Happy Monday to you all. I can't help myself share these beautiful puppies with you; I spent Saturday night with them and held all of them, they are so adorable.

I love the way they all snuggle together and even pile up on each other.  As of yesterday, there is only one little boy left.

The little red one with the pink collar is going to a friend of mine and she is such a sweet little pup.

Miss O holding one of the white parti pups.

Our littlest granddaughter, Miss E is totally in love with them all.

Miss A feels the same way.  All the kiddos have stepped up to help with the puppies, even doing the laundry.  They are just starting to get up and some are walking, most of them have their eyes open. While I've been at a whelping, I've never been around puppies this much and I'm enjoying it.

I hope you had a great weekend and start the week off with a smile.
Joy to you.

The Two Left

Happy Thursday to you. I am taking a break in a busy schedule to bring you a little more love in your day! These two boys are the only ones left in the litter that don't yet have their forever homes. They are adorable and I hope in the next couple of hours to be going over to hold them all.  The first one looks like his dad and grandfather-a beautiful Red Parti Poodle.  He is going to be a wonderful addition to someone's family.

The sweet little guy with be a lighter White Parti Poodle with red markings. Love those waves on his forehead.

Their eyes should be opening today or tomorrow and before you know it, they'll be walking.  Oh what joy.
Today I planned to be sewing and getting ready for our mini group Sew Day tomorrow at a local quilt store.  Doesn't that sound a little like cleaning house before the housecleaner comes?!  It is a day designed to work on our projects/goals that we set up for ourselves back in January.  I'm doing pretty well on my list and so when I got a call from our leader that the Honor Flight quilts were still 15 short for May's flight and the local store(where we are meeting tomorrow) was busy machine quilting them all.  Our leader wanted to know if I would bind one and bring it tomorrow.  I said yes in a heartbeat, because I don't make quilts for the organization and if the store owner is generously lending us her large classroom for our sew day, then why shouldn't I help out.  I also suggested if they needed more bindings done, many of our group would step up I'm sure.  Five will be done by tomorrow morning and we'll see how many are left.  I am not taking my original project-machine quilting my Sunflower quilt, because it would just be too bulky to work on there.  I will take a border I need to do for a Simple Blessings quilt; it's flying geese and I'm going to go slow and try to get them  done as precisely as I can.  It should be a fun day for all of us, especially if we can help out our Colorado Honor Flight organization.  Being with these gals is always so inspiring and I come away with great ideas.  Tomorrow morning I will be packing up all of my gear to take to the store, so won't be on here unless I get some great photos today.
I hope you have a very productive day today and remember to give thanks for all the blessings in your life.
With gratitude,
Noreen

More Puppy Love

Greetings, As promised here are pics from last weekend. Miss E holding Heidi, the puppy my quilting friend bought.

All snuggled up.

Dog Pile.

So now you know how big they are getting.  I get to spend all day and evening Saturday with them, can't wait.
Joy to you.
Noreen

Happy Day

Hello,  You know I've whined about hubby's laptop(which he calls ours)being in the shop for repairs, but I'm so thrilled to know he is on his way home with it-hopefully better than it was.  Today has been a cold, rainy, snowy day and I've been working on putting borders on my Sunflower Quilt for our sew day on Friday-I'm hoping to get it machine quilted during that time.  However, since I couldn't post pics of my favorite puppies I haven't sat down to touch base.   Hope your day has been excellent!
Hugs and giggles,
Noreen

Happy Monday to you.  How was your weekend, did you do anything fun or exciting?  We have gotten back to our normal routines and it feels good.  Starting back at the gym last week was hard, I felt like I had lost so much in just two weeks.  Today I worked out hard, increased my weights back closer to what I was at before I left and did 2.5 miles on the bike(I'm sure I'll feel it tonight).  I have to say that I have gotten so used to hubby's Mac, that trying to get photos from emails on my old laptop to post here is impossible.  Ugh.  On to fun news: the puppies are growing so much and will be two weeks old this Wednesday.  We are anticipating their eyes opening and a lot of motor skill developing this week.  Four pups are already claimed, one by a good friend of mine which means I'll be able to see her often.  One is sold to a nurse and she will be training her to be a Therapy dog for Children's Hospital.  She has one dog she uses currently and a very old Standard.  I'm excited the puppies are selling so quickly, but it is hard too.  Our granddaughters are sad every time someone comes to pick one.  This weeks weather is going to be spring like except for tomorrow.  I'm so ready to have the warmth stay.  Yesterday my walking partners and I did an extra mile plus, bringing our total up to 4.25+ miles. 
I've got a couple of errands to run today and then will be sewing. 
Hope you have a productive Monday.
Hugs,
Noreen

Happy Friday to you! Today has been busy as usual~a Quilt Shop Hop at our local event center that showcases many of the stores locally with patterns and fabric as well as a contest. My girlfriend picked me up and we so enjoyed the time browsing together. Yesterday while on a walk I saw these flowers and they just scream Spring to me.

I love Daffodils and Tulips; we have lots of Tulips in our front yard.  Usually there is at least one more snow that covers them.  I'm so ready for warmer weather.
Joy to you!
Noreen

Dog Pile

Happy Thursday to you! Yesterday afternoon hubby graciously took me over to get my puppy fix; Hunter benefited because he got to play with Lily. Copper is now getting up and taking a break outside, as time goes on I know she'll be doing that a lot. The puppies were one week old yesterday and have changed so much in that short time. I held each one, but there were a couple that really wanted to snuggle. Hunter actually got to smell one and see it up close; I know when the are big enough to play outside, he will be having fun with them.

I love how this little guy is snuggled between Copper's hind legs; the rest of the puppies were nursing.

After their meal.  Look at how the mint green boy is basically on top of one of the Parti puppies.

I guess this is where the phrase Dog Pile came from.

It is hard to leave; our grands are doing such a great job sitting with Copper 24x7.  That will change when their eyes open and they start to walk.  One granddaughter, Miss F, has the shift from 4:00 am-6:00 am and does her math during that time.  Carrie even takes a shift-from 2:00 am-4:00 am.  Some breeders don't stay with the mom and puppies the first two weeks, but this way they make sure Copper doesn't roll over on a puppy.  I noticed their hair was coming in wavy and can't wait to see the curls develop. If I remember correctly, Coppers fur was wavy when they got her and didn't come in curly til she was older.  Love these puppies; it's going to be hard to see them all leave.  It has been such a good experience for all the kiddos, especially Mr. B who wants to go into Veterinary medicine.
Hope you have a great day.  Don't forgot to say a prayer or many for the people in Kauai who've lost so much.  Seal Pal Val says that the storm last weekend stalled is weather forecasters were saying it could like dump as much rain on them again.
Hugs and blessings.
Noreen

A New Restaurant Find

Happy Wednesday to you.  Yesterday, as I mentioned, we took hubby's laptop in to the Apple store~it seemed it had died.  Still no word on whether they can fix it.  I will tell you that the wind was so bad going down, according to the news last night, at least 50 mph.  It was crazy.  We saw about 4-5 Semis on their sides, one of which was American Furniture Warehouse and the trailer was in half.  Simply crazy.  At one point the dust was so think that it reminded me of the sand storms in AZ.  It seems that Apple is going to try two parts to see if that will fix the problem and then if not, they'll send it to see if replacing the main board will help.  That term in probably dating me, but I mean the guts of the computer.
After leaving there, I didn't want to face rush hour traffic and decided we needed to have dinner first; we headed to Lafayette and went to The Post Brewery.  I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by the fact that they had gluten free fried chicken and most of the sides were also gluten free.  I haven't had a good fried chicken in over 9 years when I went gluten free.  We also had Cole Slaw and Mashed Potatoes with Gluten Free Gravy.  I typically just have salads when we go out to dinner and lived on wonderful salads in Kauai. 
Here is a description of the quality of chicken from their website:
"These birds are better than the rest. We took the time to do our homework, and use the best equipment around. It keeps our fried bird juicy while guaranteeing a crispy crust. A humanely raised, all-natural bird that has been brined for hours, taken a few laps in buttermilk and then dredged in seasoned gluten free flour. After that, it’s cooked to perfection. Fried chicken that is rested for a few minutes to let the flavors meld. Then seasoned again with our spicy goodness shaker. After all that love, care and attention to detail, our bird is simply mouth wateringly delicious.
Featured by Guy Fieri on Food Network’s Diners Drive-Ins & Dives, our bird is better than the rest—humanely raised, all natural chickens are brined for hours, dipped in buttermilk, seasoned with gluten-free flour, and then fried to crispy golden perfection, just like your mammy used to make".

Since our old town is the home town of Guy Fieri, we put a lot of faith in his reviews; we didn't know the restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives.  We split the 1/2 chicken and the two sides and it was more than enough.  While I won't indulge in this type of meal on a regular basis, other than the cole slaw, it's so refreshing to know I can eat a meal from my childhood and not have adverse reactions.
Today, I'm off to the gym and then planning on sewing.  I'm thankful that I didn't have to go to the courthouse and wait to see if I was called for jury duty.  It is a civic duty I don't mind filling, but just as happy not to have to battle the traffic to get up to our county justice center.  This afternoon I'm going to get to hold some puppies, so I'll take our camera and get some pictures.
I hope you have a joy filled day.
Noreen


 

Good Morning to you! It is bright and sunny out today, but high winds are back in the forecast. I've got to run to Sprouts and then will come home and begin more gardening. I wanted to share another birthday party with you-our ,Miss M aka Peanut, turned 11 on Saturday. I would like to share just how much she has grown and matured and what a blessing it is to watch her~you may remember she had so many health issues as a baby and young girl. I can proudly say most of those issues are long gone and she has made up for those that still linger. She is an avid reader, which simply amazes me because I wasn't when I was her age. She plays her violin and although at times it is a hard instrument to learn, she is disciplined with it. One of the gifts her parents gave her for her birthday was getting her ears pierced; something that the girls need to wait for(in order to make sure they'll take care of their earrings). Her is her mom-our girl Kim watching her open presents. 

Peanut didn't know she was getting her ears pierced, but we did and got some Turtle earrings in Kauai for her.  Two years ago we got her a Turtle necklace, so felt like we really needed to get her matching earrings.

A good majority of her presents were books and she was thrilled.

Her she is with her youngest sister Miss A, cousin Miss A, cousin Miss E and Little Man is to Miss E's right.

While we were away, Peanut came over and dusted for us; she's earning money for a very special present for a loved one.  Her big sister Miss S came over and fed/watered my orchids. I love having our grands do things for us and then being able to bless them.  They never expect to be paid, but are always so very grateful for it.
I hope you have a great day; this afternoon hubby and I will take his laptop down to the Apple store to meet a tech and see if it can be fixed-I hope so! I'm lost without it.
Hugs,
Noreen

They've Arrived

Hello my friend,Hubby and I are back at home and I'm here to say that I'm so happy. Last Wednesday, our daughter's family dog Copper gave birth to 7 beautiful puppies. Be still my heart.

Two females, five males; three red and four white with red Parti arrived without complications. Our grandson, Carrie and the girls all helped.  This was taken on Wednesday or Thursday.

These two sweeties are adorable; who am I kidding-they are all adorable.  They all love to snuggle up together.  I think this was taken Thursday or Friday.

This photo was taken yesterday; Copper and puppies are all doing well. The puppies are growing and gaining weight.  Copper has someone near her and the puppies at all times, until they hit the two week mark.  The Parti Poodles are going to be gorgeous, even more beautiful than Copper.  They will be white with red spots.

The puppies are getting held constantly to insure that they make great family dogs and are tolerant of children.
Hubby's laptop died while we were in Kauai and I'm using my old one.  It's hard to adjust after having an Apple laptop.  We did get a new Ipod though, while I can post on it, I can't(or haven't figured out how to)get photos here. 
Still settling in here, trying to catch up on everything.

One thing I feel I must  share and that is that Kauai had 28" of rain in the last 24 hours, according to news sources.  My friend Val, seal pal Val posted on FB that there is major flooding and they've lost one car and unsure about the other.  Please keep Kauai in prayer; there was minor flooding when we were there.  So scary, but I'm thankful to be home!
Blessings on your day!
Noreen

Almost home

Happy Wednesday to you! This morning I’ve been packing as tomorrow evening we head home. It’s been a different and interesting trip- we’ve changed condos three times, had more rain than we’ve ever seen and seal pal Val said it’s been like this. Add in horrendous traffic, the worst we’ve seen in 13.5 years ; all this is to say we are re-evaluating future trips. Love this island but it’s become so congested. However, this morning I got a text that Copper had delivered seven puppies; so exciting but Brent is out of state so it was just Mr.B,Carrie and the girls helping Copper.  She had three females and four males; three are red, two are white and two are white and are Parti Poodles. You know I wish I was home already; can’t wait to see these precious pups and pick up our boy.

I probably won’t be on here tomorrow, but hope to have pics on Friday. Having said that, our Mac laptop died and we have a new Ipad(sales tax is half of what it is at home). Hope you are aall doing well.

Hugs,

Noreen

A Great Commercial

Good Morning Friends, hope you week went well.  Typically we don't have t.v. on during the day, but with the rain this week hubby had it on.  On day we saw a new commercial-typically we don't watch commercials-but the new Citi Mobile App has an ad that is so fun-it's called Kiddie Shoes and the song is by Etta James.  So if you have a moment google it and watch it on Ispot.tv.  I promise it will make you smile.
Aloha.
Noreen

Puppies are almost here

Happy Thursday to you all. I thought I'd highlight our daughter's family dog Copper. Many of you had seen her here since she was a pup; oh how we love this dog. We've never had a poodle before and I now understand what people who say "I've owned a poodle and will never have any other breed" mean. I have to admit that when I was in high school a close friend's family had two or three miniature or toy poodles and they were so yappy. I really didn't care for the dogs, which was unfair, but I didn't like the constant barking. I know believe that it was a behavior that they allowed and not the dogs fault. So a week from tomorrow is Copper's due date; I simply can't wait. Copper only weighs 40 lbs and is 23" high; if the stud was smaller-maybe a moire size I'd definitely be picking my pup out of the litter.  Look at Copper's expression-isn't she a beauty.

Here is the stud-he is so handsome.  He is only 55 lbs and 26".

I know that I will be falling in love with their pups; it will be interesting to see how Hunter does with them.  Having a grandson that is going to pursue Vet school either as a Vet Tech or go ahead and become a licensed Vet this is going to be such a good experience for him.  Once we are home and the puppies arrive, you know where I'll be hanging out.
Blessings~
Noreen

Fun Times with Friends

Happy Thursday to you. I am pleased to share our Santa Rosa friends that we join every two years here on Kauai. Hubby worked with these men and also played golf, so now we meet them for two weeks of fun in paradise. We've been meeting them here for the last twelve years; wish we had socialized more while we lived in Santa Rosa-guess we were all busy with families.  Last night was our turn to host Pupu's and cards; our new condo was the perfect place with lots of room to spread out.  The food was easy-crackers, cheese, salami, wings, chips & guacamole, pineapple and candy as well as drinks.  It was a lovely evening and the guys sat outside and ate.  Afterwards we taught them a new card game called Golf and later played 3-13.

Bob and Judy from Windsor Ca.

Glenn and Peggy from Santa Rosa.

The guys usually golf every other day, but this year has been unusually rainy so they've only played twice.  We go out for lunch or dinner and go on fun adventures.
The time is passing so very quickly.
Hope you have a fantastic day!
Hugs,
Noreen

Happy Outdoor Wednesday! Yesterday was a busy day-mainly because we had to evacuate our condo due to a water leak. Everything here is at full capacity, due to Easter break. Thankfully our rental company had a Honeymoon suite down the road from where we were. It is so plush and nice; not on the beach but a easy walk. This morning we almost walked two miles; considering the downpour, we felt that was pretty good. By the time we got out after breakfast, the rain had stopped. The other night we joined our friends for dinner and each got a slice of Hula Pie free, since we had eaten there countless times.

Here is the view from our new place. It doesn't sit on the beach, but the walk does me good.

The beach is lava rock, but the ocean still so magnificent.  The Pineapple Express storm is headed here form No. Ca. and yesterday there was a threat of flash floods.

This is the first sea turtle we've seen here-pretty cool.

A bit down the beach was his big brother.  I couldn't believe how close people were getting to these turtles, despite the signs that said to stay away from them.

Not sure what the rest of the day holds, except that tonight the two couples we are here with will come for PuPu's-aka appetizers.
I hope that you are having a great week.
Hugs,
Noreen

More of our favorite foods

Good Morning to you~although it may already be the afternoon, depending on your location. Yesterday it was raining so hard and after several hours we decided to head to Lihui to shop and get lunch. Peggy and I both bought some items and afterwards Bob and Judy joined us. We headed to Duke's again for lunch~it did not disappoint. Here is the salad I ordered; it was so good.

This is John's fish and chips...he said it was the best he's had on the island. The restaurant across the street have changed their recipe and he won't have it there again, said it tasted like frozen fish.

Here is Judy's coconut shrimp; doesn't it look so good, but I can't have it do to the batter.

We hung out in the afternoon and then headed across the street for a light bite to eat for dinner.  We knew there was a Lua going at the Sheraton, so afterwards we headed over to watch for a bit.
Today hubby and the guys are hoping to get to play golf.  Not sure what I'll be doing-I may have to hang around the condo as there was a problem with the upstairs- water leaking down to our unit.  Hoping we gals can go to Macy's and see what's on sale, but not sure yet.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Hugs,
Noreen

Our Favorite Foods on Kauai

Happy Monday to you! I wanted to share some of our favorite foods here in Kauai. We have several places that we must go to while we are here. The third couple always arrive a day or two after the rest of us arrive and we celebrate by having dinner at Duke's the first night they are here. Hubby ordered the ribs and loved them.

I do my best to stay with salads, especially beet salads-my all time favorite.

Yesterday we headed out to Port Allen and went to a brewery.  This salad was so good; the pineapple was so refreshing.

Hubby and Glenn split a burger and said it was perfect.

After lunch we went into Hanapepe  and walked across the swinging bridge to a little store.  The owner is a photographer and has a great eye for photos.  WE got 5 cards to take home.

Our favorite Shave Ice is Jo Jo's Shave Ice; here we are getting ready to enjoy.  It is one of the few treats I indulge in when we are here.
Today we are being hit with heavy rains and are under a flood alert.  We had planned on going to for breakfast, but will pass.  Unfortunately, the weather forecast shows this happening all week-ugh.

I hope you have a great week! Joy to you~
Noreen