Vacation - Vegas and a Very Scenic Road Trip

Finally today the very busy 2 work weeks we knew we had to get through have come to an end. We can look ahead to 2 weeks vacation!

Marc planned the itinerary. We are flying to Las Vegas for 4 days before and then again after our road trip and staying at 2 different hotels we've never stayed at before during our previous Vegas visits. This time we've rented a car and will drive through Arizona and Utah and I can hardly wait...WE can hardly wait. Marc and I love road trips.

We are planning to visit Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon both of which I have never seen. Then we'll drive through to Utah visiting Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and enjoy a nice 4 days of adventure and beautiful scenery. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and share with you.

We'll be back just a day before we celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving with family at my place on the 9th of October.

I'll miss you all...keep well and "see" you when I'm back...*hugs* Judi xoxo

My Weekend Truck Challenge and New Granddoggy...

This is my little car and I love driving it especially on the highway to the cottage ....
and...this is my new "Granddoggy". Isn't he cute? My eldest son Geoff and Kiley will get this new little baby "Ronan" on October 5th. We used to have dobermans when my sons were at home and now he has his own little doberman.

He had purchased a dog crate online and had it sent to Marc's cottage along with other toys for his new little "boy". The crate and delivery were so much better than had he bought it in Canada.

After buying it he told me to expect it at Marc's and please bring it home in my car....

Now...it was a BIG box, weighed 85 lbs and would not fit in my little car....

He couldn't drive to the cottage to pick it up right now so guess who was persuaded to drive this brand new truck to the cottage in the states...and home? yes.... MOI! I have to tell you this picture was not taken when I first took over the truck because I was dreading this....

I had never driven a truck...never mind a big new truck. Geoff was persuasive and confident and dropped the car off 2 nights earlier for the truck and I to get acquainted...then he drove off with my little car...

Now my drive to the cottage involves a lot of BIG highway, 6 lanes each way, moving fast at 70-90 miles per hour...or crawling with people trying to get in everyone's way kind of traffic! I hoped I'd be alright...


I was soooo excited when the Beauty and the Beast arrived safely at the cottage...and home! AND I have to tell you I LOVE that truck. I loved sitting up high and seeing everything and people definately have a respect for trucks as opposed to little cars on the highway.

When I arrived home I texted Geoff that we were home and said "please don't take "MY" truck away". I chuckled when his return text messaged told he loved driving my car ...that it was so smooth and turned on a dime. That sounded like a fair exchange for me. But he did come to change vehicles on Monday though...

Have a you had a challenge lately...something you've been hesitant to do but once you did it felt really good about your accomplishment?

I hope you have a lovely day.... Judi xoxo

Baking Is in the Fall Air....Can you Just Smell It?

It was a lovely weekend at the cottage. Though the temps started at 46F when we got up Saturday morning it quickly warmed up to 63F and it was so sunny.

The air felt "fallish" and Marc suggested we should make something. We took our list to Rush's Market where it is definately decorated for fall. I bought some gourds for Thanksgiving. Our Canadian Thanksgiving is the weekend of October 9th...then we'll keep them for the American Thanksgiving in November.




We came home and made cabbage rolls....getting ready for the oven...
out of the oven...





and ready to eat and do you know they were way toooo delicious! Marc added some stewed tomatoes with green chillies to the sauce so they had a bit of heat to them. I'm so happy we have leftovers....

We baked a pie with the crispy Courtney and Mac apples.... Marc cored and cut them up (while I was next door looking at wonderful aprons a neighbour had made - wish I had pictures to share). I did the apple mix and Marc sealed and decorated the top! Didn't he do a delicious job????




Good team effort and it IS so delicous. We shared with Bob and Georgia...and again I'm glad we have leftovers. :o)

Georgia our neighbour gave a bag of wonderful wholewheat buns. We sliced a couple of little yellow tomatoes from their garden.....



and had "sliders". Perfect accompanionment to our fall dinner.

What do you enjoy making for fall dinners? Do you like cabbage and if so what is your favourite way to prepare it?

Hope your weekend has been a lovely one.. Judi xoxo

Giveaway Winner!!!!

We have a Giveaway winner!!

I printed out all the comments.....Abby watched (I dragged the printer out to the laptop) ....

...taped them in the order they were received, added the 2nd or 3rd comments of friends who said they were followers or had posted about my Giveaway..

I numbered them 1-40...

The Random Generator spewed a number....

I smiled....and turned over the Mosaic Mirror...

and wrote on it to a dear blogging friend who won....

The Random Generator had chosen #4....


it had chosen my dear blogging friend Julie from "ASucculentLife" who lives in Florida. She has beautiful succulent plants some of which I've never seen before. She loves her Sharpies and loves her grandbabies dearly. If you haven't visited Julie you'll have fun there. Congratulations. I hope you enjoy the goodies in my Giveaway.


....but I do wish I could send something to all my lovely blogging friends

for you help brighten my day and my way of life. *hugs*..... Judi xoxo

(Julie email me your address)

GIVEAWAY - DRAW TONIGHT...

Tonight is the Drawing of the Name for my Giveaway...

Click on the Sidebar to leave a comment. Good Luck!!

Fall Time is Apple Time....

The early spring brought branches of beautiful apple blossoms marking the beginning of a new season.

It was a wonderful summer with wonderful weather.....
Now the branches are heavy with beautiful apples marking the end of summer and the coming of fall...


the nights are getting cooler and the warmth of the sun sweetens the fruit....


I can't wait for a crunchy sweet bite....or a hot apple pie...

or warm apple crisp....I'll have mine with vanilla ice cream....mmmmmm...

What is your favourite apple dessert? Or do you prefer just crunching on a crisp apple?

Click on my Sidebar and enter your name for my Giveaway if you haven't already done so...

Have a great day.... Judi xoxo

BLUE MONDAY - Vacation Print Collection

First if you have not yet left a comment to enter my 300th Giveaway....be sure you Click on the Sidebar to take you to the post. I have added the final 2 items to the Giveaway....

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I am joining Sally at SmilingSally for BLUE Monday today. Be sure to click and visit all the other BLUE Participants when you are finished visiting..

When we go away on vacation I enjoy picking up a little print from where we've been. I started the collection when we travelled to Hawaii but don't have a picture of it here to show you.

Last summer we went to SanFrancisco and drove down Hyde Park which is a very steep street that ends up down by the ocean. You can see Alkatraz straight ahead off the shore with pretty BLUE waters and skies.

Here are 2 photos I took of the same area, one from up higher.

You can see Alkatraz off the BLUE waters in this picture and BLUE skies. It was nice and sunny but only in the 60s and it was the end of July.

A month ago in South Beach Miami I took a picture of this little street where we ate in one of the restaurants and it has little shops also. There is a BLUE truck and skies in this picture.

Below you can see the print of the same location I found in a shop on the same street as the restaurant. Had I known I would be trying to copy the print I would have moved back a little bit when I took my picture.

We are going on vacation for 2 weeks in 2 weeks from today. I hope to find some prints for my collection and I'll tell you where we're going later....

I am getting excited but keep thinking about what lies ahead in these 2 weeks before we leave. This week will continue with being VERY busy with College startup and next week I'll be facilitating 3 hour Personality Dimensions workshops to 6 classes travelling between 2 campuses. I will be very happy to have these 2 weeks under my belt and Marc will feel the same way that a vacation is due. :o)

Have a wonderful BLUE Monday.. Judi xoxo

PINK Saturday - 9/11 / 3rd Piece to the Giveaway - Good Luck....

Today is Saturday... September 11th....sadly known as 9/11

Visit Beverly from HowSweetTheSound hostess of PINK Saturday shared with all PINKness. Today many will recognize 9/11 on her blog as others all over the world will remember the terror and tragedies of that day at the Twin Towers.

This day will not be forgot and I pray all those lost will be remembered by family and friends and colleagues who can stay strong...and feel comfort in the strength they receive from each other....and from good memories....

I'm sharing this pretty fresh flower arrangement with PINK flowers

in memory of those who lost their lives on that day and for all those who

were there to help in so many ways....

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I also want to show you the 3rd piece to my 300th Post Giveaway which is a dainty and sparkly little necklace I have made. It has Swarovski crystals and a larger crystal bead. I hope the winner will love it and enjoy wearing it.

If you haven't yet left your name for the Giveaway click on my Sidebar on 300th Post Giveaway and leave it on that Post so I don't miss it...follow the instructions and good luck.

This is the Giveaway so far...

I wonder what else I'll add to the Giveaway?......

.... Judi xoxo

Keeping Memories of Their Gran....

My mother-in-law was a lovely and a very intelligent lady. I first met her when I had just turned 19. Later when my sons were born she loved them so much and enjoyed her time with them, teaching them new things and exercises in life. She was good to me too.

When my marriage ended in divorce my relationship with my mother-in-law ended as well. The last time I saw her was during my eldest son's wedding. We had a chance to smile and talk to each other. I am happy about that.

She passed away about a year ago. After her death my eldest son received some of her possessions. Last week he insisted on giving some of the pieces to me because he knew they brought memories and he didn't have a use for them at this time.

They really did bring memories to me. I can see these crystal salt and pepper shakers in her hands. The taller ones are so dainty and have mother of pearl at the top. The battenburg table cloth was hers also.

This is another really sweet piece....so dainty...


She served pickles in these crystal dishes for so many happy family dinners..... They are very pretty and actually look larger here than they really are...


a pretty candy bowl...cranberry sauce... thats what I'll use it for this year...


There were 3 little boxes of lovely crisply starched linens. When I opened those boxes I felt so close to her.....I have so wanted some linens like this. Now she had given them to me....and I smiled.

I'll share some others with you in another post.

I am sorry to have missed a dozen years before she passed away..... I am sure she is happy that I am looking after these pretty pieces for her and that the memories they hold for me and that I can share with my sons will keep their Gran in their thoughts...


I feel blessed to have known her and now to have these pieces.

I'm happy they stayed in the family and didn't end up someplace else...

I'm going to add another piece to my 300th Giveaway tomorrow....

come by and see what it is...

have a lovely weekend.... Judi xoxo

Additional Item to the 300th Post Giveaway!!

Work is sooo busy this week since College started Tuesday...Yikes. Last night I worked an extra 1-1/2 hours and its amazing how much you can get done without the phone ringing, emails and all the one-on-one with faculty and students. We'll get through I'm sure!

The weather has cooled down too. Tuesday was gorgeous in the 80s and yesterday it was breezy, much overcast and about 60. I hope the hot weather has shifted from so many of you who have so much of that all summer Let me blow over some of ours....

I am adding another gift to my 300th Giveaway. Today I am adding one of my handmade Rose Delight soaps. It is a hemp soap with goat's milk and rose petals. It has a swish of Vanilla fragrance also.


It smells soooo delicious and look at the little petals in there...


Please head over to my Sidebar - click and read about it. Leave your comment on that post so I don't miss it! Check back along the way as I add another gift to the Giveaway...

Hope today is a wonderful day for you....Judi xoxo

My Complete 300th Post Giveaway!!

I have added the final 2 pieces to my 300th Post Giveaway and they are shown in this picture.

Yesterday my Giveaway was up to 3 pieces..

Please read below for more about the Giveaway.....

The first part was a mosaic china mirror I have made...

This is the 2nd item included in the Giveaway my handmade Rose Delight soap with embedded rose petals....

and the 3rd item added to this Giveaway is the handmade necklace I made with Swarovski crystals shown in the top picture...

Today I added the last 2 pieces, these pretty little postcards in Fall colours with flowers and birds and pretty envelopes to write little thank yous or notes to someone special...

and a set of 3 Hallowe'en kitchen towels too....

and the top picture shows all the pieces.

1) Please leave me a comment about the Giveaway only on this Post so I won't miss it.

2) If you are a Follower let me know and I'll add your name in twice.

3) If you mention my Giveaway in a Post let me know and I'll add your name a third time.

I hope you like my Giveaway....and Good Luck!

I'll draw a winner on Thursday, September 16th in the evening after work.

Judi xoxo