is for..........ZOO


This past September, I had my very first visit to a zoo....and it was quite a zoo......

I have about 400 pictures that I took at the zoo...It was really hard to narrow it down to three or four for my blog post.

So pretty...and pink

I was happy there was a glass wall between us!!

Again....really appreciated that glass wall!! ha ha

The zoo-keeper couldn't identify the creature in the bottom right....Oh, it's Dave!!!

I loved the elephants,  They are so big, but almost graceful at the same time.

We spent an entire day the Bronx zoo, but I could've 

easily gone back for 

another day.  It was fabulous!

z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z

Now folks......this being the last day of the A-Z challenge, 

I'd like to put out a fun little challenge for my readers....

Learn the alphabet backwards!!!

When my parents went to school.....back in the 20's and 30's, 

they both had to memorize the alphabet backwards 

as well as forward--as most of us know it.

I tried it last summer, had it posted on the fridge and I 

almost had it.  Then one 

day, in a cleaning and tidying frenzy, I threw it out.

But.....it's back there now.  

There is a little bit of a rhyme to it, I've added a link.  

By the way---"Z" is pronounced "Zed"--ha ha

The letters are grouped as follows:

Z Y X

W V

U T S

R Q P

O N M

 L K J

I H G

F E D

&

C B A

Ok--signing off from the April A-Z challenge. 

I loved it and now I'm going to settle in and visit all the 
people who visited me during April.
  I am going to respond to everyone and 

work on improving my own blog.
I'm so happy I took the "A-Z" challenge!

Let me know how you do with my "Z-A" challenge!

Cheers ;o)

"Y" Day!!!

I would like to share an interest of mine that starts 
with the letter Y---....Yoko Ono Lennon

I find this lady totally captivating, fascinating and still very beautiful.  We drove by where she lives in New York City on one of our "Hop on-Hop off" bus tours.

She lives in the The Dakota Apartments.  According to our tour guide, Yoko Ono owns an entire floor in this magnificent building!!!  It was amazing---I took several photos (well, as many as I could, while standing on the top floor of a moving "double-decker" bus!)--take a peek...

Yoko Ono's apartment in New York City

Area where John Lennon was shot, right in front of his apartment building, NYC.

I was actually right in front of New York City's most legendary apartment building!!

 The Dakota Apartments is famous for many other things as well.....click here and read about some more.

Now, on a much lighter, but no less important "Y" word....

is for YUMMY......

These are photos that hold such Yummy memories...we visited Carlos Bake Shop ---"Cake Boss"--while in New York.

This place is my definition of YUMMY!!!!!!

Yum

Yum Yum

Did I say Yum??

Yummy!!

Have you ever thought you'd love to get accidentally locked in somewhere overnight??? ha ha

Happy Saturday, Ya'll

"X"......mmm.....hhmmmmm...oh boy---I've been 

dreading this one since April 1--but here it 

is and now I have to deal with it.  Oh well, 

here goes --

"X" is for .......Xanthippe, Xenial & Xerosis 

My husband tells me I become a bit of a Xanthippe over  certain things. I agree....ha ha! 

X-straps shoes,,,NICE!!

Remember...

A Happy Wife is a Happy Life!!

XO bracelet (Kisses and Hugs)

We are both guilty of being xenial-- we love hosting little 

"get-togethers"!  Any little excuse for us ;o)
 
Roger has a real issue during the winter months with 
xerosis,  especially on his hands. 

That's it folks---This "X"-File is closed!!

Cheers 

"W" is for...Wineglasses, Watermelon and Waterfalls!!

Let's start with wineglasses.  I love wine & I love to paint, so I paint the occasional wine glass as gifts for close friends and family.  Here are a few pics of some of the glasses I've painted...

"Little Black Dress" glasses

Ladybug glass

This one is a big hit among my "girl" friends!!!! ha ha

 

"Hot Lips"

More "Hot Lips"

These are just a few of my samples....I have made many more.  I actually had made several and given them away as gifts before I started taking pictures of them.  It is a bit tedious and time-consuming, but my friends and family love it when they get one of my glasses as a gift.  

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"W" is for......Watermelon.  

Watermelon is probably my favourite summertime treat.  I love it alone, in salads, or in smoothies.  I love to scoop out the watermelon and use the watermelon peel as a bowl for a nice summer fruit salad.  This is an awesome centerpiece for your summer brunch "get-togethers" or even on the patio in the evening when you're enjoying drinks!


Here are a couple of the most impressive watermelon presentations I've seen--these were at one of the buffet lines on the Carnival Spirit  

What do you think??

**************************************************

"W" is for Waterfall!!

I'll tell you---I am blessed.  

Below are a few pictures of the awesome views that I get as I walk on the Middle Brook trail-way....just two minutes from my house!!  I usually walk it at least three times a week, but when I'm lucky, I get to walk it every day.  How many people can do this??

This is just one of five.....(YES, FIVE!), scheduled salmon rivers within about 5 kilometers of my house.  The Gambo area is very popular with salmon fisherman from all over the province and beyond.  It is amazing to walk the trail during salmon season and watch a fisherman play out a nice Atlantic salmon.

Middle Brook Falls

Middle Brook Falls

Trail view of the river

You can almost smell the fresh air and hear the rustle of the water as you look at these photos, can't you??

I hope you all get 1/100th of the joy from looking at these photos as I got from taking them....Cheers!

"V" is for Vamps 

I love my vamps!  I have fond childhood memories of new vamps, so soft and cozy on my feet.  Grammy & Mom used to knit us vamps from all their leftover yarn and we loved them.

I used to know how to knit well, but I haven't done any knitting in a long time.  This past fall our daughter, Rana, started knitting and her and a bunch of friends started a "Stitch & Bitch" night.  This is an affair where one night a week, all the girls got together to knit and chat.  Just  nice old fashioned girls night---we all should do more of the simple things like that.

So, this got me to thinking....I should pick up knitting again and learn how to knit vamps.  If I am ever blessed enough to get grand-kids, I want them to have memories of vamps from Grammy, like I do.  I did just that, and here is a picture of my creation.....

"V" is for Vancouver.

What a magnificent city!!! We stayed there for a couple of nights in  September of 2009.  We took an Alaskan cruise from the port of Vancouver.  We booked a bus tour of the city and spent another afternoon on the Sky-train.  We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time, but it was beautiful.  I have awesome photos, unfortunately lost most when our computer crashed last summer.  Thank goodness I had printed all of them and made my albums and scrap books.  Since I started blogging though,  I realize how convenient it is to have them in digital form.    


Here are two shots of Vancouver from the harbour, aboard the ship as we were docking.  These photos were taken at about 7:30 am.

Vancouver

Vancouver skyline-- Fall, early morning

"U" is for .......U2!!!

I love this group....I've loved them for a long time.  I can remember first when I started to really like the group, I'd hear a song and love it, and realize much later that it was in fact U2!

Check this link to learn a little more about the group and what they stand for.  There are literally hundreds of sites that one could visit, buy I figured I'd remain basic and unbiased in choosing the one I provided.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos...

And....my favorite song by U2....."With or Without you".
Have a look and listen ........

Our best friends, Dave & Sharon went to Moncton, New Brunswick last August to see U2 in concert.  I was green with envy.  Roger was in northern Labrador at the time, for his work--so it wasn't in the cards for us this time around.  Dave & Sharon said the whole experience was phenomenal.  The band certainly lived up to their expectations....and the expectations of many others, according to the reviews!!

How do you feel about U2?  After watching the video above, I'd say you have a whole new respect for the entire group.  They are all very talented.....and I have to admit I do have a major "school-girl" crush on Bono!

That's it for my "U" entry---short & sweet.

The A-Z challenge is drawing to an end.  I can't wait for "Z"...I have a little personal fun challenge for everyone for that day---it'll be so much fun!!!

Have a great day ;o)

Tom & Trudy in Calgary, April 2012

"T" is for Twins, Tom & Trudy.....

Let's start with Twins.  I have always been fascinated by twins.  The whole reproduction thing and birth itself still amazes me.  But to have two babies (or more..eeek!) at once is bewildering.
My mom had seven children.  Two boys died in infancy.  The twins are the youngest.  At the time she was carrying the twins, there was my oldest sister Charlotte, then Brenda Sue and moi. 


Enter...stage left....the twins!!!!!  

Trudy Roxanne and Thomas Richard weighed in at a whopping 8 lb 4 ozs and 8 lb 6 ozs respectively!!!  They were beautiful...and we had a boy!  Ironically, all my sister's & I have had girls.  Our only brother Tom, had a girl and a boy!  As a point of interest, the beautiful Sophie, featured in yesterday's post, is Tom's only grandchild, from his daughter, Courtney.  So we are counting on Tom's only son, Aaron, to have a boy to carry on the "Burry" name.....no pressure Aaron!! ha ha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"T" is for Travel Bug

Travel Bug is an awesome travel supply store, with two locations in St. John's.  Click on this link and check it out for yourself.  You can find all kinds of neat gadgets and travel accessories.

I love to travel......haven't done much of it.....yet.  There is something about the whole packing and checking your passport, booking flights, and planning your itinerary that makes me act like a kid at Christmas.  As much as I love to travel, I am petrified of flying.  Thankfully, my doctor gave me a little something to help with that.  It is amazing beyond belief how relaxed I am, and how much more poor Roger enjoys traveling now...minus my fingernails digging into his leg or arm.

My dream vacation for the future is a trip to Europe.  I would love to go for about three weeks, do a Mediterranean cruise for 8-10 nights and then spend about a week in Ireland and Scotland.  My sister Brenda has challenged us siblings and all of our offspring to go for a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate her birthday in a couple of years----I won't mention which number we'll be celebrating--ha ha !!!!  So, maybe that can be the "kick-off" point for Roger & I for our European Dream vacation!!

Happy Monday everyone.