The Garden Blogging community is a generous and creative lot! Garden Blog pal, Kimberly at
Garden in Paradise (10 Things) invited me to share "10 Things" I like, on my blog. Soooooo ... here goes, in
no particular order:
Inspired by today's incredible weather, the 1st thing that comes to mind:
1)
Morning coffee & a quiet read on a Sunday morning!
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| 2005 - Sunday morning on the deck |
Nothing makes me happier then starting my Sunday morning communing with the 'flora and fauna' - whether it was sitting on my deck (in the picture above) or now, in my 3-Season room with all the windows open! Someday in the future, there will also be a paver patio just outside the door of the 3-Season room - so I have 'choices'!
(
Conversely - when the neighbors get the 'power tools', like leaf blowers,
out on Sunday morning - I want to say 'Have you ever heard of the "Day of Rest"?' ...and in my mind - I use a lot of colorful explicatives.)
2)
Hanging out with my husband and kids - enjoying the young adults the kids have become, and listening to their perspective on things.
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| Back when they were little... |
3)
"Girls' Night Out!" or
"Girls' Road Trip"
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| Night on Beale Street - Memphis, TN |
Nothing says "havin' a blast" like getting out for a night or a long weekend with 'The Girls'! A few years ago, we loaded up the truck and headed down to Memphis, Tennessee - to visit
Elvis at
Graceland and sing the
Memphis "Blues" on
Beale Street.
4)
Cranking the tunes on my iPod!
I
L-O-V-E, love music - and have a quite diverse music library. Depending on my mood, I listen to anything from classic rock to classic Bach! But I am especially dangerous when I'm driving!! I love to crank the tunes when I'm in my truck .... usually some serious rock n roll (Zepplin to POD) !! I'm also a iPod "playlist" queen (ask my friends) -- I've become the De facto DJ for all social events, and I'm '
ok' with this.
5)
Photography! ... it never gets old...
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| Indian Rocks Beach, FL 2010 - "In the rain" |
It started with a Minolta SLR back in 1982 (yep,
that long ago!) and evolved to my current digital Canon Rebel XT (a generous anniversary gift from my hubby in 2006). Thank goodness for inexpensive electronic file storage, because I run amok when it comes to taking pictures - then sort it out after the fact!
6)
Hanging out with my extended family!
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| We're like 'cats n dogs' getting loud n rowdy! |
Whether it's with my brothers and sister, or extended out to our cousins, etc. - we are loud n rowdy! There is always animated conversation, laughter and an ice cold beer or two.... Sometimes we sound more like 'cats & dogs' wrestling, but it's always lively!
7)
Road trip - the "
Clark Griswold" drive out to Estes Park, CO
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| Rocky Mt National Park - Estes Park, CO |
If you can't be home for Christmas, then 'Christmas in the Rockies' is an amazing alternative. On a semi-regular basis, we pilgrimage to
Estes Park, CO to meet up with extended family. It's a driving vacation, so you can decompress from work - and after the 2nd day in the car - be
eternally grateful to reach in the mountains!
8)
"Big Boy Toys" ......... 4wd trucks, motor-cycles and high-performance cars
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| My 1st truck - 4wd Ford Bronco (351 h.o.) |
No joke! I love driving stick-shift ... motor-cycles ... and big ol' trucks. I have had quite a variety of vehicles in 'my youth' and enjoyed them all. I'm a little more reserved these days, but I still get whiplash looking at a brand new, tricked out pick-up (like a F-150 SVT Raptor) or a hot bike (like a 2011 Harley Fat Boy LO).
9)
The change of seasons! (really!!)
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| Sunburst Locus - on a Sunny Sunday in October 2010 |
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| A warm breath of wind & sun in October 2010 |
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| Mums & Smoke Bush in the front garden - October 2010 |
As the leaves on the Sunburst Locus rain down on us right now, I have to say I just love the change of seasons in Zone 5! Even the snow in winter is picturesque - though I will be the first to admit the month of February seems about
90 days long (for the shortest month of the year)!
10)
Garden Blogging! Reading (fellow garden bloggers) and writing....
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| What a difference a year or two can make.... |
As I mentioned in an earlier
post, the Blogosphere and garden blogging has been very, very good to me! I have learned more and met some of the most amazing people in the garden blog community than I could have ever imagined. I am forever amazed, impressed and amused by the talent out in the virtual world! I hope anyone that stops by my humble little corner of the world enjoys the visit(s) and takes advantage of the garden talent that is linked on my home page.
Now, for the final task of this
meme - inviting 10 garden bloggers to participate (in random order). As my friend Kimberly so eloquently put it - I hope the invitees participate, but I certainly understand if you already have or choose not to. There are fascinating gardeners out there, and I look forward to what is on their list..... I love that this list is 'global' !!!!
Wall Flower Studio (CAN)
Crystal Coast Gardener (US - NC)
My Dry Tropics Garden (AUS)
Gippsland Gardener (AUS)
The Idiot Gardener (UK)
Dung Hoe (US - CO)
Dakota Garden (US - ND)
The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener (US - NJ)
Elephant's Eye (AFR)
This Grandmother's Garden (US - UT)
The 'rules' are very basic:
1) Post the person that invited you
2) List the "10 Things" you like/like to do
3) Invite 10 bloggers to participate
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Well we certainly like a lot of the same things: quiet Sunday mornings sitting out on the verandah,
ReplyDeletespending time with hubbie, my children and grandchildren,
having a few drinks with girlfriends,
listening to music on the Ipod,
taking lots of photos,
spending time with the wildlife extended family,
taking off down the road,
... whoaa! Big Boys' Toys! Not so much!
... and there's really no change in seasons here other than from dry to wet!!!!
Aahh! Garden blogging ... back on my likes list!
Glad to find out a bit more about you ... and thanks so much for adding me to your list. I'll have to find some other things I like now, so my list won't sound exactly the same.
Blimey, I was all set to fly across the pond and steal you away from your family until you mentioned the H word.
ReplyDeleteI once read a quote by Kevin Swantz, who said: "If Harleys were meant to go fast, they'd have given them good brakes!"
I just did a meme similiar to this so you can come check it out if you want some good fodder for a nap.
ReplyDeleteI am a truck girl too. I hate sitting in Sedan type cars, they make me hurl.
Fun list!
Thanks. I am with you on the 4WD, we enjoy travelling 'off the beaten track' but stay ON dirt roads! We don't do bundu bashing. Did this 10 recently, but I will link back to you soon.
ReplyDeleteBernie - it's a shame you are SO far away! I could see us having a good conversation & a cold drink on your veranda.
ReplyDeleteIG - Kevin Schwantz... of Team Suzuki fame? ..it might be best if I don't tell you that we have his "Team Suzuki" poster up on the garage wall - to this day; better yet that I don't tell you I had a Yamaha 600 - bk (before kids) - it had very good brakes. That "H" word - was just because it looks so b.a. (bad @$$)
Rosey - I will definitely check out your list (NO napping!); Trucks 'rule'!
Diana - your 'off-roading' is much more serious than mine, and way cooler! US Midwest prairies are pretty mild compared to Africa. I look forward to reading your list (I must have missed that post.) :(
Shyrlene, I enjoyed getting to know a bit more about you. We have a few things in common, including the IPod full of music. I can't drive without it, and I usually play music while I write. I also have had some great times on Beale Street.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of the dog and cat! It sounds like you and your family are fun people to hang with.
Hey, Shyrlene. Now I see why we get along so well in the blogosphere...we have much in common. Too bad I moved from Chicago...we could enjoy some of those girls nights out!! :D I'm all about Sunday mornings outside, LOUD music, family, trucks/ bikes/stick shifts (I've only owned 2 automatics in my life...no use for them, personally), mountains, a couple beers, etc. Seriously, I'm certain we'd have stir it up if we ever got together!! Awesome post!!
ReplyDeleteDeb - don't iPods just rock?!! People aren't surprised with my rowdy rock & roll, but they ARE with my classical music - which I play when I need to focus (usually on work stuff). The cat & dog actually belong to one of my brothers -- I called them the "frienemies"!
ReplyDeleteKimberly - we would have had a blast (& maybe get in some trouble?!!) THANKS for inviting me to participate - it was a fun list to put together! ;D
Will tie back to this in Monday's post.
ReplyDelete