more moose love

I woke up thinking about Alaska this morning. Could be because I saw an amazing moose story and pics on the Internet yesterday. I miss seeing moose roaming around. It was such a "wow" for me when we were there this summer (see my June 29 post for more on our unforgettable moose encounter).

Anyway, back to the story. A woman in Michigan's Upper Peninsula captured these images of a newborn moose calf (~ 12 hours old). Mommy moose apparently decided that she wanted to give birth in someone's front yard in downtown Naubinway, Michigan!

OK, say it with me now.....awwwwww!

And since today is Thanksgiving Eve, I wish everyone a holiday filled with warmth and happy times. Safe travels to you if you're hitting the road, rails, or sky.

I'll catch you back here sometime during the weekend.

I can't sleep

Hello there.....yes, it's 2:00 AM right now and I'm W -- I -- D -- E awake, geez! I can't sleep for some reason (usually it's because I drank an iced chai tea too late in the evening). I thought I'd hop onto my blog and see who else is up too (besides the CEOs of big banks and auto companies who are probably losing some sleep, or at least should be)? So I'm sitting here sipping a beer (you know, A&W's specialty brew), surfing the Net.

I've been online looking at some fun new scrapbooking goodies that just came out. Some of them are highlighted in an online scrapbooking "class" that I'm taking. It's a FREEBIE being offered right now by Stacy Julian at Big Picture Scrapbooking.....they have great online workshops and downloadable classes, I've taken several. If you've never tried one and have been considering it, I say jump in!

One of the great new products introduced in this class is "Flair" from American Crafts (pictured, left). Love, love, love these things! They're just the 1" diameter shiny, metal buttons that we're used to seeing people wear, but instead of having a pin on the back, there's adhesive. This is one of those why didn't I think of that??? concepts. And the designs are SO doggone cute! My faves are the travel ones (duh), but I also love the "friends", "smile" and "candy" varieties. I already have tons of ideas for using them on sb pages and in mini-albums. And if you're a fan of the movie Office Space (like me), you'll remember how "flair" had a role of its own in the storyline. But this is much more fun.

On another note, it's almost the end of November which elicits a collective sigh of relief from Floridians (and surely other coastal residents). It marks the end of hurricane season. Whew, we made it unscathed! So December 1 always begins our annual 6-month reprieve from watching "tropical activity" weather reports on the evening news, stocking up on bottled water and batteries, and hoping and praying that our hurricane insurance doesn't get canceled. And at this time of year, most Floridians are making plans to eat their hurricane food supplies before they expire, or rot. Not so for me and Sal....since I, um, tend to procrastinate when it comes to grocery shopping, we have to break into our hurricane food stash now and then just to have ingredients to prepare dinner. Shame on me!

Thanks for staying up late with me. Good night.

are you a Pepper?

I sure am!

I l-o-v-e Dr. Pepper! 23 flavors combined into YUMMY! And they're having a (very short) giveaway, only for 24 hours.....that is, until tonight!......get a free Dr. Pepper just for filling out an online form. Of course, you'll have to wait the requisite 4 to 6 weeks for the coupon to arrive in your mail.

And for diehard Dr. P fans - did you know that there's a Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas? And that the Museum has its own blog? Yikes! I didn't either. Maybe I'll stop in for a visit, if I'm ever in Waco. Dr. Pepper is a soda with a unique history.

Bye, I'm off to the fridge for a cold one!

anti-freeze

Wow, what a cold snap much of the US is enduring right now, huh? Even here in SoFla, it has been in the 40s and 50s (F) this week! Brrrrr....

So, if you're in need of some warmth as winter sets in, The Travel Channel is giving away a trip for 2 to the beautiful island of Antigua. Now that would be a nice place to thaw out! Go HERE to enter the sweepstakes daily, all month long.

Every month, The Travel Channel has a trip giveaway, and some of the destinations are pretty cool, so check back in December and each month thereafter to see where you and your best travel buddy could be going!

Good luck!

what's on your menu?

Let me start by saying that I know that no one wants to hear this.

And I am not trying to be a party-pooper.

But with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday being an American tradition revolving around food, I ask you to please re-consider your holiday menu this year.

Please visit this website to see what a recent PETA investigation of a turkey factory farm revealed (warning: it's graphic!) and/or to sign a petition for turkey welfare. Please join me in taking action, and giving 270 million defenseless birds something to be thankful for. These creatures suffer, enduring HORRIFIC treatment and living conditions !!! This will not stop until we all choose to enjoy delicious alternatives to turkey on our holiday plates.

Thank you for considering new traditions on your family's Thanksgiving menu!

must-see TV

Hi everyone, hope your week is off to a great start. I meant to post about this yesterday, sorry.....The Today Show aired a great series over the past 2 days, "Ends of the Earth: Warming Waters".











I love stuff like this, it combines 2 of my passions, travel and the environment. The hosts were each broadcasting from a cool location around the globe: Meredith in Australia, Matt in Belize, Ann was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Al was in the land of fire and ice, Iceland. (I've been to Belize, but have yet to visit the other locations...someday. I'm impatient!)

Anyway, they showed very cool footage and discussed the delicate ecosystems of each locale, highlighting the challenges that the world's animals and the environment are facing. If you didn't catch it, you can read about it and/or watch video clips HERE. Enjoy!

You can also enter to win an eco-vacation to Costa Rica in their "Green Your Routine" sweepstakes. Check it out and good luck!

it's Theresa's special day!

Today is my sister Theresa's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER !!!! And since Sal and I are in town anyway (she lives in Clearwater), we'll get to celebrate with her....how fabulous!

Enjoy your day, Theresa! :-)

remembering Pasquale today

We've been visiting with Sal's family this week, remembering his Dad. The funeral was today, and the service was a nice time to reminisce about Pasquale's life.

As a way to celebrate life and enjoy a special evening together after a difficult day, Sal and I, along with Sal's cousin Danny, his wife Mary, and his Aunt Michele and Uncle Sam, went to the beach and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Seemed to be a fitting tribute.

Pasquale's obituary will be available online for about 30 days on this webpage. It also offers the chance to view and/or sign an online guestbook, if you wish.

Thanks to everyone for your condolences.

sadness

Today is a sad day.....Sal's Dad passed away this afternoon. He and Sal's Mom were married for 52 happy years. The family is gathering together.

The family very much appreciated everyone's thoughts and wishes while Pasquale was in the hospital. Thank you.

some animals won on Tuesday too!

I guess we're all still getting over our election fever. Amazing! The results of my blog's poll were interesting too.....51 votes total, here was the breakdown: 26 for McCain, 23 for Obama, and 2 undecided. Thanks for voting!

Obama wasn't the only winner on Tuesday. Some states had amendments on their ballots that would greatly benefit animals, and I'm so pleased to announce that they passed! First, in California, voters approved Proposition 2, which will ban some of the worst cruelty to animals raised for food in that state: keeping egg-laying chickens in battery cages so small that they can't spread their wings, keeping veal calves in crates for their entire miserable short lives, and keeping pregnant pigs in crates so small that they can't take a step forward or backward or turn around. Unfortunately, animals in California won't be given these basic rights until 2015 (why must the animals wait???), and hopefully the rest of the nation will follow suit in the interim.

Since many consumers often don't get to see firsthand (or choose to ignore) the living conditions that their food source endures, PETA took the conditions directly to the consumer. Many Californians supported Prop 2 after seeing PETA's lifelike displays of pig gestation crates in front of grocery stores:

Shoppers were asked to reconsider their purchase of sausage, ham, bacon, pork chops, and ribs. And to vote for Prop 2. And they did.

Another significant victory for animals came on the east coast. Voters in Massachusetts passed Question 3, which will ban greyhound racing across the state by 2010. Fabulous! Dogs who are used for racing typically spend 20 hours per day confined to cages that are too small for many of these large dogs to stand completely upright. The animals are also highly susceptible to injuries, including fractures, dislocations, lacerations, and amputations. And because injured dogs are no longer of use to the industry (i.e., they no longer turn a buck), they are often just killed.

A landmark day for animals!

Sal's Dad: Wednesday PM update

Hello everyone.....

Unfortunately, we are hearing tonight that Pasquale does not seem to be improving. He is fighting infections, and needs significant assistance from a ventilator in order to breath. He is on morphine to keep him comfortable, but has not been responsive over the past few days.

He has been in the hospital for more than 5 weeks now. Hopefully, the infections will subside soon and allow him to strengthen and recover.

HISTORY

Wow, what an incredible election day! Obama was my candidate of choice, but even if you were a McCain supporter, it can't be denied that history was made and that we all have something big to celebrate. I was overwhelmed as the results came in, watching history unfold before my eyes! Finally, there is diversity in The Oval Office. Martin Luther King, Jr had a dream, and last night we watched it come true. May President-elect Obama lead our country into an even brighter future!

Election Day!

"There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers."
--- Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906), abolitionist & pioneer in the women's suffrage movement

My friends*, it has finally arrived. Election Day. After nearly 2 years of primaries, caucuses, Super Delegates, campaign ads, debates, conventions, Joe The Plumber, and SNL political skits, today we choose our new President.

*opening phrase courtesy of John McCain, Maverick

I'm always reflective on Election Day, thankful for the right to cast my vote. It was only in this country's recent history, starting in 1920 --- only 88 years ago! --- that women could vote without being mocked, arrested, sent to prison.

That seems almost unimaginable to us today, doesn't it? Now, the candidates clamor & compete for women's votes, Senator Clinton was a viable candidate for the Democratic party, and Governor Palin is the VP candidate on the GOP ticket. But there are still women in the world struggling for the basic right to vote. In 2008.

Ladies, please vote today! I consider my vote a tribute and a symbol of gratitude to those who sacrificed so much for my right to cast it.

election fun and other stuff

Hi there, hope you're enjoying the weekend. Thanks to everyone for your support with my mailman ordeal (see my Nov 1 post). Isn't life too short for such nonsense? I'll let you know how it turns out. I certainly don't plan to just tolerate it!

On a lighter and certainly funnier note, did you catch Saturday Night Live last night? John McCain made a special appearance, and did the opening skit alongside Tina Fey (a.k.a. fake Sarah Palin). It included a parody of QVC, and was clever. JM was a good sport about it. You can see it here. And don't miss SNL's "Presidential Bash 2008" on Monday night at 9:00 PM Eastern on NBC. Those shows are a hoot, Sal and I love 'em!

So, wow, voting starts in less than 48 hours. Finally! I'm excited, can't wait to vote! I love all the commotion at the polls on Election Day. My blog's own poll will be open until the real polls close on election night, so you can scroll down to "vote" (in the sidebar) if you haven't already. Interestingly, the results are still mirroring the national polls, a statistical dead heat for the 50 votes tallied so far.

And for my crafty friends....5 new colors of Shimmerz paints have just been released for winter.....they're called Shimmerz Blingz, and they're supposed to be even more shimmer-y than the original Shimmerz! They look gorgeous, check 'em out:


And you can go to the Shimmerz blog to see some beautiful projects they made with these new paints.

Later!

venting...

Hello and happy November! Wow, we're in the 11th month of 2008...already!

It's gray and gloomy here in SoFla today, and the weather matches my mood unfortunately. I've had a long week. On top of everything else going on....Sal's Dad's stroke, our garage door opener broke, etc etc etc....I've been having a lot of trouble with our mailman. For months, I've complained about him to supervisors at the post office, but he just keeps finding new ways to harass me. It started with him yelling at me (yes, yelling!) in our driveway after I simply requested that he leave packages at the door rather than bring them back to the post office, which meant I had to go pick them up. It was a scarey situation actually, and I now avoid all contact with him. Then he started mockingly waving at me from his truck, and then he decided it would be funny to leave the flag up on our mailbox after picking up our mail everyday. Now, his new petty game is to ring our doorbell about 10 times when he brings a package to our door, which of course disrupts the entire household. Real professional, huh? I think he's a disturbed individual, at the very least he must have an anger management problem, and no one at the postal service can seem to put a stop to his behavior. Pathetic. Who works for whom over there? Geez, I just don't need this! The arrival of mail and packages used to be a bright spot in my day. I heard on the news yesterday that, due to the sour economy, the postal service is looking to lay off employees for the first time ever, and I can only hope that he's among them.

Thanks for listening. :-/

I'm off to try to enjoy the rest of the weekend.