Monday, August 30, 2010

News flash!

For those of you wishing for cooler fall-like weather..
Those of you sweltering..
and sweating in slap-you-in-the face humidity in the tropics..
those of you who wish to shoo summer out the door..
and rush autumn in with all her glory..
not to mention activities requiring sweaters..
heavy coats..gloves,scarves and hats.. 
boots..and socks!
not those fashionable high heeled types worn in L.A...
but galoshes, and mucklucks..
as well as digging out all the cold weather tools..
replacing rakes . water hoses and sprinklers with..
snow blowers and shovels, mittens and scarves..
as well as skis.snow boards...
putting away the shorts and flip flops..
turning on the furnace..
putting the electric blanket back on the bed..
I'm not ready for sleeping with closed windows just yet..
YES! that is snow on the mountains from last nite,,
in Telluride, Colorado!
Enjoy your day...

While I make my annual winter reservations for this,,
l
But first , I hope to enjoy a bit of this..

or maybe even a bit of this..

or this..
 Bass Fishing Near Fort Myers, Florida
and Maybe some of this..

But you can bet I won't be enjoying this..


or this..
Because today.. 
I'm gonna be enjoying  doing this...
woman taking photo
 Catcha later...♥

Monday : Colors,Blue,Mellow Yellow and Mosaic



MellowYellowMondayBadge
Color~~on Mondays

Monday colors...


BLUE sky...
GREEN  palms gently swaying in the breeze
Turquoise (blues and greens) waters....
coloring my world a perfectly sunny beachy day..
















But..beneath those waters lie another world..
home to a myriad of creatures large and small..
one of my most favorite is the Green Sea Turtle
















..one just never knows what lies beneath..
...
or above..                       





whatever the colors, enjoy your Monday!!
Joining my Monday favorites..


Smiling Sally for Blue Monday 
Mary for            Mosaic Monday 
Jen                  Colors on Monday (green) 
and  finally       Mellow Yellow Monday 


Warm sandy hugs... Loui♥

Saturday, August 28, 2010

A valuable lesson learned..


Today, while in Goodwill, in a matter of minutes I became a victim. Although I had my purse (much like the one pictured below.) close to me at all times,someone managed to take my wallet without my knowledge.


 I'd gone straight to the furniture department to see if "my" chairs  and a chest of drawers had been sold or were still available today for half price. They had not! so as I flagged an employee to tag the items for me, I went to the cashier to pay for the items. Reaching into my purse for my wallet,and discovering it GONE..I panicked..uttered a not nice word! The cashier took my buggy, told me to run check my car as she was announcing a lost wallet over the PA system. No wallet in car! Drats, I knew it was in my purse! Back I went and was met at the cashier's by her waving my wallet! A small child around 8 or 9 had found the wallet. Upon opening the wallet to give her a cash reward, I discovered all cash GONE.
I keep that in a special part of the wallet. Everything else was there just as I'd left them..all credit cards, my driver's license,as well as unused gift cards where the cash had been, plus a 20$ bill folded in a receipt from the grocery store. I thanked them gratefully for returning the wallet, and the little girl said " May I give you a hug? You sure look like you could use one!"
My friend the cashier called me later, and said two more "lost wallet"incidents had occurred since mine..only those wallets were not found.
I learned a valuable lesson today, Everyone takes advantage of Goodwill 1/2 off entire store day..including thieves. Although my purse was firmly on my shoulder at all times and snapped closed, someone with nimble fingers managed to unsnap my purse, reach in, and steal my wallet. I NEVER felt a bump, jostle..nothing to indicate I'd essentially been violated while in a very public place.
Never again will I go into Goodwill carrying a purse, only a credit card in my pocket.
I thanked God for watching over me  by the return of the wallet.
From all the years worked in the banking profession, once home, I did call the credit card companies as well as  the three credit  reporting agencies to alert/ flag my accounts with a fraud alert.
And yet, I still believe in miracles from above..there are Angels among us in all shapes and sizes..just ask the little girl who returned my lost wallet and  asked only to give ME a hug!
.angels.jpg angels image by dcolombiana

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Wednesday..White, Watery, Outdoors and Wordless

OutdoorWednesdaylogo554444

~White Wednesday

Beachy love through the generations..

In the beginning was The Beach..

and my toes connected again..after how many seasons?

my daughter Lisa and granddaughter Mac..
searching for the perfect sand dollar..

Granddaughter Mac..making memories..



















Son Keith.. ..the surfer

.and back to the beginning....


and Beachymoi..way back in 1962.

Please enjoy more Wednesday fun..
at these delightful sites.

White Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Outdoors Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Colorful Monday..

MellowYellowMondayBadgeColor~~on Mondays


I so love Color!
Blue is my most favorite,
followed by Yellow ..
and finally Red..
All of my life I have adored White..
whether it be Clothing,
Furniture..
or a simple Picket Fence
Maybe those colors represent MY Florida..
the sunshine,
the blues and greens of the crystal waters..
red swimsuits,
boards,
and umbrellas here and there,,
all splashed brightly  against  the pallet of sugary white sand..
Those very same colors  are found in my favorite flowers
Yellow Roses..
to me..the color of sunshine..
















Blue Hydrangeas..
ever changing like the shades of blues in the Gulf of Mexico..
















The reds will surface on another day..
and no post would be complete without a beachy scene or two..















One of my most favorite scenes..
















And another ..

and my son.. the most favorite vision of all!

Please click for Blue Monday  with Smiling Sally
and Mellow Yellow Monday
and Mosaic Monday  with Mary
and Monday Colors # 3 Yellow at Jen's
 Enjoy your Colorful Monday !

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Sunday.. Southern memories..

Join us weekly for

Back when I was a kid, summer vacation did not necessarily mean a trip to visit a theme park.
Initially as soon as school ended at Memorial Day, those next  three months of summer were utilized for harvesting crops.Needing as many hands possible, neighbors and their children all combined forces to get the crops harvested quickly.. Oftentimes  while the men were in the hay and cotton fields, the women and smaller children were busily preparing vegetables for canning.
Such was frequently the scene at my house on Sundays.
First we attended morning church services,
then  Sunday Dinner usually served boarding house style... the kitchen quickly cleared and cleaned..
.and afterwards..out to the back yard..under the pecan trees..
Many a Sunday afternoon  was spent beneath the spreading pecan trees in our back yard with a bucket of peas and butter-beans waiting to be shelled.
everyone helped do their part

I loved picking the peas and beans, even if my hands did turn purple!
 I can see my Daddy and Mom sitting in their cane bottom chairs..
shelling..
and talking..
and laughing..
sometimes dad would amuse us by yodeling..
or singing old country songs..
and then we'd all sing together..
off key.. just having fun..
At other times,  the same scene.. the vegetable was now corn.
Dad would shuck,


Mom would cut it off the cob.
 Each of us kids had a  role in getting the vegetables ready for canning and freezing.
and we all  enjoyed the fruits of our labors!




Summer was a busy time.. Fruits were ripening and weekends were to utilize all available family hands.
It was during these summers that I learned the secrets of my ancestors recipes.. how to make the best pear preserves,


 candied Fig preserves..

Dreaming of hot buttered biscuits and preserves
and the perfect pickle and pepper sauce.,,
 as well as jams and jellies.

Sweet freestone peaches..


I still  use those same recipes and secrets today, only not on as quite a broad scale. Mostly I can for the pleasure of sharing with other friends as gifts and Holiday treats..
Once everything was finished, we knew Daddy would be cutting the watermelon he'd earlier put on ice.

Those times spent as family in the back yard were magical. We'd listen in awe as Daddy spun tales of his exploits as a poor child living in the country on a farm. We heard tales of ancestors and their exploits. My Mom would talk of her fight to attend school. So much family history was learned as we worked together..
played together,
prayed together..
and stayed together.
Again, I do miss th simpler times when families  weren't spread to the four corners of the earth.. but rather just down the street or across the field..
On a simple Sunday summer afternoon..
*all photos courtesy of Google*

Please join for Summer Sundays
Scenic Sunday