Award Winning Thursday Fragments

I'm afraid that title may have raised your expectations beyond what is reasonable, but I'm going with it anyway.  Last week Julia over at Mom on the Run gave me a blog award, and I know I said I don't do awards, but when someone gives me one I can't not play along. Thank you Julia!

I'm only going to cheat a little.

I'm supposed to share ten things about myself, and I have to wonder if there are ten things I haven't already told you? Back in the early days of my blog I did one of those '100 things about me' posts. It's in my sidebar under Inquiring Minds Want to Know if you're an inquiring mind and want to know. I reread it and it's still accurate, except I've now been married for 29 years. Same guy.

I started this post this morning, and then the Internet shut down thanks to the cable company working on our street.  I didn't get back to it until late in the afternoon, at which point I somehow accidentally deleted everything above #9. Aaacckk! I'm thinking now I'll go ahead and link this with the Friday Fragment hop too because it's practically Friday, and this is definitely fragments. Here we go-

1. I love random fragments. My favorite blog posts to read are the ones where the writer shares snippets of an ordinary day. I think those posts connect us more than some of the deeper stuff that's written every day.

2. Pinterest makes me happy.

3. So does Instagram.

4.  I rarely ever rant on my blog. I want to, but I don't.

I will just say New York! Seriously?  Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner? In a city of more than 8 million people, this is who the citizens want to hold up as leaders? I wish we cared more.

5.  Sometimes when I cannot handle any more political smarminess I go to YouTube and watch Susan Boyle's audition on Britain's Got Talent. That video clip still makes me smile.  Does anyone not skip the ads on YouTube when given the option?

6.  I love anything in a little blue box tied with a white bow.

Hubs had some sort of work thing yesterday that is too much to explain here, but suffice it to say involved several events, including playing the piano in the floor of FAO Schwartz, the one made famous in the movie BIG, as well as instruction in how to tie a proper Tiffany bow, and some other stuff which I didn't pay attention to because he lost me at Tiffanys.

He couldn't bring the box home empty now, could he?

7.  I've been reading more and computering less this summer. When I say reading I mean actual books as opposed to my electronic reader.

Yes I know e-readers are actual books, but they're not book books. I appreciate the convenience of an e-reader, especially when traveling, but I realized recently that I miss holding an honest to goodness hard cover book in my hand. I still like to turn actual pages, and then let the book fall to the floor when I doze off. Can't do that with an Ipad.

Well you can, but you'd be sorry.

8. It doesn't feel like it's really summer until I've had my favorite food in all the world-Maryland Blue Crabs... steamed til they're no longer blue, covered in Old Bay seasoning, picked and eaten beside the water. That will happen soon.

9. I have always liked Amy Grant's music and am slightly obsessed with her new album-How Mercy Looks from Here.  

10. I like to follow the rules.

Now for the part where I cheat...I'm supposed to pass this award on to ten bloggers, but I will just say if your blog is full of epic awesomeness consider yourself tagged.

And if you have fragments to share why not hop over to Unknown Miami's blog on Friday and add your link there too.  Have a great weekend!

Fabulous on a Friday

What a difference a day makes...it's raining and supposedly the temps will struggle to get out of the low 70's today. The weatherman said we might even need a light sweater. Whoohoo!

Hmmm...I guess we haven't exhausted the topic of weather in blog posts and status updates.

Darlene over at Adventures of a Middle Age Mom tagged me with an award recently. Normally I don't participate but since it's a gray rainy Friday and since I haven't written a single thing of substance this week I figured why not carry on in that vein and play along.

Here's the deal-

1. Thank the blogger who gave it to you and share the link back to their blog.

Thanks Darlene!! Everyone hop over to Adventures of a Middle Age Mom and say hi. Darlene is a runner and an amazing gardener and we've met in real life a couple of times which is always fun.

2. Name 5 fabulous moments of your life.

My wedding day

Daughter1's birth-day

Daughter2's birth-day

Lunch in the House of Lords

Standing behind the clock face inside Big Ben

Those first three events are in a category of fabulosity all their own.

Just sayin'.

3. Name 5 things you love.

a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning

the English countryside

daughters in the house

Thanksgiving

Jesus

not neccessarily in that order

4. Name 5 things that you hate.

starving children

our political dialogue

rudeness

taxes

menopause

5. Pass the award to 5 deserving bloggers.

eh. Sometimes I skip this part because not everyone appreciates a tag, and lots of bloggers even advertise their sites as 'award-free'. I love lots of blogs for lots of different reasons so it's hard to pick, but today I chose five that I read regularly. If I tagged you, play along or not...it's up to you.

1. Carrie at It's Not Easy Being Queen~We live the same life and are married to the same man (figuratively speaking). She is the West Coast me.

2. Judy at Just Enough Light~We'd definitely be real life friends if geography ever gave us the chance.

3. Kathy at West Family Adventures~We 'met' while she was living the life of German frau, but we also share NJ roots and the ups and downs of life with young adult daughters.

4. Susan at Stew Mama Says~we have lots in common and one day I'm going to turn up at her lake house.

5. Zoanna at A Penchant for Pens~she is funny-clever and is also a fan of the Maryland blue crab. Her blog always makes me smile.

Happy Weekend!

The dog ate my homework

How do you handle awards on your blog? Do you acknowledge? Respond? Follow the bestow-er? Tag others to play along? Smile, think 'that's nice' and move along? I'm wondering because in the past couple of weeks I've been tagged by several bloggers and I've kind of just left them all out there hanging. Something about that doesn't feel nice so I'm going to attempt to respond and acknowledge all of them in one big post...think of it like the Oscars and I win in all categories. I'm not going to tag anyone because I know some people don't like to play and others might wish they were asked plus all that linking is more than my its-almost-summer-brain can handle on a Friday. Thanks to all of the bloggers who mentioned my blog...I do appreciate it!

Beverly at The Beverly Buzz and Donna at The House on the Corner both gave me The Pay it Forward Award...for this one I'm supposed to mention the bloggers (check), link to their blogs (check) and tag five bloggers to do the same (two out of three is good, right?)

I was also given an award over at Rainbow's Daily Life -The Versatile Blogger Award...I need to thank the person who gave the award (Thanks Rainbow!), tell seven things about myself (more on that in a minute) and tag fifteen recently discovered blogs. FIFTEEN!? Yikes. I'm going to go all rebel on you and skip this step.

Way back at the end of May (sorry Empty Nest...it felt like it was yesterday!) I was also tagged in a game of blog tag ...I need to answer some questions and then tag eight blog friends to answer the questions and carry on with the tagging. I'm going to answer the questions and count that as my seven things about myself that I need for The Versatile Blogger award mentioned above. Hey, what do ya know? I am versatile!

Here we go-

1. Do you think you're hot?

Oh brother. Are we talking temperature because if we're talking temperature then yeah baby, I'm definitely hot!

2. Upload a picture or wallpaper that you are using at the moment.

I took this picture recently in the outdoor shop called Cabelas. We stopped at their Pennsylvania store on our way home from D.C. a couple of weekends ago and I thought this item was interesting. Did you know they made dusters specifically for dusting game? Cabelas is an absolutely amazing shop...everything you might need for outdoor fun plus incredible displays of stuffed game like this one-

I guess if you have a display like this one in your house you would certainly need a game duster. And a very understanding wife.

3. When was the last time you ate chicken?

A barbecue at my sister's house last Monday...it was delish!

4. The song/songs you listened to recently-

I listen to a lot of music in the course of a day so I'll go with the last three songs played while writing this post:

Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's, Free by Zac Brown Band, and Spit in the Rain by Del Amitri...told you I was versatile.

5. What were you thinking while doing this?

I used to be hott and not just hot.

6. Do you have any nicknames? What are they?

Really only one and family members are the only people who use it-Jo

7. Tag eight blogger friends

And this is where I drop the ball.

Finally, just yesterday Scoot's1Mom tagged me 'For Bee-ing a Blessing' in a very sweet post on her blog My Hands, His Glory-thanks Scoots1Mom!

Whew...I feel like I just finished an overdue book report. Have a great weekend everyone!

Putting a bow on it...

Is it just me or has this been a looooong week? We've had rain all day every day except Wednesday. The leaves are really turning now and I'm remembering how much I loved the colors of fall last year. Does anyone else feel just a little bit sad when autumn arrives? I love this season maybe more than any other but it can also make me feel just a little bit melancholy.

Some of my trees are already so pretty but I have not taken any photos because did I mention it has been raining all day every day? Yeah. Good housecleaning weather (or so I've heard). How does my house get so dusty? There are no little ones running around making messes and we're gone almost more than we're here, and still that dust just continues to collect.

I have a few stray thoughts (ya think?) that I need to corral so I figured I'd end the week by wrapping up some loose ends...

First off, do you remember my birthday? Kidding! Sort of. I wrote two posts answering questions readers asked and there was one I promised to get back to once the dust settled. That would be the figurative dust, not the dust in my house which apparently will never settle. I may have had one too many cups of caffeinated tea this afternoon. Sorry.

A-ny-hoo, Carol asked me to post my favorite recipe and I said I would never be able to choose so would just share a favorite recipe. Fudge Pie. Yum! It's simple and delicious and I generally have the ingredients on hand so I can make one up if unexpected guests drop by. Or whenever I feel the need for fudge pie. The recipe found here is just like mine except I use 1/2 cup of flour instead of 1/4. Enjoy!

Secondly, crock pots. I love to pull out my crock pot this time of year but I have two issues with them. One is the clean up. My pot lifts out but it isn't easy to clean. Recently I was in someones home for Bunco and she had her dinner going in the crock pot. We were discussing this very problem when she showed us these-

Am I the last person to know about Crock Pot Bags? I love them and no this is not a paid endorsement. My supermarket carries them and you just pop the bag in the crock pot, put your meal in the bag, cook, eat and then toss the bag. Voila...no messy crock pot.

The second problem I have with crock pots is the taste. I love making soups and stews and chili in mine but those recipes generally call for lots of seasoning and spice. I find that many chicken and pork dishes lack an essential ingredient which is called flavor. Too bland. Or if they're not bland its because they are smothered in cream of something soup which I love but try to avoid. I found a good crock pot pork chop recipe online (seriously people, what did we do before google??) and I'm sharing it with you here. If you have one you love send it my way pretty please.

Lastly, during my birthday hullabaloo I was given a lovely bloggy award by Alex and I wanted to say thanks. Thanks Alex! That same week I was tagged by two different bloggers in a game that requires answering 8 questions for every tag. I'm cheating a little because I'm pretty sure you are, at this very moment, holding your breath and praying that I am not going to answer 16 questions at the end of an already long post. You may exhale...I'm answering the first four from Tina at a View from a Hill and the last four from Carrie at It's Not Easy Being Queen.

1. What is your favorite season and why?

Fall...the changing colors, the cooler temps, football and especially breaking out the boots. Cute boots I mean, not snow boots. They're for another season. Well we hope they're for another season-last year we had a snow storm on Oct. 8th. That's just wrong.

2. Do you have a bucket list and what is one thing that is on it?

Not an official written down bucket list but a mental one for sure....one thing?...write something that is published (and I don't mean by Blogger)

3. Do you go to Starbucks and what is your favorite drink there?

Occasionally. No haters please. We don't have one in our little town but we do have a Dunkin' Donuts and I prefer the taste of their coffee. I'm not a fan of the really filling flavored coffee drinks so if I go to Starbucks I usually order a tall skim latte or cappuccino and when I'm out of the box I get it iced. Whoo hoo.

4. What book are you currently reading (or have just finished)?

Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I really liked the book but will tell you its a bit 'dark'. We discussed it in my neighborhood book club on Tuesday night and it got mixed reviews. I think that was mostly because you need to be in the right frame of mind to read something that isn't all sunshine and light. I like those kinds of books too but I think its good to read things that make you squirm a little. The world is not always a nice place and for those of us living in America its easy to avoid thinking about the not so nice stuff that's out there.

5. Do you like to wear orange?

If I'm at a Tennessee football game I do. Actually I like orange as an accent color. I have two scarves with orange in them and they're my favorites.

6. What's your favorite thing to shop for?

Shoes and pottery. In Italy.

7. Do you watch Dancing with the Stars?

No

8. Do you think American Idol should just call it quits? Would you even miss it?

Yeah, I kinda think they should just call it quits. I have loved the show but I'm not too excited about the new season without Simon. Who will be the voice of reality for those folks coming on the show whose mamas have told them they can sing, and sing well, when clearly they cannot??? Aiyiyiyi.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Define weekend

I'm gonna make a list of stuff because none of it is related which is a nice way of saying its random except some might say that word is a tad bit overused on this blog so I'm going for something different. Raise your hand if you love a blog post that begins with the world's longest run on sentence?

Anyhoo-hubs left for China at the crack of dawn today. I did not go with him. I wanted to go with him and I could bore you (even further) with the whole long story of why it didn't work out or just say I couldn't organize the right flights at the right time using any of my trillion frequent flyer points so here I sit, at home in the Garden State. Which is lovely but it is not Shanghai. I haven't given up on accompanying him on a China trip. Or any trip for that matter. And may I just state for the record here that we've had a few too many one day weekends since moving back stateside?

2. Yeah, the above was #1. Forgot I was making a list. Hubs is such a trooper. Since May 5th he has has gone from NJ to SC to FL to SC to NJ where he made like Superman and switched out vacation clothes for work clothes in the long term parking lot of Newark Airport before heading back into the terminal for yet another flight, this time to Italy. Then on to London last Wednesday and home on Friday. Now off to China this morning and the summer travel is just getting started. Are you keeping up? It exhausts me just to type this.

3. Somehow we do manage to squeeze a fair amount into these one day weekends. When he arrived home late Friday afternoon the guys were here re-sealing our driveway. He went out to 'supervise'...so glad he was home and I didn't need to get involved in any way shape or form. That is not my cup of tea.

4. Friday night we went out to dinner to a little Italian restaurant located on the boardwalk that runs along the shore of our town's lake. You are probably thinking, '...but didn't her hubs just spend a week in Italy eating Italian food every night?" Yes he did but a. you can never have too much Italian food and b. it was a gorgeous nite with ideal temps for al fresco dining and c. I did not just spend a week in Italy eating Italian food every night. I spent a week in NJ eating gourmet meals such as popcorn so he knew I needed a nice evening out. I had ravioli with shrimp and roasted garlic....yum! Hubs and I had a good catch up, sipped some wine and enjoyed the view.

5. Saturday we made a trip to the nursery and put a few plants outside...really just getting started and not in a big way as we need to do major landscaping to our back in the near future. Just need to find that pot of money. I don't want to go crazy putting things out there now only to remove them later. I'll concentrate on the deck pots this week. We also intend to knock the railing off the too small deck and put in a patio but in the meantime I need my flowers.

6. We went to the movies Saturday afternoon and saw Robin Hood. I liked it and thought Russell Crowe made a good Robin Hood. And I much preferred Cate Blanchett to Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio who played Lady Marian in the Kevin Costner version. There was sadly no arrow cam in this one but plenty of sword slinging and raining arrows and most importantly the beautiful English countryside which always makes me happy. The movie confirmed a couple of things I already knew which were a. I was right never to cross the English channel in a ferry or boat of any kind and b. I love England but am so glad I didn't live there in the 12th century.

7. We grilled out Saturday night because nothing says I'm home like a bbq. I made Ina Garten's tequila and lime chicken which hubby grilled and it was delicious. I used bone in chicken breasts because I think they are much more flavorful...I am not a huge fan of the boneless skinless chicken breast. I also made a green onion slaw and we grilled pineapple with honey, lime juice and black pepper and that was wonderful. I love grilled pineapple.

Don't you hate when a list ends on an odd number like 7?

Hey, I know something else I needed to tell you. Three lovely bloggers left me awards on their blogs last week. I'm pretty sure that makes numbers 8, 9, 10 on my list which is now no longer odd. Whew! Go say hi to these ladies...I read their blogs, 'met' two of them thru the weekly Random Dozen and I know one in real life which is not something I can say about many bloggers.

First up is the Sweet Blog Award from Lori whose blog is Mountain Woman at Heart...she quilts and rides motorcycles and is crafty too. One thing I've discovered thru blogging is that some people got in line twice when the creativity genes were handed out and some of us must have been in the ladies room and we missed them altogether. I love Lori's blog header because it looks like it was taken from the deck of my brother- in- law's cabin in the Smoky Mountains...beautiful!

Next is the Sunshine Award from Mary at Life in a Small Town. Mary is sorta new to blogging but you would never know it from her writing...she seems like an old pro. And Mary's small town and my hubs small town may be one and the same. wink wink.

And finally (I know!)...Nel left me an award on her blog yesterday. Her site is Fastenau Facts.

For this award I'm supposed to list ten things I love and I did that once before on my blog so I'm gonna link to that post. At this point you probably feel like you've been reading this post since the dawn of time but I'll leave the link anyway.

Thanks for the awards ladies...I'm not going to tag blogs because I think we are all in agreement that this might just be the longest post about nothing in the history of blogger. Just know that if I follow your blog I love it, you bring me sunshine, and I think you're sweet!

Happy 101

Sometime around Christmas Rebecca over at The Reluctant Homefront gave me a blog award. Course it was crazy on the blog here in December (not to mention real life) so I thought I'd save it to post in the New Year.

The Happy 101 award is given to someone who brightens your day...how nice! Thanks Rebecca! If you haven't visited her blog be sure to stop by...she's a very talented writer. As you know blog awards are all about sharing the love so I'm to post 10 things that make me happy and try to make at least one of them part of my day today. Then I'm to pass the award on to 10 bloggers who brighten my day. Let's start with 10 things that brighten my day and make me happy...

1. Daughters-

Seriously these girls are into my heart so deep...they are the sweetest.

2. the beauty of creation-

I love the changing seasons...

the vastness of the ocean, the beauty of the mountains,

a big blue sky...being outdoors makes me happy.

Oh and for the record that is NOT me on the side of Mt. Blanc...I am actually inside a precariously hanging cable car going up the side of Mt. Blanc...almost as scary as what they're doing but slightly warmer.

3. books-I love books... love reading them, owning them, libraries, bookstores...words make me happy. I think you probably guessed that.

4. travel-if there is one thing living abroad taught me it is this....I will never see all there is to see in this big wide world. I'd like to try though.

5. photographs-I enjoy taking pictures. I'm not very good at it but I love photographs and I especially love the way a photo brings the memory of a person or event right back to now.

6. music-I love the way music creates emotion...the way a particular song takes me back to a place and time in my head...sometimes I smile, sometimes I cry...I love that music can make that happen.

7. cooking-I know there are women who hate cooking but I'm not one of them. I love to cook. I love trying new recipes and I like tasting new foods and hosting dinner parties for friends and family and making traditional tried and true dishes for holiday gatherings. I enjoy being in my kitchen and spend a lot of time there.

8. a good haircut-oh I know this sounds completely shallow but getting a great haircut and some perfectly perfect sun kissed highlights can make even the best day better. I'm overdue for this one so hopefully this week.

9. shoes- There...I said it. I love shoes and a great pair of shoes can definitely make me happy. I realize we're not talking eternal happiness here but my list of happies is more about the everyday stuff in life that makes me smile.

10. marriage-I like being married and having someone to share my life with...I can't imagine my life without this guy who after 25 years can still make me laugh. He can also make me crazy.

Mostly though he makes me laugh.

Now I'm to pass this award on to 10 bloggers who brighten my day...I know people don't always want to play along so no pressure...just know that visiting your blog brightens my day so thanks for that!

1. Sincerely Shannon-okay, this is my daughter's brand new blog which she only just started a couple of days ago but I know I'm going to enjoy reading here. I'm passing this along to her because she definitely brightens my day plus when you're new to blogging it's nice to have some posts like these to get you started...stop in and say hello...she's a sweetie!

2. The Lumberjack's Wife- I love this blog...she is funny and adorable. When I read it I always think we'd be friends and then I remember I'm old enough (almost) to be her mother. But I still think we'd be friends and I love reading here...it's one of my favorites. Oh and I'm way more technically savvy than her parents : )

3. Carpool Queen's Blog-okay I know we'd be friends in real life. We share a love of pottery and creme brulee for starters..what more do you need?

4. Joy in the Journey-Carol and I have totally bonded thru our ex pat experiences and I'm so hoping we meet in real life once she's back in the states.

5. Psalm 145:4-of course I'd include Valerie in this list...she is one of my first blog friends and sometimes I forget we've never met in person. Hoping 2010 is the year!

6. Odom Party of Five-as I'm writing this list I'm realizing there are lots of bloggers I'd love to meet in real life and Lisa is one of them. She's not too far from my girls so maybe one of these days on a trip south. Or when she comes to NYC : )

7. It Only Gets Better-Rebekah takes beautiful pictures and has adorable children and does crafty stuff that's lovely. Oh and we're facebook friends-that's real life isn't it?

8. Tempo and Speed-speaking of taking beautiful photographs...this is my sister in law's blog so of course I love to visit here. And I do know her in real life. Honest.

9. Jill Boyd's Place- we 'met' thru the Random Dozen hosted by Second Cup of Coffee...that counts right?

10. Tales from my Empty Nest-Melinda is a sweetie...she was also one of my first blog friends and we mostly communicate by email now. We'll definitely meet one of these days...I need a road trip to NC this year!

It's That Time Again...Weekly Random #9

I normally wouldn’t do two memes in a row on my blog but yesterday’s was an award so participating was part of the deal. Today I’m back at Lindas for her weekly random which sounds light and breezy on the surface but she always throws in a question or three that make you dig deep for the answer. Very theraputic actually…come play! Answer the questions on your own blog and link your answers here….

1. Tell me something about your favorite teacher.

First grade…Mrs. Ousler…she loved me and I wanted to go home with her. I mean I loved my own home and family but this woman was the epitome of what a first grade teacher should be-warm, cheerful, kind, soft spoken…if you had a loose tooth and she pulled it she gave you a sour ball candy which was a big treat. She was good at the teaching part too…like I said…I loved her and I imagine she set the stage for me to love school always.

2. Tell me about one pivotal moment in your life.

I guess I’d say my father’s death…our family isn’t the same without him. I was 32 years old but I don’t care how old you are…you are never old enough. My children were young (2 and 4) and my dad was such a wonderful Poppie… I’m sad they didn’t get to have him in their lives longer. He was a Marine for most of his life… a man of real strength and integrity yet he had a tenderness underneath and you especially saw it around the granddaughters whom he loved so very much.

3. About favorite colors--a lot of people will ask you what it is, but I want to know why it is. What feeling or memory does it evoke? \

Yellow-it’s happy…it’s not a color I use in my home as I like warm rich colors for decorating and living but when I think of yellow I think sunshine and happiness so I always claim it as my favorite.

4. What's a sure sign that you're getting older?

Holy moly…where do I begin??? How about we start at the top of my head and work our way down? My roots, my memory, my eyesight, my neck, my tummy, my blood pressure, my sleeping on the couch at 9 PM-oh wait…I’ve always done that one...let’s just say that once 45 has come and gone the body goes just a teensy bit psycho. In re-reading this I feel like I should post a picture because when I look in the mirror I don’t look quite as scary as I just described…I guess it’s just a little change here and a little change there and when you put it all together you realize you are a long way from 25.

5. Please don't sermonize, but Halloween--is it a yes or no for you?

Well my kids are in college now so they’re not home to participate but as children, yes, we did the costume /trick or treat act.

6. What's your favorite musical?

Phantom of the Opera

7. Are you more of a city mouse or country mouse?

I am a country mouse (not talking farm here, just space, nature, woods, land) who needs easy and frequent access to the city.

8. Did you know that it is possible, for a small fee, to name a real star after someone? (It's true! Google it!) If someone were to name a star for you, would you appreciate it for its whimsy and romance, or would you say, "Are you kidding me? For $19.95 we could have gone to the movie and actually bought popcorn."

I suppose if someone thought this would be a thoughtful and meaningful gift for me I could appreciate it. We loved my daughter’s fifth grade teacher and her class went together and did this as one part of an end of year gift for her. She was hugely into science and participated in the NASA program for Teachers in Space so she really loved this and it felt personal.

9. This question comes from Paula at His Ways Are Not Our Ways)-What's the craziest thing you've ever been doing and texted during it? I only thought of this b/c I was about to try to text during my walking video but I didn't. Paula, you do know that this blog is rated G, right?

uh...driving?

10. "It's not a party unless _______."

Somethin’ gets broken…that’s the standard end of that saying at our house. We’re fun people here…what can I say?

11. When you're stuck in traffic or a waiting room, what do you do to pass the time? PS: There are no magazines available.

In a waiting room I try very hard not to touch anything…I people watch and sometimes write great blog posts in my head that I later cannot remember. In traffic, it’s all about the music isn’t it? I like mine loud and I like to sing along much to the dismay of my family.

12. If you weren't yourself, would you be friends with you?

I'd like to think so.

My Public Service Announcement for the State of NJ plus an award

New Jersey gets a bad rap. When you think about NJ (which I kind of doubt you do because it's just one of those small sort of inconsequential states) you probably think traffic, chemical plants, toll roads and the highest property taxes in the US of A. You would be partially correct in your thinking and in the case of the property tax you would in fact be entirely correct. But there is another side to this place...a softer gentler side if you will...hence its nickname, The Garden State.

I think if the politicians used my part of the state as their backdrop when giving interviews as opposed to, oh say a rest stop on the NJ Turnpike, they'd have people begging to live here. I mean as long as they didn't find out about the property taxes. New Jersey really is a lovely little corner of the earth and I'm just doing my bit here to spread the word...NJ Department of Tourism you are most welcome.

We took these pictures on our hike stroll this past weekend. I guess I need to also add here that the NJ Dept. of Tourism does not read my blog nor are they paying me to promote the state although perhaps they should consider it.

While NJ may not be giving me any recognition Lisa, at Odom Party of 5, did present me with my very first blog award yesterday (thanks Lisa!)

Lisa and I both have two daughters in college and love great shoes...seriously, how much more of a connection can two people need? I'm supposed to answer these questions and then pass the award on to six Over the Top bloggers that I don't think have participated in this yet. If you'd like to play along too then feel free..if not, NO pressure. Just cut and paste these questions to your post (or facebook page if you read my blog there) and let me know you joined the fun...

1. Where is your cell phone? in my purse...which is in the other room which slightly annoys my hubs...he thinks I should be like the Secret Service and always have it on me so I'm never out of radio contact.

2. Your hair? not the color it was in my twenties...not naturally anyway
3. Your mother? loved
4. Your father? missed
5. Your favorite food? thai green curry
6. Your dream last night? None
7.Your favorite drink? champagne
8. Your dream/goal? to make a difference somewhere in this world
9. What room are you in? office
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? not managing #8
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? savoring the water view from my back patio somewhere south of the Mason Dixon line
13. Where were you last night? a lovely Italian restaurant in town
14. Something that you aren't? a good singer
15. Muffins? cranberry orange
16. Wish list item? a beach/lake house
17. Where did you grow up? mostly southern NJ
18. Last thing you did? took the dog to the vet for a shot aka my aerobic workout for today
19. What are you wearing? jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt
20. Your TV? off
21. Your pet? snoozing
22. Friends? Away
23. Your life? in transition
24. Your mood? good
25. Missing someone? always
26. Vehicle? parked
27. Something you're not wearing? shoes
28. Your favorite store? Ann Taylor
29. Your favorite color? yellow
30. When was the last time you laughed? Recently
31. Last time you cried? Recently
32. Your best friend? my sisters
33. One place that I go to over and over? library
34. One person who emails me regularly? Vershonn
35. Favorite place to eat? Italy : )

There you have it. I'm passing this on to some lovely ladies I've 'met' thru blogging plus one special blogger who just happens to take amazing photos and who just also happens to be my sister in law. You all are awesome...have fun with this.

Carol at Joy in the Journey

Courtney at Tempo and Speed

Linda at Linda and Jake

Melinda at Tales from my Empty Nest

Rebekah at It Only Gets Better

Valerie at Boomer Sooner