Dreaming

It's Thankful Thursday and I'm thankful for you dear ones!!! I cruised through my old photos this morning, trying to corral my thoughts for today and saw these pics. They are taken on Kauai, one of our favorite vacation spots. If hubby had his way, we would be living there(or so he says), but with family here you couldn't drag us away. Plus living in the Islands is not cheap! I hope you enjoy.

I believe this was an old estate, which is next to a golf course.  I believe the original owner sold the land to the golf course.

For those of you old enough, this was taken for a t.v. series. There was a key phrase in the series-"The Plane, The Plane"; any ideas.

I had a wonderful visit with my girlfriend yesterday; there were only nine Springers to exercise before we went shopping and to lunch.  This certainly beats the 16-18 she's had in the past; while they are wonderful dogs, by the time I left my allergies had kicked into high gear. 
Today, Hunter and I will head to Kam's for a quick walk; the tile man is here working and I don't want to be away for too long.  It will be warm today, so I see myself outside enjoying the sunshine. 
Oh Kauai, we love you; thinking of Val and her girlz too.
Aloha,
Noreen

For The Love of Tulips

A neighbors yard.

Our front bed, do you see Hunter watching me? I'm so thankful that the previous owner planted so many Tulips for me to enjoy.
All around our neighborhood, Tulips are springing up.  I love Tulips, in the garden or in a vase.
If we weren't on adobe soil, I would probably have planted more; I asked the previous owner how he managed to plant so many and his reply was that he used a big electric drill to drill the holes.  I never would have thought about that, but I certainly understand it.
I've taken Hunter on a walk already; I'm about ready to head out to see my good California friend, who is dog sitting.  We are having our shower floor tiled and with a stranger here in the house, I don't want to leave Hunter alone-so as soon as hubby gets back from his errand, I'm hitting the road. 
I hope you have a joy filled day!
Hugs,
Noreen

Happy Tuesday to you.  Today is going to be a wonderful spring day; I will get Hunter out on a long walk and also get on my bike.  I'm ready for our spring rains to just let loose at night, so our days are warm.  Yesterday I headed up to REI to get some packets of electrolyte powder for my bff, who is driving to Virginia on Friday.  She needs to replenish her nutrients throughout the day, I just don't want her getting weak while driving.  So after I picked up the packets, I happened to see this product and it drew me in.  You see, ever since we've lived in Colorado we've eaten Bison; we usually buy it for spaghetti, hamburgers, hotdogs if we can find them and any other product we happen across.  Bison is much leaner than beef and we love the taste; I was thrilled when I saw Buffalo jerky bites.  I looked at the different packages, one was spicy hot-nope not for me, and I settled on this because it also had cranberries in it.  I was so curious, I opened the package in the car. 

Let me tell you these bites are incredibly flavorful!!!  I had a few more when I got home, they are small pieces and aren't dry like traditional jerky is.  Hubby liked them and I have to say I had initially thought if we didn't like them, Hunter would.  He did get a piece too and loved it, but the rest are for us.  At $7.00 a package at REI they are not going to break my grocery budget, Amazon sells them by box and that is a bit pricey.  I can see that this will be a product we take on our "roadies" aka road trips. 
If you've never eaten Bison, you really should try it.  I also use it in Chili; it works wonderfully.  I liked this product because it is gluten, soy, hormone and antibiotic free and from what I can gather, is a Native American product.  Let me tell you I'll drive to Fort Collins any day to get this. This opinion is my own; I just love to share new products/foods if I think they are excellent.  This product is.
Hope you have a great day!
Noreen

CSU Vet School Open House

Happy Monday to you. On Saturday, I did something I haven't done before-I took two grands to the CSU Vet School Open House. I am always looking for activities that will nurture the natural bents my grands have; two of them are dog people just like me, which thrills my heart. Our second grandson has talked of having a ranch when he grows up and also dog breeding. I thought it would be fun to visit a Vet School almost in our back yard; I know several people who have taken their dogs there and have been happy with the care. I also know the previous head of the vet school, so it was a natural decision to go to this event. My grandson looked online and saw that Fort Collins police were having a K9 demonstation; it was a no-brainer. In fact, I probably would have spent a good portion of the day there because they had agility set up also. In Ca. I used to go to the trials for obedience and agility as well as sheep dog exhibitions and trials. I can tell you that we all loved seeing these Police dogs being worked; we found out new information about them as well. I love how well trained these dogs are!

I loved seeing how determined Trigger was in holding on to his handler for this exercise.  He never let go of the underneath armpit of the "perp".

After the training exercises, the dog and handlers had a meet & great.  They were so gentle; I wouldn't want them coming after me though.

Here is my grandson Mr. B.  He has a love for Shepherds-in fact, some close friends have a Shepherd from Germany and they are going to be breeding her.  Unfortunately, due to allergies and asthma neither girls family can have any dog that sheds.  Mr. B is looking into Labradoodles or Standard Poodles.  He wants a big dog, I just keep reminding him if he gets a working dog he has to exercise and work it daily. 

We had so much fun!  I'm also hoping to take three grands to a dog show in August in Greeley.  It is a small one, but fun to go and see. 
Yesterday hubby and I went to the movies, because it was cold and rainy.  We saw Woman in Gold, a fabulous true story.  Today is another cold day, so I'll be running some errands and then working on the house.
Hope you have a great Monday.
Joy to you!
Noreen

Misc. Friday

Happy Friday to you! I finally dug out our zip drives to check on photos; still haven't found the ones I was after, but found a few that brought back some memories. This barn is from our 2003 Toronto trip; we had taken some back roads and I loved it. Loved seeing this again.

Estes.

This is Lumpy Ridge, if I'm not mistaken.  Taken back in 2008, with our close friends Aletha and Dave.  They will be coming back for another visit this summer-can't wait.

This is from Yosemite; we met our close friends Shelley and Steve at Bass Lake for a weekend. At this time, we only had a small digital camera. WE actually went into the Park and had a great time; hubby tried to climb up Half Dome the following day, but the hike took out his knees.  I knew I wouldn't be able to do it; I tried back in '70 and couldn't do it then.
I'm going to upload all our photos so I have more to share with you all.
The rain is headed our way, so I'll be staying in reading.  We already went on a 3.5 mile bike ride while Hunter was at the groomer. 
May your weekend be filled with joy and love!
Noreen

Happy Thursday to you!  I expected to wake up to rain today, but I am thankful it is sunny and clear.  We have entered into our spring rainy season, with thunder and showers in the afternoons; it helps our yard stay nice and green and as long as we have the majority of day without the rain, I'm fine.  I don't know about you, but I always feel much better when I can be outside in the sunshine enjoying life. 
I am one who could not live in the desert though; it does have it's own beauty, but I am not attracted to it at all. 
Yesterday was a wonderful day, for the most part!  I had lunch with a newer friend and it was such a nice time; we ate at Panera's and I had a great Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. I think we could have spent the afternoon there getting to know each other, but I had sewing with two grands, so had to cut our time shorter than I would have liked.  So onto the surprise I got~several weeks ago I took four granddaughters to Joann's for fabric.  We are making pillow cases.  Each girl bought 6 fat quarters and fabric for the back of the pillowcase.  Now, I'm here to tell you that the fabric cost more than I anticipated, the fat quarters were the price of ones in a quilt store.  What ever happened to Joann's being reasonably priced?  Imagine my surprise yesterday when we went to cut the fat quarters, but they weren't really fat quarters.  For all you quilters reading this, can you tell me what dimensions you consider a fat quarter.  Thanks.  So I began measuring with the two granddaughters and sure enough the fabric wasn't the right size.  Hummmmm.  Well, we decided that we would just add a strip of fabric onto the end of the strip; it might not look like we wanted it too, but it would work.  I'm thankful my grands are 10-7 yrs of age and not too picky.  If we had saved the wrapping of the fat quarters, I might have taken them back.  As I said, the fabric for these pillow cases was very pricey; next time I'll go to Walmart.  So one girl began sewing her strips together and as we lined them up on my design wall we were pleased.  Onto the next grand; two of her squares were about 2-3" shorter than the rest of her fat quarters.  I will have to do some tweeking today to get all the strips the same length.  What I did decide though was to go back to Joanne's and complain to the manager.  Lest you think I'm being picky about the fabric, the cost ran about $70. for all the material and it wasn't even a lot of fabric.  If the fat quarters were correct in their measurements, it would be fine however it will be obvious that there is a seam where there shouldn't be.  The girls are just fine with it thankfully and I know this will be the first of several pillowcases they make.  So if any of you out there shop at Joann's for material, make sure you know that the pieces are the right size.  If I had been the one to wash and iron the fabric, I would have headed back there immediately.  Lesson learned.
Today I'm walking and then will have sewing with my other two grands.  So very thankful that we can all learn together. 
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Noreen

Outdoor Wednesday

One of the best things about living in Colorado is the abundance and variety of wildlife. Many of my first photos of mountain goats and bighorn sheep are MIA; they are probably on a disk in the desk. I always love looking at Romping and Rolling in the Rockies because KB always has incredible photos of mountain lions, bears, elk and other animals. I will include a link at the end so you can go visit her and see her photos. She has the most incredible Lab's and KB lives in the High Places and goes mountain biking daily, even in winter.  Here are a few of our photos; many have seen them before, but I'm hoping new followers will enjoy!

We have only seen Moose once, while camping at Grand Lake.  I never fully understood the attraction to them, until I saw a Mother and her Calf up close.  They are incredible.  I have heard that they are migrating over the hill towards Estes, but have not yet seen any. 
I will search for our other photos, in the hope that we still have them.
I've got a jam packed day today, by tonight I'm sure I'll be tired.
Here is KB's link, go by and say hi.
http://romp-roll-rockies.blogspot.com/

Joy to you!
Noreen

One Sign of Spring

It's a beautiful day here in northern Colorado and spring is definitely here; hopefully winter got the memo and will stay away until next year! One of the things I love most about living here is how often we see Pelicans, Bald Eagles and a variety of other wildlife. In northern California, the most we would see was wild Turkeys and Rattlesnakes. I have noticed more and more Pelicans arriving, as they do each spring to spend the spring, summer and part of fall with us. There is a wild grass area next to the golf course and they are going to be putting in a lake where the grasses are. I'm wondering if that will mean we will see more geese and of course pelicans.

I'm going to take Hunter out on a nice long walk and plan to ride this afternoon, before I start quilting. I just love it when the weather cooperates and I can sit outside and read-so that may happen before I begin quilting. In the evenings we watch t.v.-especially the Voice and I sit stitching. This years talent has been incredible!
 I hope you have a fantastic day and can get outside and enjoy some weather-hopefully sunny and not rain! I would send all our rain and snow, that is forecast for this week, to California. Please, you can have it. I am glad we are at about 95% of our water totals, but so many are in need in the entire state of Ca.
Hugs,
Noreen

On Comfort and Age

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a wonderful weekend, accomplishing all that you desired. I was reminded recently that I've been whining too much about the weather this last week, instead of having a grateful heart. So here goes: I am so very thankful that we are not in a drought situation like California is. I am thankful that the rain and snow will just green up our lawns and also ease the Red Flag warnings in the mountains, especially near my blogging friend KB. On cold days, I am thankful that we can go to the movies or I can sit and quilt all day long. O.k. on to my weekend~you all know I've been looking for a pair of Naot shoes for our Ireland trip. Hubby and I went to two stores on Saturday that carry them and I still wasn't finding the exact pair I wanted; at $179. per pair, I wasn't going to just settle. So at the first store I found some pairs of BORN, another wonderfully comfortable shoes and tried them on. I really liked the feel, but wanted to go to the sister store to see if they had any different Naot's. Long story shorter, I tried on the Born again and decided that if I put a heal liner in the shoes, they would work for me. I loved the fact that they were on sale, for $100.00 less than the Naot's. Many of you may be saying you've never bought a pair of shoes that expensive before, or you wouldn't. Let me explain I haven't either, but have had issues with my feet since I was very little. I have narrow feet and as a child had to wear corrective shoes because I would pronate-walk in on my heals. I hate spending big money on shoes, but also know if it is better for my feet, it is worth it. Both my brother and sister had serious foot problems and my brother still does. In the past, the most expensive shoe I ever bought was Birkenstock's. Even when I worked full time, I never paid that much for shoes; you can imagine that being on a fixed income makes it more difficult to do.  So here is the pair of shoes I found, I'm not sure how they'll look with Capris but they are comfortable. The strap is a bit loose and I may take a heal liner and line the underside of the strap to make it a bit tighter. They look really cute with jeans, which I live in.

Hubby really liked them too-another plus.  I've owned a pair of Born sandals years ago that lasted about 15 yrs., the quality was so good and they were worth what I paid for them.  These will be good during the spring, summer and fall.  I remember growing up and all my friends could go to discount stores and get cute shoes for really cheap; I never had that option, I am thankful I haven't had the issues my sister and brother had with bunions.  I also need a new pair of tennis shoes for the trip and the summer, I'm glad I have enough money left over to get a nice pair of Oasics gels. 
I've walked, started laundry and going to head to the grocery store to stock up.  Our house is like Mother Hubbards Cupboard, we are so low on the staples.
I hope you have a great day!  Count your blessings.
Noreen

It's Friday and I'd swear we were back in northern California.  It rained and snowed all yesterday and today is raining as well, not the torrential downpour but a soft gentle rain.  I am more than happy to send it all back to California, because of their drought. I just wish they would keep this particular storm pattern to themselves and fill their reservoirs. Our family and friends are having to let lawns die and conserve as much as possible.  While the rain here will green up our lawns and plants, they are in need of it more than we are. 
We had a very quiet day yesterday and today will probably be the same.  We had dinner with our friends last night and it was so nice.  The hubby of my girlfriend spent a lot of time in Ireland, since his parents were born there.  We pulled out our map and itinerary and told him where we were going. We did get some great recommendations from him. 
The closer it gets the more excited we are! 
Today, hubby and I will go to the movies and then come home and cook a Corned Beef for dinner. 
I'm hoping to get more quilting done today. 
Whatever you do, I hope you have a great day today and a marvelous weekend.
Joy to you!
Noreen

From One Day To The Next

Happy Thursday to you! Earlier this week, I was able to sit outside in the sunshine and read. Look what our weather is today; it started yesterday afternoon with thunder, lightning, rain, slush and hail. Today we woke up expecting snow, but it didn't start until about an hour ago. It is a wet snow and will help our lawns green up as well as the plants, but seriously I am so in the mood for more warmth. Here is the view from our deck.

Thankfully our waterfall is continuing to run; I just love the sound!

We don't have much on the agenda today-run a couple of errands and then go to some friends for dinner. I hope that you are enjoying spring, unless it's snowing and if so then staying warm.
Blessings,
Noreen

It's outdoor Wednesday and before the storm hits tonight, I want to spend some time outside. I had such fun with my girlfriends yesterday and last night we had a game night with Kim's family-per request of Peanut, for her birthday.  Three of the kiddos have colds, I'm hoping they avoid us.
Today is beautiful, after last nights wind storm.  Snow has already hit Utah and I know it will probably arrive here tonight; I'm hoping we just get rain.  Today is wide open, so after walking Hunter I think hubby and I will head down to an Apple store to see if our mini IPad can be repaired or scrubbed.  When we first bought it, we had an issue with ghosting-meaning that I would be in one app(such as kindle)and the it would just start jumping around.  We took it in right away and the fellow was familiar with it, his wife had the same thing happen.  He fixed it and we haven't had an issues with it until lately.  Now it just doesn't jump around in one app, but goes to all sorts of different apps.  Since we are planning on taking it to Ireland, we need it in good working order.  I think they will be able to scrub it and then reinstall the hardware.  At least that is what I'm hoping for. I don't want to buy another one.  Meanwhile I'm thankful for my Iphone and the fact that I can read on it.  If it doesn't get to windy this afternoon, hubby and I will definitely go on a bike ride.  I missed one yesterday because by the time I got home, it was too windy.
I hope you have a wonderful day today.
Hugs,
Noreen 

Grooming Tools

Happy Tuesday to you! I hope your week has started on a good note; today I am heading south to Longmont to meet two friends, who used to blog, for lunch. We used to get together every two-three months, but it has been quite a bit longer since our last social.
 Today, I want to share the wonderful monthly treats from Mr.Chewy. It is always such a tough choice to decide what to pick, because they simply have the best items available. I decided to pick a Dual Brush by Furminator. Even though Hunter is groomed every six weeks, the boy can get some mats in his hair. We use a special spray-in detangler(yes, it sound like a human product), but he still gets some. I do have to bathe him between groomings or he just gets pretty smelly. Since he sleeps on our bed, I prefer not to have the dirt and odor around. The brush is two side, one with soft brush and the other side is a medium pin brush. The package states that it helps remove Mats, tangles, and loose hair.

This is the hair that we got from Hunter after his bath this weekend. It isn't much, but the brush did get rid of some mats on his ears.

Not only did Sydney send us this great brush but she also included a treat for Hunter. We choose Primal Jerky chicken nibs, training treats for dogs and bite size treats for cats. This product is made in the USA and the chicken raised without antibiotics or added hormones. We give the company 10 stars for this quality.

These treats are the perfect size for either training or to add to kibble.  In the morning, Hunter gets kibble, both Blue Buffalo Freedom grain-free and Wild Calling Bison Meal Recipe.  A friend recommended the Wild Calling so we are transitioning Hunter to the Bison, which he has enjoyed in other treats.  In addition to the kibble, I add in the jerky nibs, freeze dried Bison and Ideal Balance Breakfast Medleys, which look like miniature waffles.  Hunter eats all of his kibble by days end and in the evening he generally gets some cut up baked chicken. 
I do need to place an order with Mr. Chewy; I can tell you that the products are delivered quicker than any other company I've ordered from. There customer service is outstanding and we give Mr. Chewy a Diamond rating.  WE also rate this brush and the treats both 10 stars.
We received these products free of charge or compensation for our honest review of the products. 
If you have animals and want quality food and treats, as well as any other items you might need, visit
www.chewy.com

Our weather today is fantastic, but tomorrow and Thursday we are due for rain and snow.  What, I'm loving our warmth! 
Have a joy filled day,
Noreen & Hunter

Two Beauties

Happy Monday to you! As promised I have some photos to share from our birthday celebration on Saturday. Here are our two birthday girls, sisters just two years apart. They are such wonderful girls-Miss S on the left is now 10, Miss M on the right is 8 tomorrow. The are incredible helpers, a must in a big family,  also sweet, intelligent, thoughtful-well you get my drift. I just can't say enough about what wonderful girls, daughters, sisters, cousins and granddaughters they are. 

Two cousins and close friends. Many years ago, I had friends who were twins and their children all acted like they were one big family; I didn't understand it then, but sure do now.

The girls each got some great gifts! They were so thankful for all of the thought that went into their presents.

Little Man decided he was a ninja warrior and was twirling the sticks like he was doing martial arts. So cute. His language is exploding now and it is fun to have to telling us that he wants to go in our car with us and come home to Nana and Papa's. We are blessed beyond measure.
 Today I asked a friend if she wanted to go check out some shoes with me that were recommended for our trip to Ireland; she was in and we had fun looking at all sorts of different shoes. I will say that the gal who recommended Naot brand shoes said they were like walking in your slippers, but they are expensive. I whole heartily agree with how wonderfully comfortable they are, but the price is way too high for me. Well maybe, I might get a pair yet. I tried on every other brand that was comparable, but none were are comfy as the Naots. Don't know if there are any travelers out there, but if you are planning on walking a lot, you might want to check out this brand.
I've walked this morning and will ride later on, but for now I'm heading out to the sunshine to read an ebook.  I hope you had a great weekend!
Blessings,
Noreen

Together With You by Victoria Bylin Book Review

Good Morning Friends~Once again it is time for a book review; I'm sure you'll love this story. I have a special announcement at the end of this post.

From The Author:
"When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.



Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.



Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?"

I loved this book for many reasons, Carly's love for a special needs child and her way of interacting Penny.  I have always had a very special place in my heart for children who have disabilities,  especially down syndrome, autism or emotional problems.  This book grabbed me from the start.
I wondered how the difference in faith would be resolved and it was, but in a way that I didn't expect.  I haven't read any of the authors books before, but would rate this a five star and also want to read more of her stories.  It was a quick read and I would highly recommend it.
Bethany House provided me with this book in exchange for my honest review.  I did not receive any compensation for it.
Also, this morning when I went to Victoria Bylin's website, I found out she is having a great give away-here is the link. Go visit and enter it!
https://promosimple.com/ps/6ff5

I hope you have a great day and fantastic weekend.
Joy to you~
Noreen

Happy Thursday to you!  I hope your week has been a peaceful one! Today is a very special day-our oldest granddaughter turns 10 today.  I won't post photos until Monday, due to the fact that she and her sister have a joint birthday party on Saturday.
 Hubby and I had fun last night at the musical, but we both decided that we should plan on attending matinees in the future-an hour drive home is a lot when you are tired. 
The other night, while we were watching t.v. and I was quilting, Hunter curled up next to me.  We loved how his front paws were between his back ones.  He is such a joy and makes my life so much happier.
I'm off to the grocery store, then to let Hunter have playtime with a neighbor and this afternoon will visit another friend who is dealing with health issues.  Tonight we will be going over to the birthday girl's house to play games and just to be with her.  Miss S is a joy to all of our family and we are very proud of her!
Until tomorrow~
Noreen

Outdoor Wednesday

With our spring weather being so pleasant, hubby and I are starting to work on the yard a bit.  Last week we bought a yard of supreme mulch(aka gorilla mulch) for the beds.  Our plants are just showing signs of spring here.  On Sunday I told my girls I was on the lookout for a copper wind decoration for the yard; I've seen several in the neighborhood and love them.  Years ago, I got the name of a man who made them, but his prices were sky high.  So Monday, one daughter calls from Costco and says they have what I want there and did I want her to pick one up for me.  Of course I did;  yesterday hubby quickly put it together and we put it in the bed.  I love how whimsical it is. 
I would love to get out and work in the yard today, but we are heading to Denver this afternoon to see the musical Motown; if you grew up in the 60's & 70's you probably listened to this music. We have always loved Motown music and can't wait.  Tomorrow we are supposed to have rain and possibly snow, so no gardening for me; maybe this weekend.  My other goal for this spring is to walk at least 1.5 miles per day-up to 3+ miles per day and ride my bike, at least for 2 miles.  So far, I've been doing this and it feels so good to be back to normal.  I'm about to grab Hunter's harness and get going.  The more I can be outside walking and riding, the happier I am. 
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Noreen & Hunter

On Birds and Such

Good Morning to you!  The birds are singing, especially the blackbirds, and today promises the beauty of spring.  We've never had blackbirds around our yard before and I was so surprised to hear their melody.  We also have sparrows, juncos, finches and lots of doves; I don't put birdseed out anymore because of the incredible mess it makes and the amount of weeds that one gets from it. Instead, I've chosen to plant flowers and plants that will feed them.  However, yesterday hubby and I were outside and I realized that because we back to a strip of lawn  before the golf course and that the golf course takes care of the area, I can hang some feeders from a Blue Spruce tree that face our yard.  That way I won't have to weed, a task I hate and we can enjoy some finches, sparrows and other birds without the mess.  Mind you, the larger birds like the doves leave us huge droppings in the yard that I clean up, lest Hunter rolls in them.  I also realize it is mating season and after having gone through the grackles killing and dismembering the sparrows at our last house for several months, I don't want a repeat of this.  At the time, I was told that when the grackles have nests and baby birds, they become very aggressive with any food nearby-which was the case at our old house.  I also know this is a typical animal behavior, but when you have a dozen if not more dead birds, without heads, in your yard, you want to put an end to it.  So, I will plant food for the birds and also put a feeder outside of our yard. 
On to a more pleasant topic.  Last week a blogging buddy, Carol(Murphy & Stanley's mom), told me about a website for ebooks called Book Bub,www.bookbub.com  They have daily specials and even free ebooks; I decided to check it out. They have different genres that you can put your preferences in and they send you notifications when books you might like come up.   Carol had just finished reading "Saved by Gracie" by Jan Dunlap and she thought I'd enjoy it.  Book Bub provides links to Amazon and different sites to get the books at; so I got this ebook at Amazon for my Kindle reader.  I can tell you it wasn't free, but a very good price and so worth it.  I read the book on Saturday afternoon sitting in the sun; it is one of the best books I've read.  Since I signed up at Book Bub, I've gotten several free books.  I have many on my IPad and to be honest prefer paper backs, but this is a wonderful tool for readers.  When we take our trip to Ireland this summer I will have lots of books to chose from on my phone or IPad.
Today I will take Hunter on a nice walk, do some household chores and also take 4 grands to a fabric store to get fat quarters for our next sewing project-pillowcases.
I hope you have a wonderful day and are able to enjoy some of nature-be it flowers outside or just a walk.
Hugs,
Noreen

Easter

Good Morning to you. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! WE had such a fun weekend~on Friday night 7 of our granddaughters spent the night. What fun we had, from nails being painted to watching Night At The Museum 3, to giggles and having a hard time getting to sleep in the fort that Papa made. Saturday morning we had a big breakfast and then went on a 1.5 mile walk. After they went home, I just had a very relaxed day; I got a new ebook recommended by one of my blogging buddies and read the entire book in the afternoon, just sitting in the sun. Yesterday the entire family came over for lunch. We fixed ham, bbq chicken, deviled eggs-isn't the one in the middle cute! I also made cupcakes for dessert and had splurged and bought a box of Sees candy(A family tradition). The girls brought rolls, potato salad and fruit salad. Such a good meal.
These tulips were a birthday gift from a dear friend; they package had a label that said Bloom Makers, Long Life Flowers. I love them; you just keep adding water to them.

Just before the candy hunt(they already did egg hunts at their house), we lined them all up for a photo. Well, actually there was a little more to it than that. After this picture was taken, all the adults whipped out cans of silly string and sprayed them all. It was such fun and they thought it was so funny. One granddaughter, the oldest, kept saying "well, I just wasn't expecting that". It was Papa and my idea and one to show the kiddos that we still like to get silly now and again.

I'm off to walk now, will bike later and maybe take a second shorter walk. The weather will be nice today and I'm loving being outside.
Joy to you!
Noreen

Happy Easter 2015

                                    

While many are out searching for Easter eggs, for those of us called by Christ's name, it is indeed a day of joy and celebration.
 "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spice which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass as they were much perplexed about this, behold two men stood by them in shining garments,And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them 'Why seek ye the Living among the dead? He is not here but is risen, remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying 'The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified and the third day rise again' And they remembered His words." Luke 24:1-8 
 May you know the power and love of a living Savior this Easter and every day of your life and   may you come into a more profound and deeper relationship with Him than ever before.
Because He first loved us,
Noreen

Taco Salad

Happy Thursday to you!  Several of you asked about the Taco Salad I made the other night for dinner, so wanted to share it with you.  I didn't grow up eating Mexican food and it wasn't until I was in my late 30's that I had this salad. By that time I was eating Tacos on a regular basis, but just not in a salad.  Of course, I didn't grow up eating Pizza either but once I discovered it I loved it.
Basically a Taco Salad is just a Taco deconstructed.  We use all the same ingredients except for tortillas, we substitute Taco Chips for that. 
Here is a rundown of what we put in ours, though yours may vary. We make it for just the two of us, and it makes two dinners. You may need to adjust quantities if you have a large family.
Salad greens-either Romaine or Iceburg lettuce. I prefer Romaine because it is healthier for you.
Ground Beef or Turkey(your preference)browned.  You can also simmer it in a Taco seasoning if you have it sold at your grocery store.
1 onion-chopped; we prefer purple.
1 tomato cut up.
1 can slices black olives.
1 avocado, cut up
1 can of black beans
shredded cheese-we use Mexican(which is a blend of several cheeses)or Cheddar
Salsa-your choice, we also drizzle Ranch dressing on it.
Sour cream-again a personal preference
Taco Chips

Generally, we break up our taco chips and just mix them in, but for the photo I put them at the side.
We didn't have any sour cream for this dinner.  It is an easy summertime salad and kids love it, so do hubbies. I've also taken this as a quick dinner to friends.  There you have it.  If you've never made this, give it a try.  If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Blessings on your day!
Noreen

A Boy's Appetite

Happy Wednesday to you! As I mentioned yesterday, last night we had our two oldest grandsons over for dinner and a sleepover. It was such fun! To begin with, Papa took them to the golf course where they hit a bucket of balls. When they got back we played two games of Quirkle and then got dinner ready. They had told us that they wanted hot dogs on buns, french fries, coleslaw and beans and for dessert they had angle food cake with ice cream. Our grands have the appetites that match their age~which means they are adolescent boys and can eat non stop. I meant to get pics before we ate, but wanted to share I think we have a food network host in our midst. They thought it was so cool to put everything on top of their hotdog-so it was overflowing. They loved it; they weren't being sloppy, just truly enjoying their creation.

It is so different when we have the boys over; I'm thinking they are quiet because of the number of girls we have for a sleepover.  The girls will be here Friday night and have requested almost the same meal. I'm not sure what we will do with them, but know it will be fun.
I'll be popping by to say hi today, I'm behind but have the afternoon free. 
Joy to you!
Noreen