tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30075852999391148572024-03-05T00:31:51.380-05:00Ticket to AnywhereI am a writer/photographer who loves to travel. Hand me a Ticket to Anywhere and off I'll go. My family is about to embark on a new adventure halfway around the world in Hong Kong. Ancient temples amid gleaming skyscrapers, world class shopping and cuisine along side outdoor markets and street vendors, Hong Kong has endless opportunities for exploration. Stay tuned as we explore the tiny island where East meets West.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-49252621505749216522014-05-10T18:54:00.000-05:002014-05-10T18:54:48.117-05:00The Unused Rocking Chair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr3HE42e6LihwGyCP-AtlhfsKyUcuUmhRsiXdbHDBqi_hkC3ZeNefe8b9iWqsPQMIlD52E8bQGaH-jdQ46Ax0lRZZU0DZfsrwcvLLYSumR_6lB1385Yk9cHBHXJfYGoZYuUbvlwTyGLU/s1600/rocker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr3HE42e6LihwGyCP-AtlhfsKyUcuUmhRsiXdbHDBqi_hkC3ZeNefe8b9iWqsPQMIlD52E8bQGaH-jdQ46Ax0lRZZU0DZfsrwcvLLYSumR_6lB1385Yk9cHBHXJfYGoZYuUbvlwTyGLU/s1600/rocker.JPG" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
So the big guy was going to retire a couple of years ago. He'd been at the Bank of the Free World for most of his life and we bought a house in Florida. After putting it off for a couple of years it was finally going to happen. In March he went to his boss with the news. "Is there anything we can do to make you stay?" she asked. Laughter.<br />
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In anticipation of his impending leisure years, I bought him this antique rocker for his birthday. Before his butt even hit the newly reupholstered cushion, they offered him a job in, of all places, HONG KONG. Big job, cool place, international travel, bank's paying? Let's rethink this whole retirement thing. OK, let's go.<br />
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For now the rocker will have to wait. We're off on an adventure. Keep watching for news and photos of our travels as we take a giant leap outside our comfort zone and move halfway across the world. It's going to be great...right?Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-27886201466917523152011-02-09T17:42:00.001-05:002011-02-09T17:46:05.429-05:00No More Tangled NecklacesI took a piece of ceiling tile that came in a box of 4 for about $25 at the home improvement store and covered it with fabric. Nailed it to the wall, stuck in a couple of push pins and voila...a cute way to see all my funky jewelry at a glance. I love it. What do you think?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIKx7_C8QAMn53zZxW3BN23fYnUeKLlUOIj8um40bxzyjmBHG-nrEk7JMhWzxHpI1uFl11XWGVjnutPmrsDmq1RPBbdvqr5Ht8-MBqrB-eQanjY-xXPf51WUjxVNzDW-n2DEMDr4FMa4/s1600/jewelry+board+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="364" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIKx7_C8QAMn53zZxW3BN23fYnUeKLlUOIj8um40bxzyjmBHG-nrEk7JMhWzxHpI1uFl11XWGVjnutPmrsDmq1RPBbdvqr5Ht8-MBqrB-eQanjY-xXPf51WUjxVNzDW-n2DEMDr4FMa4/s400/jewelry+board+small.jpg" /></a></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-74991772394358349522011-01-01T22:04:00.003-05:002011-01-01T22:47:43.346-05:00Trash to Treasure<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU1g4o1mLj_xiqPzBj8HuhooX8dpQCXQTA6I_aozAiRXOH94MhTa8nuML7WEsIpZt4xepIT3SgKLC_8fekE_TocISY7rVwADTA9l5TQRcU9tcjJRk39MGH6ENtLXG7nK1XGIG1qMsXiU/s1600/candle+before.jpg'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU1g4o1mLj_xiqPzBj8HuhooX8dpQCXQTA6I_aozAiRXOH94MhTa8nuML7WEsIpZt4xepIT3SgKLC_8fekE_TocISY7rVwADTA9l5TQRcU9tcjJRk39MGH6ENtLXG7nK1XGIG1qMsXiU/s400/candle+before.jpg' border='0' alt=''style='clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;' /></a> <br />
There is an eighth wonder of the world and it is hammered copper spray paint. We recently bought a house and the previous owners left several of these extremely unattractive Christmas vases in the garage. I was about to pitch them when my can of copper spray paint started to whisper, "Try me first."<br />
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I sprayed one of the vases and went over it with black craft paint.<br />
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Here is the result...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2napdzTTy83eEYYrlV9q3mD4GtwponxsU5-Y8zPeSMGSe_OhKjzLJ2IY5ZizqedeMDCGuMftPHO-cmQX_mAH5K77_yfslPibpQZA_rLBJEAhjpAK1EOq2h0LkwpbGc1QHdf4e-fS-NI/s1600/candle+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2napdzTTy83eEYYrlV9q3mD4GtwponxsU5-Y8zPeSMGSe_OhKjzLJ2IY5ZizqedeMDCGuMftPHO-cmQX_mAH5K77_yfslPibpQZA_rLBJEAhjpAK1EOq2h0LkwpbGc1QHdf4e-fS-NI/s400/candle+after.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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I was so impressed with myself that I went to work on an ugly vase I bought at an auction. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtpWkPz0aMOZ_eBeEoPEXJnwgN4oDsGUhjHHsaSS3OlbO1rgCoVLOsbyhzqvr-auu4zdJ1_L8UcwO_7lDaABkr1eFpHvlVTRjuZaNQDPZq7lv8FyD1-g__8vH3JK_gfbQeW5Wglfs5wY/s1600/vase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtpWkPz0aMOZ_eBeEoPEXJnwgN4oDsGUhjHHsaSS3OlbO1rgCoVLOsbyhzqvr-auu4zdJ1_L8UcwO_7lDaABkr1eFpHvlVTRjuZaNQDPZq7lv8FyD1-g__8vH3JK_gfbQeW5Wglfs5wY/s400/vase.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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And here is the finished product...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9Esi3N3GrhQWyJt06zHsLd1M5x6QeCjQoUsnA1nHD9DmkwhLsCvi2YnMgP9f8aetx0tRPigbymOYGFCsxlrTXpFJHLo24IdbOMRp_qPJnOYPlCCbhwKiF3rTzUssilI4o_UecQhrLcQ/s1600/vase+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9Esi3N3GrhQWyJt06zHsLd1M5x6QeCjQoUsnA1nHD9DmkwhLsCvi2YnMgP9f8aetx0tRPigbymOYGFCsxlrTXpFJHLo24IdbOMRp_qPJnOYPlCCbhwKiF3rTzUssilI4o_UecQhrLcQ/s400/vase+after.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Don't stand still at my house or you're likely to find yourself covered in copper spray paint.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-76601201595742053902009-01-16T16:15:00.002-05:002009-03-04T17:48:23.326-05:00Lily Vanilly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhUqqys4w4dTiWTmxiTS4MWKzvXq2HtWH9-Um7XEs_iBaFHhjlJtEMydXlevYvi-7MDuKXrCvNhaSXUdSaLITjTcuul9s46cB8nqUfKBbG6AMdT5QS7TGP7W0VWblGCoDwU2zgeVh65M/s1600-h/all_one_color-final.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhUqqys4w4dTiWTmxiTS4MWKzvXq2HtWH9-Um7XEs_iBaFHhjlJtEMydXlevYvi-7MDuKXrCvNhaSXUdSaLITjTcuul9s46cB8nqUfKBbG6AMdT5QS7TGP7W0VWblGCoDwU2zgeVh65M/s400/all_one_color-final.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292003596419436498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYHC-XzhHuuVo_HSzWLSnKd9-Q3nO7S_aFxPc4tdr178Sit3YMd5sLRMERQRsNOTF4zfiIrd6E4lmBSzV7yGHb36KNo3P4_XXkRSthOYoWER-Or34ScXSkRVF4zq2-C0W8p2_5cJaA50/s1600-h/all_one_color-3-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYHC-XzhHuuVo_HSzWLSnKd9-Q3nO7S_aFxPc4tdr178Sit3YMd5sLRMERQRsNOTF4zfiIrd6E4lmBSzV7yGHb36KNo3P4_XXkRSthOYoWER-Or34ScXSkRVF4zq2-C0W8p2_5cJaA50/s400/all_one_color-3-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292003591205260546" /></a><br />This is my dog, Lily, an exuberant one year old Siberian Husky. She is quite a handful, as evidenced by my patio furniture and the leather sofa she ate a hole in. She's still very sweet and is starting to settle down.<br /><br />I did this for a photo challenge. The topic was "All One Color" and I thought it would be challenging to show all the shades of white in the image. These were taken in my bathtub and it goes without saying, she was pretty reluctant to climb in even with no water.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-59106272055361689442008-12-15T08:40:00.014-05:002011-01-15T18:09:43.050-05:00Creative Gift WrappingI just wrote an article on creative gift wrapping and here are some of the photos I took to accompany it. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1oUfBffDjTMWpVk8jCHWr4b5M1d6ltWqdTzLwp5PA4-Umdu2TQcemvXWYfvGxDgug-9_fv2Vij4wZJpEqSQ0ynT1b2nP9rI8l-0GuJkyvO7XXCw_XSBLNBtFqjDqVmVo5DUBcots4l8/s1600-h/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1oUfBffDjTMWpVk8jCHWr4b5M1d6ltWqdTzLwp5PA4-Umdu2TQcemvXWYfvGxDgug-9_fv2Vij4wZJpEqSQ0ynT1b2nP9rI8l-0GuJkyvO7XXCw_XSBLNBtFqjDqVmVo5DUBcots4l8/s400/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280015537962992578" /></a><br />
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This gift is wrapped in white freezer paper decorated with paint pens and topped with leaves spray painted silver and gold.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tLptXLEDaUkcA7SLFX8sBf2sJzesdigGHh_6aJ_XMbrr5Pi8FJKTGl8ykEkdtyJcucxosvYB1phzGJCCsPDJW1WESItDfre7s1XQHcrSRE_64jc3Dv5ZTdIdtKyT8vip409pyahhsFM/s1600-h/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tLptXLEDaUkcA7SLFX8sBf2sJzesdigGHh_6aJ_XMbrr5Pi8FJKTGl8ykEkdtyJcucxosvYB1phzGJCCsPDJW1WESItDfre7s1XQHcrSRE_64jc3Dv5ZTdIdtKyT8vip409pyahhsFM/s400/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280013266392463890" /></a><br />
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Freezer paper again, this time topped with a remnant of netting and using a photo ornament for a name tag.<br />
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A computer-generated collage makes colorful gift wrap. The standard size printer paper is too small for the whole package so I used, you guessed it, freezer paper and covered the seam with a ribbon.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUpkg1B98vyBNh7XhZKFCQp00RvKSKyyvk4qe-v8I9Of7M2xkHZnUexMUvzYLIhFFIMoo2PLXsKxeS8gAxLi0tvkAbXPiBvfDPOGSz-5q23_3f4evD_kxk7csD8tP8DqFgQaZefF2F4k/s1600-h/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUpkg1B98vyBNh7XhZKFCQp00RvKSKyyvk4qe-v8I9Of7M2xkHZnUexMUvzYLIhFFIMoo2PLXsKxeS8gAxLi0tvkAbXPiBvfDPOGSz-5q23_3f4evD_kxk7csD8tP8DqFgQaZefF2F4k/s400/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280014737819958162" /></a><br />
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For the music lover in the family, a piece of sheet music decorated with music-themed ornaments makes a nice presentation.<br />
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A cute, inexpensive handbag functions as a gift bag for assorted cosmetics, each of which is wrapped in the pages of a fashion magazine. I took more pages from the magazine and shredded them to make colorful filler for around the presents.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfysbSOzPmyCPDNR4wZHWtyPPmkebRiAA1mqD0pF5kIv4a45MVShjQhvcRalYGE7Cq81IQWp4wC6peUk51d7JUM0yHG3Wu6p4s5Rxnapluicnbx41V-QdSaoxgh_zhkLh2VkgRqF8H7oQ/s1600-h/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 367px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfysbSOzPmyCPDNR4wZHWtyPPmkebRiAA1mqD0pF5kIv4a45MVShjQhvcRalYGE7Cq81IQWp4wC6peUk51d7JUM0yHG3Wu6p4s5Rxnapluicnbx41V-QdSaoxgh_zhkLh2VkgRqF8H7oQ/s400/2008-10-02-mmhm-gift-wrap-5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280011922193978034" /></a>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-81014202274653267952008-12-08T21:43:00.008-05:002011-01-15T18:09:06.486-05:00I love my job!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7e-xi4Q-kFOCbHOjY15PATOkjak18APSMYvXsX-JmxxDC_scj7ZpP2y9P0e8cdxyOMnfZbIO8xN6zWiNp5lwFNPxecz2EF-pVRSFIo9Mye8Cnn-bkPRNxwKP3TRPoGrFag-dVA6NBb0/s1600-h/20098-12-04+mmhm+Elvis+at+Jonathan%27s-27.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7e-xi4Q-kFOCbHOjY15PATOkjak18APSMYvXsX-JmxxDC_scj7ZpP2y9P0e8cdxyOMnfZbIO8xN6zWiNp5lwFNPxecz2EF-pVRSFIo9Mye8Cnn-bkPRNxwKP3TRPoGrFag-dVA6NBb0/s400/20098-12-04+mmhm+Elvis+at+Jonathan%27s-27.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277644174663814242" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZsPl8lChOf0CVZfXN1F0bNjHZlPCEy5V6i9uSs2gPMFinpU15pPTymg88CqLU-CsukrwJaHEFrq502Ia7i6D0kAmHzaWgZ58SIJhKSBgujFubxNYb5BolqRX1sy0Njkikd2xLSH_tbI/s1600-h/20098-12-04+mmhm+Elvis+at+Jonathan%27s-17.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZsPl8lChOf0CVZfXN1F0bNjHZlPCEy5V6i9uSs2gPMFinpU15pPTymg88CqLU-CsukrwJaHEFrq502Ia7i6D0kAmHzaWgZ58SIJhKSBgujFubxNYb5BolqRX1sy0Njkikd2xLSH_tbI/s400/20098-12-04+mmhm+Elvis+at+Jonathan%27s-17.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277644173445749970" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFAvsyAsHmT19F72wNMI4ieP2t-gBtGjGj5o37kdibjmbluchmATGb6wC63pCqI7rCnOIxpK2nDLdMS0hLPXgIdWLcsPZ0UJY5LT_S8z1roJzQydKrQR0RSRfdSzzJsp6KJdc618xCpA/s1600-h/20098-12-04+mmhm+Elvis+at+Jonathan%27s-6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFAvsyAsHmT19F72wNMI4ieP2t-gBtGjGj5o37kdibjmbluchmATGb6wC63pCqI7rCnOIxpK2nDLdMS0hLPXgIdWLcsPZ0UJY5LT_S8z1roJzQydKrQR0RSRfdSzzJsp6KJdc618xCpA/s400/20098-12-04+mmhm+Elvis+at+Jonathan%27s-6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277644164567293314" /></a><br />
I always get to meet interesting people and this month was no different. I did a story about a restaurant, Jonathan's in Matthews, NC, that offers entertainment on the weekends. They actually have a cavalcade of "tribute artists" and I was fortunate enough to photograph the Elvis Fan Club Christmas party where some of them were in attendance. In addition to Elvis, there is a Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, The (Carolina) Blues Brothers. I was surprised to see how well most of them sing, even if they're not all dolled up.<br />
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It was so much fun to shoot these guys.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-74843278696221761552007-04-24T09:57:00.006-05:002011-01-15T18:08:09.405-05:00Loch Norman Highland GamesWe went to the Scottish Festival last weekend. What a great time! It was a beautiful day and it was so much fun to hear all the bagpipers and see all the kilts. The massed pipe bands were quite a sight, over 160 players in full regalia.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAyl7O4HL4ZVgJSQhkD0qpcKcfygzuVZ20hoLm9S_B8yMNLc9g63PAHBf8JNtmKbrzbc_xW8DciYTrxfyIa8p6w_DCqntiRsg-AnyuZWuGpvO4Yctphh7Awzytkbe3IdQ6aUZYNSN7vM/s1600/drum-major-red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAyl7O4HL4ZVgJSQhkD0qpcKcfygzuVZ20hoLm9S_B8yMNLc9g63PAHBf8JNtmKbrzbc_xW8DciYTrxfyIa8p6w_DCqntiRsg-AnyuZWuGpvO4Yctphh7Awzytkbe3IdQ6aUZYNSN7vM/s400/drum-major-red.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM3hMoHksh6R0I3VoiOMeRu67rw63jx1bkHlr8zW8CEHVGVcPzAtUBokIJ-OFeJqo7sa5prafpii2aLksrVrYdJkXMWK1z7CEU1pCCRSSqfXf6ZwG8bJnorQn9x6JgHgvp36jsl4N9z4/s1600/drum-major-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbM3hMoHksh6R0I3VoiOMeRu67rw63jx1bkHlr8zW8CEHVGVcPzAtUBokIJ-OFeJqo7sa5prafpii2aLksrVrYdJkXMWK1z7CEU1pCCRSSqfXf6ZwG8bJnorQn9x6JgHgvp36jsl4N9z4/s400/drum-major-tall.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX4HEfk16HsEsQyN7ZyHR4sAbvy2u0aUFf-oxT-J-4vjCziPGcuxyqRYfvoeUmk2a7amTQl-0QGw1MniwFMpbWC_sRjGIOGd-oSriWl6y4lpibp-jLgf1zA8Qdtq1OzJ3GiUXTs315Dk/s1600/drum-major-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX4HEfk16HsEsQyN7ZyHR4sAbvy2u0aUFf-oxT-J-4vjCziPGcuxyqRYfvoeUmk2a7amTQl-0QGw1MniwFMpbWC_sRjGIOGd-oSriWl6y4lpibp-jLgf1zA8Qdtq1OzJ3GiUXTs315Dk/s400/drum-major-white.jpg" /></a></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-62056962563481951782007-04-24T09:52:00.002-05:002011-01-15T18:07:42.712-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu0DiXK5_MIcbtWargU-4NzgI-uY2lusG7iVbyLLdiOPyWwWTHlzAiXYpvz5inGZ6FScTZn1tQTwcSN9mOQRsyD7gVmsSi0-gNYwJA316wE4TyizMSaPvZJtrFHXBOPeVgUX4cN6r5Pw/s1600-h/hooligans.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu0DiXK5_MIcbtWargU-4NzgI-uY2lusG7iVbyLLdiOPyWwWTHlzAiXYpvz5inGZ6FScTZn1tQTwcSN9mOQRsyD7gVmsSi0-gNYwJA316wE4TyizMSaPvZJtrFHXBOPeVgUX4cN6r5Pw/s400/hooligans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057007783083621666" border="0" /></a><br />
This group was called <a href="http://www.thatcelticband.com/">The Hooligans</a><a href="http://www.thatcelticband.com/">.</a> They infused Celtic instruments and rhythms with a little rock & roll influence. Really cool.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-46964858417040240782007-04-24T09:48:00.001-05:002011-01-15T18:07:07.876-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflL7sKNO-LXwGuKPXh9GWdJ0d6hCSQasvZzSMAyainPNsJ3DzlpJUSLr1-pUOel3vSIJxofT0jwqb0Ytw0uIGzAz5Q4H_-oxs-MViKlOwnwSUDhPi97C1jytw_iDmZNNDp3XPJCNQr6c/s1600-h/digital-pipers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflL7sKNO-LXwGuKPXh9GWdJ0d6hCSQasvZzSMAyainPNsJ3DzlpJUSLr1-pUOel3vSIJxofT0jwqb0Ytw0uIGzAz5Q4H_-oxs-MViKlOwnwSUDhPi97C1jytw_iDmZNNDp3XPJCNQr6c/s400/digital-pipers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057006705046830354" border="0" /></a><br />
I enjoyed the contrast between tradition and technology.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007585299939114857.post-60031891013266498532007-04-14T22:42:00.002-05:002011-01-15T17:53:47.774-05:00Better Living Through Coffee Mugs.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie60G3cezhccwheSynVITgNjSNonxY_QEe9FGvPEIHolb8rnsGozetopZm2uipp8NwjtplpOsy8wD-wUIz2j5_08J8xbDp1UjxcYZflEX7VJnRUwalsVMaNePGl5ATumZJ2P9t3z4eJis/s1600-h/4-16-07-Mugs.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie60G3cezhccwheSynVITgNjSNonxY_QEe9FGvPEIHolb8rnsGozetopZm2uipp8NwjtplpOsy8wD-wUIz2j5_08J8xbDp1UjxcYZflEX7VJnRUwalsVMaNePGl5ATumZJ2P9t3z4eJis/s400/4-16-07-Mugs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054127177022761506" border="0" /></a><br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4WIwO0tjkDIvT2PWmGQwop5WDujdQpKLQlPIOUn2-nQVDyWqgcgZQNtiodaoIeKDzYdXasDUiRtS3nntWUDqvrwCQAuXgc0Tf3b7naDimL6LXyNQ-i7IUaajTVcYXT7n6znVKR8NSKA/s1600-h/4-16-07-Mugs---2-.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4WIwO0tjkDIvT2PWmGQwop5WDujdQpKLQlPIOUn2-nQVDyWqgcgZQNtiodaoIeKDzYdXasDUiRtS3nntWUDqvrwCQAuXgc0Tf3b7naDimL6LXyNQ-i7IUaajTVcYXT7n6znVKR8NSKA/s400/4-16-07-Mugs---2-.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054126893554919954" border="0" /></a><br />
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The Secret...a phenomenon that's sweeping the world. Become happier, more successful, even better looking by thinking positively. Sounds pretty good, but I have a better system. I subscribe to the doctrine of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Better Living Through Coffee Mugs</span>. That's right...coffee mugs. Sound ridiculous? Sure it does, but Oprah, are you listening? When I go on a great vacation, see a play I enjoy or otherwise have a wonderful experience I buy a souvenir coffee mug. First thing in the morning, before my eyes are fully open, I open the cabinet for a coffee mug and I'm reminded of some of the best times of my life. It starts the day on a positive note and makes me grateful for my life.<br />
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OK, that's pretty corny, but it really works. Since I've been collecting coffee mugs I've lost 25 pounds, gotten a new job and I'm driving a brand new car. Is it the coffee mugs? Probably not. I should mention that I've also started walking 4 miles a day and joined Weight Watchers, I got my job because I have a college degree, and I drove a minivan for 10 years so it was time for a new set of wheels. Oh, what the hell...my coffee mugs improve my mood first thing in the morning, so even if they don't contain the secrets of the universe, I'm easier to live with.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07007785798935486702noreply@blogger.com