My daughter, DIL, and the grands drove 3 hours to go to Disney World yesterday (Saturday). We had a wonderful time...the weather was PERFECT, with a high of 66, and it was clear...not a cloud in the sky! How do you like this topiary we found of Mickey??? We decided NOT to take them to a park since they are so young, but to have an enjoyable, and slow paced day shopping at Downtown Disney, then riding the bus to the Wilderness Lodge to have lunch in the Whispering Canyon Cafe. Then we took a boat to the Contemporary Hotel and got a coffee and watched some of the older Mickey movies (some even in black and white) in a special little tucked away area in the lobby just for kids with couches and soft hassocks to sit and lay upon to watch the large screen. We then took a ride on the monorail and got back to the placed we had parked and allowed Donovan to go back into a LEGO shop to build 3 little Lego people and package them to purchase. It was his souvenir.
Well..... his Mom had gotten him pennies smashed down in a machine that imprints different Disney images onto them (pressed pennies), so... Grandma Julie HAD TO BUY him the special book to store them in, so he would be able to take it back with him on future trips to further his collection! Of course she did!!! :)

Happy news!

I read in a local newspaper (I seriously can't remember which one) last week that the state Department of Environmental Protection had thought they might close Savannas State Park located along much of the Atlantic Coast between Fort Pierce and Jensen Beach. This park contains nearly all of the remaining populations of the fragrant prickly-apple (Harrisia fragrans), an endangered cactus species! It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States! You can read more about this cactus Here, on Wikipedia. The pic seen is from there as well.
Luckily, I see news has just come out stating that Governor Rick Scott
said no just TODAY to the idea of closing some of Florida's state parks as a cost-cutting measure!!! Whew...I was so worried! It was to be possibly 53 out of 160 parks! Read more about it: HERE. Now, I just have to get in my car, drive up there and see this cactus for myself! When I do (and it will be very soon), I will take pictures and you all will be the first to see!
I am feeling really good right now to hear this wonderful news! Here is a link to Savannas State Park, if you want to check it out sometime!

Win some Ty Pennington fabric!

Leave a comment on the Cloth, Paper, Scissors blog HERE, and you could be a winner! I didn't even know he was designing fabrics...but they are beautiful, and I hope I win! Good luck to all of us who take a chance on it!
xoxo- Julie

A little Valentine basket

This evening grandson and I got busy making Valentine paper chains for our tree. THEN, I remembered a few years back ago I had gotten into making little baskets out of construction paper.

I gave it a go with a peice of pink paper, and trimmed in white...and I think it turned out really cute! The flowers were fun to cut out of progressively smaller squares of paper, and I added a cutout part from a doily and a pink center...one on each side of the handle that I braided.

I have to buy a new red ultra fine Sharpie and I will put daughters name and a few red hearts around top edge and fill with Ferrero Rocher chocolates! She is such a girlie girl, and I know she will love this little basket.

Bird design and haiku

I woke up around 5am and was sitting by an open window when I heard the most beautiful and different birdsong being, it seemed, sung just to me! I wrote a haiku.



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I hear a chirping birdsong
Too dark out to see
Floating through the screen to me
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I also found this amazing Lenox china called CHIRP. More of the Lenox peices in this pattern can be seen here at Lenox.

It makes me think about one of my sweetest blog pals, Kelly, over at I Am Just One Person, who does a lot of beautiful bird paintings like this (this could have easily been one of her designs). I have decided that the thing that appeals to me is the turquoise and red together.

I have been drinking 2 packs a day of Emergen-C to avoid a cold, since a few people around here have them...and guess what...holy crap, Batman, I'm coming down with a cold. So much for the effectiveness of added vitamins and minerals! Sometimes I think it is malarky. Yes, we need these things for normal body functions, but do added ones do much, or is just enough enough???

The grandkids just went off for the day with their Dad, so I am dreaming of a nice lunch (salad with a grilled fish on top) from my new favorite bar and grill. Oh, goodie...hubby just confirmed that he is taking me! Yeah!

I am excited for Sunday morning. My 6 year old grandson just loves going to church! We have been taking him, and he refuses to go to Sunday School, and insists on sitting in regular church with us. We always have to take him out half way through, but this week we are gonna go earlier (at 8:30am) to the contemporary service where they are big on guitars, drums, bands, etc. I sure hope it can keep him entertained to get through the whole service. It is a really neat church, and it feels like home/family.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo- Julie