Happy Friday

It's Friday so you know where you can find me-out looking for bargains and having fun.

May your day and weekend be blessed with laughter and joy.

Hugs,  Noreen

Good Morning Ladies,  What a glorious day to be alive.  The older I get, the more I appreciate the gift of each day and try to make the most of it.  My good friend, Lynn, at http://unequalmarriage.typepad.com/
is hosting Thankful Thursday today and her topic is Miracles.  As I pondered this subject this morning, I realized there are so many over my life span that I wasn't sure what to share.  One in particular stood out so thought I'd share about it this morning.  We moved to Colorado, from California, three and a half years ago. Some of you know our story but our entire family moved within two weeks of each other.  Our oldest daughter and her gang moved the weekend before Thanksgiving and then hubby, I, our youngest daughter and her gang moved the first weekend of December.  We were all native Californians and had never moved to another state or lived in snow country. So not only were we taking on this adventure but we were moving ourselves in the midst of winter weather.  We had a little caravan going-two big moving trucks, driven by the men and I was in one car-our Explorer with our two dogs and our daughter was in her Mazda minivan with two daughters and a huge(120 lb)dog.  We came through Utah and until we got to Salt Lake City the trip was pretty easy.  When we got into Salt Lake though, it was another story-it was night and the weather was absolutely horrid-blizzard conditions.  I was so stressed I was ready to stay there for the night but everyone else wanted to push on a bit further.  Let me tell you that I had never driven in a snowstorm before.  Anyway, we pushed on and spent the night in an awful motel but got ready to travel first thing the following morning.  Here we are, our little caravan on I-80 heading to Colorado; picture the scene of icy roads and big rigs that had jack knifed.  Well, my sweet man was behind me in the moving van and I'm checking on him in my rear view mirror.  All of the sudden I see, to my horror, a big rig right behind him that had the trailer going sideways and out of control.  I got on the walkie-talkie and told hubby to speed it up so the rig wouldn't hit him.  I can tell you I was praying like crazy and thankfully there were angels around my man that day because the driver of the semi was able to get the truck back under control.  It took me several years to realize just how stressful that trip was; we were out running errands in similar weather but hubby was driving and I was pretty uncomfortable being out in it.  I have gained a new appreciation  for our old Explorer since that initial move; prior to that I didn't like the way it rode but now I don't care, it is one of the best all terrain vehicles there is.  The Lord kept us all safe that trip and brought us to our new state.  I have commented that I will never move cross state lines in the middle of winter again. 
That is my miracle testimony, how about you?  Have you seen miracles in your life? 
I am thankful to the Lord for the many times I've seen His hand miraculously work in my life and those I love.
Filled with thanksgiving, Noreen

Outdoor Wednesday

 From our garden, the Cosmos have literally taken over but we do love them.

 Last night we went to some friends for dinner and took this salad; let me say it was yummy.  I've made a version of spinach & strawberry salad before but this also had butter lettuce, raspberries and blueberries with a red wine vinaigrette dressing.  So healthy and so good.

Nothing like a refreshing summer salad on a hot evening.
Today hubby and I already had annual blood tests and then went out to breakfast.  We hope to spend time with the grands today, before it gets too hot.
Have a wonderful day dear ones.
Noreen

Good morning to you.  Here in Colorado we woke up to weather we haven't seen in awhile-at least first thing in the morning.  You see, it is cloudy and cool today and looks like it could rain.
The above photo was taken on our camping trip, in fact my man spotted this tree trunk while we were driving.  If you enlarge it or look closely you will see that it resembles a Turkey.  We stopped and took a photo because it really does.
Yesterday after getting  home and settling in, hubby discovered that one of the hoses to our tub had gotten loose and he thinks that is what caused the leak.  I'm so thankful.  We still won't use it and if the time comes to move to another home, we will have it checked then. 
Last evening we went and watched our two sil's play softball on our church league; they won-Yippee.  It was a good game and of course I always love watching sports in person.  Today I will walk with Kam, do our strength training exercises and then run some errands.  Did I say how nice it is to have my hubby back!
Reggie seems to be hanging in there although I do see very small changes.  As many of you know, each day is a day of grace and I'm thankful that he appears to be alright.  When the disease becomes more apparent, we will do what we need to but until then we are thankful for each day.
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Noreen

Happy Monday

Hi Friends, I hope you had a wonderful weekend filled with laughter and joy!  Although I was very concerned about the situation that occurred on Saturday while I was cleaning, it appears to have been a minor issue(even though the water did leak through the light fixture).  On Sunday we all gathered at our oldest daughters home to help put up electrical fencing for the calf we are buying.  The weather was cooler than it had been and it was quite pleasant to work outside~which is a different song we'd be singing  if we had been working last week.  I was also able to get to the market and stock the house with goodies; when hubby is gone I tend to eat easy dishes but now we'll go back to regular meals. 
This morning I'm planning on finishing all the cleaning before I go to pick up my honey. 
We've got a busy week ahead of us but with my man back, I'll be whistling while I work.
Blessings on your day, Noreen

Saturday Woes

You all know that old saying "When the cat's away, the mice will play" but in my case, today the saying goes "When the cat's away, the mouse will clean and get into trouble."  I decided this morning to clean out my bathroom drawers and do some general cleaning.  In our master bath, we have a jacuzzi tub and shower enclosure-before you say ahh, don't; you see we both prefer showers, thetub is very old and I think in the two years we've lived here I only used it once.  Our daughter and her kiddos used it once when they lived here but in general hasn't had the jets cleaned or run.  Being the diligent(o.k. just kidding)wife I am, I decided to fill the tub and add some bleach to the water.  After it was filled, I thought I'd run the jets to clean them out and then let the water soak and hopefully bleach out some of the dinginess that makes the tub look old.  All of this because hubby is away and I thought I'd accomplish some thorough cleaning.  So I let the water sit and then ran the jets one more time before I emptied the tub-while scrubbing.  While I had let the water sit, I was cleaning out my nightstand; so after I drained it and it finished, I thought I'd take all the upstairs garbage to the can in the garage.  Well I'm going to the garage and I hear "drip, drip, drip" coming from the laundry room.  There was water leaking out of the light fixture, which happens to sit right below our bathtub.  Can you say panic?! By this time, the tub is drained but my laundry room has water all over the floor-and it has bleach in it.  Thankfully, we just have vinyl so that wasn't a concern; I reached and got my plastic garbage can and put it under the dripping plus grabbed some beach towels and threw them on the floor.  I put in a call to our sil and although they were out running errands he said they'd come right over.  I was able to finally get the power turned off in the laundry room and actually able to disconnect the light fixture-and have more water drip down on me.  One of my main concerns though was any water on my feet getting tracked onto the carpet.  Sil and family got here and daughter was quite impressed that I got the light fixture down by myself; he couldn't find anywhere that it was leaking under the tub but said it could have been from the old motor-which I had unplugged.  So right now we are letting everything dry out and when hubby comes home he can thoroughly inspect everything. Needless to say, I won't be plugging in the motor to the bathtub again and if we ever decide to  move then we'll probably need to get some new parts of something.  It never fails that when hubby is away, something happens.  Honestly, all I could think of is how much is this going to cost to fix and how long will we need to wait to get a puppy if things keep going wrong.  But for now, it is o.k. and since the power is off in the laundry room I won't need to worry about anything electrical.
Hope your Saturday is going smoother than mine. 
Hugs, Noreen

Happy Friday Friends,  Well the day has flown by with my usual adventures-going to garage sales with my friend, cleaning the house and then going shopping.  The only difference is that hubby is away so I'm not in a big rush.  Of course pampering our Reggie is at the top of my list too.  Hubby gave him a gentle talking to yesterday and said not to do anything while he was gone and firmly told him that he wanted to see him when he got back. 
This weekend our oldest daughter and her family will be readying the pasture for the calf they will be getting next week.  They have to put up electrical fencing and such so I think I'll be helping them with that.  After all, one-third of the cow is ours.  Since it is a cow for meat and not milk, the children have been told it isn't a pet and that they can't name it or get attached to it.  However, one grandson has quite the sense of humor so he thinks they should name it Ms. Steak but I suggested "Yummm" or maybe "Dinner".  O.k. most of you know I'm a big animal lover so I'm going to try to not get too attached to her.  We'll see.
With our temp's being in the high 90's, I have not been bike riding in a week or so.  Even going on my morning walk first thing makes me sweat.  Sleeping with the a/c on as well.
Have a fun filled weekend.
Hugs, Noreen

Happy Thursday Friends, I hope your week has been filled with joy and laughter, love and friendship, mercy and grace. Our week has been a good one and each day with our sweet Reggie is a gift; we don't know how long we have with him so we are enjoying him while we can.  Of course, I am watching for any signs that he is in pain or having problems; there are little things I notice but nothing major yet.  So today I am thankful for this little old dog who has been a faithful companion to us and was best friends with our dog Sadie.

I am thankful for times spent with grands; I'd be surrounded by them all the time if I could.  Nothing brings my heart joy more than the moments I spend with them; they are all so very precious.
I am thankful that my dear man is going on a golf trip today; he'll be with a close friend in Las Vegas and I'm thankful that the temps haven't been in the 113+ like they were last year.  I'm thankful that he takes these trips each year because they bring him joy.
I am thankful for the big pasta salad I made last night that will last me through the weekend.  I enjoy more relaxed times when he is away.
I am thankful for the library book I just finished-"It's all about Him" by Denise Jackson(wife of Alan Jackson).  This book was wonderful and although sharing her growth in the Lord during their marital problems, I think that everyone could glean so much truth from Denise's book.
I am thankful for my good friend and how she is so close that we get to walk almost every day and do strength training twice a week(most weeks).  I know I wouldn't be doing it alone.
I am thankful for the hope of a puppy in the future.  Don't yet know what kind, probably a mixed breed of some sort-with poodle in her and all the love and energy a bundle of fur can bring.
Hope you're having a good week and don't forget to have a thankful heart.  Please visit Lynn http://www.spirituallyunequalmarriage.com/ for more TT posts.
Noreen

Outdoor Wednesday, Camping part 3

 There is nothing more special than mountain flowers growing amidst pine needles and dirt.

 Wild Geranium is one of my favorites.

 Rock Climbing with one of the dads supervising.

 Daughter Kim with baby.

 Daughter Carrie with her youngest girl.

 The Stanley Hotel-such grandeur.

Longs Peak and Meeker Peak-again a reminder of God's hand in creation.  Many folks climb this 14er but it is a bit too daunting for me.  Love the view though. This is the end of our camping photos-hope you enjoyed!
Today is going to be another hot one, so I'm thinking some sort of water play is needed-be it washing windows or just sprinklers.  Hubby is getting ready to head out for a golf tournament for five days so you can be sure I'll have a pretty relaxed schedule.
TTFN, Noreen

Camping in Estes, Part 2

 Papa bought airplanes for all the kiddos-they all loved them. 

 Our little Peanut.

 Our little engineer, precise planning.

 We loved this photo because it shows the plane flying.

 Mud Pies.

 Even baby girls like to play in the dirt.

 Carrie watching the kiddos while I look at a magazine.

We had a beautiful full moon.  I love being outdoors and taking in the majesty of God's creation.

Have a joy-filled day.
Noreen

Camping In Estes Part 1

 After last years rain that we experienced while camping, hubby decided to cover our screen room.

 Little Miss Sunshine sweeping the ground.

 Boys doing what boys do best-chopping wood. 

 Cousins playing...such a sweet relationship.

 Little Miss O reminds us so much of her mama.

 This little one is the spitting image of mama Carrie.

Sisters discussing what to create.
WE had a wonderful time and the weather cooperated!  This state park is a wonderful spot, albeit a bit rustic for my standards but then I/we did enjoy sleeping in the motor home.  Somehow we didn't get photos of the rig but I could get really used to camping like this.
Have a blessed Monday my friends.
Noreen

 This weekend we are headed to the high places to spend a couple of nights with our entire family. 

You can be sure that we will be sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and laughing.  We are hoping the rain stays away as well as the thunder.  Hubby and I will be trying out our daughter & sil's motor home and will hopefully get a feeling as to whether this is something we'd like to have in the future.  You can be sure this nana will be enjoying snuggling with her grands.  We will be celebrating one grands birthday-Mr.B is turning 8, at the same time we'll be celebrating his grandpa's birthday; yes Mr. B was born on my hubby's birthday. 
I am hoping to visit one of my favorite quilt/gift stores and we will probably stop in and see the Irish Wolfhounds that are always at the Celtic store. 
So this TT, I am thankful for camping trips with loved ones as well as the chance to try a motor home.
I am thankful for daughters and sils that enjoy traveling with us.  I am thankful for the wonder of the mountains and wildlife.
I am thankful for life. 
Blessings to you this day and this weekend...I'll be back with photos.
Noreen

Wild Wacky Weather

Last night we had one incredible storm!  This year we are in a weather pattern with Monsoon storms; normally we get your typical afternoon thunder storm with a bit of rain and then it passes.  However, the last week or so has been so different, at least different from the three other summers we've experienced.
Hubby and I couldn't believe the electrical activity last night; I've never experience thunder like we had all night.  I'm so thankful our old dog is deaf because he didn't even get upset.  The rain poured all night long.
What has me a bit concerned though is that we have our annual family camping trip this weekend and I know that some of the grands will not be in awe of the storms.  Our youngest granddaughter, a year now, will be so very scared by all the loud noise.  My only hope is that the storms will be milder for the rest of the week.
How about you, are you experiencing weird weather in your part of the country?  Do you have animals that don't react well to the thunder?  I'm hoping that our next dog will be one that isn't bothered or traumatized by thunder.  Since we've always rescued dogs, we have had no way of knowing their reactions to storms but in the future we will be getting a puppy or young dog and I'm hoping that will get the dog on the right track with responding.  I know that some breeds do better with noise than others; have you experienced this?
I hope you have a day that is bright with sunshine, breezes and rainbows.
Blessings, Noreen

My Girls

 These are two of my girls, Miss S on the right side and Miss F on the left. Both are growing up so quickly; they love each other and their sisters.  It is such a blessing to spend time together.  On Friday, we had a tea party at one daughter's house. Normally, our daughters have girlie tea parties for the granddaughters every month or two but life has a way of sneaking up on you and passing you by, so it has been several months since our last one.  The little girls love these parties and it is a way to teach them how to be a hostess and incorporate fun food and crafts.  The girls love the fun times and while the girls are playing, Grandpa is outside with the boys working with wood.

This is the craft that our daughter did-pinwheels made out of scrap booking paper.  They were soft pastel colors are so adorable.  I was never this creative when my girls were young.
The food was incredible too-yogurt parfaits with fresh raspberries and granola, an assortment of crackers, fresh fruit, ice tea/water and for dessert marshmallows dipped in dark chocolate with pink sugar sprinkled on top.  It was a beautiful day outside so we were able to picnic under one of the trees.  Unfortunately I left my camera inside so these are the only photos I've got. 
Today I'm off to walk and then go to bible study. I'm hoping hubby and I can ride this afternoon before the rain starts.
Have a wonderful day,  Noreen

More of Estes Park

Our good friends and neighbors, Dick and Rita.

                                               Rocky Mountain National Park

                                                            Simply Amazing!

                                           There is still quite a bit of snow up there.

                                           These guys looked like they were being paid to pose.

Outdoor Wednesday

Last Saturday, hubby and I joined our two good friends and drove up to the high places-aka Rocky Mountain National Park.  We wanted to see how high the snow was at Trail Ridge; it was a beautiful day and of course the scenery was breath taking as always.  I've got more photos to share on another day. 
I was supposed to go up to Wyoming today with hubby and another couple as hubby and the other friend are playing in the Wyoming Open Golf Tournament, a pro-am, tomorrow and have a practice round today but our little old dog Reggie is having a bit of problems and I didn't feel comfortable leaving him for the entire day. 
Hope you have a nice day.
Noreen

Baby Quilt

Happy Tuesday to you.  Many of you know that one of the nicest things about blogging is the friendships that are formed in blogland.  I am have been so blessed by the richness of the relationships with you all.  One dear friend, Debbie over at http://debsdailydribble.blogspot.com/,  is one such friend.  Debbie daughter is expecting a little boy in the fall and when Debbie first found out, she approached me about making a baby quilt.  Of course, I was thrilled beyond belief to be asked and had a wonderful time picking the fabrics and pattern.  It went in the mail last week and arrived safely in Southern California.  Now, I get to share with you all.  Although this makes it look small, it is a good size baby quilt.

I realize the hand stitching may be too small to see but if you click on the photo it might be visible.  Although I did just a simple design, there is quite a bit of hand quilting.

I think this has been one of my favorite quilts and I'm hoping that Mel loves it and that it brings baby Sam lots of comfort.  Another tidbit is that Debbie was able to find the fabric and make coordinating bedding with it.  I think Debbie and I are true kindred spirits! 
Now, I'm on to a new quilt for a very special person and since she visits here I can't say anymore.  I will post photos once I get it together and it will remain a mystery for the time being.
I hope you had a wonderful fourth, filled with family and fun.  Enjoy your day today.
Hugs, Noreen