MckLinky Blog Hop #11 - SHOW OFF YOUR ART!

This week's Blog Hop theme is "SHOW OFF YOUR ART".

I am not an artist, but my dear Mom was!! She had an a.mazing talent for painting ~ along with many other talents. I only wish I would have inhereted that from her! My daughter and son were fortunate to get her creative gene. I on the other hand am still honing my stick figure skills!

Unfortunately, we lost her to cancer but thank God she left several paintings for us to enjoy forever!!

This first painting she did for me for as a birthday gift.

We shared a love of whales and this is the painting that one of my ankle tattoos matches!

This painting I also am blessed to have hanging in my home -

It shows a depth of the ocean that is simple so tranquil!!

This painting was actually sold (her first) to anindividual on the east coast ~

Sure wish I could get my hands on it!

Painting given to my husband (The great White Hunter)

Inpired by the movie "Free Willy"

Painted on an old saw

I hope you enjoyed viewing my Mom's art as much as I do!

MckLinky Blog Hop #10 - Remembering 9/11

This week's Blog Hop theme is "REMEMBERING 9/11". Though many would like us to forget, there is still an enemy who wants nothing less than our total destruction. Let's honor those who lost their lives on that day, and since then because of 9/11.

I recall how the day began like many others; The Fireguy and I waking at 4:10 AM and heading to the gym. Once Home and following showers we were in the kitchen having coffee and breakfast. We always tune in to our favorite local news channel, however today as we watched there came a "BREAKING NEWS" alert... These always give me the chills, but I was certainly not expecting the information that followed! We continued our morning ritual and unfortunately were one of millions that saw the plane slam into the second tower LIVE.

I took our portable TV to work and watched as much as I could. Once home that evening all we wanted to do was be surrounded my our family! Although nothing pleasant to watch, I recall finding it difficult to tear ourselves away from the news reports that evening. Watching that second tower collapse... I remember The Fireguy saying that those firefighters are gone, they are GONE! I could not fathom what his words meant but as the days following the event unfolded I realized he knew exactly what he was talking about.

We were all trying to understand WHY this happened and WHAT we were going to do now!

Indeed a day I will remember~

MckLinky Blog Hop #9 - Favorite Baby Pics

This week's Blog Hop theme is "BABY PICS". We are to post your favorite baby pic(s) of yourself, your kids or any baby pic you think the blog hoppers would love to see.

I am proud to submit pictures of my two babies; each at the age of 6 weeks.

Due to not having digital files of these photos (they did not have digital then; back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) the picture quality is not the best ~

Nonetheless, I cherise these photos... I look at them now and can recall looking at the babies and wondering what their future had in store for them. Little did I know how very proud they would make their Dad & me :-)

I am so blessed to have these two as my kids and so honored to be their Mom!!

MckLinky Blog Hop #8 - TIME TO LAUGH

This week's Blog Hop theme is "TIME TO LAUGH". We all need a good laugh sometimes, what a great way to start the week..

I could not decide between two so I am posting them both; hopefully, the first one does not offend any of my readers!! It is just too cute!!


Next, I offer this funny up for all of you techno geeks (like me!) - ENJOY ~

CLEANING POEM

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

and I had to answer 'yes'

He told me to get off my fanny

And tidy up the house

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse

I wiped and shined the topside

That really did the trick....

I was just admiring my work

I didn't mean to 'click'

But click, I did, and oops I found

A real absorbing site

That I got SO way into it

I was into it all night

Nothing's changed except my mouse

It's very, very shiny

I guess my house will stay a mess....

While I sit here on my hiney

MckLinky Blog Hop #6 - FAVORITE PHOTOS

This week's blog hop theme is "YOUR FAVORITE PHOTO(S)". It's time to show off more photos that I love. I dug a little deeper in my photos to post some that I have not used before. I had a bit of trouble choosing only a few, but I hope you enjoy viewing them ~

Meet Kendro (AKA Gargomel) my Siamese cat. She is really a sweetie, just abused by her former owners prior to our adopting her. She loves being outside with me and enjoying the sunshine!

"Last Sunset" was taken on our final evening on Kauai celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary ~

One of my favs since it is of one proud Momma with her two amazing kidlets!!

A little hidden love in my backyard ~

I love my azaleas!!!

MckLinkey Blog Hop #5 - ENCOURAGEMENT

This weeks Blog Hop theme is Encouragement! We found an LDS cassette tape (yes I said cassette!) that we enjoyed listening to back in the early 80's! I hope you enjoy my submission!!

Accentuate the Positive!!!

The way you look at a situation has a lot to do with how you respond to it. It's the old question of whether the glass is half full or half empty. A little creative thinking and a concious effort to see things in a positive way can turn things around. The ordinary becomes the extraordinary. A stumbling block becomes a stepping stone.

In 1985, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a short cassette tape that focused on helping people with feeling positive. The twenty-minute tape was a creative presentation of the idea that "disappointment is an unavoidable fact of life," but that "it can aslo be full, and rich and wonderful, if you don't let the bad times rob you of hope." "There are lots of ways to deal with disappointment, overcome problems and bounce back from the hard times. And there are lots of ways to find the hope that you need to carry on. This tape is a collection of thoughts, ideas and music that can help you bounce back."

MckLinky Blog Hop #4 - FAVORITE PHOTO OF KIDS

This weeks subject is "Favorite Kid Photo" and I am happy to submit this photo taken about 45+ years ago... (you know you're jealous of my red keds!!!) The photo shows my dear Mom and my Sister and me in our front yard on Sharkey Avenue. I have so many memories of this home as we lived there until I was 11. Hope you enjoyed this bit of nostalgia as much I did ~

FAVORITE RECIPE OR DISH - MckLinky Blog Hop #4

This week's MckLinky Blog Hop theme is Your Favorite Recipe or Dish! Once a month we have a buffet at work and I have requests for this little gem each time!!! If you love the yummy Popsicle's of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream you will be so happy to find this recipe ~

DREAMCYCLE CAKE


1 box orange cake mix
3 tbsp. orange Jello
1 box vanilla instant pudding mix

Mix cake mix according to directions, add pudding and Jello. Bake in 2 (9 inch) greased and floured pans at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

ICING:

1 (8 oz.;) cream cheese, soften
1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip
3 tbsp. orange Jello
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cream cheese, Jello, vanilla; then add Cool Whip. Spread on cake and refrigerate.

...STOP

MckLinky Blog Hop #3 - THREE THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME (or US)

This week's edition is a true confessions of sorts... Here we go!

My Fireguy and I were both born left-handed ~ Although my parents thought it best to train me to be right-handed (explains a lot, right?) he has remained a lefty and we had one child born lefty and one righty!








We absolutley love sitting on our patio to enjoy our backyard and will occasionally enjoy a cigar from our favorite handmade cigar store Casillas.

I was a 9th grade cheerleader!!! Yep! That's me on the right (standing). Some of my best memories of junior high were of cheering at basketball games; we did not have a football team...

Favorite Photograph

~ My little family ~ Taken at Gas Works in Seattle, WA where my son recently moved. Photo was from weekend trip for Seattle marathon and we met son's girlfriend !! Awesome time :-)