Friday, September 28, 2007

Goose Sense





This fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. (People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.)

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. (If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.) When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. (It pays to take turns doing hard jobs - with people or geese flying south.) The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. (What do we say when we honk from behind?) Finally (now pay attention), when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is either able to fly or until it is dead, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group. If we have the sense of a goose we will stand by each other like that.




My mother in law gave me this article and I thought it was just so interesting. Hope you are having a great day!




Safe Travels,




Joan

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Being a Grandma





Becoming a grandmother is marvelously simple, filling our hearts with uncomplicated happiness and our wallets with shameless numbers of photographs. In our relationships with our grandchildren there are fewer obligations and more enjoyment, fewer expectations and more acceptance, fewer lessons and a lot more laughter, fewer vegetables and more dessert. It's delicious being a grandparent. Being a grandparent, which I've heard described as "parenthood one step removed," turns out, more precisely, to be parenthood one blissful step removed.




I found this in Ladies Home Journal. It was written by Judith Viorst and she is coming out with a book called Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days. This was taken from that book. I love how she described being a grandparent and I couldn't have said anything better or add anything to it. Thanks Judith!




Safe Travels,







Joan

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Travel Tuesday - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

My favorite picture of Maddie on Hilton Head's beach




Maddie walking on the beach




The beautiful beach in Hilton Head



Today we are going to Hilton Head Island. Hilton Head is the largest sea island between New Jersey and Florida. Hilton Head is surrounded by what they call Low Country. And that is where all the romance and beauty of the Old South lives. The coast of Hilton Head is one of the prettiest in the Southeast. Okay, I may be a little bias because we go there for our family vacations, but it really is a wonderful beach. That is where my banner of Maddie and my toes were taken. Hilton Head is a beautiful landscape, big tall pines and live oaks with Spanish moss are all over the island and the sand dunes with the sea oats are just beautiful. Most of Hilton Head is divided up into what they call Plantations, they have either resorts or homes in the Plantations. The biggest Plantation is Sea Pines where you can go to the Harbor Town lighthouse and look at over the island. Golf reigns king here, it is a golfer's paradise for sure with tennis coming in a close second. There are many accommodations to choose from, either very upscale hotels and resorts or villas. And the choices of restaurants are too many to choose from. Let me tell you about some of our favorite restaurants. The Sea Shack is a little place that looks like a hole in the wall but it has some of the best seafood on the island. People start lining up early for their lunch and dinner so if you go, get there early. Another one of our favorites restaurants is Marley's, it feels like you have gone to the caribbean and the food is great and so are the margaritas. And the little bakery/deli called Signe's is so wonderful, they have the best key lime poundcake. When you are done with all that eating you get work it off riding bikes on the bike trails that go around most of the island or you could kayaking and see the dolphins. And when your stomach is full and you've exercised, go hit the stores and shop till you drop. All of these things are why we go back year after year and why I hope that someday my sweetie and I can spend some of the winter months on this island. Hope you are having a good week. I have not decided where to go next week but it sure to be somewhere fun.







Safe Travels,







Joan

Monday, September 24, 2007

Greetings from Skagway

Hello from Alaska! It's cold and rainy up here but it is so beautiful. I am at a internet cafe' here in the city and it's been a great trip so far except for the rough seas on the way up from Vancouver. We hit 30 foot waves at times and 3/4th of the ship was sick including me, so that was not a good time. I've seen some whales but no bald eagles yet. This truly is a beautiful state and I can't wait to share some of my pictures. I've never seen landscape like this before and am blown away by the beauty of it all everyday. I don't have much time on this computer, the stores are calling my name. LOL. No bears have gotten me so far and I have not fallen in the ocean. I also can't wait to catch up with everyone blogs when I get back. Hope you are having a great week!

Safe Travels,

Joan

50 Promises For Marriage

>I found this on a card in a restaurant's bathroom. I thought it was worth passing on. Can't say my hubby and I do all of them but I hope you enjoy them. I wonder what happen to number 7??

1. Start each day with a kiss. 2. Wear your wedding ring at all times. 3. Date once a week. 4. Accept differences. 5. Be polite. 6. Be gentle 7. Seven was missing from the card. 8. Smile often 9. Touch 10. Talk about dreams 11. Select a song that can be "your song" 12. Give back rubs. 13. Laugh together. 14. Send a card for no reason. 15. Do what the other person wants before he or she asks. 16. Listen. 17 Encourage. 18. Do it his or her way 19. Know his or her needs. 20. Fix the other person breakfast. 21. Compliment twice a day. 22. Call during the day. 23. Slow down. 24. Hold hands. 25. Cuddle. 26. Ask for each other's opinion. 27. Show respect. 28. Welcome the other person home. 29. Look your best. 30. Wink at each other. 31. Celebrate birthdays in a big way. 32. Apologize. 33.Forgive. 34. Set up a romantic getaway. 35. Ask, "What can I do to make you happier?". 36. Be positive. 37. Be kind. 38. Be vulnerable. 39. Respond quickly to the other person's request. 40. Talk about your love. 41. Reminisce about your favorite times together. 42. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy. 43. Send flowers every Valentine's Day and anniversary. 44. Admit when wrong. 45. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires. 46. Pray for each other daily. 47. Watch sunsets together. 48. Say "I love you" frequently. 49. End the day with a hug. 50. Seek outside help when needed.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Because God Loves Me 1st Corinthians 13:4-8





Because God loves me He is slow to lose patience with me.



Because God loves me He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth.



Because God loves me He does not treat me as an object to be possessed and manipulated.



Because God loves me He has no need to impress me with how great and powerful He is because He is God, nor does he belittle me as His child in order to show me how important He is.



Because God loves me He is for me, He wants to see me mature and develop in His love.



Because God loves me He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, of which there are many.



Because God loves me He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance.



Because God loves me He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please him, because He sees this as evidence that I don't trust Him and love Him as I should.



Because God loves me He rejoices when I experience His power and strength and stand up under the pressures of life for His Name's sake.



Because God loves me He keeps on working patiently with me even when I feel like giving up and can't see why He doesn't give up with me, too.



Because God loves me He keeps trusting me when at times I don't even trust myself.



Because God loves me He never says there is no hope for me; rather, He patiently works with me, loves me and disciplines me in such a way that it is hard for me to understand the depth of His concern for me.



Because God loves me He never forsakes me, even though many of my friends might.



Because God loves me He stands with me when I have reached the rock of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with his righteousness, holiness, beauty, and love. It is a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me.



Yes, the greatest of all gifts is God's perfect love.



Courtesy of Dick Dickinson.


I had this on a piece of paper taped to the bottom of a drawer in my desk and of course over the years I guess I piled stuff on top of it and just found it again while cleaning out my desk. Hope you enjoyed it.






Safe Travels,





Joan

Thursday, September 20, 2007

The Clothes Blues

WANTED FOR TAKING THEIR MOTHER'S CLOTHES


IF YOU SEE THESE TWO, DO NOT APPREHEND OR YOU MAY BE MISSING SOME OF YOUR CLOTHING. BRING THAT LITTLE ONE TO GRANDMA BEFORE THEY TEACH HER THEIR WAYS!


Okay, girls do not get upset with me. I'm only kidding. These are my two girls and my granddaughter, my girls are in their mid to later 20's, so I thought my clothes would be safe from them. I really didn't think I was hip enough for them to wear but I guess I was wrong. As some of you know, I lost about 35 pounds on Weight Watchers last year and I've been slowly adding some new clothes to my closet. It is exciting to buy some clothes that I couldn't wear before but it seems my closet is their new store to shop in. For instance, a few weeks ago I was looking for my pair of white capris to wear to a party, in my mind I had my outfit all planned out for this party. White capris, black top, black sandals etc..., so I searched my closet and couldn't find them anywhere. So I'm thinking okay I've been having this menopausal brain fog lately so maybe I left them at the dry cleaners and forgot. So I go to the dry cleaners, ask the kid if he's seen them, he looks, can't find any and looks at me like I'm nuts. Which by that time I was beginning to wonder if I even had white capris, finally it dawns on me to ask my daughter if she has seen them. Oh yea, she says, she tried them on and didn't like them so they are in her room somehwere! UGH!!! And then the other day one of them(I won't say whom) came home with a very pretty purple cami on. And I'm thinking that cami looks just like the one I just bought to take with me with on my cruise to wear with the matching purple sweater. So I look at her and say, is that my purple cami? Oh yeah, she says......... Do you see a pattern here? By the way the purple cami still had the tags on it when she took it out of my closet! Again, I'm just teasing with you girls. I suppose I should be flattered that they want to "borrow" my clothes, but please tell me so I don't think I'm going crazy because that's not hard to do these days. And still bring the baby to Grandma, it's not too late for her, but now that I think of it she's been eyeing my pink cell phone.



Safe Travels,


Joan

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

You Lift me up Award




Kari at Just Livin Large gave me this great award. But I think we all lift each other up and encourage each other. At least that has been my experience with all of you guys. Thanks Kari and we will figure out this blogging stuff one step at a time. I would pass this on but I really need to pack right now and for some strange reason I keep playing on the computer.



Safe Travels,



Joan

Alaska



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I am heading out west tomorrow for a seminar at sea. I am going to Vancouver where I'll meet a girlfriend and we will board a ship for Alaska. I am very excited but at the same time, what was I thinking signing up for this seminar the same month as our family vacation? You guys know I love to travel, it's the reason I got in the travel business so I am always up to seeing and experiencing a new place. And Alaska looks wonderful "T" from Livin the Life has been there and she tells me I'll love it and I'm sure I will. But my sweetie can't go with me because of his work, and even though a friend is coming with me and I'll be with a group of other travel agents and our cruise representative, I am going to miss him something crazy. I think it might be the longest we've been apart. I've been on these trips before without him, I went to Paris in 1999 with a group of travel agents by myself and it always is a growing experience to step out of your comfort zone. But I'll still miss you sweetie! But don't worry, our cell phone service tells me I will have free service in Alaska so I'll be calling you when we dock and just think you won't have me calling you ten times a day and asking you things like "what are you doing?". LOL. Anyway, I'll be gone but I have some posts ready that my daughter will post for me and I'll probably check in at some point. I also have Travel Tuesday done for next week and ready to post so hopefully she'll remember to post them. I won't be online much because it costs around a zillion dollars to get online on a cruise ship, okay I exaggerate but it's not the cheapest so I'll just get online a few times to let you know a bear hasn't gotten me or I fell overboard. I am so hoping to see a whale and a bald eagle. I already know there will be wonderful opportunities for pictures. But if you can, pray for me while I'm gone, I know I've mention some ongoing back issues and I'm a little nervous about handling my luggage by myself. I know the cruise lines will help me with some of it, but I might have a problem sometimes. I'll be back soon and don't forget to check back in because I have some nice posts set up. Can't wait to play catch up when I get back. Take care!


Safe Travels,






Joan

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Okay Now.................

Okay Kari, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes and pushed the button to change my banner. It's still not the right size but it's close enough. It doesn't show the whole picture either, but I didn't think it looked too bad. What do you guys think? Should I keep it up for the fall? Okay I really need to get back to work now. See ya.



Safe Travels,



Joan

Travel Tuesday - Savannah, Georgia

One of the many parks or squares as they are called in Savannah. This one is Johnson Square
My sweetie and Maddie walking on the cobblestone streets of the riverfront
The tomb of Nathaniel Greene , one of the great Revolutionary War Generals



Today we are traveling south of Charleston to Savannah, Georgia and when you say Savannah you must say it long and drawn out. I mean you are in the south. I love Savannah. I tend to think of Charleston and Savannah in the same category and even though they are similar, they both have very different personalities. When you think of Savannah, you think of live oak trees with hanging moss, beautiful antebellum mansions and mint juleps. Like I said about Charleston, the best way to see this city and all of it's history is to go on a trolley ride. They will take you all around the city and point out all of it's history. There have also been alot of movies filmed in this town. The biggest one of course is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I have not read the book or seen the movie but it is very big here. Forrest Gump was also filmed here and Julia Roberts also made a movie called Something to Talk About here.We went with the intention of going to Paula Deen's restaurant called The Lady and Son's and we could not get into the restaurant till 230pm and that was just too late with having the baby with us. BOOHOO! But, and I can't believe I didn't get pictures of this and no one believes us, we did see Paula's sons, Bobby and Jamie, they were doing a book signing but no one was taking pictures of them so I felt maybe I shouldn't either. I did buy some of her seasonings though and we had a wonderful time. We did eat on the riverfront and walked through the squares and stores. There are some really nice hotels to stay at around the riverfront area but again I would try the smaller inns, they are really great in the south. And if you get tired of all the history you can go to the beach at Tybee Island. I feel like I've written alot here but not given you a tenth of what Savannah is all about. So do yourself a favor and visit this historic city, it's that special. Next week we are going to the place where my family goes on vacation. We are going to Hilton Head Island.




Safe Travels,




Joan

Autumn



Okay, I know I'm jumping the gun here and Fall doesn't officially begin until Sunday, September 23rd but I just could not wait to put up this pretty Fall picture anymore. I wanted to change my banner as the seasons change but it's so hard (at least for me) to get the dimensions right so I decided to change the seasons with a picture on my sidebar. That'll work for now until I know more about this computer stuff. Have a great day! I'll be back later with Travel Tuesday. We're going to Savannah today for Travel Tuesday!




Safe Travels,



Joan

Sunday, September 16, 2007

My New Pink Vacuum


This is my new pink vacuum. For some reason, when I brought this baby home, my family started to laugh. A pink vacuum they said, how well will this work? Well, let me tell you, this little baby sucks up everything in it's way. All Cleo's pet hair, and that's alot of pet hair, doesn't stand a chance with my new pink machine. Okay, it was a little more than I wanted to spend on a vacuum but for some reason I am really hard on vacuums and every year I have to buy a new one because the cheap one I bought falls apart. So I decided to pay a little more for this Dyson and hopefully it will last many years. It does say on the package that it'll be the last vacuum you ever buy so I will trust them and see. It looks so pretty when I use it and it also benefits the breast cancer foundation and it's pink. How could you not like it? And by the way, that's not me in the pink skirt and heels vacuuming in the picture but I'll take that little dog.


Safe Travels,


Joan

Saturday, September 15, 2007

A little of this and that

I am rested and have been catching up with everyone's blogs. I once read that Martha Stewart only needs four hours a night of sleep. I honestly don't know how she does that. I would walk around like a zombie on four hours a night.


Anyway, one day away from blogville and there is so much going on, Kat has posted wonderful pictures of how she relaxes with her morning coffee. Kari is talking about moving to Ohio. I'm not sure if she's kidding, but Ohio is a nice place to live. And Sandy showed a lot of grace when faced with a rude person.


Also, here's a tip about air planes. Don't get on a plane after drinking a Venti size coffee from Starbucks. I did that yesterday because I needed some caffeine getting up that early and then I got on a 50 seat plane with one restroom and a sick guy that was sitting behind me. I'm not sure if he was air sick or virus sick but I waited for him to get out of the one restroom on the plane for 20 minutes and I'm not kidding. I honestly was praying to the Lord for that guy to get out of that restroom. And the Lord answered my prayer--thank you!



Also, last but not least if you can, could you please pray for Kelli. Kelli's blog is one of the first I started to read and she comes and visits me every once in a while and always leaves me a kind or encouraging word. Go and read her story here and keep her in your prayers.



Safe Travels,


Joan

Friday, September 14, 2007

Home Sweet Home


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Well, we made it home from the beach safe and sound. It was sad to leave but it was time to come home to the real world of bills and work and well you get the picture. I think I want to go back to the beach...... So today it's unpacking, catching up with phone calls and going to the grocery. All that fun stuff, can I go back to the beach ? But all kidding aside, it is nice to get home and the weather here is great and Cleo (my kitty cat) was so glad to see me. I don't think anyone gave her treats the whole time we were gone. We got up at 3am this morning to catch the first flight home, so I'm tired today but will catch up with everyone's blogs tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

Safe Travels,

Joan

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Attitude

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The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company......a church.....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past......we cannot change the fact people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude......I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you....we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.



Author of "Attitudes" is Chuck Swindoll

Chuck Swindoll is a Christian writer & teacher. Alot of you probably have already seen this, but I think it's very well said. My sweetie keeps the above next to his desk at work. I know I need to remind myself of my "attitude" sometimes. Have a great day!

Safe Travels,


Joan

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Travel Tuesday - Charleston, South Carolina


Two Meeting Street Inn, my sweetie & I had the pleasure of staying here about six years ago. If you ever go to Charleston, I would recommend one of the wonderful Inns they have all over the city. This one is one of the prettiest I have ever been too. They include this inn on the tours of the city. Click on to the link above and check it out, it is probably one of the most romantic inns in the country.


Okay, why do I have a grave on my Travel Tuesday to Charleston because the graves there are so old and interesting. We spent alot of time going through this graveyard yesterday. It was on the property of an old church and it had many old graves. Click on the picture and read what it says about this lady. I love what they wrote of her life. The grave next to hers was her husband and her daughter was on the other side and each one was just like this. You could tell just by reading it how much they loved God. I honestly could have spent more time reading the gravestones.
This is my sweet niece Maria, who is so lucky to live in Charleston. We ate at Bubba Gumps. I am going to have to really get serious about Weight Watchers again, this eating out stuff is killing my good intentions to eat well.

This is in the graveyard of the church. My daughter Melissa, Maria and my sweetie.




Today we are heading to Charleston, South Carolina where you will find more charm and flavor of the south than any city in America. The history here is fascinating and it is everywhere you go. Fort Sumter is one of the historic sites to see, it is where the first shot of the civil war was fired. You can get to Fort Sumter by a boat tour, it's well worth the trip. Magnolia Plantation is another historic site to see, ten generations of the Drayton family have lived there since the 1670's. And there are so many historic houses to see in Charleston, one of them is the Nathaniel Russell House built in 1808. Honestly we could spend many Travel Tuesdays talking about Charleston, there is that much to do. I would recommend one of the horse drawn carriage rides where the guides tell you all about the history of the city and point out all the historical sites. It is quite frankly one of the most romantic cities in the country. And if you get tired of all that history all you have to do is cross a bridge and go to the Isle of Palms or Sullivan's Island and you're at the beach. Is anyone out there a Gone With the Wind fan? Do you remember the part of the book or movie where Rhett says to Scarlett that he's going home to Charleston where he can find the calm dignity that life can have when it's lived by gentle folks and that he didn't realize the charm of that. That charm is Charleston! Well, the south is so much fun, let's continue on with it next week. Next week we go to Savannah.



Safe Travels,



Joan

Check it out

Shannon at Paint Mine Pink wrote a really great post about 9/11. I can't remember how I found her blog but I'm sure it had something to do with her blog's name having pink in it. Anyway, she's an Aussie from down under and she has a great blog with beautiful decorating ideas so check it out today.

Also check out this from Debrak from The Bunnies Bungalow, it's a really well written and moving story. So check out both of these girls today. Hopefully I can get back later today to do Travel Tuesday. Have a great day!

Safe Travels,


Joan

Monday, September 10, 2007

You Make Me Smile Award and a Giveaway

Kari at Just Livin' Large gave me this sweet award. It's called the You make me smile award and it is so nice but if the truth be told, it is Kari who makes me smile when I read her blog. But it is such a compliment and I do appreciate it.


So I am passing this on to a couple of people. First one goes to:



Dianne at Glasses of Grace, her blog always makes me smile with her love for her niece and the Lord.



Jennifer at The Beaufort Lookout , her blog makes me smile because she always has something thoughtful to say.



"T" at Living the Life, she makes me smile with funny things like painting her dog "toes"


Thanks Kari and while I'm at it go over here and enter Kari's giveaway of very pretty Christmas ornaments. Christmas will be here before you know it and wouldn't it be great to have new ornaments on your tree. But go over soon because this giveaway ends on Wednesday.

Safe Travels,


Joan

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Beach Houses and Bathtubs


I took these beach house photos today to show you some of the beautiful homes that sit on the beach here in Hilton Head. I find some of them so interesting. If you click on the photos you can see the big new houses with the older beach homes next to them. Some of these new homes are huge. So pretty and wouldn't it be so nice to live in one of these and look at the beach everyday? Don't you just love the sand dunes also?




And I guess you are wondering why is this crazy lady posting pictures of bathtubs? Well, this is a little piece of heaven to me. There are three big giant tubs in this place we are staying. Now why is this such a big deal to me? Because at my home I have a bathtub that would only fit a ten year old. Our home was built in the 70's and I guess they didn't put in double vanities and big tubs and all that fun stuff. So this is what I look forward to each time we come here, taking long bubble baths. I have some back "issues" and I swear my back feels better after soaking in one of these tubs. So I was wondering if any of you have wonderful tubs that you would want to post a picture of so I can be envious, sorry I mean happy for you. Anyway, we are heading to Charleston, South Carolina tomorrow to have lunch with my sweet niece who lives there. I hope to get some great pictures of the old city and I'll post Charleston for Travel Tuesday this week. If you haven't been there, you are going to love this city. It's one of my all time favorite. I know I say that alot but it really is. But remember we have a one year old with us so everything could change if she has a meltdown.


Safe Travels,


Joan

Friday, September 7, 2007

Good Night From Maddie!



Do you think the sun and ocean have just worn her out? I love this photo!


Safe Travels,


Joan

Nice Matters


Jennifer at the Beaufort Lookout gave me this award and I do so appreciate it. Like I said earlier, I am so grateful to have made some new friends here in blogland. So now it's my turn to pass this on, I still don't know seven of you that might not already have this award so I have four of you to pass it on too. And I didn't realize until I started to write this, that all four of you are Cincinnati girls. Cincinnati girls are really nice!! So, this award goes to nice people who inspire good feelings and inspiration.

Actually, that would be almost everyone whom I've come in contact with so far in blogging. I've not had any negative people yet, though I'm sure there's probably some out there. Anyway, here are four picks:


Sarah at Sarah Cool


Sarah atWhitman's Sampler


Katie at Katie Didn't

Christine at Epiphany Sanctuary

Anyway, thanks to Jennifer at the Beaufort Lookout and by the way Kari wants to be an Ohio girl so I think we should make her an honorary member of the Ohio girls. I think she just wants to be close to Johnny Bench. :-) Sarah at Whitman's Sampler and Katie are sisters and are friends with my daughter but I consider them friends also. And Christine and Sarah Cool are new blog friends and they both have great blogs. So take the Nice Matters award and post it on your blog.

Safe Travels,

Joan

On the Beach

Maddie on the beach



Grams and Maddie's toes in the sand



Just lovin it


Here's some pictures of our time on the beach. This little grandchild loves the beach and it's so much fun watching her discover all the things on the beach. She gets a big kick out of the pelicans flying above her head and she has no fear of the ocean at all. In fact when we leave, she screams her head off. I don't think she'll remember any of this but with the hundreds of pictures we've taken, we can show her someday.


Also I don't want to forget that the Beaufort Lookout has given me the Nice Matters award. My friend Kari gave me this award a little while back but I am so grateful for new friends who are so kind. And you already know how I feel about your blog, Beaufort Lookout! And now that I know some people in bloggyville, I want to pass on this award to a few people. But I have to wait till this afternoon while Maddie is taking a nap and Grandma is not freaking out that she's going to fall on these hard floors here and hurt herself. She has really takin' off walking while she's down here in Hilton Head and she thinks she doesn't need any help in doing it. Be back later on......


Safe Travels,

Joan

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Check it out

I can't believe I haven't done a check it out post in awhile. Guess I've just been a little busy, anyway while Maddie and Mommy are still asleep and I have the time check out these posts and giveaways. First both Kat and Dianne have a wonderful idea on their website in the fight against breast cancer. Kat is a breast cancer survivor and Dianne is a new friend of mine in the blogging world. Do yourself a favor and go to both of their sites and help in the fight with this horrible disease. Also my friend at French Gardenhouse, Lidy wrote a really great post about sharing our light and can I just say her site is just so beautiful to visit so again do yourself a favor and go and visit her.

And BooMama along with Leigh are having a purse giveaway. You don't have to tell me twice when it comes to purses, so check them out.

And just because she has one of my all time favorite blogs, go to The Beaufort Lookout, she always has something interesting and thought provoking on her blog. Well, that's about it for now, except remember the post I did here, well Philippians just keeps coming up in my daily life so I'm guessing it might be time to do an in depth study of it. Mommy and Maddie are still asleep so I guess I'll get ready for the day. Have a great day!



Safe Travels,



Joan

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Hilton Head & A Bug Story

Look what some little girl left me on the elevator





Flying roach
View from where I'm staying




Hi ya'll from Hilton Head!! I can talk that way while I'm in the south. Anyway, did Travel Tuesday make any sense yesterday? I was going on three hours sleep and felt like I was moving in a fog. I am much better today, thank you Lord for a full eight hours sleep!! I got in late Monday and my sweet brother in law, who lives here, met me to make sure I arrived okay. But I did have a little visitor waiting for me or should I say a BIG visitor. They call them palmetto bugs down here but in my mind a roach is just a roach and they fly. I swear this monster was flying around my bedroom. Now, I'm a puppy dog, kitten kind of person, no bugs of any kind. I could not sleep knowing this thing was crawling around, so about 1am the night before last, I finally saw my chance and stomped on the thing about 100 times and then for good measure put the telephone book on top of it, but still I couldn't sleep. I had nightmares that his friends would come and get me if I fell asleep. Crazy huh? So I finally just get up and what do I find in the elevator, this little creature above, I have no idea what it is. But this little girl seemed to think my reaction to it was pretty funny. Doesn't she know you do not do this to a sleep deprived middle age menopausal woman? Why was this child not in school and where were her parents?LOL! The bug guy came yesterday, so I don't have to worry about palmetto bugs anymore. And the best news is Maddie (my granddaughter) and Mommy came in last night so we're ready to have some fun. I brought my laptop in case I need to blog, I mean work. Gramps and Daddy are arriving soon while Christina and Jimmy are taking care of Cleo back home. Be prepared for lots of Maddie pictures. P.S. Does anyone know what kind of creature that is?


Safe Travels,


Joan

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Travel Tuesday - Cannes, France

Beach in Cannes


Shopping in Cannes
My sweetie in Cannes



We left Barcelona and cruised to Cannes. When we arrived in Cannes, the Cannes film festival was going on. We heard rumors that Tom Hanks was there, but we didn't see him. By the time we got to Cannes, we were both tired and ready to go home from our long trip. We had already been gone over two weeks and we wanted to relax. Mostly we shopped along the markets and strolled along the waterfront where fishing boats sit right next to yachts. We had alot of fun in Cannes, we did some shopping for our granddaughter Maddie, even though she wasn't even born yet but we knew she was going to be a girl. The French must love their dogs because it seemed like they all brought them to work with them. I have always wanted to go to Eze, which is a medieval village, it looks so pretty and just the kind of place I love to explore. From Cannes you can also go to Nice, Monte Carlo & St. Tropez. With just one day in port, it is hard to choose one. I was surprised by the beach on the top picture, it was small and rocky. Cannes was a fun place to just go and walk around and we enjoyed our day of no sightseeing, just hanging with the locals and shopping and eating. If any of you have ever been to Eze, please let me know what you thought of it. It was the one place I was disappointed with not being able to see. This ends our cruise around the Mediterranean. It was wonderful and I hope to go back someday. I'm still thinking of where we should go on our next destination on Travel Tuesday. I have alot of ideas but if any of you have a request, I'll be happy to explore it with you. Thanks for cruising along with my sweetie and I. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and I can't wait to see what we're doing for our 60th. :-).



Safe Travels,



Joan

Monday, September 3, 2007

Adventures in Babysitting

Maddie fell asleep on Grams & Gramps bed



Eating blueberry waffles for breakfast

Maddie & Gramps watching Baby Einstein



We had the big overnight Saturday night. It was Maddie's first time away from Mom & Dad. We had a ball. First we went to McDonald's to get Maddie (okay, to get Grandma) one of their soft serve ice cream cones. They are really good and my friends at Weight Watchers tell me they are only two points. Two points is not alot on Weight Watchers. Okay so I did get the hard chocolate topping on our soft serve cone. I ate that part and Maddie loved the vanilla soft serve ice cream, she kind of sucked the ice cream out of the cone but she never left my lap until it was all gone. I could really become addicted to these yummy things. I have no idea what mommy is talking about with her sleeping habits, she was a perfect angel for us and woke up waving to us. After breakfast Gramps and Maddie watched Baby Einstein, which we had to watch twice. And we had to watch this, over and over. I dare you guys to watch this over and over. Only the brave can do it. Well, off to a Labor Day picnic at my sister's house. I still need to make my artichoke dip from the Four Sisters Inns cookbook. Let me know if you want the recipe and I'll post it. Drop by the Four Sisters website, you'll feel like you step into a peaceful retreat. I'll do a longer post someday just about these wonderful Bed & Breakfasts on a Travel Tuesday but for now don't forget about Cannes tomorrow and have a safe and restful Labor Day.


Safe Travels,


Joan

Good Cause and Cute & Pink

Lean Cuisine has these lunch totes for sale on their website for $10.00 each, with half going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. You can order one at Lean Cuisine. I think I'm getting the one that has the most pink in it, big surprise! They're insulated and oh so cute and they support a good cause.

Safe Travels,

Joan

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Thinking out loud





"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand."




Philippians 4:6,7




So I woke up this morning with this verse on my mind and then I checked my e-mail and the K-Love's encouraging word of the day was Philippians 4:19 which says "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches." HELLO, do you think I'm suppose to read Philippians? I think the Lord shows us sometimes where to go in His word for what is relevant in our lives at that time and I know He just did that.




Safe Travels,



Joan

Saturday, September 1, 2007

A little of this and that

My Masterpiece



Look at these mums my sweet friend Vickie gave me



And because I can't help myself when it comes to Maddie


Last night we had some of our oldest and best friends, Mike & Vickie over for dinner. We spent so much time talking and eating, I didn't get any pictures except the one before of my dessert. One of my other friends gave me the recipe for this trifle. It's a mixture of angel food cake, strawberries, blueberries and fat free whip cream but you could easily make it with pound cake and real whip cream. I made this on the 4th of July and misjudged how much everyone would like it and didn't have enough. I thought they would eat my 4th of July cupcakes more but they all like this little dessert. We also had some portabella mushroom and gouda cheese burgers from the Fresh Market. Do any of you have a Fresh Market in your area? We discovered them while on vacation in Florida and love to go there. It's not a place to stock up on staples but more of a special treat kind of place. And my sweetie grilled some sweet corn from one of those road side stands on the grill. Yummy!! And to top it off it was beautiful outside here in southern Ohio, so we finally got to eat outside.


Look at those wonderful mums. I hope I don't kill them like I did my shade impatients. On the right side of my steps there are usually shade impatients overflowing onto the steps but this year we had no rain and I was lazy when it came to watering them. My friend tells me these will be purple when they bloom. Thanks Vickie!


And because I believe as Grandparents we can spoil our grandkids in ways we couldn't afford to do when our kids were little and because we didn't want them to grow up and be spoil brats, we got Maddie this little treat bag for Halloween. Not that she's going to be doing much trick or treating, I mean she is only one and she doesn't eat candy. You can spoil your own little grandkid with one by going here. And my hubby is so excited because when he comes home from golf today, Maddie is coming to spend her first overnight at Grams and Gramps. It's the first thing he talked about when he got up this morning. My daughter tells me we might not be so thrilled with her sleeping habits. Anyway if you made it all the way down this long post, have a great Labor Day weekend!



Safe Travels,



Joan