Countdown to Christmas..... Elves Light the Way

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3 Days Until Christmas

My neighbors, "The Griswalds," have taken it upon themselves to now decorate the street lights on their street (that is perpendicular to my street) with colored cloth and little elves. So now the whole street is guarded by elves and lit by candy canes.

I swear it can be seen by the ISS.....

 

 

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas decorations in your neighborhood.... and I hope you are continuing to stay safe and sane, my friends.

 

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Countdown to Christmas..... The Landing Strip to Christmas in myNeighborhood

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8 Days Until Christmas

I have showed you photos of the "Griswald House" around the corner from my house during the day, but now I'd like to share with you what that house and the entire street looks like at night with all the lights lit up. There are even candy canes along both sides of the street lit up making it look like a landing strip for Santa - on Christmas morning, you can see the sled tracks, hoof prints, foot prints up to the houses and even some reindeer droppings near the houses. =)

So tell me what you think... over the top, huh?

Countdown to Christmas..... It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmasin Celebration

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21 Days Until Christmas!!

These are some photos I took during my walk with the doggies around the block near our house. I really love the way (most) of our neighbors decorate their houses at Christmas. It really looks beautiful at night with all the lights on. 

I really adore the soldier standing sentry on the porch on the 2nd floor.

This is our welcome mat - you'd never have guessed that, huh?

This is our front door, we had just begun to decorate, it looks much better with all the lights now.

This is the little tree at the dry cleaners where bill works, isn't it cute?

This is the house next door to the "Griswald House" - I think they have taken everything in stride. It looks adorable, without going overboard... I love the Santa and reindeer climbing up the front of the house - too cute!

Hope you enjoyed a view of some of the decorated houses in my neighborhood. I'll post our decorations when we are done with them, and I'll definitely post the "Griswald House" all lit up - or you can wait for the photos from the ISS. =)

Stay safe and sane.... <3

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"Let it Glow" Festival of Trees to Benefit Noah's Light Foundation

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On November 30th, Celebration Town Hall will be all lit up with the glow of festival trees to benefit Noah's Light Foundation, as you know one of my favorite charities. There will be many ways to help the charity:

~ Purchase one of the beautifully decorated designer trees for your own home
~ Shop for holiday decorations; let your children shop on their own, too
~ Enter raffles to win great holiday items
~ Purchase a photograph of yourself with the Big Elf, himself - SANTA CLAUS
~ Enjoy the delicious holiday goodies, including the "Glowtini," the special drink of the event.
~ Of course, direct donations are always accepted  =)

Tickets in advance are $10 for adults/$5 for children 12 and under; tickets at the door are $15 for adults/$5 for children 12 and under.
 
To purchase tickets in advance head over to Noah's Light Foundation Event Page.
 
To make a donation at any time, head over to Noah's Light Donation Page.

‘Twas the night of Noah’s Party,
and all through Town Hall,
The people were laughing and having a ball.

 

The goodies were passed by servers with care,
As cocktails were flowing from bartenders with flair.

 

The music – it played, the raffles were won,
The carolers sang and the night wasn’t done.

 

For out of the blue, the Guests stopped and they paused,
And they knew they were there for a wonderful cause.

 

To help our Foundation find the cure; find the answer,
So that no other child loses their life to brain cancer. *

 

Hope to see you there!

*From Noah's Light Foundation Page

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Monday's Music Moves Me: 4/16/2012 ~ All About Cars

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Welcome to 2012's Monday's Music Moves Me!!! We are going to make this meme SPECTACULAR this year!! But of course, we cannot do that without all of you... so come on share your music with us and get your friends to share with us, too. Our fearless leader is none other that the sweetest and most wonderful Marie of XmasDolly. Helping her keep this train running are ME, my dear friend Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and the lovely Callie of Jamerican Spice. We will also have some helpers along the way when we need to because life is.... well, life! This month the lovely Cathy of Cathy Kennedy's Blog will be our cohost. Dolly will chose one each month, if you'd like to help, please let one of us know.

Here is what you need to do to play along....

First step: Head on over to You Tube, or anywhere you get your music videos and post them on your blog! Upcoming themes are to you LOWER RIGHT of XmasDolly's blog.

Second Step: Grab our "Monday's Music Moves Me" Button, mine is on my right sidebar, or off of any of the hosts' sites.

Third step: SIGN THE LINKY - Follow your hosts (we will all follow you and try to comment each week), grab their buttons too when you visit (mine is on my right sidebar above the 4M button) and show them some love by leaving a comment.

Final step: Go visit the other Rockers on our Linky and PLEASE show them some love by leaving them a comment, you know you like comments, they do too!

This week's theme is FREEBIE! We went to Celebration's Annual Exotic Car Show this weekend and saw some AWESOME cars, including the largest collection of Ferraris and DeLoreans in one place, plus cars from TV and movies.

It is the 5th largest and respected exotic car show in the U.S. It is held for charity, including Special Olympics. There are several celebrities who show up for the events during the entire weekend. Because of all the fabulous cars that we saw, I am focusing on songs that feature cars this week... hope you enjoy my songs and some photos from the show......

 


Little Deuce Coupe ~ The Beach Boy




This one is a dedication to my hubby, Bill, he owned a 1965 (the year I was born, TeeHee) gold GTO, marker number EP69... Here's to you sweetie!

Little GTO ~ Ronnie and The Daytonas

Dead Man's Curve ~ Jan and Dean

Little Old Lady from Pasadena ~ Jan and Dean



This one is actually about a motorcycle rider, but I love this song.....


Leader of The Pack ~ Shangri-Las




So now pick your songs, write a post and don't forget to add it to one of the linky's - there is one on each of the hosts' blog. We can't wait to hear your songs, plus you might be chosen as our Spotlight Dancer and be in the #1 or 2 linky spot, like this weeks spotlight winners.

Shary of Shary Loves You ~~ and ~~ Amber of JadeLouise Designs

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Don't forget to grab the Spotlight Dancer button from XmasDolly's blog and proudly display it on your blog showing everyone that you were picked!

Now, go on and post your songs... get your friends to post their favorite songs and link up so we all can hear them... and have a musical Monday.

ROCK ON, MY FRIENDS!!

I'm very sorry to say there are some people not playing along just using our linky to get traffic for their blogs! Unfortunately, these bloggers will be marked and ignored, you will not get any benefit from our linky, so don't bother. All we ask is that you leave a comment, grab our button, ad/or follow us. If you don't want to post a video, you can post a link to a video, or post some lyrics, but please - at least attempt to make it music related.

*** Just one more thing...

PLEASE, we are family friendly blogs

and while we really don't want to censor anyone,

but we do ask that you keep your songs rated PG13 or less.

If you find that you need to post songs of an explicit sexual nature or language,

please find a different venue.

If your song does contain a small amount of questionable Language,

please put disclaimer BEFORE the video.

Thank you very much!***

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I Love Christmas Post #9

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One of the best things about living here in Celebration is the Now Snowing Nightly that happens each year from the day after Thanksgiving to New Years Day every night 3 times a night. It draws families from all over the country and even the world.

It is actually a soapy substance that looks like snow, but it just as slippery as real snow, so I stay away from it - you know me, I can't stay upright on dry ground. TeeHee!  Recently Bill and I took two of the doggies downtown to just watch the festivities - that's where Nano met Santa. Here are some photos of the kids having fun.

Don't they all look like they had a great time? I love just sitting and watching them, it makes me smile!

Wordless Wednesday: Nov. 30, 2011 ~ People I Love

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Welcome to Wordless Wednesday..... I'm looking forward to to seeing all of your photos, so if you leave a comment, please leave your email address so I can come on over and take a look.

Mia, Daddy and Wiggles enjoying fireworks on Founder's Day

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, head over to the WW Hub, leave your link, check out the other participants, and don't forget to leave a nice comment - you know you like comments, they do too!!

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Shadow Photo ~ I Love This.....

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Photo Credit

On my walk with the dogs this morning, I saw this at my neighbor's house and I just had to take a photograph of it because I love the way it made a shadow on the sidewalk.....

How cool is that? I don't know if you can see the dragonfly on top of the house and in the shadow, but it just adds the perfect touch.

I LOVE Halloween and can't wait to add more photos from around my neighborhood, people go all out around here. We even have two houses that have synchronized lights and Halloween music. Halloween also puts me in the holiday spirit. Hope you are all having a great autumn so far.

HUGGLES!!

Thursday Recipe Swap Meet: Sept. 22, 2011 ~ Loaded Potato Soup

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OK... we know you have all these recipes that you love to make. You got them from your mother, your grandmother, a magazine, or maybe you made it up, perhaps you don't even remember where the recipe came from. Well, how about sharing them with all of us? We are going to share ours with you every Thursday!


My good friend and (according to her husband) excellent cook, Dolly over at XmasDolly and I are now doing a recipe swap; we want to share ours with you and wold LOVE to get some of your favorites as well... So, Welcome to Thursday's Recipe Swap Meet, here is all you have to do:



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Post a recipe on your blog, sign the linky on either blog (they will be linked), grab our new button - isn't she cute - hubby says she looks like me... TeeHee? (above, on my sidebar and on my Co-Chef Dolly's blog) and check out the recipes. Don't forget that each week you actually will be getting at least TWO for the price of ONE because both Dolly (Hi, my dear friend!!!) and I will post a recipe on each of our blogs. How simple is that??


Loaded Potato Soup

4  medium red potatoes

2 tsp. EVOO

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/4 cups chicken stock (you can use broth, I just think stock tastes better)

3 Tbls. all-purpose flour

2 cups milk, divided

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 bacon slices, halved

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 teaspoons thinly sliced green onions

~ First, pierce potatoes with a fork, then, microwave on HIGH 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.

~ While potatoes cook, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion; sauté 3 min.; add stock.  Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stirring often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.

~Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on HIGH for 3 - 4 mins., Crumble bacon.

~ Discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon.

This yummy mean for a cool fall or winter evening gets 6 out of 6 puppy tail wags - especially the bacon! =)  I think it's almost as good as good as what they make at the Irish Pub we go to in downtown Celebration, Shannons.


So now all you have to do is sign our linky so we all can find your recipes. You check out all ours and we will check out all yours. If you don't want to write it all down and you know of one on line just post a link to it on your blog or leave it in a comment if you prefer!


Let's get cooking..... Bon Appetit

Week in Review: Computer Problems, Migraine, Vertigo, Back Pain, New Business Venture, Plus PSA

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I know that you have all had one of "THOSE" weeks... well this was one of mine. I'll spare you all the little details, but give you the overall.....


As you saw by by Monday's Music Moves Me post, I suffered from some terrible vertigo that lasted through Tuesday - along with a spill down a few stairs that aggravated my back and nerves down my right leg. So I've been having trouble walking, sitting and sleeping all week - gotta head back to my neurosurgeon next week to see what's up with that.  On top of that with the weather changes we've been having, the air pressure has been having a ball with my migraines - UGH!! So I have had to try and sleep more and take more medication than usual (the naps have been helping make up for the sleep I'm not getting during the night). Add one more issue - problems with my computer, a virus that snuck in somehow - and that was the straw that broke the camels back!

All of this has led to my depression rearing its ugly head. Those of you who suffer from this debilitating disorder (I suffer from PTSD that leads to anxiety and depression) know how these things can just pile on and you think you are doing OK, then - BAM - you finally can't handle it anymore. I am so lucky to have a couple of great friends and my wonderful husband to help me through these times, but it makes it truly hard to write on my blog, which then makes me even more upset because I feel like I'm neglecting my friends and another responsibility. A vicious cycle... many of you may understand.

We have also been trying to get our yard cleaned up for our re-inspection by our HOA as we (along with SEVERAL of our neighbors) received a letter stating that we were in violation of the covenants agreement we all signed when we bought our house. Now I do truly appreciate the HOA keeping our community nice and neat and beautiful, but this year they really seemed to go for the jugular and cited things that had been deemed OK during the last 5 years of inspections... another irritating item in my life. We ended up having to purchase 8 bags of mulch, 3 bags of topsoil, and 85 pieces of sod to fix everything... Can I just say that if I NEVER have to touch a piece of sod again, it will be too soon. This also added to the pain in my back and neck as Bill and I had to do the work ourselves since we didn't have the money to pay someone to do the labor. Our neighbor had similar violations and it cost him over $400 to have someone do the work - no way we could afford that.


On a MUCH happier note, besides the fact that I think I have gotten rid of my computer virus (WooHoo), Bill and I are working on a new business venture together with a wonderful friend of ours. It is a fabulous skin care line designed by dermatologists with prescription ingredients to help with all our needs from adult acne, rosacea, to (my favorite) anti-aging. I cannot wait to introduce it to you... once we are all set up, I'll give you all the details and have a marvelous giveaway worth $300.00!! I hope you are as impressed with it as I am, Bill has even noticed how much softer my face is and I notice a difference in the fine lines. YAY!! So keep your eyes open for all the info and the giveaway coming in the next couple of weeks.

One more thing... my PSA For the Week: I have scheduled my annual mammogram for next month. I just want to remind all my darling friends to get your boobies checked... take a friend, take your sister, take your mother, remind a stranger ~~ it could save a life, maybe even YOURS!

Don't Forget..... Get Your Mammies Grammed!!

Hope you all had a great week and are enjoying the last few days of summer. Things should be getting back to normal around here ~ well as normal as things can be with an old man, a crippled wife =) and six doggies. HaHa

Love you all and thanks for all your support... HUGGLES!

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Please Read.... Important Safety Message**UPDATE - HOAX**

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6/9/11 ~ Apparently the Celebration Safety Committee has discovered that this is all a HOAX email! Can you believe it??? What is wrong with people? I am SO sorry I passed on erroneous information, I was trying to be helpful, but it seems that we were all the victims of someone with a computer who though they'd be "funny" - NOT! The Miami-Dade Police Dept. has even issued a statement on their Facebook page. As always please be careful in whatever you are doing and enjoy the rest of the summer.

I received this from the Safety Committee of Celebration and wanted to pass it along to all of you. I don't know if it is happening in your area of the country, but it is a good thing to keep in mind wherever you are:

Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Department warning: please read this message very carefully:




This message is for any lady who goes to work, college or school or even driving or walking the streets alone. If you find a young person crying on the road showing you their address and is asking you to take them to that address... take that child to the POLICE STATION!! No matter what you do, DON'T go to that address. This is a new way for gang members to attack women. Published by CNN and FOX NEWS.


Have a wonderful summer everyone and stay safe. HUGGLES!

(Not-So) Wordless Wednesday ~ Bill and I on Memorial Day

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Welcome to Wordless Wednesday.... I'm looking forward to to seeing all of your photos, so if you leave a comment, please leave your email address so I can come on over and take a look.


These photos are from Memorial Day. Bill got dressed first and went downstairs while I was in the shower. Then I got the doggies and myself ready for the day. When I got downstairs, I looked at what Bill was wearing and had to laugh.... I guess it is true what they say about people who are married for a while starting to look like each other; or is it just that great minds thinking alike?

Don't we look cute? Sorry the letters are backwards, I took the photos in the mirror (HaHa) - the shirts say, "Celebration, FL supports our troops" - I guess both of us figured they were appropriate for the holiday. I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and were able to spend time with those you love, as you can see..... I did. =)


For more Wordless Wednesday posts, head over to the WW Hub, leave your link, check out the other participants, and don't forget to leave a nice comment - you know you like comments, they do too!!






And don't forget about our recipe sharing meme tomorrow: "Recipe Swap Meet Thursday" - have you got your recipe ready??? Don't forget to grab our button and play along... Happy cooking.



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(Semi)Wordless Wednesday: River Otter in Celebration Florida

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WORDLESS

In Celebration where I live we have lots of lakes which are the home to lots of wonderful creatures including birds, frogs, alligators and even a few river otters. Bill had seen a few last winter, but I didn't get to because I was recovering from my spinal surgery. Over the last couple of days during our walks wth the dogs, we kept running into one really adorable otter, but I couldn't get a good photo with my iPhone. I was fortunate enough to get this photo from my friend, Patti today that she took:

Isn't he adorable?  He loves to play in the water and he swims really fast. The dogs are just facinated by him and could just stare at him for hours - to tell you the truth, so could I.

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out the WW Hub, leave your link, check out the other participants, and don't forget to leave a nice comment - you know you like comments, they do too!!

Thank you again, to my friend Patti for allowing me to use her photo for today's post... YOU ROCK!!


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