Saturday Photo Hunt - The theme is "Empty"

Oops - My friend's glass is empty at my outdoor barbeque - what a bad hostess I am! :)
Happy Weekend!
L

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I love the Java Jive!

I fell over these books by Cleo Coyle and just fell in love them. They are about a cozy coffee house in Greenwich Village that specializes in good coffee. Not only are they mystery novels, but also books about the love of really good coffee. Coffee is just not coffee, it all depends on where the beans come from, if they are dried in the sun or kept wet. It depends on the soil where they were grown and especially how they were roasted by the coffee shop,and how they are brewed or pulled by the baristas.
I always thought that blending coffees was cheating, but I've learnt that if you have a wonderfully rich and round tasting coffee, which is low on acidity, which contributes to the taste, then you can blend it with a more acidic coffee to give it more body and kick. I also learnt that you can taste different fruits in coffee too. And last but not least, she writes about the froth! Oh wonderful froth! Think what a yummy froth made of low-fat milk can do to a latte! (no lips to hips here!)

I was so inspired - and so tired of my old brewed coffee, that I got hubby to go out and get me an expresso machine - and I love it. You've got to fiddle around with it until you find the strength and taste you like best. It grinds the beans (very important about the beans) and makes a damn good cup of coffee. Cleo Coyle had added lots of cake and coffee recipes at the end of the book - so there's lots of different things you can try. We went out and bought a bottle of French chocolate sirup. A few drops in the bottom of the cup turns this afternoon cup of Joe into a moment of pleasure.
Well, gotta go and get me a cup of Joe!
Happy Weekend
from the kitchen of LibertyBelle

Saturday Photo Hunt - The theme is "Drink"

I found this photo in my photo file. I don't know who took it or when, but
I think the colors of red wine are so soothing.
Happy Weekend!
L

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Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Architecture"

Not the best picture of mom and son, on a cloudy day in London,
but it is the architecture that is the main thing and no doubt
about it, what detail there is in the architecture of old London.
Happy Weekend!
L

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Healthy Foods Don't Have To Be Boring

You Are 80% Healthy

Your diet is quite healthy, but you don't go too crazy with what you eat. You know how to eat what's good for you, but you're also careful not to deprive yourself.

How Healthy Is Your Diet?

I've never understood why so many people prefer fast food to good food.
Not that long ago - we baby boomers of the 50´s grew up with our mother's pot roast, lots of beans and salads. We ate wheat bread and drank ice water or milk. I don't think a McDonald's could ever compare to my mom's cooking - or mine either.
Good food doesn't necessarily take long to make.
If you put on the potatoes or rice, then make the salad and greens, and lastly, fry or broil the meat, presto - in about 40 minutes you have a fine dinner.
What bothers me most, is over half the shelves in the supermarket are filled with junk food. Someone is out to make a fast buck at the price of our health!!!
White bread is the real offender in weight gain. I learnt long ago that white bread sits like cememt in your stomach and adds sooooo much weight.
It doesn't take much to make good food, and it can also be quality time spent with your kids - give them something to do; let them be part of the process. It gives them responsibilty and pride - even if they've peeled just one potato!
That's my thought that's blowing in the wind.
Happy Weekend
L

Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Salty"

If I had a dog and poured salt on him, I would have had a "Salty Dog" *S*
But alas, I have no dog, so I decided to use our very old chalk board
that we use to write up items for shopping - and we DO need salt - so
I guess that fits the bill!
Happy Weekend
L

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Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Soft"

I know we'll be lots of cat owners showing off our soft and cuddly
kitties this week - but what can I say?? A kitty IS soft - even my
14 year old grumpy cat here, has the softest fur!
So here he is, my old softy!
Happy weekend!
L

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My Stop Smoking Blog - day 4

Well, Here I am, day 4 of not smoking. How do I feel? I feel a whole lot better.
I went for a long walk without being dead tired. I tramped through the snow and was hardly out-of-breath for a change. I'm not coughing as much either. I haven't had a headache for the first time in a long time too. I even had a cup of coffee without going insane. *S* I miss the feeling of having a good cup of coffee and relaxing, but how much I really relaxed is really the question. But all in all, day 4 is pretty good. I think it's really important to feel changes to keep up the fight against that one cigarette. I'm looking forward to seeing (or hearing) my singing voice clearing up and being able to hit those high notes again!
That's it for now.
Happy weekend
L

Help me to stop smoking!

In the wonderful film, Nottinghill, Bella, who sits in a wheel chair, says that she had to give up smoking -Her favorite thing.
I love to smoke and at the same time I hate it too.
I've got a million reasons to stop; I know them all by heart, but that doesn't change the fact that a cigarette together with a good cup of coffee is my favorite thing and I don't know how I'll live without it.
But I'm going to try.
If you've stopped smoking and have any good advice - leave me a note, back me up, give me some support -cause I'm going to need it!
Thanks for reading.
Hugs
L

Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Antique"

My grandmother gave this beautiful beaded purse many years ago.
It's so old now, that I'm sure it is considered antique.
It is truly a work of art and craftmanship.
The whole purse is covered in red and blue beads, with a little
beaded tassle and a chain strap. I don't know where or when she
used it, but I can imagine it is from the 20's or 30's, but I'm not
sure.
Happy weekend all you scavengers!
Hugs
LL

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A Sticky Valentines Card

I always loved those little cards we exhanged
at school and with friends!
Please leave me a Valentine dear friends.
Living so far from home, it would really make my day!
Happy Valentine's Day from me to you!
Love
L

Get your own valentinr

Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is "Broken"

I took this picture of an old broken down tractor at
the "local" castle" last year.
I think it's got a lot of character.
Happy Weekend!
L

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No Scavenger Hunt today

Sorry for the late message folks!
Due to flooding in our basement,
I won't be able to post my photo
this week.
Hope you all have a great week.
See you next Saturday!
L

Photo Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is Silver

A 1925 Silver Dollar!
I think it's beautiful!
Happy Saturday.
L

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Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Wild"

I don't know if these gourds are weird or wild, but they look like something wild growing in the wilderness, or a flock of green birds! I thought they were pretty wild! *S*
Happy Weekend
L

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Online Friends

Today I lost my first on-line friend to cancer.
For those of you who were online in the mid 90's -
you'll remember that it was a pretty emtpy place.
So meeting someone from another part of the world
was a big thing.
There were a few groups online and everything was fun
and new. We all learnt to make webpages, graphics, write
html,and leave little gifs in guestbooks together.
Later we discovered ICQ and messenger and webrings.
We helped each other find our way around and meet new people
along the way. Suddenly the world was a much smaller
place.
My dear friend and I never met in person, but we called
each other on the phone and talked for hours, sent presents
in the mail and got to know each other as if we were neighbors.
She took the meaning of internet friends to a whole new level by getting in
her car and travelling around the United States visiting people
she had made online!
I will miss her enormously.
I'm also grateful that I got to know her.
So rest in peace, dear friend.
Thank you for being there and thank you for being a friend.
L

Photo Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is Technology

My hubby works with wind turbines and is very tech-minded.
He went to Austria to check out the power plants there, and
took this picture.
I'm not at all a tech person. I flip a switch and am glad the lights go on!
Thank goodness we don't have to blog by the light of a candle, even though that could be cozy too, once in a while! *S*
Thanks to my hubby for the picture - I wouldn't dream
of taking a picture of a power plant - I only take pictures of plants!
Happy Weekend!

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Graffiti

Lately I've seen a lot of Graffiti and thought, what the heck is that?
What is the message these people are trying to convey?
According to the Wikepedia, Graffiti is;
the unofficial application of graphics on publicly viewable surfaces. It is defined as being "a drawing or writing scratched on a wall or other surface; a scribbling on an ancient wall, as those at Pompeii and Rome".When done without the property owner's consent, graffiti is a form of vandalism and is punishable by law in most countries.
It seems that Graffiti has existed at least since the days of ancient civilizations such as Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

Well, I'm not THAT old, but I do remember lots of Graffiti that had a message, was thought provoking or just down right funny! Today it seems that Graffiti is just the bragging initials of some talentless people needing attention!!
I thought it'd be fun to write some Graffiti messages when they meant something!
So from the collection of LibertyBelle - here goes.
No harm intended!!


* Everyone else than I, write on walls. (A wall in Pompeii, year 79)
*Scotland's future is in your hands. (public toilet, Edinburgh)
*Jesus said to them: "Who do you say I am?" They answered: You are the exalted manifestation of the reason for our exsistence, the reflection through which we find the ultimate meaning in our reciprocative relations." And Jesus said: "Say What?"
(St. John's University, New York)
*Before you find that perfect prince of your dreams, you have to kiss a whole lot of frogs. (Women's public bathroom)
*Fight inflation - STEAL!
*I don't swim in your toilet, please don't pee in my pool.
*Be back soon! signed Godot.(English Institute, Columbia University)
*What has posterity ever done for me?
*Women prefer the simple things in life, such as men. (women's public toilet)
*Christine, If you're reading this, it's over between us! (Men's public toilet)

Those are a few from my collection! To be continued......

Photo Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is Memory

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This photo really reveals my age! I am a baby boomer from the 50's.
This is a picture of my mom on the left turning in her chair with her friends and my aunts at my 2 year old birthday party. The hairstyles, the sunglasses, the cotton dresses all bring back faded memories of California in the early 50's. But even though the styles are out-dated, there was something very elegant about those women and their wide skirts, the sunglasses, the big clip- on earings and the sandals they wore to accentuate their ankles.
My mother was a "poser". A Legs extended, chin up kind of gal whenever anyone took pictures. She always looked stunning in all the early pictures of her. This photo is a tribute to her and all the elegant mothers of the 50's -
may their memories never fade.

THOSE KIDS!!!!!

Kids say the funniest things without even knowing!
Being a teacher, I get to hear lots of funny things everyday.
To give you an example of a normal day in English class, I asked one of
my pupils to conjugate the verb, push.

"That's an easy one, he answered!"
"I push,
you push,
he,she,it pushes
My mother's a pusher."
I almost fell off my chair. "Why did you call your mother a pusher?" I asked.
"Well", he answered, "she's a nurse, see?"
"And she pushes that little table of drugs from room to room
at the hospital."
What can I say? Ya just gotta love those kids!!!

Happy 2007 !!!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Happy New Year! (already??)

I was inspired by Melli's blog entry about time. I'm really at a loss here. Has the feeling of time changed because I've gotten older or has it changed because the daily pace has gotten faster? I've always been a pretty speeded person with many pots on the stove, doing lots of things at one time and getting good results. Today, though, I can hardly keep up and I still have many projects going at one time! As Franca Rama wrote in her Women Monologues, "I could cook, feed the dog, take care of the husband, yell at the kids, paint the room and read a book, all at one time!" *S*
But a day doesn't feel as long as it once did and summers don't feel like they last forever anymore.
Perhaps our concept of time DOES change as we get older.
Who knows??
On the other hand, I don't remember reading about people dying from stress related illnesses 50-100 years ago.
So like the sign says, slow down, save a life; it could well be our own we save!
So I'm not going to try and keep pace anymore I'm going to find my own rhythm, march to my own beat, try to set goals that I can manage and stop to smell the roses. Well........... at least I'm going to try, that's a start!

Happy New Year (OH NO! has another year gone by already?? Where did it go?)
From me to all of you!
L

Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "New"

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I found this picture I took of a Mother Duck and her duckling.
The old and the new.
Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!
See you next year and thanks for all the fun last year!
L

Photo Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is LINES

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I love the lines on this very ancient, oak church door. The sign says, "close quietly".
The church is from 1200, which is pretty old in my book. I'm not sure how old
the door is, but it is old.
The fun thing about this week's theme is, that you can find lines in everything - even circles!
Have a happy weekend and happy holidays to all you Saturday photo hunters!
L

Photo Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is "Annoying"

Waiter! Oh Waiter! There's a fly in my soup!
Is that annoying or what???

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Photo Scavenger Hunt - The Theme is "RED"

The theme this week is red, a real Christmasy color -
but I found this picture I took last summer of a group of people who built a copy of an old viking boat. I thought the striped red sail was wonderful and very colorful. Looks like they were having fun too.
Happy Saturday and Happy holidays to you all!

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Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Time"

I chose a picture from my favorite time of year - Fall.
I love the colors, the air, the change in nature and the
shadows. We drove by a little farm and saw all these pumpkins.
What is Fall without the bright orange colors of pumpkins,-and
they are so very photogenic! :)
Click on the picture for a larger view, this small one doesn't do it justice.
Happy Saturday!

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November 22, 1963. This Day in History

After so many years, you'd think that this date was like any other date, but not to me. November 22nd is still the day John F Kennedy was shot. At a party once, everyone asked each other, "where were you when Kennedy was killed?"
I remember as if it were yesterday. I was in 7th grade at my horrible Jr. High School, sitting in my music class at the piano. The intercom jingle came on and the principal at the school asked for a minute of silence and prayer because the president had been shot. We were all in a state of shock. An hour later we were told he had died.
Many people have different ways of dealing with shock and sorrow, but my mom had a way all her own. When I got home from school that day, I walked into the kitchen, and there was my mom on her knees scrubbing the oven broiler. She was covered in grease and she was crying. I asked her why she was cleaning at a time like this, and she answered that it was her way of dealing with grief. Like mother, like daughter because I too clean now when I'm upset about something, and believe it or not, it helps.
What bothers me the most, is that we will probably never know who really was behind Kennedy's murder and it bothers me that someone out there threw the whole world in a state of grief and sorrow and has probably never paid the price.
I believe we all have the right, to know who robbed the world of this great man, even though it happened 43 years ago.
That's my thought for the day. I'll just let it blow in the wind.

Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Plush"

I'm not a very "plushy" person. The only real plushy things I have in my life are my kitties, and I've posted them a million times here on my blog. But I do have a scarf that has a bit of fur.. (not cat!) So here is my plusy picture!
Happy weekend to all you Saturday Photo Hunt participants!

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I'm Just A Hollywood Baby!

I grew up close to Hollywood, and hung out on Hollywood Blvd. as a teen. I thought it'd be fun to see if I were a product of my environment! *S* Guess I am.
I AM a movie buff!

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 66%

You are a total movie buff. Classics, blockbusters, indie favorites... you've seen most of them. Your friends know to come to you whenever they need a few good DVD rental suggestions.

Are You a Movie Buff?

Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Growth"

Here is a picture of my son and his cousin 15 years ago (corner picture) and now.
They had a lot of fun trying to get the pose right!
Fantastic to see how they've grown and changed.
Beautiful boys in my opinion!
Happy Saturday.

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Scavenger Photo Hunt - The Theme is "Windows"

This is a picture of Sofie on her confirmation day.
Isn't she sweet? *S*
Happy Saturday everyone!

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