Spring celebrations

The first official week of spring! Always a good week, in my book!

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. Last Saturday, we headed south again to visit with the mister's family. His siblings were all in attendance, all THEIR 'significant others', their mother and, of course, the fab four (the nieces & nephews)...not to mention everybody's dogs!! It was a full-blown celebration, with cake and ice cream, games to play, and all sorts of fun to be had!! Why were we celebrating, you might ask? Well....
2. This past Sunday, one of my favorite girls in the WHOLE WORLD turned 7 years old!! Happy Birthday, Savannah!! And, if that wasn't enough cause for celebrating,
3. this Saturday will be the littlest angel's birthday #2 (Happy Birthday, Abby!), and what better reason to let them eat cake?!
4. Oh, plus, when we were out shopping for gifts for the girls, I got myself a cute new purse! I'd look at it every time we went in the store, but if you know me, you know I'm pretty cheap thrifty when it comes to spending money on extraneous things, but this purse was on sale for -- get this --$3.99. (?!?!!) And, I gotta say, it's just the perfect size for me...not so tiny I can't fit a book in it, but not so big that I feel like a carpetbagger! Just perfect.
5. And, of course, my traditional every-other-Friday favorite: It's payday!!

And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Spring's a-springin'

It's been a pretty good week here at the beach, my friends; the weather is warmin' up, festival season is just around the corner, and life is finer than frog hair!

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. Well, unlike most other folks have been lamenting this week, I always like the time change, when we "spring ahead into the spring". It means the sun is up later into the evening, which means more time for walks with the hounds on the island, it means it's darker a bit later in the mornings -- my favorite, me-time of the day -- and just generally reminds me that the warmer weather is right around the corner, and that is ALWAYS a favorite thing!
2. This past Tuesday, the mister had a lean consortium to attend, which gave him a short day, and I was graced with his invitation for us to have lunch together! It was a nice little change in the middle of the week (Tuesday is laundry day, too - so any excuse, ya know?!). We had lunch at The Sun Dog Diner, I had an excellent sandwich of turkey, bacon and brie on sourdough bread, some superb coleslaw, and the best french fries at the beach!
3. After lunch, we stopped in at the local UBS (Tappin Book Mine) and I found new-to-me titles by three of my favorite writers (four, technically, if you would count both Preston and Child).
4. The last time I went to have my locks chopped, Rachel, my hair-gal, told me my hair was getting kinda dry, so we picked up some Redkin "Blonde Glam" hair conditioner from the salon, (which I never usually *do*, I just buy whatever's at the chain-mart when it's in front of me!) and, not only does it *really* work better than the stuff you get at the supermarket, but it smells delicious!!....
5. And finally, it's the start of the first official Spring weekend, and what's not to luv about that??!

So, tell us, what were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Random Favorites

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

It's been a pretty relaxed week here at our cottage by the sea...the weather is warming up nicely, albeit a bit soggy,
1. so we went to the garden center this past weekend, and picked up a few starter tomato plants for our little spring garden. If the weather cooperates, the plan is to play in the dirt this weekend!
2. One of my dearest old friend's celebrates her birthday today. While I haven't seen her in ages, and unfortunately have no concrete plans to do so anytime soon I'm afraid, she is still one of those friends with whom the years can pass, but you can still start right where you left off. I think I'll call her this afternoon, crank up the stereo and coerce he into having a birthday drink with me, long-distance! (Happy Birthday, Rita!)
3. A picture & a poem:

picture by Rhonda R. Napoleon; subject a member of the Skyline Forest Faeries & Guardians of Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Spring GreetingAll faintly through my soul to-day,
As from a bell that far away
Is tinkled by some frolic fay,
Floateth a lovely chiming.
Thou magic bell, to many a fell
And many a winter-saddened dell
Thy tongue a tale of Spring doth tell,
Too passionate-sweet for rhyming.

Chime out, thou little song of Spring,
Float in the blue skies ravishing.
Thy song-of-life a joy doth bring
That's sweet, albeit fleeting.
Float on the Spring-winds e'en to my home:
And when thou to a rose shalt come
That hath begun to show her bloom,
Say, I send her greeting!by Sidney Lanier

4. Well...I don't know about you, but in this house - with two hounds and a manx - we luv Febreze. And, this week, we tried their newest scent "Thai Dragon Fruit"...oh.yeah.
5. And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention (as usual) payday for the mister today! I'm not sure why that's always a fave, as much of it goes out as fast as it comes in, but it's nice to see that little jump in the 'ol checking account, no matter how fleeting it may be! ;)

What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Week in Review

Here we are, with another weekend upon us (yeah!) and time once again for

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

1. the fab four; This past weekend I got to spend Saturday with my favorite little people, and I had a blast! We ran around (you'd think I was still a kid myself), played freeze-tag, I got lots of hugs and kisses, and I luved every minute of it..
2.flexibility; And, I found that - at almost 43 years of age! - I can STILL do a cartwheel (one handed, no less), a back walk-over, a handstand AND a split! Plus, I could even walk the next day without (too much) difficulty! That, my friends, is a favorite thing!!
3. beautiful blooms; Even though it's still too cold for my liking, I do have an Amaryllis in bloom, which makes me think (hope!) that spring is just around the corner.
4. birdies; and on that same note, I've noticed several birds chirping and flittering around the yard, and that always brings a smile to my face.
5. Dutton Island Preserve; As I've mentioned before, we have a wonderful nature preserve just at the end of our street. It's a favorite place to walk the hounds, take pics, and just be outside in all of nature's glory!

And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

the short list

well, this is gonna be another tuff one for me, cause not much has been happening in my little corner of the world, recently. But then, what a better time for this exercise, right?!

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. For starters, today is payday, and that's always a favorite thing!
2. Altho it's still craZy cold for Florida weather standards, spring IS on the way, and I do luv spring, so ...
3. The mister's mom got me one of those Snugglies for Christmas; you know what I'm talkin' about? One of those blankets with arms and a little foot pocket?! Yeah, well, it has come in very handy this week, so it has to make my list...
4. And, this weather makes my skin really dry, but True Blue Spa's Glove Potion #9 with shea butter really, really helps!
5. Dunkin Donuts coffee. yum

And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Be Happy

Well, folks, it's been a pretty low-key week here at the cottage; it's been too cold for me to want to get out and do anything. I've been spending most of my time watchin' the Olympics, catchin' up on my reading, and just generally hibernating until the sun comes back from its vacation! But, even so, with nothing particular that stands out for me this week, I wanted to play along, so I thought I'd share my five of my favorite quotations on happiness (which is always a favorite thing!)

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

• Some pursue happiness, others create it. ~Unknown

• People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost. ~ H.Jackson Brown Jr.

• I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greatest part of our happiness or misery depends upon our disposition, and not upon our circumstances. ~ Martha Washington

• Accept the pain, cherish the joys, resolve the regrets; then can come the best of benedictions - 'If I had my life to live over, I'd do it all the same'. ~ Joan McIntosh

• Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~ Bill Meyer

So, what about you? What are the five favorite things YOU want to share today? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and add your Friday Faves. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

An early start

Hi there, friends and readers - I did get an early start to my day today; the mister's internal clock, it seems, is still set to awaken him at 3a.m., so that he might be TO work by five; however, since the start of the year - with the new salary in effect and all - he doesn't begin his day until seven, now...so, his puttering around the house this morning for an additional two hours has gotten a bright (or, rather dark, actually), early start to my day (!), and given me ample opportunity to construct my list (lol);

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

1. Coffee yes, 3:30 a.m. IS quite early, isn't it? SO, one of my very favorite things, this morning, is coffee: plain old coffee, no mocha-latte-chino stuff, no flavors, just regular, old-fashioned bean-juice. WIth a little milk or cream, but no sugar. Thanks.

2. It is also a bit chilly this morning. I would say "cold"...because for Florida, it *is* cold, but I know, I know...we're not getting the snow whopper that those to the north are, so I won't even mention the temps (42-degrees, and raining, just sayin'...) but I will mention my nice, snuggly pink robe, that is keeping me warm and toasty this morning. (Did I mention that it was an early morning??!)

3. Also, again because we Florida beach-dwellers are not accustomed to these lowER temperatures...and, as my floors are all wood & tile, another of my favorite things this morning are my slipper socks...Luv. them.

4. The humidifier we got (for the Murphy, who has allergies, don'tcha know; ah, the things we do for our pets!) , along with the meds seem to be helping her with her 'stuffy-ness', so that's a favorite thing this mornin', too; the poor, pitiful thing is now asleep on the couch!

5. All of my blogger buddies, who will, coincidently, give me something to read on this - yes, I'm going to say it - Very. Early. Morning.

And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants. And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Rejoining in the rejoicing

Hi there, friends and readers - After a long break in posting to my blog(s), I've decided to try and get back to it; And, since this has always been a favorite exercise of mine, I thought I'd jump back in here today, by participating in


a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. my favored blogging memes ~ one of the things I missed most about blogging were the weekly exercises that keep me in touch with those bloggers who are of like mind, so to speak! So, I participated in many of my favorites this week (Cats on Tuesday; Tuesday Teasers; Wondrous Words Wednesday; Dogs on Thursday; Look at the Sky on Friday is up next, and of course, Friday Fave's!) Lot's of fun, and lots of great folks who I missed 'chatting' with...It's good to be back, y'all!

2. good reads ~ While I was away, I also took a hiatus from reading; Not purposefully, mind you, it just seemed that nothing I picked up could hold my attention for some reason. But, recently I've decided to go back to some authors who are "old favorites", and that seemed to get me out of my slump and back in the swing of things! This week, I'm reading the next installment (for me) of Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child's books, "Brimstone" (I do luv me some Agent Pendergast, now!) and so far, it's really, really good...

3. spinach & feta salad w/ raspberry vinaigrette dressing ~ I seem to be totally addicted to this stuff; but, I suppose, health-wise, if I'm going to be crazy over some food, this isn't a bad choice at all!

4. a little extra cash ~ The mister was recently put on salary where he works, and it seems that with the transition, accounting had somehow missed a week's pay (actually, they held a week when he started, and are now paying for the current week's work, so it wasn't technically "missed", just a bit behind!), and this week they remedied that situation, which means a little more in the 'ol bank account, and THAT'S always a good thing!

5. Christmas pics ~ I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time with the mister's family over the holidays, which means I got to spend some time with my favorite kiddos, and just this week, my beautiful SIL sent me some of the photos that were taken during our visit:




And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants! And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Good Things

So, this hasn't been the *best* week at the cottage, boys and girls...not that anything terribly *bad* happened, it just wasn't filled with many memorable moments, but, 1. it IS Friday, and we expect a wonderfully warm weekend ahead, so I guess that counts for something!

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

2. We hope to head over to UF and watch the Axemen (rugby) game on Saturday afternoon, so I'm looking forward to that.

3. We picked up the latest James Rollins title ("The Last Oracle") at the store last Sunday; An author that both the Mister and I enjoy, so that was definitely a fave.

4. Our coffee plant (which I thought died in the cold spell back in March), is not only still alive, but producing flowers!

5. Golden Oreos - Have you tried these things?! Yummy.


Now, head on over to Susanne's Blog and tell everybody about YOUR Friday Fave Five!


May your Friday, and every day, be filled with your
~ FAVORITE THINGS ~

Friday Fave's

Hi there, friends and readers - I've been a long time gone from this little exercise (not to mention away from this little blog!), but I missed doing this, so now I'm back!!


a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. Last Sunday, my hounds turned 3 years old - It's hard to believe they've been with us that long. Everyday, they do *something* to make me smile, and I'm very grateful for the unconditional love and constant companionship those girls bring to our lives...Happy Birthday, hounds o' mine!!

2. Well, the mister is back to a five-day work week; I was getting quite used to his three-day weekends around here, but our bank account can sure use the extra coins (whose couldn't?!), and of course that means I'm back to Friday postings of My Favorite Things, so overall it's a 'positive', and therefore, makes the list!

3. The Preserve at the end of our road; I just LUV having a Nature Park just steps away from my front door! The perfect spot for bike rides, walking the dogs, taking photos (that is, *IF* one remembers to bring along a camera on the excursion!) - definitely a favorite spot.

4. One of my favorite past-times is reading, and this obsession passion has spawned what is now an extensive collection of bookmarks; This week I received a beautiful, hand-made book thong to add to that collection, which came to me all the way from Hong Kong! This was certainly one of my favorite things this week.

5. garden fresh tomatoes; yummy.


And, what about you? What were the highlights of your week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your Friday Faves with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants! And, until next time...

May every day be filled with your Favorite things!

Looking at the Bright Side

I missed participating in this last week; the mister has gone from a 5-day to a 4-day work week, so I've had to adjust my computer time, as well...But, I'm up early this morning, and ready to play

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


So, this week was kind of slow...didn't go anywhere, didn't *do* anything...

1. I do get a three-day weekend with the mister, that's always a favorite thing.

2. It's been raining the better part of all week, and even though that keeps us inside, I gotta think my plants are loving it, so that's gotta be a favorite.

3. Oh, yeah....I finally broke down and got myself a MySpace page; Originally, it was just so that I might check the SIL's photo albums, but once I got there, I actually connected with a few long-lost pals I haven't heard from in ages, so THAT really DID turn into a favorite thing this week!

4. Early mornings; It's about 5:30am right now, and my house is silent...the mister and the hounds are still sound asleep, and I have the quiet all to myself! That, too, is a favorite thing!

5. And, finally, today we are going to pick up the mister's tax refund check; with his hours being cut temporarily, the extra little bit of cash will be a welcomed 'buffer', so that's my final favorite this week!

So, what about you? What were your favorite things this week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your highlights with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants! And, until next time...

May Everyday be filled with all of *YOUR* Favorite things!

Family, food, and fun

It's Friday again, and that means the weekend is upon us! I just poured myself a nice, hot cuppa, and now, it's time for one of my most favorite weekly exercises

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. So, as I told you last week, this past Saturday we went to a birthday dinner for the two nieces, and I could NOT have had a better time! To start, I was given the privilege to help build a fort with the nephews, out of blankets, a couch and a treadmill machine - the niece and I were even allowed IN the fort, once it was completed, and I was regaled with "farting ghost" stories from all three kids! Later, after a wonderful dinner, we played hide & seek, and later still, watched Aladdin and Jasmine(??) on DVD. Those kids LOVE their Auntie Mo, and I couldn't love them more if they were my own!! Definitely a favorite this week!

2. We have plans for tomorrow nite to have dinner with some of our closest friends; one of our pals whom we don't see much of is in town for the weekend, so we're all gonna eat too much, laugh too hard and enjoy each others' company. I can't wait, really...

3. Oh, the Chicken Dijon recipe I tried last nite was DE-licious! Definitely one I will be adding to the standard repertoire. I luv it when a new recipe turns out well!

4. Liquid Nail adhesive; yeah, I know, weird fave, huh? But, you see, last week, when I was de-weeding my fruit trees and butterfly bushes, I accidentally knocked the ear off of my little garden piggy. I luv the little guy, and I sure didn't want to throw him away (it was a 'clean break', after all) so the mister brought me home this water-proof, fast bonding adhesive. It worked perfectly, and in fact, I think I will use it this week to repair a few other outdoor items, like my birdbath and my children-at-the-garden-gate statue, since the top of the gate broke off of that too!

5. And, finally, I'll add that I'm just finishing up Nora Roberts "Key of Light", and I'm enjoying more than I had anticipated, which *is* a fave, as this is the first book in a new-to-me trilogy (by an author that I rarely read), which means I have two more left to look forward to!

So, what about you? What were your favorite things this week? Be sure to head on over to Living to Tell the Story and share your highlights with Susanne and all the other wonderful participants! And, until next time...

May Everyday be filled with all of *YOUR* Favorite things!

Multiples in Five

Wow...this week seemed to fly by - I can't believe its Friday already. It must be that the warm, spring weather; It seems there's more time in the day to get things accomplished, yet there's still not enough of it to get EVERYthing done!

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. This past week included not one birthday, but two! My precious, sweet niece turned 6-years old last Saturday, and the littlest angel just turned two, yesterday. Tomorrow is the big birthday bash for us 'ol fuddy-duddies to attend, but Sweet Girl's "party for the little people" was, apparently, a smashing success!


My beautiful niece and her two loving brothers
2. Not one, or two, but THREE new-to-me books came to my house this week! While we were at the grocery store, I found the next installment (for *me*) of Evanovich's Plum series ("Lean Mean Thirteen") in hardcover, for $6, so I added that to the cart! Then, I received a bookcrossing RABCK (Random Act of BookCrossing Kindness) from a generous reader who saw it ("Blasphemy" by Douglas Preston) on my wishlist, and was kind enough to share it with me! And finally, I received another GoodReads author giveaway ARC book, entitled "Land of Men" by Edward Muesch. From what I gather reading the previews, its a sort of sci-fi historical thriller; can't wait to crack THAT one open, either! (Oh, BTW, I *did* finish reading and reviewing "American Rust" - the last GoodReads title I told you all about - and if you're interested, you can read my review,here.)

3. Speaking of the grocery store, we got THE best Italian five-grain wheat bread from the Publix deli this week...OMGosh! it is soooo good!! In fact, I'm having a toasted piece with my coffee, as I type this! YUMMY!!

4. My neighbor friend has gotten some good news this week. See, she's been dealing with a serious medical condition for over a year now. She needs to undergo surgery (again!), and so she just underwent tests on her heart and stress-levels to determine if she IS a candidate for the surgery. This week, those test results came back positively, and now she can get back on the road to full recovery...I'd say that qualifies for a Friday Fave!

5. And finally, I am adding the fact that I washed/cleaned ALLLL the window treatments in our house this week, PLUS I washed the windows in all the living areas (still need to do the ones in the bedrooms...) including our ten pane front door - inside AND out!! The window washing part isn't the fave, obviously. It makes my list because I am ever-so-thankful that *that* spring-cleaning chore is out of the way!

So, how about YOU??! What are your Friday Fave Fives?? Be sure to check in with Susanne's at Living to Tell the Story, and see what favorites made the lists this week! Jump on in and add your list, too...its a great way to start the weekend. Until next time,

May your week be filled with all of your favorite things!

Simple things

Here we are at the end of another week, and its time once again for

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


Spring has finally sprung, and I'm looking forward to the weekend! I hardly ventured out of my own house this week, but I am feeling healthy again after having some bug last weekend, so my 1. favorite thing this week is that I FEEL GOOD! (...said in my best James Brown voice...)

And, since the warmer weather seems to be here for the duration, my little tootsies needed some TLC to be 'presentable' to the world, and so, coming in at #2. this week is my little tube of True Blue Spa "Shea it isn't so" shea butter foot cream. As I am true to my hillbilly roots in the summer, and I spend as much time barefoot as possible, this stuff is my friend! 3. On that same note, we can't be walking around barefoot with BARE toes, so I've painted my little digits with Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails "champagne frost".

4. The mister brought me home a package of Pepperidge Farm Orange Milano cookies, just because they're kinda hard to find around here and he knows they're a favorite...I'm counting both the cookies AND the mister as one of my "faves" *wink*

5. this week I was honored with not one, but TWO different awards for my blogs- one here, by Susanne herself (our wonderful host for this FridayFaveFive!), and one on my other space, from my friend Thorne at Eclectic Witch. So, my fifth Fave Five this week is a nod to all my blogging buddies, who's beautiful photographs, witty posts, thoughtful introspection, helpful hints and tips and funny words all help make MY week just *that much* better!

May your Friday, and every day, be filled with your
~ FAVORITE THINGS ~

A 'Limited' Addition

Ugh! I am SOO feeling crappy today, folks, and I have been since Wednesday afternoon, so my "favorite things" may be a bit limited this week. But, I figured that is kinda the whole point of the exercise, right?! So, here's my contribution to this week's


a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc



1. The switch back to Daylight Savings time, 'cause now we actually HAVE some daylight once the mister gets home.

2. The warmer temperatures, that look like they are here for the duration - Welcome Back, Springtime!!

3. The blossoms on my Key Lime tree; we've had the thing for three years now, and this is the first year we've seen any blooms.

4. The hounds; they seem to sense when I'm not feeling well, and don't create the mischief they normally do!

5. The clearance-rack, knee-length sweat pants (exercise pants??) I purchased for $4 a few weeks back - they are very comfy, and great for loungin' around in when your not up to doin' much else!

So, there's my Friday Fave Five; Check out Living to tell the Tale for other participants, or to add your own. And, until next time -

~May all your days be filled with your FAVORITE THINGS~

Sandwiches, Siblings and SUNshine

Geez...I let another entire week go by, posting nary a thing except my viburnum blooms on Monday! BUT....I made it here in time for Susanne's

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


So, my list this week begins with 1. Veterinarians; ALL of them in general, but *my* DVM, Dr. Langford, more specifically. See, we had to take Murphy in to see him on Wednesday, because she was experiencing what I had thought was a cold, or worse - some sort of pulmonary infection. But, after an extensive visit, which also included her updated vaccines, we found that Ms.Murphy has air-borne allergies. Now, you may be wondering why my doggie having allergies would be one of my FAVORITE things, but that is because I was worried half-crazy that it was something more serious. *This* we can handle; *This* we can eliminate; *This* makes my #1 favorite thing this week!!

2. Nick the Greek's restaurant & the best gyros EVER!! So, on the way home from the doggy-docs, we stopped to grab a quick bite for dinner at this new little restaurant. Come to find out, that Nick was the cook at one of our favorite Sunday-breakfast diners, and he and his lady friend left there to open their own place. And Oh! My! GOSH!! am I glad they did; we had two of their gyros (packed high with the *best* spicy lamb I have ever eaten, loads of fresh veggies and the. best. pita bread.) Just YUMMY...and the *best* part?! They are, literally, just around the corner from my house!

3. Cheesecake; Nick's has a pretty good home-made cheesecake too.

4. My SIL, T; Taking EXCELLENT care of four wonderful kiddos, she makes sure they ALL have their piece of her attentions, she keeps a clean, safe home for them and my lil' BIL; She's sweet, caring, smart, beautiful and funny (and, no, I don't owe her ANY money!! LoL). I luv her to bits and I'm thrilled that we are both friends AND sisters!

And, finally, 5. 70 degree temps outside my cottage, with nothing but mid-eighties in the foreseeable forecast! SPRING is HERE, baby!!!



Be sure and head on over to Living to Tell the Tale, and check out all the fabulous fave fives this week; Join in and tell us about *your* weekly favorites. Until next time...

~ Have a Wonderful Weekend & May ALL your days be filled with your Favorite Things!! ~

This week's favorites

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc

Let's see...what *are* my Fave Five for this week?! well...

1. We went to the littlest niece's baptism this past Sunday. As this was my first time in attendance (again, other than my own, which I don't remember at all), I found the entire ceremony very interesting. Besides, it was a good excuse to see the kids! (S -the eldest niece - looks beautiful, as always, and, my nephews looked SOOO handsome in their dress clothes & ties!) And little A was so cute; and I don't think she cried once during the entire ceremony.

2. It's payday again! I know I mentioned this two weeks ago, but since I'm still getting used to the biweekly checks (instead of weekly), payday *is* one of those five favorite things!!

3. Febreze Air effects (spring & renewal scent) 2 spoiled hounds & an indoor cat. 'Nuff said.

4. This cute, fuchsia ...chenille(?) sweater that I picked up on clearance at JCPenneys (and, am wearing now). I'm not usually a 'pink' kinda gal, but I just luv this sweater! It's so soft, and comfy; it's one of those shirts you can throw on to beat-around in, but still look "presentable" if you have to actually interact with society! LoL...

5. And, finally, I was given this wonderful little Friendship Award from Holly @ Homebody; She always has such crafty (and frugal!) ideas on her site, and because I started stalking following her, she awarded me with this:
And, because I'm supposed to pass it along, I'd like to take this opportunity to award it to Susan @ Living to Tell the Tale, for hosting *this* wonderful project every week. Thank you, Susan!

So...what were YOUR five favorite things from this past week?? If you haven't already, head on over to Susan's blog, grab the little icon, and play along!!

~May you ALL have a wonderful weekend ahead~

It's Friday!

I gotta say, I am LOVIN" this little meme! All the friendly folks who play along - it's wonderful to be a part of the group; and the "idea" of it is just fabulous ...I get up every Friday now, and the first thing I do is prepare my Friday Five...

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


1. So, this week I will start my list off with dinner last Friday night at The Fish Company. We met up with another couple - two of our nearest and dearest friends - for a few drinks, some really good food, and some great conversation. Lots of fun and lots of laughs...just how I like to start the weekends!

2. And, it seems we are right on track with our weekly 'allowance' spending; I gotta say, I do believe that has a bit to do with our new weekly menu planning. (Okay, so I'm a big enough person - I can admit it when I'm wrong...)

3. Oh! I won a book from GoodReads, and it arrived here this Wednesday (that reminds me, I gotta go post there, and tell them I have it...) It's a debut novel by Phillip Meyer's entitled "American Rust". I'm very excited to read it, as it takes place in a dying Pennsylvania steel town, and as *that* is my 'childhood home' I'm very interested to see if he captures the feel of it all...

4. Well, if that cold snap we had was good for ANYTHING, it was that it prompted my camillias to bloom! I thought perhaps we wouldn't get any off those bushes this year, as we just transplanted them last spring, but this week I had pretty pink flowers out there to greet me...(altho, I'm mad at myself that I missed May's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for February, but I'll be there NEXT month, you can count on that!)

5. And, the ducks are back! We don't see the little guys much in the colder months, but we know spring is just around the corner when these fellas start hangin' out in the garden!

Now, head on over to Living to tell the Story, and share *your* Friday Fave's with Susanne and all the rest....

~ Enjoy the Weekend ~

This week's fave's

Wow! It's Friday again, already. And, ya know what that means?? Time for

a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc


So, I'm still trying to overcome this head cold I seem to have acquired, but the good news is that 1. The temps are finally climbing back up into the (high) 70's, which means I was able to take all my potted plants BACK outside onto the patio and porches where they belong. (the added bonus, is that the hounds will stop eating them, and promptly puking them back up, all over my hardwood floors!) 2. And, today is also the 'every other' Friday, known affectionately around here as PAYDAY!! Plus, I think the mister actually has a two-day weekend ahead (he often has to work Saturday's), so we can hang out and enjoy the warm weather.
3. Netflix; I just LUV these guys!! Really. I just mailed off two movies on Tuesday, and got two movies in the mail YESTERDAY...that's Tues. to Thurs....I couldn't have mailed something to my next door neighbor and have it arrive that promptly. (Plus, I get to watch 'Hancock' this weekend!)
4. Coffee. I do LUVs me some coffee, now. And, ever since I posted this, I think I luv it all the more!
5. And, finally, I just LUV this pic of my hounds; I think it's just adorable how Dolby's big 'ol' ear covers her sister's (Murphy) entire head!




Don't forget to stop in at Living to tell the Story, and share *your* Friday Fave's!

I hope you ALL have a Fabulous Friday, a Wonderful Weekend and a Marvelous Week ahead!

My week in review

It's time once again for



a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post about 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc., etc.

So, this week has been long and cold, and I've been feelin' under the weather, so this was a challenge for me this round...

1. The Steelers won the Superbowl last Sunday, to gain their 6th Championship in franchise history - more than ANY OTHER team in the NFL. (Them's my boyz!!)

2. I just paid the mortgage this week - the first in the new booklet - and realized that our house payment has dropped $25/month. Not earth-changing, but $300/yr. is alright with me!

3. The Mister got himself walk-on-water evals at work (way to go, sweetie!), and got a raise in pay! Not a life-style changin' raise, but every little bit helps.

4. My big, fuzzy, pink bathrobe; we've been having record low temp's here (swings from 17 all the way up to 71) at the beach all week long, and my robe has kept me toasty through the worst of it!

5. I got a book-box in the mail yesterday (Like I *need* more books!) and I found four books to swap out in it! That's a pretty 'average' take for me from these things, so I was happy! (Plus, that means four already-read books get to move along to another reader....and *that* is good to me!)

So...there is my Friday Fave Five...what's yours?! Be sure to head over to Living to tell the Story, grab a button from Susanne, and share your wonderful week with all the other participants....go on, you know you want to!