. I get such a kick out of that. I've just got to get used to the phone control buttons on the steering wheel. I keep disconnecting my calls when I make a turn and accidentally hit the button. </div>
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I'm looking forward to enjoying my new car. Thanks, Kathi!</div>
Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-36044633425756298582013-03-07T08:45:00.001-08:002013-03-07T08:48:36.916-08:00On DisplayHi, everyone.<br />
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We are bracing for yet another snow storm tonight into tomorrow. Naturally! Tomorrow is my birthday and it usually snows on my birthday. Oh well, such is the life of a winter born baby. I can tell you this, snow or no snow, I'm going to be celebrating this weekend! Bring on the fun and alcohol!!!<br />
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As some of you may know, I teach scrapbooking classes at a local Michael's craft store. My store manager asked me to bring in some layouts to be displayed on the classroom walls. The below layout is one that will be placed in a shadow box and displayed on the wall.<br />
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I like this layout even though it's simple. First, it's blue and we know how much I love the color blue. Second, because seeing Logan that little brings back so many memories of my sweet little baby. Oh, why do they have to grow up? boo hoo! <br />
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I crocheted the yellow flowers. That blue circle was created by one of my dear online scrappy friends when we did a swap some years back and I thought it was perfect for this layout because of the butterfly on it that matched my background paper. (I hope the talented creator will forgive me for forgetting who actually made it and remind me.) <br />
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I'll post again with the other layouts that will be displayed in the classroom at Michael's.<br />
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Enjoy your day!Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-80911905560358036842013-03-04T21:09:00.001-08:002013-03-04T21:09:13.510-08:00St. Patrick's Day CardsHi, everyone.<br />
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With Spring just around the corner, I thought I would post some new cards I made for St. Paddy's Day.<br />
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This is actually a foil shamrock but the lighting doesn't show it well. It's really pretty in person with the way it reflects light. I pierced it and then used a white pen to make the holes pop a little more. <br />
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I found a sheet of corrugated cardstock and used a piece of it to make the banner on this card. Who knew they even made corrugated cardstock? It's very cool stuff and it adds a nice detail of dimension. <br />
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I created a little pocket for this card into which I placed a tag. I used a piece of glittered cardstock and border punched it. There's also a little bit more of the corrugated cardstock below it. <br />
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Here they all are together.</div>
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Wishing you all the Luck of the Irish! Thanks for looking.<br />
<br />Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-19415913009755493702013-02-22T22:14:00.002-08:002013-02-22T22:14:41.905-08:00Madame TussaudsHello again, everyone. <br />
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As promised, I'm back with another post to tell you where we went after seeing the 9/11 Memorial. Naturally, due to the serious tone of the memorial we were ready for some more upbeat fun. <br />
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We left downtown Manhattan and hopped the subway to the heart of Times Square where we went to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. This was another place none of us had been.<br />
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After paying admission we took the elevator to the top floor and worked our way down as we were directed. Our first sight upon the elevator doors opening was a huge RuPaul atop a fountain in the center of the room. What an outfit! Not many could pull that off, for sure!<br />
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Here's one of Jim and Tyra Banks. Notice the smile on him. LOL </div>
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Logan has read Ozzy's autobiography so he was happy to see Sharon and Ozzy on display. </div>
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I was milling around the room enjoying the exhibit when I heard a voice call, "honey". I knew the voice and turned around to see Jim posing with a Rockette. Do you see that smile on him? <br />
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Here's one of Robin Williams and Logan. </div>
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Here's one of Cat and Bruce Willis. </div>
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There's Elle McPhearson and my again smiling husband. </div>
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Didn't realize Einstein was so short. </div>
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What wax museum would be complete without Marilyn? Actually, this museum had 2 Marilyn's. Need I point out the smile on him? Are ya starting to see a pattern here?</div>
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Nathan Lane and the Gang.</div>
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A lotta leg here and Jim was drawn to her like a moth to flame. And again with the smile.</div>
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What is it with him? </div>
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Cat and Brangelina. </div>
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Some astronaut action. </div>
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Here we have Jim and Iron Man. This was a very cool room for Jim. He was in Superhero heaven with Spidey, Thor, Captain America and Superman all on display.</div>
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That was one really big Hulk. </div>
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We spent a couple of hours in the museum and saw lots of other celebrities from Louie Armstrong to Barbara Walters and countless others in between. Some were spot on in likeness like Leonardo DiCaprio who I half expected to move and shake my hand and others were just a little bit off like Harrison Ford who I had trouble identifying at first.</div>
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It was an interesting exhibit and it really is amazing how the artists create these out of wax. It's truly life-sized art. Ok, in the case of the Hulk, larger than life but still art.</div>
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After all this walking we'd worked up quite an appetite. We took the train back home and then went to dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant. It was a great day and we all had fun. </div>
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Here's hoping you all take a day to be a tourist in your own town!</div>
Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-72474299086825783152013-02-21T21:33:00.000-08:002013-02-22T22:14:34.131-08:009/11 Memorial Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, everyone.</div>
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It's been more than a while since I blogged but thanks to a gentle kick in the pants from my friend, Lisa, I'm here writing a long overdue post. Thanks, Lisa! LOL </div>
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I hope you've been having a good winter. We've had our share of both cold temps and snow so far but we didn't let that stop us hearty New Yorkers. School has been closed this week for winter break. Jim is on vacation so we've had a very much needed week to have some fun and reconnect as a family. </div>
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We decided to take a trip into Manhattan and finally go see the 9/11 Memorial. None of us have been down there yet so I guess it was time. </div>
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Here are Logan and Caterina on the subway as we headed into the city. </div>
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Here are Jim and the kids while we waited in line to enter the memorial site. It was windy and cold out there. My eyes were tearing from the wind. Happily, we didn't wait too long in line. We didn't know it at this point but once we cleared this area, we had to go through security screening like that at an airport. Ever so thankfully, the security screening was inside a building so we didn't freeze when we had to take off our coats prior to being screened. The security process was a tad annoying but it was also quick and efficiently organized. <br />
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Here's a shot of the Freedom Tower. We saw this as soon as we came up out of the subway. They're getting near the top with window installation.<br />
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Here's a picture of the Memorial. It was a very powerful scene. The sound of the water was loud. I'd seen the Memorial on TV but I never thought of what it would sound like. Due to the cold, there was a coating of ice on the walls beneath the water. </div>
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Another angle of it.</div>
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The roses in this name made us all stop and reflect for a moment. Seeing the flowers made one realize these weren't just names cut into the steel. They were loved ones for whom people still mourn. <br />
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This building will be the museum when it opens. </div>
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My memories of that awful day are still very vivid so I was unsure how
visiting the site would make me feel. I'm glad we went. We were all affected by the site and I wonder if that isn't because we are New Yorkers and this was our city that was attacked. We saw many people there who were not so respectful of the solemnity of the memorial. I even saw a guy attempt to sit on the ledge where the names are so he could have his picture taken. I was just about to say something but a security guard beat me to it and stopped him. The guard even went so far as to chastise him for not having respect for where he was. <br />
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I wish the events that caused this memorial to be built never happened but I'm glad there is a memorial, and a beautiful one at that. <br />
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This was just the beginning of our day. I'll write about where we went after this later. <br />
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Wishing you all a peaceful night. Thanks for reading. Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-29432492044192986642012-12-17T10:59:00.000-08:002012-12-17T10:59:33.665-08:00Orlando Hi, Everyone.<br />
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Hope you all had a great weekend. No doubt you were as busy as I was shopping and preparing for Christmas which I simply can't believe is just days away. Boy, did this year go quickly.<br />
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I also hope I didn't bore you with my last post about our vacation because guess what, this post is going to be about our vacation, too.<br />
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Ok, so on our second day once we dropped our suitcases at our place, we went food shopping at Walmart and then at Publix. I made the mistake of buying the meats at Walmart last year and what a mistake that was so this year, we got most of our groceries at Walmart but then went to Publix to get the meats.<br />
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While in Publix, Jim noticed this display made out of Coke cases. I totally missed it but once Jim pointed it out, I put Spiro and Emma in front of it. It was a very clever display considering we were so close to Disney, don't you think? <br />
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Behind our townhouse there is a lake wherein you can find all sorts of waterfowl. We usually feed them in the back but this particular morning, they came to the front door and we were all too happy to provide them with breakfast. <br />
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Nothing like having a giant pool all to yourself, right? This is the
pool just 1 block away from us. There are other pools in the complex but
we prefer this one. There's Logan down by the waterfall. He wasn't
alone long as both grandparents and Jim joined him in the water. <br />
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As you can see from their pale skintones, neither one of them gets a lot of sun.</div>
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After some frolicking in the pool, Spiro went to get a massage. Those are his feet you can see as he's lying on the table. I snuck over and unbeknownst to him, I crawled under the head rest and took a most unappealing shot of his face. Do I hear blackmail anyone? Ha! Ha! </div>
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One afternoon we took a short drive to an area attraction called Old Town. There are quaint little shops, rides and bars there but it's a quiet place in the day as it comes to life at night time. Here's Jim having a chat with a puppet. <br />
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This is one of the rides at Old Town. It's a sling shot except it shoots people! Just looking at it from the ground made me dizzy. <br />
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The main thoroughfare where the businesses are located is closed to cars so we strolled carefree down streets and enjoyed ourselves as we visited many of the shops. We had a fun time here. We went back a day or two later but we never did get there in the evening.<br />
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So one day we decided to check out a wildlife park we'd never been to. According to the advertisement, it was only 17 miles from Orlando. Well, after more than an hour's drive, we realized they had to be measuring from the outskirts of Orlando because it was more than 60 miles away. As we drove we kept saying, this place better be worth it to make us drive this far!<br />
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We finally arrived there and this was the first sight I saw, a beautiful peacock. In fact, there were several roaming the grounds. They came right up to us looking for food. <br />
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There were many alligators here. They number in the hundreds. Here's one covered in something called Duckweed. It's a plant that according to the guide regenerates itself every 24 hrs. It rather thickly covers all of the water in the park. The strange thing she mentioned, the park has no ducks. Not hard to understand why when there are so many gators hiding beneath this stuff. <br />
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We were given a presentation by an American Indian who not only taught us some things but did it quite entertainingly. He showed us all sorts of different tools his ancestors used in their daily life and made it fun in the way he delivered the information. That structure everyone is standing under was a dwelling. The center support pole has indents in it which they used to climb up into the loft area. <br />
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Here we are at another informative demonstration using a few of the big gators. Brave girl there ready to toss a piece of chicken into that gator's mouth. <br />
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We took a boat ride around the park. When we came around the bend which opened up to this view, I felt like I was in the Amazon. It was hard to tell it was Central Florida.<br />
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Ok, who reading this thinks of "Ice Age, The Meltdown" when they see this picture? As soon as I saw all those vultures in that tree, I immediately thought of the movie and started singing the song the vultures sing as they are looking down on Manny and the rest of the gang, Food, Glorious Food... Oh man, now I've got that song stuck in my head again. <br />
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This park had all sorts of animals from this pretty coyote, to lynxes and mountain lions, to wolves, to foxes to parrots and even two black bears named Boris & Natasha. <br />
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We took part in a show and tell which actually turned into a show and touch of all sorts of creatures. Here Logan is touching a skunk. I was so surprised by how soft the skunk's coat was. I expected it to be much coarser. I held a snake and a baby alligator. I even touched a rose haired tarantula. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Dh_GEbnFx9xAruZV2F5trgCJLj22PjNmFXuP5_-_m7P0iQSWiA4IX4wpRqsNhyInCMF9opJqh9mTdt5qsIw-v3bMh0Dfv_LzFUsy_5m_pjzUFpslU1m7mexf7Ao8OZkEx39kSKRuPKQ/s1600/DSC_0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Dh_GEbnFx9xAruZV2F5trgCJLj22PjNmFXuP5_-_m7P0iQSWiA4IX4wpRqsNhyInCMF9opJqh9mTdt5qsIw-v3bMh0Dfv_LzFUsy_5m_pjzUFpslU1m7mexf7Ao8OZkEx39kSKRuPKQ/s400/DSC_0518.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's Jim with his chance at holding the snake. </div>
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This guy had no clue what he was in for when he volunteered from out of the audience. They proceeded to put a large, hairy spider on his head and a really big scorpion on his shoulder. Brave man, indeed!<br />
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We had a great time at this park so even though it was a drive, it turned out to be very much worth it.<br />
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Hope you had fun reading about our animal encounters.<br />
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Have a great day!<br />
<br />Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-6678679493711804022012-12-16T14:06:00.001-08:002012-12-17T10:39:21.175-08:00Aaaahhhh Vacation!I've been meaning to write about our recent vacation but just haven't had the time. As some of you might know, we have a place in Orlando and we made our yearly visit to it at the beginning of the month. We left the day after Thanksgiving and spent the following week in sunny Florida. My stepdad, Spiro, and my mother-in-law, Emma, came with us so Logan was a lucky kid to have 2 grandparents there to spoil him. I was happy both of them came with us. He made lots of memories with both of them that will stay with him forever. <br />
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We had absolutely great weather this year. High 70's, blue skies every day, and it wasn't even that humid, thankfully. If Florida weather was always like that, I'd finally give in to Jim's request to move there.<br />
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So after a small delay in our flight to Tampa and picking up our rental car, we drove to Plant City which is half way between Tampa and Orlando. This mural was on the wall of the cafe across the street from my Uncle Kenny's antique store.<br />
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Here is one side of the store front window of my Uncle's store. What a lovely store he has. I know nothing of antiques or the stores that sell them but his store was so pleasantly arranged. I am so proud of my Uncle for opening the store he's always wanted to own. He has so many lovely and unusual things in there so if you're into antiques or just like to browse those kinds of shops and you're ever in Plant City, Florida, be sure to visit his store. <br />
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Here's a picture of Logan with my Uncle Kenny.</div>
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After checking out all the wonderful things he has for sale in his store, we drove back to Tampa but Logan stayed with Kenny who was going to close up the shop and meet us for lunch later. So what to do while we waited for them to join us??? Why, visit Joann's, of course! There's one ever so conveniently close to my Uncle's house and since we had time to kill, what better way to spend that time than perusing the aisles of a craft store, right? <br />
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Once inside Joann's, I came across this sight. A lady was pushing the cart that contained her obviously pampered pouch named Lily. I just had to take a picture of this and the owner graciously allowed me to photograph her "baby". <br />
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After a little scrap shopping, we met up with everyone at a cool little taco shop named Tijuana Flats. They have fabulous tacos and I think I might have done permanent damage to my taste buds by trying some of their hot sauces but lunch was delicious. Here's a picture of Uncle Kenny and his son, Josh, and Logan at Tijuana Flats. <br />
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We enjoyed a fun night of catching up, game playing and great homemade lasagna at Kenny's house. He was so kind to put all 5 of us for the night. It was so wonderful to see my family. I've missed them so much. <br />
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The next day we said our goodbyes and drove to Orlando where we would spend the rest of the week. On the way, we stopped at an attraction called Fantasy of Flight. My thought in going there was to give Logan an opportunity to take a ride in a biplane. However, once there and he learned he could go up in a different biplane that he could actually fly, he no longer wanted to just be a passenger in one. Ok, so $250 later and a whole lot more grey hairs on my head, he got his chance to fly a replica of a 1942 Stearman biplane that was used to train pilots during WWII. Here he is in the cockpit prior to taking off.<br />
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There he goes as they are speeding up to take off. The pilot is behind him. </div>
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And they're up!</div>
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Thank goodness the pilot told me she was going to blow smoke or I would have been a wreck thinking something was wrong with the plane. They were gone for about a 1/2 hour and he had a great time. The best part is that flight actually counts toward a pilot's license.</div>
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This picture is for my friend, Lisa. We saw these round hay bales as we were leaving the airfield. I made Jim stop the car so I could get out and take a picture just for her. (Sorry folks, inside joke here.) <br />
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We made our way to Orlando where we dropped our luggage at our place and then went food shopping. Here are Spiro and Jim goofing around in the Walmart parking lot. <br />
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Here's one of my mother-in-law, Emma. Her birthday was the day we were flying home we so we celebrated her birthday while we were down there. </div>
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I've got more to share but right now there are presents to be wrapped and cards to be written out. I'll be back with more pictures of our great vacation.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<br />Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-82282920044861113282012-11-06T19:33:00.001-08:002012-11-06T19:33:36.746-08:00Cuddle TimeSo after a busy day at work followed by a few errands on the way home, I walked in to find Gizmo and Lacey cuddled together. They were so cute I just had to snap a picture of them. She's so little but her coat is thickening and she seems to be getting fluffier by the day which makes her look bigger than she is. Lacey is actually lying on Gizzy's legs. His back paw is sticking out under her belly and she's using his front leg as a pillow. In this picture, you can really see the different colors of her coat. <br />
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At the end of the day, it's nice to come home to some furry sweetness. <br />
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Here's wishing you some sweetness at the end of your day. Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3694640233648937953.post-5063296948031650222012-11-05T06:59:00.001-08:002012-11-05T07:00:26.820-08:00Good and Bad from SandyAs you know, a monster storm hit the Eastern seaboard last week. The devastation is nothing short of staggering. I'm still reeling from the pictures of the destruction. Many are dealing with complete loss of everything they owned and worked for their whole lives. Others are still dealing with on-going power outages. There are many in my office who still do not have power. <br />
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We were very fortunate in that we didn't sustain any damage other than 2 downed trees on our block one of which can be seen here. This tree missed Jim's car by 6 feet. We never lost power although our lights flickered for hours threatening to go out. <br />
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The next two pictures are of my neighbors clearing a tree off of Dave's (in the blue jacket) car. If you read my blog regularly, you'll remember Dave is the wonderfully generous man who bought my son a surfboard recently. Logan and I helped for 2 hours to bag up all the branches while 2 other neighbors sawed the tree down into manageable pieces. It was windy and rainy at times but through teamwork we got the tree all cleaned up. The amazing thing about this was other than a broken antenna, Dave's car was undamaged. And another amazing thing is those 2 men don't speak English yet we all came together to help Dave when he needed it. I thought that was very cool. <br />
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The below picture is from a downed tree 4 blocks from my house. This scene is repeated everywhere around here.<br />
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While some things are returning to normal like mass transit, there is still a major gas shortage here. Jim waited on line 3 1/2 hrs yesterday only to purchase $40 worth of gas. Later in the evening we stopped at another gas station and got on a many blocks long line. Thankfully, we waited only 20 minutes before the gas station closed due to being out of gas.<br />
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We live across the street from a college. We learned parts of the college are being used as relief centers and 500 refugees from the hard hit Rockaway Beach communities are being housed there in the college's 2 gyms. I gathered 10 bags of clothing from my house and made a donation yesterday. I also collected stuff from friends of mine like Loretta (Eddie's mom - Eddie is a friend of Logan's) who donated an unbelievable number of 20 different coats and lots of baby stuff including the car seat below. Loretta also collected stuff from her neighbors. This is some of what I dropped off yesterday.<br />
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When we entered the college yesterday, I was touched to see so many cars lined up to drop off their donations. I saw people giving diapers, strollers, food, clothing, all sorts of much needed items. Below you can see cases of donated beverages stacked up. <br />
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Here you can see the backs of Logan and Jim as they brought our donation up to be collected.<br />
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The lady talking to the man in the orange vest is Neeta. She is Raja's mom. Some of you will remember Raja who is one of Logan's best friends. The relief worker was telling Neeta of their dire need for shoes, ice and refrigeration. When I left her she was going to buy a refrigerator to donate. She'd already given a van full of stuff. <br />
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There is such suffering going on in the aftermath of this horrible storm. So many have lost so much; it's unimaginable.<br />
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But yesterday, as I stood there looking around while Jim and Logan unloaded the car, I also saw something good. I saw lots of people, total strangers in fact, coming to the aide of those in dire need.<br />
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To put it simply, it choked me up. It still chokes me up. Thank you New York!Serenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08255228777357619307noreply@blogger.com6