Gettin' Domesticated

Today I tried my hand at making some homemade bread. Besides having two completely different looking loaves it came out tastin' fantastic. Definitely gonna make that again! ☺

....and take two: a week later I tried to make this same bread again. This time allowing the yeast to 'bloom' longer. It was able to rise much more and came out even better, and with less funny shapes. I think I got it down now. ☺

Visitors

Our long awaited visitors finally made it down here to good ol' NC. Auntie Liz and the all boys came for the week and we had a blast! With all the going here and there's we managed to squeeze in another trip to Duke Gardens and the Museum of Life and Science (since the boys hadn't been).

(there's a dragonfly on that there flower)

Lots o' lily pads....

....giant ones too...

...I love them, think they are so pretty.

Jack and Kathy taking a break on the bench...it was a hottt day!

Dru...following the rest of 'em that zipped up ahead.

Another bridge...somehow I missed this one the three previous times I've been there?

Kathy and Beepa

They painted the white bridge red to go more with the oriental gardens surrounding it.

Can't get enough of that bamboo ☺

Traditional Japanese house....

....nakey feet please☺

The boys on yet another bridge.

Beepa taking full advantage of what little breeze we had while strolling into the pergola.

Step Gardens...

...peekin' in on the poison dart frogs again...

...love these lil' guys....and more butterflies...

While they visited we also painted gourdes...mine took a lil' longer but I finished! I painted one for myself this time...just needs a sealant and it's good to go....

...all three sides ☺

Had SO much fun! Can't wait 'til they visit again!

Friday Fill-Ins 24

Friday Fill-In time, once again ☺

1. Life is all about changes.

2. Sometimes you just need a push to keep going.

3. My last text message (or IM) ended in these three words: ...set against it.

4. Having mexican lasagna is what I'm thinking about for dinner sometime soon.

5. On the 1st day of August it's three days til my birthday.

6. My dog, Toby, is very lively and energetic.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to laundry, I wouldn't exactly say I am lookin' forward to that, tomorrow my plans include more job searching (ugh), some cleaning, and opening birtday gifts and Sunday, I want to Welcome our fabulous guests!! Auntie Liz, Dru and Jack, yippee!

Summer So Far

Wow, have I been a slacker or what? Been busy and just have gotten lazy with trying to blog. Here's the highlights...

I have a wonderful family and they decided that it was time for me to finally visit NH. I can't thank my Grandparents and my cousin enough! I was so excited I could barely contain myself. But the thought of flying alone, sure calmed me down a bit. Those of you that know me, my anxiety tries to rule my life. Flying alone would of been completely out of the question a couple years ago. But I bit the bullet and went for it. The flights up to NH out of NC were great...besides a slight headache, I loved it...flying home was another story...after a canceled flight and sitting in the airport 11 hours (thank you thunderstorms), myself and one other passenger were able to squeeze onto a late standby flight, otherwise it would of meant a night at the airport for a morning flight...sooo glad that didn't happen. I had a WONDERFUL time up there though, so

much fun! I also got to see my first movie at a drive-in, twice even!☺

Oh, and despite making sure I had lots of batteries and room on my camera for pictures...and I quote "I suck" because I hardly look any pictures...unfortunately all the great memories in my head can't transfer into photos...but here are the few I managed to take...

(Waiting for my first flight, lil' nervous but super excited!)

******

(At Auntie Liz and Uncle Scott's for the Fourth of July Party!)

(Auntie Liz, Uncle Scott, Grampa)


(I finally met Kane)


(It's Vicki!)

...Some of my festive 4th of July (temporary) tattoos...


******

Got a chance to go to the beach and put my feet in the sand...

******

Where I grew up! Gardens look more grown, pretty much looked the same...

Beepa's ol' house looked just the same.

******

Just before I left NH, Vicki put the final touches on the beautiful quilt she made me...I love it!

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

Back home for my birthday...I turned 29...last year in my 20's, how did that happen?

Got beautiful flowers delivered for my birthday ☺

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

Going through this divorce has had its ups and downs. One thing I didn't like was my finger felt naked. After years of wearing rings on it every day, it didn't feel right. So as an early birthday present/starting my new life gift, I was able to get a ring while up in NH (which made it just all that more precious to me). I love it down here, but I still miss it up there. I can't wait until I can visit NH again. ☺