Happy New Year 2011

Wishing you health, happiness, friendship, and the beginning of a better tomorrow. May all your wishes come true.

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Here is one of my favorite quotes: In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want. (Irish Toast)

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And here is a sketch most Germans (including me!) watch on New Year's Eve: Dinner for One.

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Happy New Year to all my Blogger, Flickr, and Facebook friends around the world. See you next year!

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Winter Wonderland

It snowed all day yesterday and all through the night. We received another 5 inches of snow. It was all fluffy and light and looked so pretty on the trees. So I went outside in the morning and snapped these photos before it all came off the branches. 

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Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas day. We had Christmas dinner with my son and his girlfriend. And I received a phone call from my dear friend David Henry.

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Have a look at one of my friend's blogs Out On The Prairie, some wonderful photos and writings from the Midwest.

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And here is more on the amazing Oogy.

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Have a good week! 

 

The fourth candle is lit

Today we lit the fouth candle on our Avent wreath. I love this wreath, I received it from my friend Kay. Have a look at her blog and her beautiful decorated house. I hope to meet her one day.

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I also received a vase from her for forcing flower bulbs. I was very lucky to find a few more vases at a local gardening store and the bulbs are cooling in the refrigerator. If everything goes well, I will be showing you some photos of my flowering hyacinths next year.

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Andrea, my beautiful and so talented crafter friend is busy crocheting her wonderfully warm scarves. She is making me one for Christmas and I have ordered two more for gifts.

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Enjoy the season!...See you soon and stay warm!

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Vacation to Florida and the Bahamas

Hello everyone! We are back from our second vacation and we had a great time. We left when it was very cold and during a snow storm. Started out an hour late, because the plane needed to be de-iced. Got to Ft. Lauderdale and it was 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Cannot beat that, to wear summer clothes in December. I could get used to that very easily. I love sunshine!

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Have a look at the beautiful scarves my friend Andrea is making. I bet they will keep you warm.

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Well, two more weeks and it's Christmas. I finally got all the gifts wrapped and the parcels into the mail. Hope they all make it there on time.

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More snow is on the way to us. Hope you all stay warm and I will see you soon!

Avocado Love...

As you can tell, I love avocados and chives. I think I could eat avocados every day, so yummy. Jennifer, one of my blogger friends, is another avocado lover. 

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Yesterday, I spent most of the day outside, cleaning up everything and getting ready for winter. Less than two weeks and we well be going on vacation to Virginia.

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My favorite blog this week The Little Book of Nessie.

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My favorite crafter is Andrea.

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The book I am reading right now is Oogy, what a hearbreaking story. It is always amazing how an abused animal will ever trust a human again. If you get a chance, please read the book.

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Wish you all a wonderful week!

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See you soon!

Peaceful Greens

A wonderful vegetarian/vegan Restaurant has opened on Main Street in downtown Lafayette, it is called "Peaceful Greens". The food is very delicious. The owner, Tina (picture above), uses as many local and organic foods as possible. I had ordered the "Rastapher Pasta", see the above picture, it is a blend of whole wheat & veggie pasta spirals with grape tomatoes, bell peppers, black olives, kale & artichoke hearts drizzled with lemon & basil pesto. It came with a slice of  Dakota (vegan) bread from Great Harvest Bakery. It was very yummy. 

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I also had the "Shaden's Lunchbox" smoothie made from blueberries, banana, peanut butter, orange juice, soy milk, soy yogurt, and spinach. And it sure was the most awesome smoothie ever!

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Everything is made from scratch. - An awesome place and I will have to try all the other fantastic items on the menu.

Local Artists Fair - Art on the Wabash

 Kitchen Robots by Donna Leuck, 95 % recycled

I went to the local artists fair a few weeks ago. What especially caught my eye were the "kitchen robots" by Donna Leuck. To quote her: "I love taking discarded things and make them into something with new purpose." Her robots are 95% recycled. No two pieces of trash are alike, therefore her pieces are one of a kind.

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Love my friend Kay's blog. Check it out kaylovesvintage. She is an amazing person.

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Wishing you all a wonderful week!

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Meet Miss Gracie

Here are a few more pics of Gracie, the Rat Terrier, enjoying the sunshine.

We rescued her almost three years ago from the Almost Home Humane Society.

They found her starving, covered in fleas and dog bites, and having recently had a litter.

I do not know what happened to the puppies.

They had named her "Pearl" and that is her middle name now.

The day I went to the shelter was the same day she was returned from Foster Care and the rest is history.

We celebrate her rescue date as her Birthday.



Another trip to Noodles & Company...

 Pad Thai with Tofu (mine)

Bangkok Curry with Tofu (Cary's)

We love Noodles & Company and especially the asian food choices there. They also have mediterranean and american food with your choice of add on Tofu, Chicken, Beef, or shrimp. You can order the dishes in regular or small sizes or a combination of it at the counter and they will bring the prepared food to your table. Yummy!

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What is your favorite food?.....What is your favorite restaurant?

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Our cruise to the Bahamas is booked for early December (our Anniversary) with a few days in Fort Lauderdale to start off. The ship will leave the Port of Palm Beach to the Grand Bahama Island. I am so looking forward to it. I am sure I will have lots of pictures.

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Are you planning to take a vacation soon?

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See you later!

Goodies from Panera

I went to Panera and got some Asiago cheese bagels for Sunday brunch. They are my favorite, but they are not as good as the cheese bagels I used to get at Lisa's Bagel Factory in Alpena, Michigan.
Also love the Bear Claws, the rich nutty filling with the almond chips, sooooo yummy!...
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Do you like bagels? What is your favorite bagel and store?
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I am reading "Home Safe" by Elizabeth Berg right now and it is one of these books that you cannot put down. I have read all of her books, she is one of my fav authors.
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I am going to Indy tomorrow, hope to have some time to go to Trader Joe's and Stein Mart.
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The weather around here is still beautiful and I like that. I am a summer all-year-round kind of person. I guess that's why I would like to move to the desert out west, where it's warm with very low humidity.
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Got a new perfume yesterday at TJ's. It's Shi by Alfred Sung.
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Have a good week!

Food Glorious Food

Here are a few of my favorite dishes and yes, they are either vegetarian or vegan. I don 't care much for meat. All of them were prepared by me and most of the vegetables are from our container garden, organically grown. My absolute favorite is the Tabouleh. I make a big bowl of it so that there is enough to last for a few days.

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Do you have a garden and what is your favorite food?

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Soon we are going on a cruise to the Bahamas. Haven't had a vacation since last year, so it is way overdue. We are also planning a trip to the Asheville, North Carolina area in November.

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Do you have any vacation plans?

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My Outdoor Space

My reading corner

This is how my patio looks at the end of August. Everything is still growing, especially the Morning Glories and Gourds. And of course my vegetables and herbs.

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Still very hot here; lots of sunshine (I like that).

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But Labor Day is coming soon, officially the end of summer.

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Any plans for the long weekend?

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Tomorrow is the first day back for College students here...

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Blog I like haus maus

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Have a good week!...See you later!

My Flower Garden

I love summer flowers, they make me happy. All these pics are from my flower garden. I spend quite a bit of time there every day, dead heading, fertilizing, and watering, especially right now with it being so hot and humid, my flowers are asking for lots of water.

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Every year I say to myself, that I will plant less flowers in the spring, but I always end up with more.

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So now you know where I spend a lot of my free time.

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Do you have any summer hobbies?

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I just picked up Elizabeth Berg's new book and can't wait to start reading. I love all her books, she is such a wonderful author.

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Have a great week!...See ya!