"D" is for Denver

My "D" post is for my home in the Denver metro area. Denver is an exciting city. I have lived here since 1983 and I pride myself in being a Colorado native. When I first came to Denver I lived within walking distance of my job at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. My co worker Bea lived two doors down in the very same apartment she has lived in since the 1970's. She taught me how to navigate the streets from Broadway and Lincoln downtown up to where we lived.  I learned and still know the double alphabet streets. We lived on Dexter Street. I had a cute little third floor apartment. It is a very fond memory. My husband proposed to me there.

I still love to visit my old neighborhood. It is very close to the Cherry Creek Mall and downtown Denver where my Sweets works. There is a wonderful ice cream shop called Liks! Originally they called the place Lickety Split but they had to change it because someone else had the patent on that name! They have some of the best hand made ice cream! It is made in small batches and tastes heavenly! One of my favorite flavors is Millionaires featuring butterscotch rippled through the milk chocolate and loaded with pecans!

While enjoying the sights in Denver you can always stop by and have a Denver omelet in any of the great restaurants you can find here.

Here is our airport. I am a bit prejudice because my middle brother Ed who is employed with the city and county of Denver was an engineer working on this major project. The airport is a wonderful place and it's unique design is interesting.

Come visit our beautiful art museum! This is one of my favorite places and each first Saturday of the month it is free admission! If you visit the museum before January 29th you can experience Xu Beihong pioneer of  Modern Chinese artwork.

You could catch a game at Sports Authority stadium. You can watch the Denver Broncos and come over to my house where most Sunday games are spent waiting on "Tebow time"! We love our Broncos and I personally have been a fan since I was a small child! I watched many games with my dad and I know he would get a kick out of our cute new QB Tim Tebow! Lots of folks think Tim possesses some magical qualities to help his team win games in the finally moments but he has a strong personal conviction of faith and he gives praise where it is due. Some don't like his display of faith but I have always loved the bumper sticker that says "If God's not a Bronco fan then why are sunsets orange and blue?" On a serious note Tebow is a nice example of Christian love and he certainly is a clean cut role model.
Before I end this come to Denver and check some great eating! You could enjoy Native American fare at a cool eatery called www.tocabe.com//! Here is my lunch from our phamily time this past Saturday:

Now that I have given you a mini tour of the city where I live please visit Jenny and all the particiapates of Alphabe Thursday!

Love is... and A Very Blue Monday !.

I am having some tough times trying to load photos so I am using lots of images I find on google. I will resolve this problem! My sons friend Ivan always helps me out but he just found out he is going to be a dad and so he has not been around lately!

So come visit Marydon and share your favorite Love is... with us today. Here is mine:

Ha Ha Ha! No one wants to do the dishes! We have a lovely dishwasher but there is always something fun to do after a great meal besides washing those dishes. I have one of those wonderful husbands who will help me out! The doctor I work suggested that his wife fore go the fancy china and use paper plates for Thanksgiving! You guessed it? He is the dishwasher! LOL! Imagine that, a medical doctor with a duel practice (ENT and Plastics) having to wash dishes with his brother the Engineer!

My Sweets has always helped out. My middle brother, also an engineer is a dishwasher too!

Now I am going to share some blues for http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/. Go visit our leader Sally and wish her a terrific blue Monday!

Lots of December birthdays coming up starting with me on Saturday. I am going to have a special birthday giveaway! I need to find out a special item to send to a lucky winner! So follow me, leave a comment and you can be entered in both my blogaversary and birthday giveaway!

Here are my blues:

 A special bouquet in blue just for you!

A pretty little birthday cake in case you share my special date!

Blue balloons cause we are always kids at heart!

A blue topaz ring. My very favorite birthday gift from my dad when I turned 16! I still have mine but the cut is Marquis!

How About A Pink Christmas Tree?

Hi everyone! The wind is howling outside and woke me from a peaceful sleep! So since I fell asleep early last night I thought I would put up my Pink Saturday post! Visit Beverly. She shares so many wonderful pink delights with us and visit many pinkies today!

I visited a new pinkie today! Jennifer inspired me to put some pink in my Christmas tree! So while I search for the perfects pinks I thought I would share these beautiful google images with you. Isn't this first tree amazing?

This black and pink version is sweet and very chic! It would make a delightful Christmas card!

How about some neon Christmas colors? Who says Christmas has to be all green and red?????

We have not put up our tree yet but since I celebrate a December birthday, on the 3rd, I like to have my tree ready! As a child I thought the tree was my first Christmas present! Jennifer is giving away one of her hand created trees so I hope you visit this talented pinkie and say hi! Tell her I sent you over! Her creative talents are amazing! Just in time for some Christmas fun!

Being born in December is a tough time! The competition is tremendous! Who can compete with Our Lord, being celebrated on the 25th of December? It doesn't get much better then Him although my daughter Noelle and her hubby Roger share December 13th as their dual birthdays!!  My niece Holly is December 16th and my nephew Brian the 24th. Holly's daughter Sarah rounds out the month with a New Year's Eve birthday!

My mom always made sure I had a pretty birthday cake and I never had a "Christmas" theme cake! Everyone expects you to go with it but I love fun so I have always had a beautiful birthday with a fun cake! As a kid my mom's friend Minka, who owned a bakery once made me an Easter bonnet cake! It is a treasured memory and I wish I had a photo to share! My friend Sharon once had her girlfriend Tosh make me my favorite cake, red velvet! It was frosted with butter cream frosting and had a beautiful burgundy ribbon dressing it! My Sweets is always thoughtful. He had a "Cathy" ice cream cake made for me and a "Betty Boop" cake. My favorite Aunt Ang made me a butterfly cake one year! It was a cut out cake and I celebrated my 16th birthday with that pretty cake.

I need to dig through my photos and find some shots to share. I don't think I have that Easter bonnet cake but the memory is still vivid in my mind. So instead I am showing off some google images I found of pretty birthday cakes!

Allelujua Chorus

I missed putting up a post for Spritual Sunday. Life has been hectic but my friend Yvonne sent me this video and I tohught it would be great to share! So stop by Spiritual Sunday and thank Charlotte for sharing with us each week.

This video was presented by a small Yupiq  Eskimo Village school in Quinhagak, Alaska. It was a school computer project and they wanted to share it with the rest of their village. Imagine their shock when over half a million people have viewed it on you tube.

Enjoy and remember the true reason for the season: Jesus

HAPPY THANKSGIVING I AM GRATEFUL FOR...

I was going to share lots of little things in one big post but blogger is already giving me a hard time! Won't load some of my photos! Drat! It gave me a fit in Arizona too. Would not let me do the things I love even on vacation!

So I am going to try to share some moments and quotes and friendship with you here to wish you a beautiful and bountiful Thanksgiving Day! Indulge me with my catch up post!

This winning photo of Nick is courtesy of Margot Kelly Photography. I was so busy running along side of the finish line screaming Nick's name that I could actually hear my voice inside my heart! So this is  photo was given to him. He won his race but a young man from New Mexico had a nine second better time so Nick took second overall. There were over 500 boys running in the two heats from Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. We were so proud of him  because he struggled so much this year first with bursitis and then suffering from those painful shingles. The trip was a wonderful experience. Nick had made that Arizona trek many times but we were first timers. Everything went along beautifully.

I am grateful for lots of things this holiday season. I am grateful that the Lord is the center of my universe and He allows my entire phamily, all five kids, and their loved ones to be here with us to celebrate tomorrow.

Our son Jeremy was working and his car broke down. Being a pizza delivery driver is tough without a car! But I am grateful my son-in-law Roger was nearby and got him back to his store with the days reciepts before helping him get the car home.

I am grateful Zach, Rebekah's beau, cooked us a wonderful pre Thanksgiving dinner.

I am grateful Markus came down from school and over the mountain (Monarch Pass) safely. Hannah and Roxanne are tickled to have him around for a few days.

I am grateful Nick and my grandson Colton are youthful and I can make them run up and down the stairs getting my pots and pans and casserole dishes ready for tomorrow.

I am grateful we can share a beautiful meal. My oldest Noelle is making "Frog Eye Salad". It is a two day process so she was just stopping by to peak in and say hi! We love having them here with us.

I am grateful Hannah told me Markus will be stopping by this evening. Love having him here.

I am grateful I know all of you and can enjoy visiting you from where ever any of us are.

I am grateful Jenny and Steve came to the race to see us for a quick minute before we left Arizona. It was a sweet gesture and we enjoyed are time with them. (photos will follow next post)

This is Sweets and I after our long car trip to Arizona. But I am grateful to have the best company in the world! I missed Love is.. last week so please visit Marydon  and wish her a beautiful Thanksgiving too.

I missed my Alphabe Thursday "C" letter last week. So I will share "C" is for car trip! We spent a lot of hours in the car and on the road. But I am grateful we had this opportunity and grateful we arrived and returned safely. So visit Ms. Jenny and I will catch you next week!

Just to make you grin! Maxine at her sharp witted best!

A blue turkey to remind you to visit Sally. Stop by  and wish her a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. She had a tough year and it is always a blessing to be grateful for getting your health restored day by day.

A pink turkey or two treat for you. Stop by and tell Beverly hello and wish her a beautiful Thanksgiving Day!

A few Thanksgiving quotes to share and wish you all a beautiful blessing in your day!

Oh Lord that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness
William Shakespeare

Gratitude is a sign of  noble souls. Aesop

But whether we have less or more
Always thank thee God therefor.
Author Unknown

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

Bule Monday/ Love is...

My Love is....portraits my Sweets today!  He always cleans the tub until it shines! CLR that is our secret. My mixer beaters got rusty because someone tossed them in the dishwasher and they were probably put away wet! So they soaked all morning and the rust is gone! That CLR works like a charm and they are not paying me to tell you that! My middle daughters old beau gave me that tip. A big bottle of it lasts a long time! You can even clean your coffeemaker with it!
Now hurry over and thank Marydon for hosting the Love is....
Then visit Sally and share your blues with her too!

Do you love this sweet blue fairy with the corn? She is sweet as can be! Love that stopped by today.

I'M LEAVIN ON A JET PLANE...NOT!

Come visit Beverly. Thank her for the time and effort she puts  into Pink Saturday so we all may enjoy each others company each week.

"I'm leavin on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again..."
 Words and Music by John Denver

Actually we are leaving in our cute little car to travel to Mesa, Arizona to watch our son Nick run in the Nike Invitational. He will be leaving on a jet plane! We waited too long to get a flight and the prices are too high so Sweets and I are driving there with our middle daughter Rebekah.

While Nick travels by plane we will be adventuring in our car. We plan to travel Wednesday night to our hometown of Pueblo and spend the night with my niece Karla and her crew, hubby Aaron, sons Ryan, Troy and Matt.  We love visiting phamily and it is a two hour trip to their house. We will leave bright and early Thursday morning and travel as far as Albuquerque or Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Friday morning we will hit the road and travel to Mesa and stay at the same hotel our team will be at. They arrive Friday early A.M. Hopefully I can visit with or at least talk to some blogging friends. On Saturday the race Nick runs in will start at 1 P.M. I am hoping Sherry will be able to join us at the meet. Her grand girl Izzie is a runner too so hoping she can join Sherry and come cheer with us!

Any Arizona bloggers are welcome to join us at the Toka Sticks Golf Course in case you like cross country! I would love to visit with Jenny, Judie,Charlotte,Chara, Julie and Ames.  I would love to visit with these ladies and Laura.I know our trip will be lots of car travel but it is an opportunity to see our baby run in the national cross country meet, something we have missed the past three years. It will also be a time to enjoy some time away from my busy job and my Sweets can always use a break from standing on his poor feet all day long!

We will leave Sunday early as we both have to work Monday and our college girl has to return to college classes. Her schedule is perfect, it allows her to come and join us without missing any classes. She will give up a couple shifts at work. But she is a great driver and has maneuvered  the back roads of Nebraska and Kansas to visit friends, driving solo.

I am hoping you will join our featured blogger here. Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget my Pay it forward giveaway til November 30th. Shhh...it is a surprise giveaway but I think you will love it!

SALUTE ALL VETERANS TODAY AND EVERYDAY

On a serious note the military does an incredible job, sacrificing what is important to them to protect and serve us. I am very happy when I hear various businesses giving to Vet's and active miliatary personnel. They get so little and give so much.
Pray for a Vet or an active serve member today.

"B" is for (The) BIG BANG THEORY

Welcome to Alphabe Thursday. Please stop by and thank Ms. Jenny for hosting our weekly lesson! I am sharing my favorite T.V.program with you tonight, The Big Bang Theory, I love this sitcom. It is funny and full of great comedy! We have watched this program for several years and have gotten into each of the characters. The original five characters are 4 geeks and a blonde waitress/actress hopeful.  I love the show because it is silly and I am tired of all the crime on T.V. today. Real life is hard enough without  making T.V. less entertaining and more bone chilling! Perhaps it is my age but I will take a love story or comedy over crime laden shows any day! I am not into the reality stuff so this really suits me.

It is hard to choose a favorite character on the show although Howard and Raj, two geeky friends of room mate geeks Leonard and Sheldon find a  mate/match for Sheldon  via the computer! Sheldon is the annoying one and adding Amy Farrah Fowler to the cast made great sense! The former Blossom star Mayim Bialik plays Amy and she holds a PhD in neuroscience in real life so she really does know what she is talking aobut on  the show!

Melissa Rauch who plays Howard's girlfriend Bernadette Maryann Rostekowski is Jewish in real life  but plays Bernadette as a "good" Catholic!
Penny is portrayed by Kaley Cuoco. She is the blonde Nebraska waitress/actress!
I love this show and the story lines. If you have not seen it check it out. It is delightful!

Love is.... and 1970s Commercials

Hee Hee! We usually don't kiss and tell these days but when we were younger we always stole a kiss at the stoplight! It is my favorite memory of youth!

I was visiting Parsley.  She was talking about singing in the car with her hubby and their daughter getting a kick out of the two of them.

I found these two commercials from the 70s and I loved them. My oldest daughter was a little girl and she would sing this Enjoli commercial and imitate the actors:

Then there was the Suzy Chaffee commerical with Jim "Catfish" Hunter donning their "Chapstick".

Stop over and visit Marydon and all the other Love is...participates.

Don't miss out on my Pay it Forward giveaway. Just comment that you want to be included. It is going to be a surprise.

Writing from the Heart

Please come join this fabulous project.  When Suzanne asked us to join her by sending a birthday card to a senior and include a one bill if we could I was happy to make someone smile! But I have gotten so much more out of this. My phamily got involved and at first they acted like I was trying to make them give their personal history to a stranger! LOL! Then they started signing the cards with me. Now they look forward to each new month so we can sign the cards, include a dollar and get great joy from the project!
I started writing letters to friends and phamily and sending more personal cards to them too. It is giving me something so joyful that I am at a loss of words to describe it! Just ask LV. She knows I can be a chatter box! Ha Ha!
I am a gifted Gabbie. I love to chat. I love talking with friends. I want to hold your hand if you are sad, send you a simple wish if you need a lift.  I could talk to you until you tire of hearing my voice. But I care and I pride myself in being an honest and open person. If I like you it is genuine. If we can agree to disagree that is great!
My whole life I always loved opening the mail on my birthday and seeing the cards and thoughts being sent my way. I save cards and letters and grateful that I do. I have some precious memories with my mom and aunts hand written cards because they are no longer with me.
I have been sad and miserable  this past week. Too many tears, not enough smiling. But I wear my hear on my sleeve and I really take a lot to heart.
So I have found that this project of writing letters and cards and even sending messages to strangers is making my heart light.
I think secretly everyone would like to open their mail box and see it overflowing with good thoughts and wishes. I am a very humble person. I don't have a lot of glitter and glamour! But my heart is generous for you and filled with love and appreciation for your friendship here.
Join me by sending a hand written note or card to someone you care about today.

Pink Thoughts for Thanksgiving

I thought I would share a few "pinks" to celebrate Thanksgiving! It will be here before we know it! I know everyone around the world does not share the same calendar date for this wonderful day but I hope everyone enjoys it here just the same.
When you are finished please visit Beverly and thank her for celebrating Pink Saturday with all of us each week.Then visit some pinkies too.
Make sure you leave a comment and mention my blogaversary giveaway so I can enter you into a special secret giveaway. You just need to pay it forward if you win and make someone else's day special with a giveaway of your own!

 Here is a pretty floral arrangement for your Thanksgiving table. Simple yet elegant.


Sandra Lee does Semi-Homemade recipes on the Food Network channel. I thought I would share her Apple, Ginger, Orange Cranberry Sauce recipe here:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 (14-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
Garnish: lemon peel

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add apple, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add ginger and cranberry sauce, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in oranges, breaking up oranges with the back of a spoon. Cook for 3 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with lemon peel, if desired.

A is for Autograph

As a small child my oldest daughter wanted to meet the country western singer Barbara Mandrell. She performed at the Colorado State Fair many years ago. We waited in line for hours to get her autograph! Barbara was very cordial to us and treated us as kindly as the first person she signed an autograph for! Years later Noelle gave that autograph to her cousin Brian! She said "Because he wanted it and liked Barbara Mandrell too!"

When I was a young teen I had a pen pal in  Indy. Her name was Jane Moon and she got an autograph for me. I loved auto racing and loved Mario Andretti who was an Indy 500 winner! She babysat for Mario Andretti's brother Aldo's children and I had his autograph!
In the 1980's I got the autograph of rich Karlis, kicker for the Denver Broncos. Ah....my very favorite and still in my possession on a cocktail napkin from the now defunct Bronco Inn near my home.
When I was a small child and making my first communion I had a beautiful prayer book (still have it too) and had my mother's cousin's son Richard sign that prayer book, why you ask? Because he was a Catholic priest. Years later he left the priesthood, married and  was the president of one of the local hospitals in my hometown.
Ah....memories. They are awesome! They are amazing! They are part of my Alphabe Thursday post.
When you are finished reading my post please visit our teacher Jenny Then visit more always faithful, absolutely terrific folks who post here too!
Today my autograph book is different. It is a sweet little Dollar Store journal with lined pages that I use when I meet my blogger friends. Here it is:

So here is my autograph book with my first signatures. I do apologize to Suzanne because I had a photo of my page she signed but did not want to reveal her address. I just did not want to publish everything so I tried to condense the pages.
Then I have LaVoice's autograph and her sister Patsy who is also Suzanne's mom! Whew! That was a fun lunch!
These pages are precious to me. I once knew these ladies as bloggers and now they are friends. It is a lovely treasure.
I hope you like my "A" post! I was almost tempted to say "A is for Anne!" Ha Ha! I will share more facts about me as my blog goes on.
Please check my previous posts and make sure to get in my giveaway! It is a surprise. Shh....
Enjoy the day!