congratulations Theresa & Heince!

Happy 10th anniversary today to my sister Theresa & her husband Heince! Wishing you happiness always!

With love,

Susan, Sal, Buddy & Aruba

today is Heince's special day!

Happy birthday today to my sister's husband, Heince! He lives in Clearwater, Florida.

We wish you a day of sunshine (despite the rain!) and FUN, Heince! :-)

Love,

Susan, Sal, Buddy & Aruba

Buddy update

Today was Buddy's bimonthly visit to the cancer clinic for a remission progress exam, bloodwork, and Rx refills. {Always nervous about these visits} I was feeling tired and a bit strung out from a long week, so Sal kindly took Buddy for this appointment. It's emotionally draining to go there, and I just wasn't up to it today.

Now for the SUPER news ... Buddy is doing SO WELL !!! Bloodwork: perfect! Cell counts: right on! Kidney function: normal! Chemo meds can harm kidneys, so that needs to be monitored. We are SO thankful !!! YAY Buddy !!!

Sal noticed Buddy checking out the clinic's treat bowl on the counter. That is so "Buddy" ... he hasn't been there in 2 months, yet he remembers exactly where they keep the treats, amazing! Sal texted this to me while at the clinic:

Adorable!

doing something that counts

If you live in the U.S., you've probably already received your 2010 Census form in the mail. Although a lot of people fill it out and send it in rather promptly, the Census hires "enumerators" who will encourage/assist the rest of the population with completing and returning their forms.

And soon I will be one of those enumerators! A few months ago, I took the Census Bureau's test and passed (I think I got 100%, actually!). I hadn't given it much thought since then because there are a lot more applicants than jobs (especially in this sour economy!). But yesterday, they called to do a phone interview and offered me a position on the spot!

So, in about a month, I begin (paid) training to help with the 2010 Census. I'll probably be working with them for at least a couple of months. I think this is a unique opportunity, a noble endeavor for our country, and will be unlike any kind of work I've done before. It'll certainly be a departure from all my years as an engineer, calculating & designing & overseeing construction projects. The pay is relatively high, and the extra ca$h will help cover Buddy's on-going cancer treatments. Because I love him SO much !!!

If you or someone you know is working with the Census, or has in the past, I'd love to hear about the experience!

radio debut

I may live in Florida, but yesterday I was basking in the Tuscan sun.

A couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from the Rick Steves travel radio show announcing that Rick would be interviewing author Frances Mayes during an upcoming program. You may be familiar with her insanely popular memoirs, Under The Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany. The announcement said that listeners could submit a question/comment/thought for the show and, if yours was selected, they would call you to speak live on the air with both of them (the show's recorded and edited for airing later).

So of course I submitted something! I didn't get my hopes up ... after all, Rick is a HUGE celebrity among travelers, and Frances is a HUGE celebrity travel author ... "what are the chances they'll call little 'ol me?..." I imagined they would get TONS of submissions, so my chances were probably nil.

But yesterday during the recording session, my phone rang ... it was Rick's radio producer asking if I'd like to speak to Rick & Frances! OMG !!!! Luckily, they asked me to wait on hold a little bit before going on the air, because I needed to quickly usher Buddy & Aruba into another room (they can always immediately sense excitement and it makes them bark a LOT -- can't have that on the air!).

Thankfully, they settled down ... then I heard Rick introducing me "... and now let's welcome Susan from Delray Beach, Florida ...". I was a bit nervous and just hope that I was at least somewhat articulate and didn't ramble on and on. I'll admit that I was star-struck! I'm a big fan of them both, and it was a thrill to be chatting with them together!

The producer told me that the show will air (on NPR) sometime soon; tentatively, it's scheduled for early May. I'll post a link to it when I find out for sure, and you can hear me chatting with them about the experience that Sal and I had in Cortona, the quaint Tuscan town that is at the heart of Frances' memoirs. The show will also be available as part of Rick's weekly podcasts (available on iTunes).

(so glad it was radio and not TV because I'm due to get my hair done, LOL)

What a total thrill !!! :-)

Ciao,

oh deer!

This adorable tale is circulating around the Internet, thought I'd share it ... a cat in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has a special pal who visits every morning:

So precious!

Sometimes you find friendship where you least expect it....

going green

May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

--- Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you wearing GREEN today??? Aruba & Sal are! Aruba's a fashionista ... this is from her vast bandana wardrobe (she has one for every holiday & occasion!):
This post is dedicated to my late Irish friend, Mabel. She loved Ireland and all things Irish, and I miss calling her for our St. Patrick's Day chat.

Have a LUCKY day,

a nice weekend

Hi there & happy new week! Hope you enjoyed the weekend ... Sal & I spent some time relaxing and getting outdoors to enjoy the (finally) warmer weather.

I stopped in Cherry Blossom Studio to check out the brand new scrapbooking collections by Bo Bunny. They're all amazing, but my favorite is "Paradise" (can't resist those palm tree designs!):

The weather was gorgeous, so afterwards Sal & I headed to Green Cay Nature Center to enjoy a stroll. And just as we arrived, the resident naturalist was beginning a nature walk. Serendipity! It was fabulous to learn more about Florida wildlife and wetlands from such an expert! LOVED it!

I so wanted to hit the beach on Sunday, but it was incredibly w-i-n-d-y. It's no fun to sit there and get sandblasted! So instead we explored the tiny, hidden-away Mangrove Park ... it's a lovely boardwalk through mangrove trees that leads out to the Intracoastal Waterway, where MANATEES frequent. Unfortunately, none came to see me. Bummer! :-(

Earlier in the day, I attended a decorating class at Pottery Barn. I love to decorate, and their (free!) classes provide some ideas & inspiration. Actually, I think their products are nice, but over-priced! I rarely buy anything there. I'm more of a Crate & Barrel fan. But the PB store was decked out in spring & Easter/Passover decor, and was oh-so-pretty! If you're interested in attending their classes, go HERE to find out more about what's upcoming and to RSVP to a PB near you.

p.s. ~ this is so cute ... Buddy likes to take naps on our shoes! I used to think, "oh he must be uncomfortable", and I'd move them out of his way, only to find him laying on them again later. For some reason, he likes it! Have a great week ahead,

it's Angie's special day!

Happy 14th birthday today to my niece, Angie! She lives in Gulfport, Florida.

We wish you a FUN day full of SMILES, Angie! :-)

Love,

Aunt Susan, Uncle Sal, Buddy & Aruba

Animals Matter!

Are you an American Idol fan? Even if you aren't a regular viewer, you're probably aware that everyone waits to hear what judge Simon Cowell will say. He's brutally honest and, often times I think, correct in his judgements on the show.

It's no secret that Simon's known for expressing bold opinions, and you may wonder if he has any compassion ... YES, he does! He's speaking up for animals as part of the Animals Matter To Me campaign. I couldn't be more pleased that someone with his worldwide recognition is lending his attention-getting voice to the desperate plight of voiceless animals.

Animal suffering is a GLOBAL tragedy ... there is an urgent need for an international commitment to protect the welfare of animals. And one response to this need is the Animals Matter To Me campaign. It's demanding that governments around the globe pledge to defend the well-being of animals. Please lend your YOUR voice to the campaign! (this link also has a brief video of Simon sharing why he believes that ANIMALS MATTER)

On behalf of all animals suffering in silence, thank you!

some bunny sure is clever!

Wow, take a look at this bunny napkin fold ... l-o-v-e it!:
Is that CUTE, or what??? Just in time for your Easter and/or springtime dinner table setting. Leave it to Martha Stewart!

Hop over here for the step-by-step instructions.

Enjoy the weekend,

HS scrapbooking webcasts

If you're a fan of scrapbooking designer Heidi Swapp, then maybe you've been online every Wednesday night watching her (free) live webcasts. If you can't join in live, no problem ... just go to the same link whenever you want and watch the recorded version.

It's an hour (or two!) full of her fun & amazing ideas/tips/inspiration, and is "attended" by scrapbookers from all around the world. And the webcast includes a simultaneous live chat where you can post comments and questions. How neat that here I am in Florida and can chat live with other Heidi groupies (LOL) in Japan, or New Zealand, or Idaho ... wherever!

You may want to mark your calendar for her next webcast on March 17 at 9:00 pm EST. It's gonna be a special class featuring glimmer mists (!!!), one of my fave sb'ing products! Here's a sneak peek:

"See" you there! :-)

spring break

This is Spring Break week for Sal's university. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's a break for the profs ... although Sal's off from teaching, he's still busy, busy all week with research meetings, deadlines, etc. But I convinced him to take ONE day off to enjoy some down time. Even as college students we never got to enjoy spring break, we were always studying and/or working. Geez!

We decided that day off would be today because it's supposed to rain here Wednesday thru Saturday ... not exactly beach weather. And despite the cloudy skies today, we went to the beach anyway since the temp was mild and there was no rain in the forecast. It's not often that we can get to the beach on a weekday, but I love it then because it's less crowded, more calm & peaceful.

And today we had this little guy hanging around us for a while!

today is International Women's Day

Around the world today, International Women's Day is being celebrated. It's a day to recognize not only all of the amazing achievements of women, but also the (often painful) struggles -- past & present -- of women to attain freedom, equality, & a life without violence, objectification, and oppression. The 2010 theme is "Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all". Happy IWD!

And, speaking of things "international", I recently did some "Google Analytics" on my blog. It's a program that analyzes a website and reveals the general geographic locations of its visitors. I was amazed to see that my blog has been visited by readers in 63 countries! WOW !!! When I saw the map, I was absolutely STUNNED! To you all I say "welcome" and thank you!

Enjoy the week ahead,

a fun Saturday

Hi there ~ hope you're enjoying the weekend?

Sal and I had a relaxing Saturday (except when my car's "check engine" light came on ... geez! ... it's always something, right?).

Anyway ... I went to a party at Everything Scrapbook & Stamps, it was the store's 2-year anniversary celebration. Lots of festivities! Had fun browsing all the newly-released products, including the limited edition 2010 glimmer mists. Whoa, what a rainbow of yummy colors! And with fun names like Sunshine, Popsicle & Lemongrass, they're irresistible!

(photo courtesy ESS)

I put down my shopping basket long enough to play some "scrap" bingo (nope, I didn't win). And have a snack, of course! A fun time.

Afterwards, Sal and I had a late lunch at one of our fave restaurants, Buca di Beppo. Very Italian & molto delicioso! Actually (and unfortunately), there aren't a lot of veggie-friendly options on their menu for us, but we do have a couple of favorites (meatless ravioli, margherita pizza). And their salads and bread ... fabuloso! The ambience is unique too, unlike anywhere else. Worth a try if you've never been!

On the way home, we wanted to be outdoors and enjoy the milder temps, so we stopped in for a walk around Green Cay Nature Center. I've mentioned it here on WITW before, but it bears repeating that I love it there! A local treasure. Among other amazing wildlife, today we caught a glimpse of an egret (how beautiful are these birds, right?):

no ban on commercial whaling?

Say it isn't so!

Greenpeace has contacted their activists (of course, I am one!) about a proposal by some countries to overturn the ban on commercial whaling. And these countries are calling on President Obama to join them! Isn't it bad enough that our neighbors Japan, Norway and Iceland have all refused to recognize this ban? Must the United States join them? Can't we leave any creature alone to live in peace?

This was his promise to us in 2008, when he was presidential candidate Obama:

"As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable."

(photo credit: Greenpeace)

Let's hold President Obama to this promise!

Please contact President Obama asking him to protect the ban on whaling, and not to overturn it.

The whales need us to speak up for them, and to protect them from the horrific hunts. Thank you!

In happier (and certainly more trivial) news ... today I'm heading to a fun event at a scrapbooking store! Will share details soon....

Enjoy the weekend,

hello sunshine!

It has been CHILLY here in Florida for the past several days (weeks?). But today it warmed up to 60 degrees and The Sunshine State lived up to its name. I decided to get outside into the bright & abundant sunshine, enjoy some fresh air, all while reading Tim Holtz's book.

And our sweet Aruba joined me (Buddy preferred to nap on the cushy chair in the den, LOL):

She's so beautiful, I love how her eyes sparkle in the sunlight! Like me, she loves warmth and sunshine.

I was glad to capture this photo because, as you might already know, she's incredibly camera-shy. So getting her to look into the camera at any angle is a feat!

oh, Canada!

Hello there and happy March! Seems like we just rang in the new year, doesn't it? Incredible!

So, did you watch the winter Olympics for the past 2 weeks? Sal and I were pretty glued to the TV every night ... we watched more of it than ever! And how about that USA vs Canada hockey game yesterday, huh? (or should that be "eh?") WHOA, what a nail-biter! Congrats to Team Canada.

For some reason, this winter Olympics was more exciting to watch than in the past, for me anyway. Some of the stories of triumph were so uplifting & inspiring. And I'll miss hearing that fantastic Olympic theme music, LOL! Seems like our neighbors to the north put on quite a nice party in Vancouver. Now, if Canada would just put an end --- once and for all !!! --- to their upcoming annual barbaric seal hunt, they'd be the perfect Olympic host.

I'm already looking forward to watching the next Olympic summer games. London 2012. We've never been to London, and have always wanted to attend the Olympics ... hmmm ... the gears in my head are already turning ...

Have a great week ahead,