Sunday, June 19, 2011

Catching up..

Thought I'd get this updated since it's been *ahem* a little while. First, a collage of some of my fave recent pics. Clockwise and from upper left: Sunset on the trout river, entrance to the Jax Zoo, A mural on the side of a building in Folkston, GA near the Folkston Funnel,  A Great Blue Heron on the St Johns River, one of about 5 very noisy peacocks at the Fountain of Youth in St Augustine, FL.


Also:
**I got reading glasses...finally can read for more than 10 minutes without the double vision. Still getting used to them, but already much better.
**My cat almost needed to have a bladder stone removed, but between the initial x-ray and finally getting to the actual appointment, the stone had dissolved to almost 1/4 the original size, so vet will examine again in a month to make sure it's not getting larger, or won't clog up the works, as it were. ;) This is the x-ray. I circled the stone, which looks a little like a jelly bean:



**There are so many wildfires going on in the southeast. The level of smoke largely depends on the wind shifts. Some days it's fairly clear and other days look like this:

Monday, March 14, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 10!

On to week 10..I'm a little behind in posting but otherwise keeping up with the picture taking. I'm looking forward to my spring vacation with a day trip to Boston with the Bestie and a spring TSO concert, also with Bestie...gonna be a fun, fun time!!



Going clockwise from the upper left:
Mar 10: They finally pruned the tree by the pool, looks much better!
Mar 6: The kitty picking a fight with my camera strap.
Mar 7: The flowers by the entrance to the industrial park where I work.
Mar 8: The sunset thru the window at CiCi's.
Mar 5: Small balloon decorations outside a local toy shop
Mar 9: my collection of Boston books from the library
Mar 11: Part of the panda statue at the zoo in the "hidden" asian garden

As always, click on the photo to see in more detail!

Sunday, March 06, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 9


Here we are at week 9! As always click on the photo for a closer view. Going clockwise starting from the upper left:
Feb 27: Watching the ABA Jacksonville Giants play
Mar 1: Dino-Alive at the zoo, members preview
Feb 26: Monster Trucks being shown off before MonsterJam starts
Mar 4: citrus tree
Mar 3: I made some yummy mac & cheese
Mar 2: Cracker Barrel made some yummy Pot Roast
Feb 28: sunset at the zoo pier

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

2011 Project 365, week 8


Starting at the upper left and going clockwise:
Feb 19: I've got some new summer clothes!
feb 21: my pollen covered car
Feb 22: mollasses sugar cookies. not homemade, but good
Feb 23:crepe myrtle trees, pruned.
Feb 24: the last Febru-any sub from Subway
Feb 25: fountain in the retaining pond behind Panera's
Feb 20: I *finally* cleared all the levels in the Valentine's edition of Angry Birds!

We are now 8 weeks into the year, and just over a month til I get to go on vacation! So excited!! Bestie & I are going to Boston for a day, and to see TSO for the Beethoven's Last Night Tour.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

2011 Project 365, week 7

What a great week!! The weather here finally started to warm up a bit...I know it won't be long before I'm complaining about the heat. :)
The 7th week of the year was quite a busy one. Clockwise starting at upper left:

Feb 16: the door to my church
Feb 12: Sauce Boss, great show and good gumbo!
Feb 18: pretty flowering tree at the zoo
Feb 15: cat loves my shoes
Feb 14: cooking up spaghetti for the Daddy/Daughter dinner at American Heritage Girls
Feb 13: penguins at the zoo (first time I saw them out of the water)
Feb 17: the beautiful full moon

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

2011 project 365, week 6

A month and a half down now...we finally stopped getting so much rain. It's been getting into the low 60's during the day, too. I was able to get in a nice ride to Palm Coast, (just past St Augustine) this past weekend to see a couple bands and enjoy some good food at the first annual "Hot Foods & Spicy Blues" festival.


Clockwise from upper left I have:
Feb 10: High water level in the little retention pond near work
Feb 6: my Superbowl Sunday snack
Feb 8: Kitty thru a coffee cup handle
Feb 5: my view from the couch resting with my allergy issues
Feb 7: driving in more rainy weather
Feb 9: Fountain and more high water near Panera's
Feb 11: Tropical Sangria at Olive Garden...YUM!

As always click on the photo for a closer look.

Monday, February 07, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 5


Week 5 was here and left just as quickly. We have had a ton of rain in our neck of the woods, and my allergies have been in high gear for the last few days. Here is my collage for the week, dates and descriptions as always clockwise starting in the upper left.

Jan 30: I started clipping the bits I liked from my scrap magazines, and then recycling them.
Jan 29: BLN (Beethoven's Last Night) and the spring TSO tour I will be seeing with my Bestie.
Feb 4: 3 days on the couch with previously mentioned allergies
Jan 31: Haircut time!
Feb 3: Rainy stop at Krystal's for supper..
Feb 2: I love driving by this hotel and the lights.
Feb 1: Subway, was sooo craving a meatball sub.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 4

Well, here we are, almost the end of January. Here is my week 4 collage for Project 365. So far, so good! :)


As usual clockwise from upper left. Feel free to click on the photo to see in larger detail! Enjoy!

Jan 24: Panda Express for supper, Yum!!
Jan 28: Just one of many quotes around the zoo, this one is probably my favorite.
Jan 26: Panera for supper before church
Jan 25: Scrabble on facebook! I got whooped.
Jan 23: Train and a beautiful blue sky
Jan 22: Pretty as a peacock wandering down the path at the zoo
Jan 27: Tax filing time!!

Friday, January 21, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 3

Well here we are, three weeks into the new year already...seems like it's flying by! Work has been keeping me busy, and with the recent announcement of the 2011 Trans-Siberian Orchestra spring tour, I now get to plan my spring vacation! :)

Here is my week 3 collage of Project 365 photos, starting clockwise from upper left:

1/16: Purging my scrapbooking magazines, and removing inspirational bits to save.
1/21: There's an app for that! Changing channels on my tv with the iPad. :)
1/15: A prickly cactus at the zoo
1/19: Made a quick stop at CVS for some candy for work.
1/18: Blue sky after I got out of work
1/17: Watching the Martin Luther King Jr "I Have a Dream" speech at our American Heritage Girls        meeting tonight
1/20: Supper tonight, was delish!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 2

Here are my photos from the 2nd week of 2011...as usual, clockwise from upper left:
Jan 8 - looking out over the Trout River from the pier at the Zoo
Jan 10 - my car's check engine light on, needed 2 parts, total cost $700. yay.
Jan 14 - the merch table from one of the bands at Winterjam (Kutless)
Jan 12 - tree against an evening sky
Jan 11 - hot apple cider to enjoy while playing on the computer
Jan 13 - Scout hanging in one of his favorite spots
Jan 9 - Jacksonville Giants vs Orlando Kings, Jax won 174-117.

Friday, January 07, 2011

2011 Project 365, Week 1

Here we are once again at the beginning of a new year. I will be continuing my daily project 365, and my scrap your day on the 25th of every month. There hasn't been much scrapping going on lately, but I did make a few cards and tags the last couple months, so working on adding more creativity to my days. I'm slowly getting back to more reading as well.

I plan on sharing a collage every week with my Project 365 shots. I will be better able to keep up with that than single shots, I think.


Clockwise from upper left:
Jan. 1: Polar Bear Plunge at jax beach. Water temp 50 deg, air temp 65 deg.
Jan. 2: Mr Scout on duty!
Jan. 6: Ducks on the pond
Jan. 7: Today's reading material. Lazy day.
Jan. 5: Betsy's favorite calzone from Luigi's. Kim's favorite too!
Jan. 3: My 2010 project 365 photos all sorted by month. Need an album. :)
Jan. 4: New shipment of coffee for my Keurig. The hot apple cider is amazing!!

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Today, 12.02.2010

From the Simple Woman's Daybook..

Outside my window...the moon is rising

I am thinking...my cat is eating too much catnip.
I am thankful for...a warm home.
From the kitchen...the smell of chicken in the oven.
I am wearing...jeans and my "dunkie junkie" tshirt.
I am creating...An Art Journal from here.
I am going...to see TSO (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) next week!!
I am reading...Don't sweat the small stuff (and it's all small stuff)
I am hearing...Christmas music on the XM Channel Holly
One of my favorite things...The Riverside arts Market on Saturday.
A few plans for the rest of the week: laundry, getting the Christmas tree up (finally), mailing gifts..

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...From St Augustine, FL
 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Today, 11.24.2010

Due to tomorrow's holiday, I am posting my "From the Simple Woman's Daybook" today:


Outside my window... ~ it's dark and quiet.
I am thinking... ~ about putting my Christmas tree up this weekend
I am thankful for... ~ having the next 4 days off. And my health. And my Family and Friends.
I am wearing... ~ red sox PJ bottoms and a tank top
I am remembering... ~ that tomorrow is Scrap Your Day, charge your camera!
I am going... ~ to enjoy Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle
I am currently reading... ~ The new issue of Food Network Magazine, YUM!
I am hoping... ~ the weather is nice this weekend
Pondering these words...~ "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation
           is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

From the kitchen... ~ a bowl of cereal and a large DD iced coffee.
One of my favorite things ~ all the neat places to see while I am in the Lake City area
From my camera..~ fireworks at the mall after the lighting of the Christmas Tree on Saturday





Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Today, 11.18.10

From the Simple Woman's Daybook:

Outside my window... ~ I can hear a lot of highway traffic.
I am thinking... ~ I'm not really cut out for this place..
I am thankful for... ~ my family, both near and far.
I am wearing... ~ jeans and a turtleneck
I am remembering... ~ how chilly the nights can get here.
I am going... ~ to see Harry Potter tomorrow!
I am currently reading... ~ craigslist, LOL
I am hoping... ~ and wishing, and wishing and hoping!
Pondering these words...~ "Noone can make you feel inferior without your consent" ~Eleanor Roosevelt
From the kitchen... ~ nada, I had Panera's for supper!
One of my favorite things ~ Pulling out the TSO/Christmas cd's for the holidays
From my camera..~ Finding a little bit of fall in the trees.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

..and then there was Saturday

After that 3 hr adventure from Friday, including a nice bruise on my side from the cow train ride, Saturday was even more packed. I started the day at about 8:30am at Jax Beach for the Out of the Darkness walk for suicide awareness and prevention. I was there to support a former co-worker who lost a brother to suicide a few months ago. It was a beautiful day at the beach, and at about 9:30 (after coffee & a donut) we set off for a 3 mile walk on the beach. Thank goodness it was low tide! :)





After the walk, I had enough time to shoot over to the Arts Market for just a bit. This weekend there was some chalk art going on, and the Salvation Army was kicking off the "Bell Ringing" season. Bonus: A couple local restaurants got together and started a food truck! Mossfire Grill & O'Brothers are the restaurants, and they call the truck "busin' your chops". I didn't get a pic of the menu board, but I did grab a corned beef and cabbage "taco" and enjoyed it at a nearby park.




Last, but certainly not least, I headed home to change, feed the cat and head up to church. From there a bunch of us car-pooled to a favorite restaurant in Fernandina, FL called Barbara Jean's. Very down home, southern cooking. I had my shrimp n grits for dinner and for dessert a few of us split a big bowl of "Chocolate stuff" Kinda like a cross between warm pudding and raw brownie batter....sooooo good!!

It was almost 8:30pm by the time I got home..it was a wonderful day, full of good friends, and good food!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Fun from Friday!

Since I didn't have to work this past Friday, a friend and I brought her almost-2 year old daughter to play at Conner's A-maize-ing Acres.
It's a family run farm that years ago was close to filing bankruptcy. So they started the acres and now it's huge and quite popular. There were several school field trips going on as well while we were there. They have hay rides, a barrel train, plenty of playground areas, pedal go-carts for bigger kids, a petting zoo, and of course the corn maze.







She was a little hesitant at first near some of the stuff, like the big plastic pool filled with clean, dried corn kernals. But for the most part she was game to try or go on almost any toy, or near any animal. Except the chickens. For some reason she didn't like them much.
She loved posing for pics, and was an absolute ham the whole time. I caught some pretty cute moments!







Among the animals we saw: a horse (complete with new foal), cows, peacocks, chickens, rabbits, ducks, pigs, a donkey, and one very old dog.

By the time we left, we were all covered in dust, and plenty tired.
I have more photos to share another time, but here's one last one of the corn field! You can't see the design, but this years theme was the Special Olympics.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Today, 11.11.2010

From The Simple Woman's Daybook:

Outside my window... ~ It's dark. :)
I am thinking... ~ I may try get to the beach in the morning.
I am thankful for... ~ our Veterans and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.
I am wearing... ~ jeans and a TSO (spring 2010 tour) t-shirt
I am remembering... ~ How the sight of christmas lights give me such joy!
I am going... ~ to a corn maze tomorrow!
I am currently reading... ~ a few holiday decorating magazines.
I am hoping... ~ that I can leave work at work for the weekend.
Noticing that... ~ My scrappy area could be rearranged.
Pondering these words...~ "In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks."

                                          — John Muir
From the kitchen... ~ warm apple crisp with whipped cream.
One of my favorite things ~ The smell of a balsam candle burning.

From my camera... I love fun, creative window displays, especially near the holidays!

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Garage Sales

This saturday I decided to forgo the Arts market for some garage sales. I'd only been to a couple since I moved here, and really don't buy much. I do enjoy picking through things to see if I can find any real treasures. I especially like to collect Homer Laughlin pottery, which was pretty easy to find up north, and I'm always on the lookout for books that I haven't read, and clothes that I can use for work or otherwise.
Yesterday I got word of a subdivision-wide tag sale so a friend & I headed out to see what we could find. There was plenty of walking to do and we needed it! It was all we could do to keep warm. The morning started out in the mid 40's and never got past 57 deg. all day. BRR! I'm such a wimp now! :)
So, here's a collage of  what I picked up. I'm not sure where I want to use the stool, but the tower shelf looks good right where it is. Still not sure what I want to use it for, but I'm sure a use will present itself soon enough.
Grand total: $4.50 for all of it. What a deal!

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Today, 11.04.2010

From the Simple Woman's Daybook....

Outside my window... ~ It is cloudy and gray. The rain was needed, so I don't mind!

I am thinking... ~ That I shouldn't have had this coffee tonight!
I am thankful for... ~ my family & friends
I am wearing... ~ yoga pants and a cami. However, the only yoga I will be doing tonight is curling up on the couch!
In the learning room... ~ keeping my emotions in check when dealing with a difficult boss.
I am remembering... ~ to pick up a few items for a Tea on Saturday.
I am going... ~ to be very busy on Nov. 13th!
I am currently reading... ~ The Rook by Steven James
I am hoping... ~ the weather is sunny this weekend for the beach walk.
On my mind... ~ Thoughts of a friend's newborn grandson, born at only 28 weeks.
Noticing that... ~ I *really* need a haircut!
Pondering these words... "The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow." ~unknown
From the kitchen... ~ Chicken and rice casserole, and a cup of coffee
Around the house... ~ are a lot of photos that need sorting.
One of my favorite things ~ Criminal Minds marathons! :)
From my camera...


Perfect fall weather last weekend had me sitting out on my balcony enjoying coffee and some relaxation.

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Not Catching Up

I'm not even going to try and catch up to all my Project 365 shots that haven't been posted here. So instead of posting a hundred pics or so, here are a few of my recent (and not so recent) picks, plus today's shot.  8/23/10: I recently started following a local foodie blogger, and she mentioned this spanish bakery in one of her past posts. I'm glad she did because they have some of the best latin pastries I've ever had! One of these days, I'll get some pics inside too!








9/25/10: On my way to the Riverside Arts Market I saw these boarded up houses, and wonder why they are still there. There are actually 3 of them, but I could only get 2 in the picture.





10/09/10: Caught Scout one morning laying in the sun with the shadow of the blinds on him. I think he may see some birds out there..he looks like he's smiling!





10/10/10: I went to the beach to watch the sunrise before church, and I'm so glad I did! Managed to find a few small pieces of sea glass as well.






11/02/10: Today after work I voted and got the first peppermint mocha of the season. Today was damp and drizzly, so it was perfect for a nice hot beverage!


The next couple weekends are busy ones, with a benefit tea for the local Women's Resource Center this Saturday, and the "Out of the Darkness" Suicide prevention/awareness walk on the 13th. Chalk Art at the arts market, plus the Ladies group from church is meeting at a local restaurant for dinner on the 13th. **phew**