Monday, October 31, 2011

Monday: What a wonderful World!

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world..

~Louis Armstrong~



I couldn't have said it any better myself!

On Tuesday...
very  early, 
We'll leave all the majestic Autumn beauty of Colorado behind..
While winging our way back to my home..Florida!

Fall in the Colorado Wilderness

October glow

Longs Peak & Mt. Meeker
Leaving this!
for This!!!!
Life Is A Beach

To do some of this..

and a lot of this...

Hopefully....
Not a lot of this !!
My posts may be infrequent.. erratic..or even giddy!
Just know..November is MY month to celebrate..
with family and friends..
So.. Good bye October.. it's been fun!
 Early Happy Halloween
see ya next year!
Well hellllllooooooo November!

Now..
let's party..
Blue Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday






Friday, October 28, 2011

Have you seen THIS!

Just saw this!
All I can say is It's about time!!!
what is YOUR valued opinion???

The changes would apply to any future children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured here at their wedding in April.

Girls given equal rights to British throne under law changes

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 8:44 AM EST, Fri October 28, 2011
The changes would apply to any future children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, pictured here at their wedding in April.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: The law changes would apply to any children of Prince William and Catherine
  • Under the changes, a first-born girl would take the throne ahead of a younger brother
  • The law changes must still be approved by individual Commonwealth governments
London (CNN) -- Sons and daughters of British monarchs will have an equal right to the throne under changes to the United Kingdom's succession laws agreed to Friday, British Prime Minister David Cameron said.
The leaders of the 16 Commonwealth countries which have the queen as head of state approved the changes unanimously at a Commonwealth of Nations summit in Australia, he said. The individual governments of those 16 countries must still agree the law changes for them to take effect.
Princesses to get fair share of throne
The constitutional changes would mean a first-born girl has precedence over a younger brother. They also mean that a future British monarch would be allowed to marry a Catholic.
The laws would apply to any future children of Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, who married this year.
Speaking alongside his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard in Perth, Cameron described Friday's agreement by the heads of government of the 16 nations as "something of a historic moment."
Attitudes have changed fundamentally over the centuries, he said in a televised address, and outdated rules should evolve with them.
"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic -- this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we have become," he said.
"Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen. "
Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, said he welcomed the plans to reform the Act of Settlement.
"I am pleased to note that the process of change, which I hope will lead to repeal of the Act has started and I look forward to studying the detail of the proposed reforms and their implications in due course," he said in a statement.
Queen Elizabeth is in Australia for the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The Commonwealth is an association of 54 nations with ties to the United Kingdom. Only 16 share the queen as head of state.

Now back to our our regularly scheduled Blogging..well..in a few ..be right back after dental appointment.. Duh!

CNN's James Partington contributed to this report.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Dear Photograph..



Having been indoors due to extreme cold  (19 degrees this morning)..
with the first SNOW Fall  of the season..
have been trying to get Autumn pics sorted, edited and saved/or discarded..
I found this article and thought it was perfect for sharing...
Have not been up to posting all week..
just running and staying so busy that computer time was basically non existent...
several extremely important projects were on the agenda..
their time has now arrived. 
so taking a quick break..
just had to share this!
Read on..and Please let me hear your thoughts afterwards!!
(I have an ulterior motive lurking just below the surface!!)
*Update..the temp has risen to a balmy 30 degrees..awesome!




This is Why We Photograph

Posted by Justin Case — 29 Jul 2011
A picture really is worth a thousand words. 
Truthfully, though, those pictures may each be worth far more.images
There really is no way to adequately measure or value the power of a photo to preserve our memories, stories, legacies.
One project that has caught traction and gone 'viral' (yes, a very Web 2.0 concept) is Dear Photograph.
The concept is simple, really... Take a physical print (photograph) from the past to the location where it was shot, hold up the image and photograph that photograph in the location ... in the present.
When Dear Photograph founder Taylor Jones was looking through photo albums with his family, he noticed his younger brother was sitting in the same spot where a photo of him had been taken years before. He held the album photo up, took a new picture and posted that new photo on his site at the domain dearphotograph.com, which he'd only just registered in May.
Perhaps the most viewed posting thus far is this one:
thxallwehad.jpg
Dear Photograph, Thank you for everything we had
The concept is brilliant, really, and simple and terribly hard to turn away from. Even the least nostalgic can't help to get a bit misty-eyed at the photos of now grown children when they were but tiny toddlers.
Check out a few of my favorites here:
triple.jpg
Dear Photograph,
My son hit a triple. He's all grown up now with 2 children and 1 on the way.
Love Mom
hadnuthindad.jpg
Dear Photograph.
We had nothing, but you gave me everything. Thank you for your never ending love. I love you Dad.
@okfollowheather
dadreflection.jpg
Dear Photograph,
Dad never took a picture of me, ever. Then I noticed his reflection in the glass.
Happy Father's Day, Dad.
Anonymous
There are only 7 pages to browse through (so far). You really need to get to this site, browse each page...savor each photo.
It's a rare image that makes you sit and consider your own life, relationships and memories. This is one site that is chock full of just those kind of images. It makes you want to hug your kids, call (or visit) your aging parents, reach out to your siblings, crack open a cabernet and sit around in nostalgic bliss.
I've got countless digitized images accumulated over the years (some true digital and others scanned from prints). After spending an hour savoring the images and captions on Dear Photograph, I just want to sink into all my images and reminisce.
The future's quite bright for Mr. Jones. He's rumored to have recently signed with a literary agent in Los Angeles to get a book set up on these images and the concept. His site continues to grow, with over 33,000 Facebook 'fans' and nearly 8,000 Twitter followers. In a late update, as I type this, I'm being told the site has also been featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (tonight). All the best to Mr. Jones and his site.
This one will be on my daily visit list, for sure. Definitely!!!


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Shabby Chic Inspirations GIVEAWAY!


Guess who's giving away one copy of Rachel Ashwell's new book, "Shabby Chic Inspirations!" If you haven't already read of how she ended up with TWO copies of this book, click here to read about it {and how she met Rachel} in a previous post! :)


I just love, love, love this book! Full of inspiration and lots of Shabby Chic Love!!!

For ALL the details to enter this wonderfully delightful giveaway..
please click HERE

Wonderful Worlds of Wednesday

Better late than never..
have been under the weather all day..
so when not in bed..
have been at the computer ..
yep, trying to sort through my endless photos!
culling,re-cropping, editing..
savoring the proof of a memory made..
reliving the moment.
some have been redundant..
yet different views of the same subject..
over and over,,
and yet one more shot..
captivates me ..again.
My subjects remain..
the same..the sand, surf, sky..
no matter the season
populated by flora and fauna ..
and often..me or my audience of one!
she calls to me..
this enchantress of the sea..
please enjoy a few of my favorites..
most have captions..











Please join my friends who've been partying all day long..
without me, yet kindly. saved me a place! Thanks ladies!


Outdoor Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
White Wednesday

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

How about a Feel Good Story?


Looking out my window,
I see sunshine, blue skies..
 both illuminating my neighbor's 50 year old maple tree..
all gloriously garbed in hues from glaringly gaudy golds...,,
to the softest of gentle greens and palest yellows..
all arranged ever elegantly among shadowed branches..
the temperature is still under 40 degrees..
with a promise of a possible high in the low 50's..
Autumn definitely has arrived here..
Making such a Grand entrance..
decked to the nines in all her glorious shades..
both in the high country..
as well as in downtown Denver..
next month  will find me relaxing..
rejuvenating my soul on my native soil..
toes buried in the sugary white sands ..
being caressed by the crystal clear, ever changing waters..
of the Emerald Coast of Florida..
better known to me,as Paradise rediscovered!
But back to our regularly scheduled program..
                              ♥ ♥ ♥
Today..I want to share something that really made me feel so good inside.
So good..it MUST be shared!
pull up your chairs..maybe a box of tissues..and your favorite beverage..
Me..for once,having  NOT my usual iced tea ..
In honor of Autumn, I'm enjoying a cup of hot spiced apple cider!

Here's the story..a true one because it is mine..
Years ago, I had a dear sweet friend who married just out of high school and had three babies in almost 2 years..those darling babies were Michael, Matthew, and Maria.
The Mom, we'll call her Laney, was a classmate of my sister's.
Any way, as with most youngsters who marry and have too many babies too quickly , the marriage failed before the Maria was born.. Fast forward to 4 years later.. 
Divorce has already occurred, Mom is in nursing school with my sis, and I have the pleasure of babysitting these darlings..and it truly is a pleasure having these guys to play with my son Keith. 
Life rocks on, Mom graduates with her Registered Nurse degree.. By now, the father who has  but could care less about joint custody, is finally beginning to insist upon  having the boys  with him. 
Laney,  by now has met a dashing Navy pilot who has swept her off her tired aching workaday feet, proposed marriage..sans the boys..before he transfers to his next duty station. Both parents, meet with the attorney to work out details of custody modification..and Laney and her handsome pilot  marry and become a family with Maria. Off they go to Europe to their new life at  his new duty station.. to live happily ever after..
 A year later,I receive news that  a new child, a baby brother for Maria will be born within the year.. but first they will be taking an extended vacation, traveling around Europe.  Partway into their journey, I'm contacted at work by the father of the boys. His message chilled me to the bone..He said " you can come and get these little bastards..or I'm turning them over to the state!" 
What a dilemma ..my mind is racing frantically as I dial MY attorney to ask for advice! He says " agree to meet him and pick up the children. Their safety is of our utmost concern! " He is busily drawing up "paperwork" for me to become the  temporary legal guardian until I can make contact with Laney!
With the boys in my care and custody, I enlist the assistance of friends to help me.
Sometimes I take them to work with me, other times, leave them with friends sworn to secrecy! All the while, my attorney is frantically trying all legal channels to contact Laney.  Finally, through the International Red Cross,they are located.and contact is made. Given the urgent message left  to call me, I  explain the severity of the situation when her call is finally received .
Because the boys are not her Pilots natural or adopted children, nor legally his military dependents, there is a lot of red tape to be cut and bureaucracy with which to be dealt before the children can even leave the country. 
In the meantime, I have the boys.. who were quite filthy when I picked them up..
the first thing they asked was for haircuts..and baths..and Popsicles! Each and 
every wish was granted..except Popsicles were eaten before the bath! 
For the next three months, while channels were being cleared and preparations for their departure were being made, we quickly settled into our routines for day and night. They had always called me Mommy Lou..after dinner and bath time, I tucked them into my bed ..and read them happy stories, snuggling and  showering them with much needed love..kissing each goodnight as sleep gently carried them to dreamland..
They were eagerly happy to see their mom when they arrived..
 I sadly kissed them goodbye as off they flew to their new home in a new faraway world.
Over the years, Laney and I kept in contact as best as possible. By now, I'm also a Navy spouse living on opposite  sides of the world. Occasionally though, our worlds do coincide as we meet back at our home town.. Finally they settle in San Diego..as I am back in Florida .
 Years pass. School photos,achievements and accolades  arrive along with holiday cards.. life rolls on..
The Internet  is invented!
Everyone jumps  first into email.. when that becomes passe'..Face Book becomes the 'NEW" next best thing for social media..
Like everyone else, I eagerly plug in names and begin searching for lost contacts, acquaintances, and friends..and I find Laney.. We communicate and she tells me how and where to find the now adult boys.. which I do.
Michael was not interested in Face Book..neither being on it or using computers. His love was his high school sweetheart, with which he had two adorable children. One of which was the exact replica of him at that age..his daughter could have passed for Maria's twin.! He had grown up, gone to college along with his wife, and after graduation, both obtained good paying jobs, built their dream home and settled into a happy married life. We are in frequent contact via all methods of contact, generously interspersed with photos of rapidly growing beautiful children..
Once I found Matthew, and rekindled our relationship..communication has been virtually non-stop! His job requires him to travel all over the world.. and frequently!! We proposed a meet up for the next time he was any where near Denver..
The meeting occurred almost a week ago. 
What a joyous reunion we shared! 
 The meeting was at Elway's  restaurant..
(We both were a bit teary and bleary eyed here!) 
We spent almost four hours catching up, reminiscing, laughing and at times, quite teary.
I came away with answers I'd never expected.. but had always secretly known in my heart.. Life had not been the kindest to the boys, yet they had survived and actually thrived.. and in doing so, had become so much more than the sum total of their parents.They both are fine upstanding citizens, and leaders of their community. Above all, they are loving fathers who consider their children and their welfare the greatest of their life  accomplishments.
What moved me so deeply and yet made me feel so good was the statement Matty made..He said..Mommy Lou, you did NOT have to rescue us, nor love us, and make sure we were safe.. yet you did..and you gave yourself unconditionally to us so many times when we couldn't fend for ourselves.. that I made up my mind someday to find you and to say thank you! You made such a very positive impression on me and us that  I wanted to grow up to be just like you.. generous, loving and kind!"
 It was so hard not to bawl like a baby right then!
 It is said  we reap what we sow.. 
and love is no different..
it grows when and where least expected.
especially when given to a child..
and is returned tenfold..
Having found Matty again..
love is...for me ... the greatest gift of all.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Monday , Monday.. colors of home

Today was such a glorious day here in Denver..
Our maker certainly knew what he was doing when creating the heavens..
and our beautiful planet Earth..
and I am so very fortunate to call two beautiful places my home.!
As you all know. the Florida panhandle is my home....
the next best thing to being there instead of virtually..
is in reality!
as that is not on the agenda just yet..
I can dream by reviewing past photos from there..
from my archives..
I just love this one..perfection in every way.. 
can you not picture yourself there...wind ruffling your hair..
as you stroll the sand.. toes making that unique crunchy, squeaky sound..
the sugary white sands of the  gulf beaches is the only place I've ever heard it.  

Just a pic I snapped because i loved the lines and shadows..

An evening shot..loved th reflections on the calm mirrorlike canal..at twilight time..

Closer to home here in Colorado,the sights were just as impressive as colorful..
These all are from a favorite photographer of mine. Scott Fricke, a native Coloradoan! His work is exquisite, so breathtakingly beautiful!
Last Dollar Road, Colorado, aspens, Ouray photo
Last Dollar Road ..courtesy  Scott Fricke Photography
rainstorm, Red Mountain, San Juan Range, Colorado, Black Bear Pass.  photo
Red Mountains from Black Bear Pass, Colorado ..courtesy Scott Fricke  Photography
Colorado, autumn, fall, Sawatch Range, Aspen, snow, mountain, colors photo
Autumn,Sawatch Range near Aspen Colorado..courtesy Scott Fricke Photography
aspen, trees, fall colors, Marcellina Mountain, Dark Canyon Trail, Raggeds Wilderness, Colorado, autumn photo
Dark Canyon View..Colorado..courtesy Scott Fricke Photography
sneffels range, colorado, ouray, snow, storm, aspens, autumn, foliage photo
Gathering snow storm.. Sneffels Range III..courtesy Scott Fricke Photography
mount sneffels range, colorado, ouray, snow, mountains photo
Mount  Sneffels Range, near Ouray Colorado.. courtesy Scott Fricke Photography
To see more of Scott's beautiful photography please CLICK here. 
It's late..I'm still so excited about being out and about in this gorgeous place today..Sleep was the last thing on my mind! Editing will have to wait til tomorrow1
I just wish each and everyone of you could see and experience Colorado in Autumn for yourself..everywhere you look..another awe inspiring"take your breath away" view!
enjoy!!
G'nite one and all..
and now..
please join my friends for these other delightful, colorful places!


Blue Monday
Mellow Yellow Monday











Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wednesday Wonders

I'm gonna be honest here, folks..
not all of these are my photos..
rather not taken by me personally..
but emailed by various friends around the state..
we compare notes on what is happening where in Colorado!
While the beautiful snow was falling all over Colorado..
I was enjoying the cold,damp RAINY days in Las Vegas!!! 
Did manage to get out on the last day for a few photos..
but those are ready and still waiting to be edited!!South Boulder Creek
South Boulder Creek..


love this capture of Maroon Bells,Aspen CO.
Oct. Snow Shows Off...
The gorgeous snow I MISSED..
Front Range Snowfall
First major snowfall of the Front Range  covers l. to r. Pagoda Mountain,Longs Peak and Mount Meeker
Cloud Kissed
 Salida CO..by Mike
Lenticular Sunset
Strangely eerie,  yet colorful clouds.associated with the changing weather patterns...



Saw this at a roadside farm stand on the way to the airport..

of course,Autumn on the beach at home  is the best time of all!! totally deserted!
See what's happening at these fun Wednesday parties:
Watery Wednesday
Outdoors Wednesday
White Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Thursday,,Out and About..

On the road again..
Looking back to see where I have been..
and what beautifully gorgeous..
oh the sights I have seen..
around each new turn.
leaving me breathless..
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take..
But by the moments that take our breath away..
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Another fabulously Colorful Colorado Excursion..
Courtesy of God and Mother Nature!