Wednesday, January 26, 2011

YAY for Buddy !!!

Earlier this week, it was time for our precious Buddy to get lung X-rays. So scary! ... they're looking for any cancer that has spread, or new tumors.

I'm happy to report that Buddy's X-rays were 100% CLEAR !!!



We're SO thankful !!! His bloodwork and other tests were also fine.


He's now nearly 2 years cancer-free! His oncologist is gradually reducing the amount of chemo he's on, and she anticipates that later this year he'll be able to stop chemo totally! For the first time, he's in "complete remission". OMG !!!


We dropped Sal off at campus, and then, of course, Buddy and I celebrated with a stop at Sonic on the way home, LOL! (This Dog Mom needed some junk food !!) Terry ~ thanks again for the Sonic giftcard!

Whew, it was an emotional and tiring visit to the clinic, and Buddy (and I) needed a nap afterwards:

Thanks for sharing our joy!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

it's Maria's special day!

Happy birthday today to Sal's cousin, Maria! She lives near Philadelphia, PA.

Enjoy your day, Maria! We miss you and can't wait to see you in May! :-)

Love,
Susan, Sal, Buddy & Aruba

Sunday, January 23, 2011

glittery goodness

Twice a year -- in January & July -- new scrapbooking products hit the marketplace and it's SO exciting ... scrapbookers are always gaga for all the new goodies!!

Yesterday I stopped in Cherry Blossom Studio and scooped up the 9 YUMMY new colors of Stickles (glitter glue), an obsession (ahem, I mean staple) in any scrapbooker's supply stash:



And with names like Tropical Tangerine, Paprika, Lagoon, and Thistle, who can resist this bling-in-a-bottle ?!?

it's Jen's special day!

Happy birthday today to our sister-in-law, Jen! She lives in Gulfport, Florida.


Enjoy a day full of SMILES and FUN, Jen!
:-)

Love,

Susan, Sal, Buddy & Aruba

Friday, January 21, 2011

it's my Grandma's special day!

Happy 89th birthday today to my Grandma! She lives in Ontario, Canada.

We wish you a wonderful day and great new year ahead, Grandma! :-)

We miss you!

With love,
Susan, Sal, Buddy & Aruba

Monday, January 17, 2011

honoring Dr. King



"....I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character...."

--- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)

Today is a special and important holiday here in the United States. It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrating the ideals of equality that he fought (and so many suffered) for.

You can read the full, exact text of his famous and moving "I Have A Dream" speech HERE.

Friday, January 14, 2011

it's Tricia's special day!

Happy birthday today to Sal's sister, Tricia! She lives in Gulfport, Florida.


We wish you a day full of SMILES and happy memories, Tricia! :-)

Love,
Susan & Sal

Thursday, January 13, 2011

three years ago today ....

.... I published my first post here at Where In The World? !! And now today, 472 posts later, I'm celebrating my 3rd blog-a-versary!




Thanks to all of you for meeting me here so often, so faithfully! This has been an AMAZING way to stay in touch with friends/family, and to "meet" new friends around the globe. Keep those comments and e-mails coming, I love 'em!

I hope you'll keep stopping by to join me as I chat about my everyday happenings, and continue sharing my journey around the world. Speaking of ... here's a sneak peek of where in the world I'll be exploring next, or should I say where my next "odyssey" will be:



Hmm... where is that ??? ;-)

Looking forward to Year 4 with you,

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Christmas fun!

With memories of Hawaiian paradise fresh in my mind, it was back to the grind, back to reality, last week. You know, the (sometimes) mundane stuff of life ... taking my car for an oil change, grocery shopping, etc. What? No more nightly hula dances? No more daily mango-pineapple smoothies brought to me poolside? LOL. (Not that I'm complaining, because I have a great life to come back to here at home!) I swear tho, for the first few days after getting back I was looking for a lei to wear (a hard Hawaiian habit to break!).

We had a bit of a scare last week too ... took Aruba to the vet for "routine maintenance" (vaccinations, wellness exam, bloodwork). btw, she loves to go for rides in the car and jumps right into the driver's seat!
The vet said that one of the levels in her blood is high, and it has to do with her liver, so we need to monitor it. She said not to panic, that we'll re-check it in a few weeks. So, since Aruba has no symptoms and seems to be feeling fine, we're hoping that it's not a major health concern. Still, I'm a Dog Mom, and she's 12 ... I worry.... she's so precious to us! Here she is in her "jingle bell collar" --- it sounded so cute jingling around the house during the holidays! (and, of course, as usual, she won't look at the camera!):


So since we're already more than a week into 2011, I thought I'd get busy and post some Christmas pics ... before it's Valentine's Day!

Sal and I flew back from Hawaii on an overnight flight, arriving on Christmas Eve. Look at the message that I saw at one of the airport gates ... cute!

We enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner prepared by my Mom and sister ... Sal and I brought fresh pineapples back from Hawaii, a yummy addition to the feast.



Buddy loves to get in on the gift-opening fun too! We have to keep an eye on him ... he thinks all the gifts are for him! He'll go over to the Christmas tree and help himself and will just start ripping all the gifts open on his own!


Sal and my Mom and I have a fun Christmas tradition of going for a drive to look at Christmas lights. The neighborhood where we go every year goes all out ... nearly every house participates and has elaborate decorations. And best of all, they collect donations to support the local Hospice. How terrific is that? Even this adorable manatee mailbox got in on the fun:
My Dad had a birthday right after New Year's, so the excitement and festivity continued.

I'll be back soon to share more about our visit to Hawaii. You know how bad I am about unpacking and, yep, the suitcases are still sitting in the living room. Gotta tackle that first!



Have a great week,


Susan

Sunday, January 2, 2011

it's my Dad's special day!

Happy birthday today to my Dad! He lives in Seminole, Florida.

We wish you a day of SMILES and a great new year ahead, Daddy!

p.s. from B&A ~ happy birthday, Grandpa! :-)



Love,
Susan, Sal, Buddy & Aruba

Saturday, January 1, 2011

happy 2011 !!!

Ah, a new year, a fresh start... we traditionally begin the new year at midnight with a "group hug". Me, Sal, Buddy, Aruba. My sweet little family!

Now it's time to hang up a new calendar ... every year I choose our wall calendar with a theme of - what else? - where we're going that year! I love to let the stunning photography of a place inspire me both before and after the journey. For 2010, we had a "hula" calendar, because it's one of my fave things about Hawaii.

So where in the world are Susan & Sal heading in 2011? Hint: this time, a passport is required, LOL. Stay tuned!

And what could be better than this? Check out this fortuitous fortune in a cookie from New Year's Eve:

So here's to a great 2011... health. happiness. fulfillment. peace. And more worldwide compassion toward animals and their vulnerable plight.

Best,