let the fun begin!

Skek thash! (that's "good day" in the Pima Indian language, pronounced skook thash)

Wow, another whirlwind day of fun on Wednesday here at CE.....and the event hasn't even officially started yet (it gets underway tomorrow)! So many of us arrived early to participate in all the fun stuff going on, to meet each other and enjoy this beautiful resort. I've already met so many sweet gals! Thanks to so many of you.....Teri, Cindy, Barbara, Kyoko, among others.....for the RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness) that you brought for me:

Here's me and Teri, who's from Boston:

My day started bright and early on Wednesday with a "bus tour" that only a scrapbooker could love! CE staff took us first to Scrapbooks, Etc. in Mesa; it's the largest scrapbooking store in Arizona!

It was extra fun because we arrived before the store opened to the public, so we had the (huge) place to ourselves!

I especially enjoyed the "wall of ribbon"!

Woo hoo, we all had a blast there!.....here I am with my new goodies and my receipt (Sal, cover your eyes!), and of course I was wearing my now-famous (and totally apropos) T-shirt.....don't I look happy?

Then the bus continued on to the Bazzill Basics Paper warehouse. Bazzill's textured cardstock is a staple among scrapbookers, a component of every project and page. So it was cool to go there for a tour to see how it's cut and packaged (it's made elsewhere). And, of course, there was more shopping to do.....they give everyone a "pizza box" and you can fill it to the rim with cardstock in the colors of your choice for a flat, discounted price.

Afterwards, I relaxed back at the resort. And to get into the CE spirit even more, I painted my toenails pink to go with my green sandals.....the official CE colors are pink, green, black & white. Everyone here is decked out in that color combo, from clothing, to shoes and jewelry, and some even with pink dye in their hair! Now that's scrapworthy!

I had a poolside dinner Wed night with Barbara, a friend who lives near me but whom I hadn't met until I joined the CE message board. We watched the sun set over the mountains and saw 2 wild horses galloping in the distance -- spectacular! Then we found the first of 6 treasure chests that have been hidden around the hotel grounds by CE. Our CE Welcome Boxes included a treasure map and clues, and each chest holds a surprise that we have to document. We found the first chest in the lobby and it contained tiaras and a message that reminded us that "Everyone wants to be a princess, especially on vacation."

We'll have to finish finding the other 5 treasure chests on Thursday because prizes will be awarded soon!

The fun continued Wednesday night with a party for those of us on the message board, kind of a meet-and-greet type thing. It was so great to finally be with everyone in person; I've been chatting with them online all of these months! And all of the Susans from the group got together for a photo op; we've been distinguished up til now only by our home state. From left, Susan from North Carolina, Susan from Atlanta, Susan from New York (my CE "twin"), Susan from California (??? not sure of your state, so sorry ???), and me from Florida:

And here's me & Kyoko, who's from Japan (gosh, I'm starting to look pretty tired by this time!):

Lots more fun is in store for Thursday, as the event gets underway. I'll be back Thursday PM to share the surprises and smiles that the day had in store. CE is full of neat twists.....even our hotel room keys don't have the standard Sheraton logo on them, instead they're printed with "Creative Escape, enjoy" in -- what else? -- pink, black & white. Nice touch and something great to include in the scrapbook!

Good night!

but it's a dry heat

Q: Where In The World?

A: Phoenix, Arizona!

My luggage and I have arrived safe and sound, no delays, no glitches.......but it was a long trip from Florida. I originally had booked a nice non-stop flight from Fort Lauderdale to Phoenix, but the airline changed my itinerary to include a stop (with a very short {panic} 50-minute layover in Charlotte, North Carolina......so glad I was able to catch my connecting flight). The nice thing about this long-haul flight, though, was that I flew First Class......for the first time ever! I managed to use frequent flier miles to pull it off and, wow, it was nice to have some extra leg room and a big comfy seat.

I'm SO EXCITED to be here! I'm attending the annual Creative Escape event; it's a retreat of 600 attendees enjoying the combination of scrapbooking workshops and relaxation (does it really get any better than that???). There's already lots of excitement in the air! If you're a scrapbooker, you'll recognize the event's founder --- Heidi Swapp, scrapbook designer extraordinaire. I first found out that I was able to attend way back in November 2007, so the anticipation has been building for many months. And, yes, I said "able" to attend because attendance is on a lottery basis only, your name has to be drawn randomly from a pool of nearly 2,000 eager scrapbookers! I was stunned when I found out that I had been chosen, the odds were against me. My name was in the final batch drawn. Total luck!

There are scrapbookers here from all over the world, it's so exciting!!! Japan, New Zealand, Australia, China, Canada, France, United Kingdom, Norway, and from all over the US, from Hawaii to Maine and everywhere in-between. There are several of us here from Florida, too. I love making new friends around the globe.

We're at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler, about 10 miles south of Phoenix. This is a gorgeous resort, what a perfect venue for the event.

The resort is on an Indian reservation within the Gila River Indian Community, so unique. The authentic and beautiful southwestern decor is in keeping with the traditions of the Pima Indians that reside here. I love the Native American flute music that plays throughout the property, so soothing. I fell in love with that genre of music way back in 1997 when Sal and I visited the Grand Canyon, and bought a CD called Canyon Spirit to take home with me. I still play it often.

I've arrived a couple days early (look right --- my CE countdown clock is still ticking!). I wanted to enjoy the amenities here, and to have a chance to unwind so that I can relax {wink}. When I arrived this afternoon, I went straight to the resort's Aji Spa (aptly, "Aji" is the Pima Indian word for "sanctuary")......I had an appointment for their Mo'otk massage, which is specifically for jet lag and travel fatigue, complete with citrus aromatherapy. Ahhhh......it was heavenly! I feel rejuvenated. I've always wanted to do that --- get some pampering after a long day of travel --- and I finally had the opportunity.

Today one of the CE'ers made a run to Sprinkles, a famous and insanely popular cupcake bakery, and there happens to be one here in Phoenix. She was so kind to pick one up for me and.....it was YUMMY! The flavors change daily, and today's was lemon coconut, a great combination. (Thanks again, Teri!)

On Wednesday morning those of us who've arrived early (and there are many of us!) are going on a "bus tour" put together by the event staff. So I'll be back online tomorrow with all the details of the exciting stops that we make......

It sure is hot here, around 100 degrees. True, it's not humid like Florida, but HOT is still HOT. It's not easy to forget that we're in the desert.

Stay tuned for all the exciting details (and photos) of the event throughout the weekend! I'm all set up here in my hotel room with a great Internet connection and my laptop, and will be blogging daily. Thanks for sharing in the fun with me!

XOXOXO to Sal, Buddy & Aruba.....I miss you SO much already!!! Sal told me that B&A are sad, that they're looking for me. That broke my heart! (I tried to console them by speaker phone)

And, of course, I'm still watching Tropical Storms Hanna, Ike, and Josephine from afar on The Weather Channel.....oh please, I hope they just fizzle out. In the interim, let my ESCAPE begin!

greetings from Gate E3 at FLL

Woo Hoo, this day has finally arrived! I'm sitting here at Fort Lauderdale airport waiting for my flight [insert excitement here] to attend Creative Escape in Phoenix! (Loving the free WiFi they have here, wish more airports had it.)

I was up early today.....my flight departs at 6:40 AM {yawn}. You know you're up early when you leave home before your newspaper is delivered! Sal was so nice to get up [very] early for an airport run, even though he has a cold and doesn't feel his best. Thanks, sweetheart!

I'm just so relieved to be able to fly out today; for days I've been worried about potential hiccups in my itinerary due to the storms, Gustav and/or Hanna. I was packed and completely prepared to call the airline and leave a day or two early if I had to, just to get out before the airport closed. I'm thinking of my CE sisters on the Gulf Coast who are still dealing with the effects of Gustav. Hang in there!

OK, more from Arizona when I arrive and get my laptop/WiFi set up in my hotel room.

.....leavin' on a jet plane.....

Bye for now!

T minus 6 hours

I should be going to sleep now since I'm leaving for the airport at 4:00 AM.

Can't sleep. Too excited about attending Creative Escape!

Like a kid going to Disney World. :-)

my boarding pass is in hand!

Hello, happy Labor Day and happy September (already)! Hope you have the day off. Actually, Labor Day has an interesting history and meaning. More about that here (better yet, read it while you're at work on Tuesday, ha ha!).

It's still not beach weather here in south Florida, we're feeling the fringe effects of both Gustav and Hanna. We live in The Sunshine State? Not this weekend! We're still watching Hanna closely, not sure what to make of her path. It changed course 180 degrees overnight on Saturday! I think it's the fickle, unpredictable nature of these storms that causes 90% of the anxiety. My heart goes out to those in Haiti, Jamaica, the Caymans, Cuba, and the northern Gulf Coast for the suffering Gustav is causing.

On a lighter note, I printed my boarding pass this morning. Hurrah! I leave for Creative Escape on Tuesday early AM, barring any weather delays (hope not!). I can finally say that I'm just about packed and ready to go, including all my essential scrapbooking gear. I can remember when my countdown clock had triple digits in the "days" category, so it's super-exciting that the time has finally arrived!

I'll be back to blog sometime on Tuesday, probably from Phoenix....catchya then!

Saturday

Hi there, hope you're enjoying the holiday weekend so far. It's not exactly beach weather here in south Florida.....it's cloudy, windy, with rip currents galore at the beach, all courtesy of Hurricane Gustav. We're getting the outer edges of the storm. My thoughts go out to the residents on the Gulf Coast who are in Gustav's path.

I'm still trying to get started packing for my trip to Creative Escape. How is it that someone who loves to travel, hates to pack? Then again, I'm a vegetarian who hates most vegetables.....go figure! {Enigmatic} Anyway, I'm making sure to bring my favorite scrapbooking T-shirt, it says: "My husband lets me buy all the scrapbooking supplies I can HIDE." Love it! My fellow scrappers out there surely see the humor in it! Actually, I wore the shirt to a scrapbooking event last year, and I think 1,000 people stopped me and took my photo, they loved the shirt that much! Photos of me wearing that shirt instantly appeared in scrapbooks and blogs everywhere.

I checked the weather forecast for next week in southern Phoenix, where I'm headed.....it'll be sunny, between 102 and 106 degrees F, with almost no chance of rain (and no hurricanes). Superb!

And then there's Hanna.....pretty name, ugly problem. The good news is that they say she'll have some difficulty forming into a hurricane because of wind shear. I'm waiting for the 5:00 PM hurricane advisory to see if Delray Beach is still within Hanna's projected path. We probably can't ignore this storm just yet.

random musings on a Friday

Geez, I'm leaving for my trip to Creative Escape soon and I'm not packed at all (hence my empty scrapbooking tote at left)! I guess I've been too scared this week to get (too) excited, worried that Hurricane Gustav and/or Hanna would mess up my travel plans (although I won't let them.....I'll drive north and fly out of Orlando if I have to!).

So, what do you think of John McCain's choice of V.P., Alaska Governor Sarah Palin? I gotta say that I predicted it.....no, really I did, just ask Sal! I told him yesterday that I thought McCain would pick her. I imagine he's trying to sway women voters away from Obama (sorry JM, that didn't work on me!). Although I don't like Gov. Palin's politics, I agree with Sal's observation that "...it's a good day for women...". Perhaps she'll be # 2 in command, and that'll be a great first for the USA.

I wish everyone a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

more animal cuteness

Here's something sweet to distract us all from Gustav.....

This was posted on the Internet recently.....it was on the local news in Maryland.....a resident came home to find that a fawn had followed their beagle into their home through the doggie door, and made himself at home! Oh, how cute is this???

"two" cute!

You may recall how I fell in love with moose while we were in Alaska this summer (scroll down to my June 29 blog post). Well, my uncle recently sent me this video clip that someone posted on the Internet, it's just too adorable.....twin moose calves were filmed playing in someone's backyard sprinkler! Take a moment to watch, it's guaranteed to make you smile.....

Still keeping an eye on Hurricane Gustav out there.....yikes!

go away Gustav!

OK, I'm warning you, Gustav! No one is in the mood for a hurricane, so please fizzle out and leave everyone alone! And those of us in Florida who are attending Creative Escape next week have flights that we need to catch out to Phoenix. {worried}

Creative Escape countdown fun

Only 10 days to go!

So says my Creative Escape countdown clock (see sidebar). But I can tell that the event is approaching without even looking at my clock.....while I was in Philadelphia, FedEx came by with a package from the event organizers. To get the fun going early, each attendee is receiving a Welcome Box full of scrapbooking delights! WOO HOO !!! I'd love to share here what the contents are, but some of the gals attending haven't received theirs yet and it would surely spoil their surprise if I posted it.

We've also each pre-ordered our CE T-shirts, they're a really pretty design, which even wraps around onto the back of the shirt.

And when I arrive at CE, I'll also be getting a great craft apron (to keep the messy fun off of my new CE shirt!), complete with CE '08 logo embroidered in green. And I'm bringing a green pen so that the "celebrity" teachers can all sign my apron!

The countdown (and fun) continues until I leave on September 2.....!!!

oh, deer!

We had another "phabulous Philly" day on Thursday! Today we drove west out of the city to visit Valley Forge National Historical Park, and we're so glad that we went! It's not the most exciting place, but it's serene, beautiful and historic. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time, but we managed to finish the driving tour through the park. And, as a bonus, we saw several deer there! EEEEK! Right in the middle of the day too, I was surprised, they're typically out at dusk. And I got close-up, I was able to walk within only about 10 feet of them.....they just kept munching on the grass, undisturbed by my presence. They're such delicate creatures!

Afterwards, we met Maria, Jim, Paul, Ruth & our niece Gina at the movies. Ruth, Maria & I saw Momma Mia! and loved it (I had already seen it, but it was even more fun the second time around). On the way to and from the theater, Maria & I blasted an ABBA cd in the car, laughing like teenagers. Thanks for bringing it, Maria, that was perfect! Paul, Jim, Sal & Gina saw Star Wars: The Clone Wars. But I'm sure it wasn't as much fun as Momma Mia! {wink}

Fun's over.....we're heading home.....back to Florida on Friday. Can't wait to see my pups though!

Thanks again to everyone in Philadelphia for your hospitality and for such a fun visit. We had a terrific week! We'll be back again sometime soon! Til then.....take care, stay in touch.

Time for bed.

Wednesday in Philly

We had another enjoyable day in Philly on Wednesday. While Sal spent the day at the conference, I took a self-guided walking tour of Center City (Philly's downtown). The weather here was perfect for it.....it has been gorgeous all week, actually.....sunshine, blue skies, warm but not too hot. I munched on a Philly pretzel along the way (actually two of them, what a pig, Susan!).....there ain't no better snack in this town! {YUM}

I stopped into the Betsy Ross House, and although I'm not really a fan of museums, it was neat to learn more about what a "revolutionary" woman she was. Here's Betsy's story.


Philadelphia is so historic; you get a real sense of it seeing all the monuments, etc. around town. I also wanted to tour the US Mint, but they have a strict "no cameras allowed" policy, not even if it's turned off and tucked in your bag. (Note to self for next time) I had mine with me, of course, so I couldn't go in. Bummer! {disappointed}

I had to chuckle because as I walked around, several people (tourists, I guess?) asked me for directions. I must either look like a local or look like I know where I'm going (not!).


We spent the evening visiting with Aunt Tina, Uncle Sam, and Sal's cousins Claudia & Sylvia. Here's the gang, from left: Aunt Tina, Sal, Sylvia, Claudia, Uncle Sam:

Uncle Sam whipped up a cappuccino, especially for Sal:

Thank you again for your hospitality and the delicious dinner, too! Hope you all have fun at the Outer Banks next week! Uncle Sam --- please keep us posted on your trip to Florida, we'll try to coordinate another visit with you.

We're still monitoring Tropical Storm Fay from afar, and she's still hanging around Florida. She can't decide where to go. Apparently she plans to "boomerang" and go west across the panhandle now. Oh, come on!

OK, so I'll meet you back here again on Friday. Boy, this week is just flying by!

fun & games in Philly

Still enjoying our time here in Philadelphia! Sal gave his presentation on Monday, and he did great! So, he's relieved and can enjoy the rest of the conference.

I went out to lunch on Monday with my sister-in-law, Ruth (below, right), and Sal's cousin, Maria (below, left). We had a great time, just us girls. Hey Claudia -- we missed you! -- but we'll catch you for the next girls' day out, OK?

My parents said that Buddy seems to be feeling better, he's eating and getting into mischief once again. We're SO glad to hear it!

On Tuesday we had a fun visit with the Marinos.....from left, below: Maria, Jim, Aunt Angie, Sal, Sal's cousin Danny & his wife Mary.....Danny is holding Maria & Jim's sons James & Samuel.....so nice to see everyone! Thank you again for the delicious ziti lunch, too!

(Wow, don't Sal and Danny look alike?!?!?)

Then on Tuesday night Paul & Ruth and our nieces Gina & Dana joined us at Maria's for pizza and game night. Here's Jim, Sal, Paul & David (Danny & Mary's son) enjoying dinner outside on a nice summer evening:

We played a very cool board game called Blokus, which involves the strategic placement of brightly-colored tiles on a board, with only corner-to-corner contact of tiles allowed. Very fun!

All the kids enjoyed doing chalk art on the driveway and riding their bikes:

from left: James, Samuel, Gina & Dana

Gina & Dana:

James:

Samuel:

We're really enjoying this opportunity to see everyone again. We're not doing much "touristy" sightseeing around town since we've already been to the Philly highlights (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the famous south Philly Italian Market) in past visits.

Will blog more from Philly again soon.....stay tuned, we have more fun planned for the rest of the week! Until then, we're still keeping an eye on Tropical Storm [thankfully not a hurricane!] Fay. She made landfall on Tuesday morning near Naples, which is directly across Florida from us, on the southwest coast, and is (still) crossing the state. The Weather Channel was reporting live from Lake Worth, Florida which is just north of Delray Beach, so we were able to see exactly what Fay was up to back home, pretty cool!

Later!

greetings from Philly!

Sal and I are here in Philadelphia......we had a good trip up, no lost luggage and our flight actually arrived 20 minutes early. Before we even went to baggage claim, we stopped at a pretzel stand in the airport terminal.....gotta have us some Philly pretzels (with mustard, of course)!

Sal and 2 of his PhD students are here to attend an American Chemical Society chemistry conference, and will be presenting their research findings (typically this conference is attended by about 15,000 chemists!). Take a look at the cool research that Sal's presenting.

Sal also has a lot of family here in Philly....his brother & his family, aunts, uncles, cousins.....so being here on business also provides a nice opportunity to visit them. Last night, we went out for some good hometown Philly pizza with Sal's brother, Paul, and his wife Ruth:


Ruth was so sweet to put together a "goodie bag" of our favorite snacks (pretzels, Skittles, Almond Joy, etc.) for us to enjoy in our hotel room. Thanks again, Ruth.....so thoughtful!

Although we're glad to be here, we left Florida with worries on our minds. One of our dogs, Buddy, seemed to be developing a mild fever just before we left. But he's getting lots of TLC from my parents, a.k.a. "Grandma & Grandpa". Grandma took his temp this morning and it seemed normal, although his nose is still warm (unusual for a dog). We'll see how he is on Monday and determine if he should go to the vet. We love you, Buddy!

And then there's Tropical Storm Fay. Seems like the forecast models have her crossing right over Florida on Tuesday:


Yikes! I hope she brings only some rain, not much wind, and doesn't strengthen into a hurricane. A perpetual worry here in The Sunshine State, I suppose.

So when I'm not glued to The Weather Channel, I'll be blogging again from Philadelphia soon.....bye for now!

I don't like the looks of this.....

Oh, please, go away.....this tropical disturbance is over Puerto Rico as of Friday AM, is strengthening and heading for the east (my) coast of Florida. And there's another one right behind it. {nervous}

.....18 years.....

Sal and I are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary today, 8.11! We plan to spend the day together.....relaxing at the beach, eating out, enjoying each other's company. Unfortunately, we have a major car repair being done today too {yuck}, but we're trying not to let that interfere with our special day too much. We couldn't postpone it because we'll be on the road with the car soon. Happy 18th, sweetheart, I love you! XOXO

And I want to wish my nephew, Tim, a happy 11th birthday today. He lives in Gulfport, Florida. Enjoy your special day, Tim!

arch enemies: erosion & gravity

Hi everyone and hope you're enjoying the weekend.....

I had quite a "geologic scare" today! I'm in the midst of planning our trip to Utah in spring 2009. Our itinerary will definitely include Arches National Park, home of the famous and oft-photographed Delicate Arch (my guidebook cover is evidence). It is to Utah what Disney World is to Florida, I think. I've always wanted to see it, and as a geology lover who's finally going to Utah soon, I was stunned to hear that a famous arch recently FELL in the park!!! (article: Iconic Stone Arch Collapses in Utah Park)

Upon closer reading, and to my great relief, it was another iconic arch, Wall Arch, although that was one I would've loved to see also.

It seems that erosion and gravity took their collective toll on the arch.....here are the before-and-after views:

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

There are about 2,000 arches in the park, so no doubt there'll still be plenty to enjoy when we go. Factoid: In order to be considered an arch, an opening must measure at least three feet (in any direction).

Time to get outside and do some yardwork before it rains!

wowed by the Opening Ceremony!

Hi there and happy Saturday!

Did you catch the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last night? All I can say is WOW. China outdid itself! Although it was long (I saw President Bush checking his watch!), it was spectacular! So much pomp, beautiful costumes. The amount of technology utilized in the Ceremony was incredible, too. My favorite performance was by the 2,008 drummers at the beginning. Such precision, loved it:

And the Taiji performance (below) took my breath away!

Another fave were the 2,008 martial artists performing Kung Fu:

Sal enjoyed seeing the Italian Olympic Delegation enter the stadium....they sure were exuberant! They had an espresso buzz perhaps {chuckle}.

And the way the cauldron was lit was too cool, an unexpected grand finale treat:

To see highlights of the Ceremony, go here.

One more thought for the day.....happy birthday today to my brother-in-law, Mark, who lives in Gulfport, Florida. Enjoy your day!

08.08.08

Wow, today's date is so cool - 08.08.08! In Chinese culture, 8 is a lucky number. So lots of Chinese have planned weddings for today and are opening accounts today. And, of course, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics is tonight. This is the first Olympics to be held in China, so it's pretty exciting!

Send some of that luck my way.....we just found out that Sal's car needs $1,700 worth of repairs and maintenance. No fun!

Anyway.....enjoy the Olympics and have a LUCKY weekend!

oh, how I've waited for this!

Wonderful!

Delta Air Lines has announced that all domestic flights will have wireless Internet access by summer 2009. Imagine: surfing the net and e-mailing (and blogging!) from 30,000 feet for about 10 bucks. Sal and I will really be fighting over the laptop now! We may have to bring 2 of them. {chuckle}

I love it!

Delta Air Lines to Offer Wi-Fi on U.S. Flights

Other airlines are following suit.....those with Wi-Fi will be getting my business.

P.S. ~ If you haven't already, be sure to vote in the (unscientific) presidential election poll on my blog's sidebar. Interestingly, the votes are currently running neck-and-neck, perhaps a reflection of the how divided the nation is?

one month and counting!

Wow, bad blogger, Susan! Where have I been? Forgive me, but I guess I had a bit of a rough week, and didn't want to let that creep into my blog. The worst of it was getting into an ugly argument with a clerk at Buddy & Aruba's vet's office; at the very least, this new guy they've hired has an anger management problem and I don't want him anywhere near my dogs. I think with the sour economy they're having trouble keeping staff. Anyway, I demanded their medical records and left. So, sadly, after many years with the same vet's office, I need to find a new vet for B&A. Like any concerned Dog Mom, I want only the best for them.

On a brighter note, though, I'm super excited because Creative Escape will begin one month from tomorrow! I've been anticipating this event for nearly a year (as you can tell from my countdown clock at right)! It's a long weekend in Phoenix, Arizona filled with top-notch scrapbooking workshops and relaxation, a retreat of sorts. This is the 3rd annual CE, and my first time attending, but I've heard that the first 2 were spectacular.

I'm off to watch The Travel Channel now.....Sal and I have been enjoying nightly episodes of the "China Week" series that they're airing as part of the Beijing Olympics festivities. A little armchair travel until we visit Asia someday.

Have a great week.....

good-bye, Sophia

Estelle Getty, best known for her role as the sarcastic and witty "Sophia Petrillo" on The Golden Girls, passed away earlier this week. I am a big fan of the show, it brought me a lot of joy and laughter during my college and graduate school days (and I needed it!). I think I know every episode by heart.

To honor Estelle, the Lifetime channel will air a Golden Girls mini-marathon (10 episodes) on Friday, July 25 from 12 noon til 5:00 pm EST (7/25 just happens to be Estelle's birthday, too). It will include an on-air tribute to her, and all of the episodes will showcase her character. Fans can vote for the final episode on this webpage.

A little trivia.....did you know that Sophia (Estelle) was actually younger than her on-air daughter, Dorothy (Bea Arthur)? Before each episode taping, she had to spend 45 minutes with a make-up artist to make her look her role's age in the show. (By the way, I read that Bea Arthur hates cheesecake, go figure!)

Off-air, Bea, Betty and Rue are active animal rights advocates. Thanks, girls! You are golden.

the Olympic host country

The Summer Olympics begin on 08.08.08 in Beijing. The event represents that countries can put politics aside to come together in peace so that their athletes can compete. How wonderful that is!
But protests about China, the host country, have been numerous in the weeks leading up to the Opening Ceremonies, particularly for their notorious human rights abuses. No doubt, these issues demand attention. But in my constant quest to bring attention to the plight of suffering animals, who have no voice to protest their abuses, I'm joining with PETA to raise awareness of China's barbaric dog and cat fur industry. I'll leave the horrific details of it to your imagination.....but please take a moment to SIGN A PLEDGE to never buy or wear fur, as several of the Olympic athletes already have. This simple act is changing minds, consumer habits, and ultimately the welfare of animals worldwide. Evidence includes the promise by leading fashion designers -- including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren & Ann Taylor -- to adopt permanent fur-free policies.

Thank you!

Mamma Mia, Meryl !

Hi everyone, how was your weekend?

Sal and I enjoyed going to the movies; he saw The Dark Knight and I went to Mamma Mia!. Both were great flicks, Sal seemed to enjoy all of the action in TDK, but the plot was indeed dark, and intense. Mamma Mia! was fun! Meryl Streep did a great job of singing, dancing and acting, although she was just a little off-tune in 1 or 2 songs. And, despite the unrealistic and simple plot, the film has a lot of energy and is entertaining. A couple of the scenes had me grinning, they were so much fun to watch.

Have a great week.....

it's Leah's special day!

Happy Birthday to my niece, Leah! She lives in Gulfport, Florida.

She turns 8 today...

Have a fun day, Leah!

Love,

Aunt Susan, Uncle Sal, Buddy & Aruba

UPDATE & what we can do

("please protect me!")

As an update to my post earlier this afternoon:

The People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights organization, has issued an urgent action alert.....it enables you to send an online, pre-written letter (that you may revise, if you wish) to an Army Chief of Staff (a Colonel) and the Army's Public Affairs Officer (a Major).

Thank you!

military intelligence?

I'm absolutely sick over this.....

With all of our so-called human/advanced intelligence, the US Army can't come up with a humane alternative to this cruelty that they call training???

Army to Shoot Live Pigs for Medical Drill

Consider how humans value one living thing over another. There's no doubt in my mind that if the Army were using dogs or cats in this despicable "exercise" that the public would be outraged, yet other animals --- pigs in this case --- are somehow fair game. I suppose in the minds of most, it's a simple equation: pigs = bacon + sausage. My math is different: animals = a right to a cruelty-free life + sentient beings who comprehend their suffering.

holy musicals Batman, it's movie night!

Hey everyone & happy Friday!

I've been waiting all week for the movie Momma Mia! to open, and today's the day! Sal has absolutely no interest in seeing it (he's not a fan of musicals), so instead he'll be in the theater next door watching the new Batman flick, The Dark Knight. These movies are so popular (TDK has opened to rave reviews!), and since it's opening night, we already bought our tickets online for tonight's shows.

I'll meet you back here over the weekend to let you know what we thought of them.

Enjoy the weekend! :-)

weekend fun

Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed the weekend. Sal and I had a fun day at the beach on Saturday, the weather was great and the water was warm & clear. We went out for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Buca di Beppo. It's also near a scrapbook store, so I stopped in and fell in love with K & Company's new Sea Glass collection. So pretty!

On Sunday, we joined some friends for brunch in downtown Delray Beach, then went with them for a stroll through Wakodahatchee Wetlands. Love it there! It has become one of my favorite local places.

This week I'm really looking forward to the release of Mamma Mia!, the movie adaptation of the wildly popular broadway musical. Looks like fun! Anyone else plan to see it?

Have a great week.....I'll catch you back here again soon!

it's Gina's special day!

Happy Birthday to my niece, Gina, in Philadelphia!

She turns 9 today...

Have a fun day, Gina!



Love,
Aunt Susan, Uncle Sal, Buddy & Aruba

.....gal pals.....

Today I met Barbara for lunch.....she and I are practically neighbors (she lives in Boca Raton, just a few miles south of me), but we "met" online through the message board for Creative Escape, a scrapbooking retreat in Arizona that we're both attending in September! How cool is that???

Thanks, Barbara.....it was so great to meet you and get acquainted! :-) See you again soon for lunch in Delray Beach!

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July! It's that special summer day.....

have a picnic
play at the beach
eat some watermelon
go see fireworks
celebrate freedom and remember our troops


.....enjoy the holiday everyone!

this commercial "ROCKS" !

Sal and I absolutely love this TV commercial.....it's so poetic, profound.....and the music is haunting.....



It originally aired back around 2002, but they've brought it back. I did a little research.....the music is an adaptation of a song called Yumeji's Theme from the soundtrack of a 2000 movie called In The Mood For Love.

P.S. ~ Happy July everyone! Can you believe that 2008 is half over already???