Monday, January 31, 2011

Do you text? Hope it's worth it.



Watching this might take 10 minutes of your time. It might save your life or someone's life.

How many of you text and drive? How many of you know someone who does? Please pass this on in hopes we will all be a little more cautious of our actions. It only takes a moment to change a life.

Hug someone you love today...tell them you love them. You may not get the chance later.

Carol-the gardener

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Meet me on Monday - Free Recipe


Questions:




1. What do you put on your hot dog?

2. Do you play Sudoku?

3. What is your favorite vegetable?

4. Do you color your hair?

5. What is your favorite brand of clothing?


My Answers:

1.  What do you put on your hot dog?  I do not eat hot dogs at all.  Sorry, but I really dislike them.  I would eat a PBJ or grilled cheese or a tomatoe sandwich before I eat a hot dog.  Never have liked them even as a child.

2.  Do you play Sudoku?  No.  I'm not much for games unless it's Wii :)   I'm not good at video games but they are facinating to me.  I never liked board games as a child, not as an adult either.  I do like to play cards.



3.  What is your favorite vegetable?  I love veggies!  This answer is going to take some thought.  I don't think I can think of a single vegetable I don't really love.  I guess my answer is Asparagus.  I'll even share with you my favorite recipe.  It is so easy and delish!



Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesean


Wash your Asparagus and pat dry.  Toss the Asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread the asparagus out on a sheet tray lined with non stick foil.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees until tender.  It depends on the thickness of the Asparagus.  When it is tender take it out of the oven and zest one lemon over top of the hot asparagus and sqeeze half the lemon over top.  Now, take your microplane out and grate fresh parmesean over top of the hot asparagus and lemon.  Now it is ready to plate.  Yum!  Let me know if you try it!  Clean up is easy throw away the foil.

4.  Do you color your hair?  Yes, hi lights and low lights.  Once I tried to go closer to my natural darker blonde.  My middle son hated it and said I didn't look like his Mom anymore.  I was blonde as a child and the older I get the darker it seems to be.  It does lighten up a bit in the summer sun.



5.  What is your favorite brand of clothing?  I really don't have one favorite brand.  I like quality but don't shop specific brands.  I switch it all up.  Everything from summer dresses to jeans.  I love Carribean Joe in Summer tops here in Florida.  My next purchase of jeans are going to be Not Your Daughters Jeans.  Does anyone have these?  They look great, I hope they fit great too.

Hope you all have a great week and remember to be kind to each other.

Carol-the gardener

Theo Jansen - Kinetic Sculptor



This is the most amazing thing I've seen lately. What is possible? Limits exist only in our minds.

Carol-the gardener

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Monday, January 24, 2011

Meet me on Monday

Questions:




1. What is your favorite kind of fudge?

2. Is there snow outside your window?

3. What is your favorite meal of the day?

4. Do you text on your cell phone?

5. Waffles or pancakes?

Answers:
 
1.  What is your favorite kind of fudge? 
 
I don't have fudge very often but I do like the taste of maple fudge.
 
2.  Is there snow outside your window? 
 
 
 
No, no snow here in Florida.
 
3.  What is your favorite meal of the day?
 
Dinner
 
4.  Do you text on your cell phone?
 
 
 
Absolutely.  I love to text although, I am commited not to text and drive.  So, no worries there.
 
5.  Waffles or pancakes?
 
 
 
Waffles!  Crispy with pockets to hold lovely maple syrup...what more could you want?  Oh yeah,  crispy bacon.
 
Thank you for hosting Java, I hope you are feeling better and stronger each and every day. 
 
Have a great week everyone and remember to be kind to one another, hug someone tight, look them in the eye and tell them how much they really mean to you.
 
Carol-the gardener

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Just Listen.

When you listen with the intent to TRULY understand, rather than with the intent to reply, true communication begins [Author unknown]



Carol-the gardener

Sunday, January 16, 2011

OK Robin...Here we go....19 Q & A

I was tagged by Robin to answer these questions.  I usually am a talker and would bend your ear for quite some time if you allow me to....but I've had a rough run here lately and frankly I don't feel like talking much or opening up.  But, Robin is my peeps...so I gotta do a girl good right?  I'll try my best but won't provide the in depth answers she did. I intentionally didn't read her answers so I wouldn't get freaked out...but I did see the length of the post!  Robin sometimes intimidates me...she really gets down in there with it ya know?  I'll do the best that I can....with what I've got...that's all I can do.

1. if you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?


Pets, well I guess to me they are just pets.  I do the best I can by them but I do not treat them like they are members of my family.  We have had many pets over the years and some hold a special place in our hearts, two dogs, and two cats to be exact.  However, I would not spend thousands of dollars for surgery or a burial plot or have a service with a head stone.

2. if you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

I would love to have my Dad back but that would be a miracle not a dream. To be free of pain.  I know that is a selfish dream but being honest here.  That would be my dream.  Next....Italy!

3. what is the one thing most hated by you?

people who are liars.  Zero tolerance

4. what would you do with a billion dollars?

take care of all of the people I love, do the best I could to help children all over the world...the more I could reach the better.  I'd have to think about how and what kind of charities would be best but I'd love to help children, maybe in schools...children are being short changed these days it seems.  I would surely spoill my family and loved  ones but I would not go overboard but Jay and I would travel, I would take my grandchidlren on trips.  Build memories...that is what I do.  Try to protect thee beaches too.

5. what helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

anyone who knows me knows this answer....music.  i think an Ipod is therapy.

6. which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

i think this is the most difficult question.  I think the most blessed is someone loving you...they have to choose to give of themselves, to love you, give to you ..it isn't your doing that is a gift like no other.  They decide you are somehow worthy or deserving of their love.  What a compliment, their is no higher compliment than to be loved.  When you love someone else, it is a blessing, you learn about yourself, about life...about what it means to hurt when someone else hurts...to be happy because someone else is happy but it is of your choosing your gift to them. To be loved is a gift from another.

7. what is your bedtime routine?  

bedtime??what is that?? I have insomnia remember?  I always kiss the Hubz goodnight but I usually get sent to bed when the hubz gets up for work or I pass out watching an old movie.

8. if you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

I met the love of my life when I wasn't even looking.  Met him at work.  Took to him instantly, I knew he was a good man.  I wasn't wrong.  Thankful we were in the same place at the same time.  Divine intervention indeed.  He was a very good friend when I neeeded him, and I think I was the same to him and then one day we realized the friendship had gotten stronger and deeper and we wanted to be together.

9. if you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?

Monet....I would love to watch him paint...or maybe Van Gogh just to find out why he was such a tortured soul...seems all artist have a burden to bear.



10. what kinds of books do you read?

novels, some of everything really, lots of lyrics.  Anything that interest me.  Some mysteries, some self help books dealing with alternative pain treatments.  Some biographys, just whatever interest me.

11. how would you see yourself in ten years time?

oh not a good question with what has gone in my life in the past few weeks.  I would love to see me and the Hubz retired living the good life, traveling, gardening making memories with our grandchildren.  Riding our Harley, taking long walks together, deep sea fishing together.

12. what’s your fear?

that things...relationships won't be reconciled before I die.  That I'll die young like my Father. That I won't have much time to spend with my Hubz and grandchildren.  I hope it will be enough for my grandchldren to remember me, and I hope my daughter will be ok without me.

13. would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?

No way!

14. would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?

Married and poor.  How poor?  Ok..ok....I don't care too much for money cause money can't buy me love.




15. what’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Head straight for the Bunn coffee pot.  Dark Italian Roast coffee, check to see if I see my name in the obits...if not pour a second cup and get on with it.  Bunn is a great coffee pot makes a fresh pot of coffee in three minutes. Of course I kiss the Hubz if he is home.

16. if you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?

He would be more of a talker.  Still waters run deep.

17. if you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

Hope. 

18. would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done? 

Well that depends.  I guess I feel the love I give others is somewhat conditional.  I expect you to treat me as well as I treat you, respect me like I respect you....but if you sincerely were asking for forgiveness and needed me I would try my best to be there for you..but I might not be able to forget it.  I would have been there for you you would have never had to hide what you had done, you could have talked it over with me.   We would have found a way.  If you went ahead did whatever,, then expect me to forgive and forget...depending on the situation that could be impossible.  I love my husband more than anyone, but if he ever cheated on me, said he was sorry I would forgive him, but I could not forget and remain his wife..  It would have to be over because I would no longer trust him.  People that distroy your trust have to or need to understand it takes time to rebuild a friendship longer to rebuild love.

19. if you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

potatoes.  I love potatoes, you can do so much with them.  Don't like meat that much, other veggies would get old, fish would get old, rice....boring...OH  I just thought about soup!!!! Can soup be an answer??? their are all kinds of soup..I love soup especially this time of year.

Now to tag four unsuspecting brains. 

shoes

http://afreshstartwithkalei.blogspot.com/

nicole

Kate



Don't hate me too much for choosing you, I'll just love seeing what your answers will bring.  I love reading each of your blogs and think you'll really have some good answers.  I have one seperate question of my onw.

have you ever been betrayed by a family member to the point it broke your heart?  What did you do to get through it and go on with life?  What made it better?


Carol-the gardener

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Art Garfunkel - (What A) Wonderful World (feat. James Taylor/Paul Simon)



What a wonderful wonderful world this would be. What a wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful world.

Carol-the gardener

Thursday, January 13, 2011

James Taylor - Shower the People (Live/1988)



I've always loved this song. This week I find myself singing it often. I guess it helps me deal with things. Things are gonna turn out allright if you only will..

You can run but you cannot hide. This is widely known. What you plan do with your foolish pride when you're all by yourself alone. Once you tell somebody the way that you feel you can feel it beginning to leave I guess its true what they say about the squeeky wheel always getting the grease.

Shower the people you love with love...show them the way that you feel..things are gonna be much better if you only will. You'll feel better right away.

Sometimes you have to practice tough love for those that deserve it, it is tough too, believe me. But remember to share your love freely and often with those you love deeply especially loved ones that might need you. Remember to the world, you may be but one person, but to one person you might be the world.

Carol-the gardener