Fill-In Fun, Randoms, Willy-Nilly's & Cats

Friday's are so much fun!  You get to play along with Nancy (A Rural Journal) and Tanya (Around Roanoke) for their memes:

RANDOM 5 FRIDAY and WILLY-NILLY FRIDAY 5

Plus I will be sharing as well for (Feline Art, Feline Friday and Follow-Friday for Fill-In Fun.)  Yes it's a lot to take in so hopefully you don't get overwhelmed with everything.  I could do separate posts if it's too much.  Let me know what you all think about including so many memes in one post.

So let's get started:

1.  Last Sunday when we got home from church we discovered that my mom's dog, Pixie had gotten out as the back door hadn't been closed tight enough and the little stinker pulled it open.  The Animal Control Officer had picked her up and left us a note.  Needless to say we were quite bummed out about this, especially my mom.  After doing some calling and pleading we were able to get her dog back.  Let's just say that we got her back on a Sunday by the "Grace of God" and a very kind ACO.  Speaking of dogs.....

 You all haven't seen our Pug, Cricket in awhile so here she is.  I wish she wasn't panting all the time so I could get a good picture of her with her mouth closed but I think this one is pretty cute anyway.

2.  Spring is in the air here and boy do I love it.  The flowers are starting to bloom and the trees are leafing and budding out.  Such a pretty time to take a walk especially when you can see this:

 3. Last week I mentioned that we are gearing up for a big concert here come August 13-15.  It's been generating a lot of news around here.  What's funny is now people are starting to complain about the location of the concert.  Home owners are worried about the noise and the crowds walking around the neighborhood, the city planners are trying to figure out traffic control, crowd control etc...  Shouldn't they have thought all that out "Before" booking these groups to play here.

4. This weeks (creepy) neighborhood find.  - A Chinese Dog/Lion? Which is it?  These people have two of these things side by side.  I find them a bit creepy looking.  Speaking of Creepy... What do you all think of Mattel's new Talking Barbie  -  I had one of those Chatty Cathy dolls when I was a kid and remember me & my cousin playing together with our dolls one night when she was staying over, I never thought of it as being creepy but this Barbie I think goes a bit to far.

5.  Wow Easter isn't far off and I was excited yesterday to see that the "Egg Tree" is up again.  I can't remember why this lady puts the eggs on the tree but I think it's really fun and so cute and springlike.

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Coleen and ""Peaches" another neighborhood cat.  He is so cool and has the weirdest meow, it's like he has laryngitis when he meows.  Sharing with Steve (The Burnt Food Dude) for Feline Friday.

Also sharing this shot of Peaches (below) for Feline Art Friday:

Here is the original:

 

 

Joining Hilary for Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun.

The statements:

1. The worst ____________ is _______________
2. I would rather____________________  than _____________
3. I can ________ but I wish I could ________
4. The song ________________ evokes memories of _______________

My answers:  1.  The worst part of getting older (I have a birthday next Friday) is more aches and pains as each year passes.
2.  I would rather be at the beach than in the mountains.
3.  I can sing but I wish I could play the piano.
4.  The song, How Great Thou Art evokes memories of my dad, it was his favorite hymn.



Hope you had fun here today.  Be sure to stop back by next Friday as it's my birthday (20th), the first day of spring and I will be celebrating with a little Giveaway.

Good Fences 51

Good Morning! - It's time to join Theresa (The Run-a-round Ranch Report) for GOOD FENCES.

 

 

Last week I featured a fancy Wrought Iron fence and mentioned that I would post the fence bordering that property this week.  Funny thing....When I went down to get some other pictures of the fence I planned to post today I discovered that this fence is actually a block away from the fancy Wrought Iron fence.

 

However there will be two fences ( make that 3) here today because these two fences  actually are the ones that border each other. 

 

 

 

In this shot you will see the Green Picket fence and another wooden fence on the other side of the yard.  What is fun here are the cute little birds that sit on top the fence posts.

 

I took two different shots of these birds from different angles.  This is one of them and below is the other.

 

Do you think it's about to peck off that bug/spider just below on the post?

 

So what fence is right next door to this one......

 

It's a green wire fence with black wrought iron posts.  Lots of overgrown weeds or brambles too.

 

The view from the opposite direction.

 

Finally a close-up of the iron posts and brambles.

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed these fences today. - Don't forget to stop in and visit Theresa's blog and check out the other great fence participants.



Random and Willy Nilly Thoughts - 3/6/15

 It gives me great pleasure today to join Nancy (A Rural Journal) and Tanya (Around Roanoke) for:

RANDOM 5 FRIDAY and WILLY-NILLY FRIDAY FIVE.


So let's get started with the party.  Click to Enlarge Photos.

1.  Yesterday my hubby saw his Primary Care Doctor again and asked him about being on the Plant Based Diet that the Cardiologist was trying to push him into.  He said he felt it would be okay if he followed more of the Mediterranean Diet and that it would hurt him if now and then he had say a piece of Pizza or a Hamburger as long as he didn't over do it and tried as much as possible to avoid junk food, processed foods and lots of sugary stuff.  I think we can deal with that a lot better then just eating plants.



(Saw these pretty spring flowers while out walking yesterday. - Edited with the Watercolor Effect on BeFunky.)

 

2. We still eat meat and I found a good recipe for Turkey Meatloaf that uses Granny Smith Apples in it.  Normaly I don't like meatloaf that much but I actually liked this recipe.  You can find it here at Dishing It Up With Lisa.

I didn't have any Panko Bread Crumbs so I substituted 1 cup of Oatmeal and I didn't have the Balsamic Vinegar so I used Apple Cider instead.  My crust didn't brown up like hers though so next time I'll try to have the right ingredients.  Speaking of turkeys.....

 

(Coleen and I spotted this wild turkey in someone's yard while on our way to the store last night.  I didn't have my camera with me so I hurried back home and got it hoping the turkey would still be there when I got back.  It was and I snapped several photos of it.  This is one of them.)

 

3.  I need to buy some new pants.  Prior to Mike's heart issue I had decided to see if I could lose weight and have now dropped almost 15 pounds.  My pants are getting quite loose.  It's hard for me to find jeans though that fit and are comfortable.  I'll be jean shopping later today & hope to find just the right type of comfy jean that isn't overly baggy looking.

 

4.  We are in the 60's this week and next.  It's so nice to see blue skies and sunshine.  While out walking the dog yesterday I spotted this little scene on someone's porch and I thought it was so spring like I just had to share it.

 

 

Don't you just love the pretty rainbow of color.

 

5.  A big Music Festival is planned for Walla Walla in August.  Artists,

Mumford and Sons and Foo Fighters are the artists listed as already being showcased along with other as yet unannounced artists. It's going to be quite something.  You can learn more about it here:  I've not heard of these artists as I'm still stuck in the 70's for music but here is a sample of Mumford and Sons .



 I liked the tune of this song and the beat but the use of the (F-word) just isn't my thing.  Sorry but I don't find that necessary to get a point across.



 Today instead of something "creepy" that I've seen in people's yards how about something sweet and lovely.   This little Angel with a Bird caught my eye.  I think she's adorable.  I just wish the dead looking rose bush next to her had been trimmed down a little.

Can't leave without sharing a (Cat) photo.  I spotted this kitty basking in the sunshine on someone's porch and snapped some photos.  It watched me at first quite intently and then settled down to go back to sleep while I snapped away.

Don't forget to stop by Nancy and Tanya's blogs and have some fun with Random and Willy-Nilly thought.  -  Have a great weekend.

Good Fences #50

It's time to join Theresa (The Run-a-round Ranch Report) for the super fun  GOOD FENCES meme.

Today's fence is another neighborhood fence that I snapped while out and about on a nice day.

Click to Enlarge for better view.

This fence borders the entire property of this home.  What caught my eye was the Golden Top of the fence and the curvy pattern.  This is a Wrought Iron Fence.

A close up showing more of the detail of the fence top.

Another view which also shows the cool looking lantern light in the yard.

And just because I really liked that light here is a close-up shot of it as well.

Next week I'll show you the fence that borders this property.  It's different and fun.

Just an "update" for those interested on my husband.  He is doing fine and is back at work.  We had a visit with his Cardiologist who said he has what they call,  CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) and has one large blocked artery that cannot be stinted due to the position of the blockage.  Thankfully the arteries on the other side of his heart are sending out branches by-passing blood on their own.  He also has some smaller blocked arteries on the left side which also cannot be stinted because they are too small for a stint.  The bottom line is that they are treating him with Medication and he is now having to eat a much healthier diet.  She wanted him totally on a Plant Based Diet but mostly because that is what she would recommend.  We are getting a 2nd opinion on that today.  We are however cutting out all fried foods, junk food etc...and opting for more Vegetables, Fruits and Whole Grains.  Finding recipes is taking up a lot of my time but I am coping and we are looking at this with a positive attitude that it will benefit us all to eat healthier.  -  Thank you all for you continued support and prayers.  It means a lot to us.

Book Review - Deadly Echoes

Today I am reviewing the book, Deadly Echoes by Nancy Mehl.  I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing for my honest review.



Overview from Amazon.com

 

After a youth filled with tragedy and upheaval, Sarah Miller's life is finally settled with all echoes of the past silent at last. She happily calls Sanctuary her home and spends her days teaching at the local school.

Sarah's joy at her recent reunion with her sister, Hannah, and meeting the niece she didn't know she had is too soon interrupted when Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason informs Sarah her sister has been killed.

As she learns more about Hannah's death, the circumstances are eerily similar to their parents' murder. Sarah enlists Paul's help in digging deeper into the murders the police are dismissing as burglaries gone wrong. Paul's concern encourages Sarah's growing feelings for him, but as their investigation peels back the layers of lies almost twenty years old, they get close to uncovering the truth one person will do anything to hide--even if that means coming after the last remaining members of the Miller family.

 

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My thoughts:  First off this is Book 2 in a series called, Finding Sanctuary.  I had not read Book 1 and was apprehensive about reading a book that is part of a series.  Sometimes you find that you've missed out on a big part of the story because you haven't read the first book.  That was not the case with Deadly Echoes.  It stands on it's own and while there were characters in the book from the 1st of the series you were told how they fit into this story so you weren't left wondering what was going on.

 

 

I love reading Murder/Mystery novels so I was excited when I read the excerpt from this book.  It wasn't a (period) novel and it sounded intriguing.

 

 

The main Character, Sarah Miller lives in a small town and had just been reunited with her older sister after they had been separated when their parents were murdered as a young girl.  The excitement and joy of their reunion though is cut short when her sister is also murdered in a similar manner as their parents were 20 years earlier.

 

The police dismissed her parents murder as nothing more than a burglary gone bad and now it seems they may be doing the same thing with her sister's death. 

 

Sarah enlists the aid of the local Deputy Sheriff, Paul Gleason and together they embark on a journey to find the truth out about her sister's death.

 

Sarah is a Christian and struggles in this story with feelings of hatred and anger towards the killers of her parents and sister.  She is also dealing with emotional issues from her past and the author shows how through her faith she gains self-confidence and learns to trust God to help see her through this situation.

 

Along with the suspense in the story there is also romance (who doesn't love romance) so you get double the pleasure from reading this novel.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and look forward to the next book in this series when it comes out.  I even plan to read the first book of the series because I really liked this one and think the author did a great job keeping your attention and interest in the story and it's characters.