It's finally fall

I came home today to find the lonely leaf laying by the door as if it was saying "bbbrrrrrrr, please let me in".

It made me smile, 'cause I love fall -- the colors, the rustling of the leaves, the cooler temperatures.

Happy Fall to ALL!!  : )

Watching the Clouds Go By

This afternoon was soooooo gorgeous!  The wind was blowing a constant breeze that just blew all my worries away -- for the time being anyway.  The sky was so blue and the sun peeking thru the trees.

Monday Nite Madness 10.04.10

It's the night for bowling.  Mike was having an off night... can ya tell?  ; )

Melaina Rose

We made a trip over to Yorktown to visit with our old friends Jeff and Carrie.  We met them on the ferry on our way to Kodiak.  They are our gamies... we love to compete, most times guys against dolls!!  ; )

This is their little girl, Melaina and their fat cat, Bo.  I love them both and love to watch them play together.
(And this photo of her came out much better than our game pix!!! rofl )

Wall circles

We painted our living room walls back in the spring.  I have been searching, seeking, hunting, and I even tried creating something to go on the wall over our couch.  In my mind I pretty much knew what I was looking for.  Finding it and being willing to pay for it made the search difficult.   "Art" can be quite costly.  And I'm not one to spend large amounts for things like that.  So the wall was there, bare. 

As of today it is no longer a naked!  I was at Khol's shopping for bedsheets.  There were sales in every department and I had a coupon for an additional 30% off.  I doubted I would find anything but thought 'what the heck, let me take a look' -- and I hurried in to their 'art' department. 

There it was!!! The (almost) exact thing I had been searching for, on a 40% sale, plus my additional 30% off!!! When I say almost, it just wasn't the color I wanted so I spray painted it black.

Allison, Allison

Allison is our older daughter.  She has a heart that's golden and giagantic, but unless you have four legs you might not see this right away.  ; )  Born in July 1991 she is a true Cancerian -- a little crabby but also kind and nurturing, emotional and loving, intuitive and imaginative, protective and sympathetic.

I love you Ali!!  All day, every day, forever and a day!!  oxoxo,  m♥m

Bye-bye September

All that is left of another month is the memories and the photographs.
I'm hoping that this will be my last collage entry.  My plan is to start posting individually and daily!  We'll see how it goes...  ; )

Making more fresh salsa!  How can you not l♥ve this stuff???  Monday is the night for bowling for the next 30 weeks!!!  Mike and Stephen discuss the pin count.  Tuesday night we were going thru old fashion photo albums!!!  Remember when you kept tangible photos in a big book?!?  I d♥!!!  Wednesday was a cold rainy night -- perfect for sitting on the couch under a blanket doing some crochet.  And the last day of the month (September 30, 2010) I took Allison to see Dr. Block -- the periodontist!  He makes me wish there was something wrong with my gums!!  LOL  ; )

One day, or several ...

One day I hope to be so organized that I could actually take and post my photos on a daily basis!  While I'm good at taking at least ONE photo each day, I never seem to make or take the time to get it posted.

So here is my next catch-up collage.  September 20 - 25.

On Monday we grilled lots of goodies!  Tuesday was my time for toes!!  Wednesday I had to leave work early, feeling B-A-D.  (And now I realize that my photos are out of order ?  : / )  On Thursday Allison was feeling bad and went to the doctor... she got a Rx of Tamiflu.  Friday I thought I was feeling better and made some more yummy goodies -- eggplant, peppers, baby bellos, and vidalia onions.  Then I was actually feeling better by Saturday and we had some friends over, at the end of the night there was one, lone beer.

09.19.10, FRISBEE GOLF ? ?

Have you played it??   It's sometimes called disc golf. 

This is what Mike and I did on Sunday  --  it was a nice day to get up and get out, so we did.

Another catch-up collage

This week of pix starts on Sunday, 09.12.10 with a big kiss and a hug, XO -- this can be found on the Yorktown Training Center Coast Guard Base in, you guessed it, Yorktown, VA.  Then it was back to the lanes on Monday -- Mike is bowling this season and I'm going to be the cheerleader!  ; )  Tuesday, I had the camera at work to take some pix of the students, and snapped a couple of my co-workers, Rachel (she's the one "waving", rofl ) and Pam (busy on the phone).  Then I tried cooking a beer can chicken -- it was delicious!  Thursday we had to go to the visitation for Virginia State Trooper, Mark Barrett -- he passed away during a dive training exercise.  Friday brought a great treat -- the boss shut the office down and took everyone out to TGI Fridays for a late lunch!!  Cheers to successfully getting thru the first two weeks of the 2010-2011 school year!!  Then today Mallory and I went for a yummy BLT on Cary Street at Mrs. Marshall's Carytown Cafe.  We sat on the sidewalk doing a little people watching -- always worth a chuckle or two!  ; )

Sweet Saturday

Sweet and Dry -- that's what you'll get on a wine tasting tour.

That's what Mike and I did today.  We went to Grayhaven Winery and then to Cooper Vineyards.  Cooper was much nicer and the wines were MUCH better -- Mike was extremely impressed by their Sangria!  We got a couple of Heart of Virginia Wine Trail glasses, talked to some nice people and enjoyed a nice drive.

Finally Friday

What an awesome way to end the week -- a week that seemed like it would go on forever and ever.  But it can all be soothed and forgotten when your boss lets you leave an hour early!!  Oh yea!!
Here's how I spent my "free" time.

I poured myself a glass of wine, took my book out on the deck, put my bare feet up and chilled!  After a bit of unwinding I got a blanket for a little nap in the shade on the hammock in the yard.  It was an awesome way to start the weekend after a VERY long 4 day work week.

3 x 3 = 9

Trying to get caught up...  September 1-9

The month of September started off right!  Mike and I waited until almost 7pm to eat dinner so everyone would be done with work and we met up at IHOP.  It was a real heart warmer to have all 4 of us at the same table -- and the conversation was light and fun!  It made my heart smile!!!  Then we celebrated our 21st anniversary on the 2nd -- I bought Mike a telescoping back scratcher for when I'm not around.  On the 3rd it was back to the empty nest, so we went to Cici's for dinner -- we are in love with their new Tuscan crust!!  On the 4th Mallory and I took a road trip to Misenheimer, NC where her boyfriend, Buck is attending Pfeiffer College, playing volleyball.  It was just a quick overnight trip, so on Sunday before we left we went to Pizza Hut for a bite to eat -- Buck wrote Mallory a note in pizza sauce!!  The 6th was Labor Day, and even the dog took a much needed rest!!  LOL   : D   NO, the 7th was not a day of celebration but a day of aggrevation -- a nice glass of Muscadine wine from Old Stone Winery in NC washed all the worries away!!  And by Wednesday, Mallory took a much needed nap.  Then by Thursday my feet had had all they could take of work shoes -- but I got tons on compliments on my new dress!!!!!!!!!!

08.31.10 There's a fungus amungus!! ; )

That rhyme makes me chuckle!!  Silly, I know. 
Mike and I were doing some backyard chores and we found these mushrooms.  Thought they were pretty cool looking ... worth a photo.

(These photos were taken with my cell phone.)
Pin It

08.30.10 Mitsubishi Mal

Mallory asked me to go for a drive this evening.  She's happy with her new (used) Mitsubishi!  We went to Rita's for a little sweet treat.

08.29.10 Feelin' green

NO, I'm not sick... but I am feelin' green . . .

GREEN in a good, healthy way!!  ; ) 

Mike and I were out running some errands today and we made a stop at The Fresh Market!

08.28.10 You can't say THAT!

Tonite we had our friends, The Martins, over for dinner and some game time.  Of course we always play guys against the girls -- tonite the girls were the W I N N E R S!!  Whooooo hoooo!! 

Usually we play Trivial Pursuit, but tonite's game was Catch Phrase.

From left around the table, Jeff, Carrie, Mike & Me!

08.27.10 Key ... $69.95

Mallory's new car only came with one key.  So we needed to get a spare made.  The dealer charges about $80, but Pleasant's Hardware does them for $69.95.  Cha ching, saving is saving is saving. 

08.26.10 Deck time

Some time spent on the deck ... in his PJs.

We didn't get to stay out for very long because of the mosquitos!!  : /

08.25.10 Mallory gets a car ... finally!

She got a job back in December and has been working and saving.  She has only spent about $500 of her own money since she started working!  Well today her hard work has paid off -- she got her first car, a 2000 Mitsubishi Gallant. 

Hoooooray Mallory!!  Please drive safely!!!  Watch out for the idiot drivers on the road!  xoxox M♥m

08.24.10 Hard drink for a harder day

When I have had a really hard day, this is my beverage of choice  . . .  Mike's HARDER Cranberry Lemonade.

It was a wonderful afternoon, a refreshing way to end a really hard day at the office.  The weather was the perfect kinda weather, virtually no humidity, a slight breeze and the sun gently peeking thru the trees as it began to set ... cold drink in my hand!!!

08.23.10 Yum yum hum hum hummus

Yesterday when I went to lunch with my mom and sister I ordered an appetizer that had some delicious  hummus, with crusty bread, pita wedges, crumbled feta cheese, diced tomato & black olives.  It really was refreshing.  Today I got the idea to try and make my own hummus.  It was almost as yummy, but I think the old fashion hand masher left a little to be desired in the consistency.  I ate it with the thin triangle Triscuits -- YUMMUS HUMMUS!!!  ; )

08.22.10 Girls day 'away'

My sister Christy and her family drove up from South Hill today -- at 10:00 am there was a knock on door and the dog started to bark.  Surprise!  I had no bra on and a serious case of bed head!!  We called my parents and they drove over from Williamsburg.  That hour gave me time to grab a shower and brush my teeth.  As soon as they arrived the girls went one way the men in the opposite direction.

We enjoyed a very peaceful, delicious lunch at The Grill at Waterford.  We also did a little shopping.  I found 3 terrific dresses on sale at Khol's and lucked in to find a matching necklace (from a clearnace rack) for each dress!!!  Score!!!!

It was a wonderful day with the girls!  And when Mom buys lunch it's even better!!  ; )

08.21.10 Oodles of noodles

Mallory and I spent a little one on one time together today.  We looked at a couple of cars that are for sale, went to JoAnn Fabrics and grabbed a quick lunch at Noodles & Company.

This is the "small" order!!

BED Dog

Not bad dog, but BED dog!  This is Denali after one of his frisky morning bouts jumping off an on the bed, running up and down the stairs, barking and howling.  I love to play with him first thing in the morning -- of course, after I have had all the sleep I want or need.

I l♥ve my BED dog!   

08.19.10 CITE

It's the 9th Annual CITE event in Chesterfield County.

It was a day filled with vendors, who had goodies like magnets, notepads, cool pens, cups and some snacks.  I also received a free health screening which included my nonfasting glucose count, a cholesterol count and my BP.  My BP was great the nurse said, however my other numbers could use a little work.  I also received a free bone density check that was done using my heel . . . also needing work!!!  Uuuuuuugh!  I went to this event to learn some things and feel good about myself not to be picked to death.  But on the brighter side of it I am happy to know that I need to be much more mindful of my health.

08.18.10 Get on board THE ENERGY BUS

Today my employer offered a motivational seminar by Jon Gordon.  He has written 5 books on living positively and making a change for the better in your workplace.  I think the one he referenced most today was THE ENERGY BUS.  The speaker kept it fun and uplifting, and I did make a few positive notes.  I doubt very much though that I will spend the money or the time on the book(s).

We also got free pens and a book bag!  ; )

08.17.10 Affordable but tasty!

My parents are coming over tomorrow night and bringing dinner. . . made from scratch with TLC!!!  We'll be having lasagna.  And I love red wine with an Italian meal.  So tonite while I was at Food Lion I got my fav affordable red, it's by Riunite called Lambrusco

.

08.16.10 Taking the bull by the LONGHORNS

While we were away this weekend Mike's parents took us to the LONGHORN for dinner.  It was delicious!!!  And I should have made that a capital D!!!  So Mike wanted to get his dad a gift certificate for his birthday.

08.15.10 Driving Home ~ ~ traffic

There is always traffic on the ride home it seems.  It doesn't matter where you've been or for how long, when it's time to go home there is always traffic!

It was a rainy day and Mallory and I were having a little fun with the camera (aka cell phone) to pass the time.

08.14.10 Grandma Snuggles

Visiting Mike's parents in their new home in Southampton, PA.  After many, many years of living on Long Island they sold their house and moved to a more laid back kind of lifestyle.

Mallory totally took advantage and enjoyed some grandma snuggles!!  : D

08.13.10 - GREAT Grandma

We took a drive to PA today.  It's been a planned trip for a couple of weeks.  Mike's parents moved to Southampton in June and we wanted to see the new place.

However, our first stop as we headed north (besides potty breaks!  LOL ) was in Kennett Square.  Great Grandma Mills lives there ~ she's actually Mike's grandma but since all of mine have passed on, I 'pretend' she's my grandma too.  She has been in my life for over 20 years and in my heart she truly is my grandma ~ I love her so dearly.

In September she will be 99 years old!!  She is unbelievable and truly GREAT!!! 

Comfort Food

Today was the day that Buck (Mallory's boyfriend of 6 months) left for college.  He's going to Pfeiffer in NC.  A few days ago they broke up thinking it would be for the best, but just couldn't stand it so they got back together.  I'm not sure if his leaving today was harder on her or on him.  There were lots of tears ... I even shed a few.  : (

We went out to Cracker Barrel for dinner for some good comfort food.  She went with the Homemade Chicken n' Dumplins, with hashbrown casserole and macaroni & cheese.  That's some serious comfort!!! 

She managed to muster up a smile...

Bloom Bloom Bloom

Bloomin' again! 

This is a hibiscus that I was given 2 years ago and it just keeps on blooming!  Bright cheery yellow with a sassy touch of red ... it always makes me smile when I walk in to the room and see that it's bloomin' again!!

The day that went on forever

I was here today -- for what seemed like forever.  The summer work hours are 4 ten hour days, which is nice because we get 3 day weekends.  Some days the 10 hours go by quicker than others, however today seemed to go on for about 20 hours.  I took a second to capture the office in a state of peace and quiet. 

In 3 more weeks the students and teachers will all be back and it will be impossible to find this state of peace and certainly no quiet!  ; )

The reason the day seemed so long has nothing to do with work, it's personal stuff.  It's just hard to leave the personal stuff behind and be all business.  Praying for peace for Mallory and Buck and others that may need it.  Life is not just about the destination, but more about the journey!

Dinner and Dish

I really love to cut the end off of a watermelon.  It's a great meal and the dish can be thrown away!!

Cheers to old friends!

 A light dinner @ Legend's with a couple of old friends from high school -- Denise Manello (in green) and Toni Maxey (in brown).  It was really wonderful food -- and we only got appetizers, the hummus was to die for!!  The conversation and laughter was fabulous!! 

I feel safeR

I went to Home Depot today to get a couple of yard things and when I came out this was what I saw.

In the event of an automobile "fender bender" gone bad, which vehicle do you want to be in?!?  YIKES!!!

While the mini is so cute, I happily drive my CAR-A-VAN!!  ; )

Went to Williamsburg

I missed making my post yesterday but I did NOT miss taking my photo!  ; )  This is a photo "series" that I have started -- I call it "Coffee Time with Tee".  Tee is short for Teresa, which is what many people over the years have called me.  It's a little play on words (coffee / tea) and open to photos other than just coffee, but primarily coffee.

White Chocolate Mocha - to Williamsburg, VA

I took the photo early in the morning as I was making one of my many surprise trips over to Williamsburg to see my parents.  If I get up early in the morning and don't really have set plans for the day I will drive over to spend some time with them. 
Yesterday we met at IHOP for breakfast.  We ate mushroom and spinach omlettes with some pancakes and had coffee, of course!  Then we did a little bit of Goodwill shopping and also spent a little time at the Yankee Candle Outlet.  Then for lunch we picked up some hotdogs with mustard, onion and chili from Gus's, Hot Dog King.  We took them home to eat with some delicious homemade coleslaw!  The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out on the couch, just relaxing, watching some TV and chatting.  It was a terrific day!!

Below is a screen shot of my "Coffee Time with Tee" pix.

These photos have been taken at random times. 

The bottom right photo is actually a photo taken on Cinco de Mayo, toasting with a cold Corona and my dear friend Carrie.

So "Coffee Time with Tee" has no hard set rules... much like my whole life, I just kinda go with it and enjoy!!!

Popsicle

It's a dark stormy night.
Watching some Seinfeld and enjoying a Superman Popsicle.

CHILLIN' . . .

What's for dinner?

Somedays that question can push me right over the edge!!! 
I live with 3 picky eaters, so the menu at our house is limited.  Sure, I can make more interesting things for myself, and on occasion I do, but it's just not the same.

Anyway, tonite when Mike asked, "What's for dinner?" I wanted to pull my hair out, but it's not quite long enough to get a good grip!  ; )  

We ordered one of our favs ... LUCKY CHINESE

My fortune for today is  "You are heading in the right direction."

Now for my little bit of sharing on the fortune cookie.  According to Wikipedia the cookie is made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and oil.  It is served as dessert in Chinese restaurants in the US.  The fortune is the piece of paper inside that contains words of faux wisdom or an ambiguous prophecy.

I found a site that I think is worth a chuckle now and again.  It's a cyber cookie, that will give you a daily fortune without any calories.

I also found a movie called "The Fortune Cookie".  It dates back to 1966 and stars Walter Mathau and Jack Lemmon.  I'm going to try and find it -- I think it would be a great rainy day movie.

Reason To Read

In this Project 365, I've decided that I'd like for it to be a little more than just a photo project.  I'm trying to use it as a catalyst for writing and researching. 

This morning as I was leaving for work I caught this out of the corner of my eye. 

It's a Luna Moth. 
When I noticed it, I knew immediately that I wanted to use this for my P365 photo.  I hurried, but very cautiously so I didn't spook it, to dig out my phone which doubles as a camera.  As I took the photo I wasn't quite sure if it was a moth or a butterfly.  Now, after just a few minutes of reading on the www, I have a much better sense of who this little creature is.  There are of course the facts and the fiction. 

Facts:  *wingspan can be up to 4 1/2 inches, *males have larger, bushier antennae (I think this is a male), *adults do not eat, they don't even have a mouth, *adults only live 1 week and in that week they breed

The fiction/fantasy aspect is that the moth is a symbol of transformation and the carriers of dreams.

I hope that this photo leads to you read up a little and see what you can learn about the Luna Moth.

Update @ 9pm . . . when I came home this afternoon, I didn't see the moth so I figured it had moved on, but after my reading I had a thought, "Maybe it's still there and I just missed seeing it earlier, or maybe it came back."  Well sure enough I went out to look and there it was, on the underside of a the same leaf it was on this morning. 

I think it's pretty cool !!

WHO RESCUED WHO ? I know.

In January 2009, our beloved buddy of 12 1/2 years had a stroke and we had to, out of our absolute love for him, have him euthanized.  We had rescued him from a local animal angel in Union City, TN in 2006.  He was only 6 weeks old at the time.  We named him Oliver (after the cat in Oliver & Co.).  This dog was remarkable and amazing!  Anyone who ever met him was amazed at how awesome he was!!

The kids loved him and he loved them.  Oliver loved Mike and Mike loved him so much.  For me, it was much more than love.  (I thought I could put the feelings down here, but I'm not there yet.)  Let's just say I was extremely lost when he was gone.

At first I wanted a "replacement", right away.  I came to realize that Oliver was not replaceable.  I was sad.  And I was also mad, because Mike and the girls didn't want another dog at all.  Lots of talks took place regarding another dog. I couldn't get them to understand the need I had, the void in my heart.  I started going to the RAL in hopes that I would find "the one".  After several visits, I made a connection, but it didn't work out and I had to tearfully (aka sobbing) return him.

I was embarrassed at having to return this dog, and once again very sad, so I stopped looking.  Then one day, I inadvertently clicked on the RAL link in my dropdown menu... at first I was going to shut the window, but then I caught a glimpse of this sweet, sweet face.  I went to meet Denali.  He was skiddish and scrawny, and he had just finished treatment for heartworm.  Right away I needed to rescue him from this life in a cage.

It's been almost a year now since Denali joined our family, and every single day he has brought me unexplainable joy!  So when I see that paw shaped bumber sticker  "WHO RESCUED WHO?"  I know!!  And I say an extra little prayer of thanks for this furry dude!!

This is his imitation of the great Sphynx

Re-start on P365

It's early morning... P365 restart has begun!  This photo was actually taken on Sunday morning, August 1st and then I thought, 'Uuuh, do I really like this photo? Maybe I'll take a better one later in the day.'  Well before I knew it the day had zipped by and here I am right now, right where I was yesterday, but without the breakfast sandwich. 

Breakfast, made by Mike.

They say it's the most important meal of the day.

So here is my P365 restart photo for August 2nd.  It's called 'Coffee, made by Mike' -- ; )  (Thank you, my dear sweet man!)

Coffee, made by Mike

And so here I go, AGAIN, working on my P365!

Time flies ... at Mach 4!

Oh my!  It seems I have lost track of my P365 again.  However, I'm excited having made it much longer than last year.  And in that excitement I'm going to just pick it right back up tomorrow, August 1st. 
The weekly digi-scrapping was working well, until several things hit me all at once and I lost motivation for taking pictures as well as digi-scrapping. 

Now I'm going to take a new approach to P365.  I'm going to use the one item that we all seem to have with us all the time now, everywhere we go - - the cell phone!  While the pictures might not be of terrific quality, the project is not a photography competition it's a personal challenge.  So that's my new thought process.

I have even created a fresh layout for my blog.  The kit is called Elegantly Tough by Roseytoes Designs, and can be found at Enchanted Studio Scraps.

Week 22

This week's LO was made with the new Mega Kit @ Enchanted Studio Scraps.  It's called "In The Spotlight"

If you make a $10 purchase at ESS, you can get this kit for free during the month of JUNE!!