just catching up

Hi everyone! Hope you're enjoying the weekend. Wow, where did this past week go??? Time is flying, and tomorrow is June.....already! June 1 also marks an important date for us here in Florida.....it's the start of hurricane season, which lasts through November. After enduring Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, and Wilma in recent years, we're hoping for a calm and uneventful season in 2008.

Sal and I had a bit of a worrisome week with our pups. We were awaiting results of tests for Aruba; we were worried that she had a bladder infection. But, she's fine, thankfully! Then, I found a lump on Buddy's leg. Given his history with a cancerous tumor on his ear, we had it checked ASAP. The vet did some preliminary testing and thinks that it's just a fatty mass, but we're now awaiting final lab tests to confirm her hunch. We're hoping that Buddy is OK.

We're also getting ready for our much-anticipated trip to Alaska! Lots of planning and packing to do. We'll be leaving soon and I plan to blog from the road, so stay tuned in June!

For my pals who love scrapbooking, I have the pleasure of taking 2 workshops with Tim Holtz tomorrow at a local scrapbook store. He's a BIG celebrity in scrapbooking circles, and is a super-fun, super-creative teacher. I'll be sure to post pics of the projects that I create.

Bye for now!

ladies & gentlemen, start your engines!

Hi everyone.....hope you're enjoying the long holiday weekend.

Tomorrow is the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 race. It's a special event to me and Sal.....we lived in Indiana for 7 years and, like all Hoosiers, it became part of our lives every May. In the late 90s, before we moved back to Florida, my parents came up for a visit and Sal, my Dad, and I went to the race.....it was a blast, a terrific experience! We had great seats in the 4th turn. But what's perhaps an even more special event than the race itself is on the Wednesday prior to the race, "Community Day". They open up the track to the public and we were able to meet the drivers, tour Gasoline Alley and the pits, and best of all, take my Eclipse for a spin around the track! It was a thrill and I'll never forget it....even though I was allowed to go only about 10 mph.

I hope you'll join me and Sal as we tune in on Sunday. The race officially starts at 1:00 PM Eastern on ABC, but the festivities begin earlier on ESPN2. Here's the race schedule. And out of the 33 drivers, there'll be three women in the starting lineup this year. You go girls !!!

local dog attacked by alligator

Poor Rennie, my gosh! This sweet dog was attacked by an alligator in rural Palm Beach County yesterday. Why do people allow their dogs near bodies of water that could, and in Florida often do, have alligators in them???

She's now receiving care at Paws2Help, an animal shelter in West Palm Beach.....she'll need surgery on a leg that's broken in 3 places and on her jaw, which is broken in 2 places. Sal and I visited Paws2Help not long ago to help another dog, and we could see that this shelter struggles financially. But it was evident that they are so caring, and we know that Rennie will pull through! To read updates on her condition, to send Rennie and the shelter staff a get-well wish, or to donate to the shelter for her care, click here.

Extreme Makeover: Manatee Edition

17 years after its original release, The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently unveiled a new design for the Save The Manatee specialty Florida license plate. Ta-dah!
It's beautiful, I love the color scheme (very tropical), and I especially love the message it sends. The Save The Manatee plate is one of 109 different specialty plates available in Florida (wow). In 2007, it ranked number 6 in sales, behind plates for "University of Florida" (at # 1).....what??? UF over manatees???.....and "Protect The Panther", "Protect Wild Dolphins", "Helping Sea Turtles Survive" & "Florida State University". Over 559,000 manatee plates have been issued since 1990!

Appropriately, the unveiling took place at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, a refuge and home to many manatees.

Contrary to popular belief, the Save The Manatee Club does not receive any of the plate revenues (the SMC is completely donor-supported). Instead, plate proceeds are deposited into the Save The Manatee Trust Fund, which is managed by the FWC. The trust fund is the source of monies for Florida's manatee-related research and conservation management activities, including rescue and protection measures.

I currently have the previous, original edition of the manatee plate on my car:

It's equally beautiful. It was one of the first things I did when we moved back to Florida in 2000.....I went to the DMV and ordered a Save The Manatee plate, and had it personalized to say AMO FLA, which translates to "I Love Florida" in either Italian or Spanish. I'm a Florida gal and I was back baby !!!

a new leash on life

An uplifting story about wheelchairs for disabled animals aired on The Today Show this morning. A company in
Massachusetts, Eddie's Wheels, makes custom mobility carts for pets. And not just for dogs & cats....they've been made for rabbits, goats & alpacas too!

I LOVE IT !!!

still tickled "pink"

Hello, here I am, finally back online....Sal and I were celebrating our special anniversary and then we came back and got swept back up in the realities of life (car repairs, yardwork.....you know how it is....).

But we had a wonderful time on our getaway! Thanks for your guesses about our locale.....wow, I like how you think, Claudia! Bermuda was a terrific guess, and I wouldn't have minded being there! But we were celebrating somewhere just as special. We stayed at the Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, also known as the "Pink Palace" of Florida. It has a remarkable history, please take a moment and visit their website if you can. It's also interesting to read about where its name came from and the other pink beach hotel that inspired its famous flamingo color.

We had a wonderful and romantic stay! Our beachfront room offered a breathtaking view of the pools and the beach, and glorious sunsets that we enjoyed from our balcony.


As we entered our room, I immediately noticed that Sal had the florist deliver a gorgeous arrangement of tropical flowers (my favorite!) that were waiting for me. Awww....

We had beautiful, sunny weather the whole time.....so fortunate! I played in the pool and we strolled on the beach. Just relaxed and enjoyed being together.

On our anniversary day, May 12, we commemorated the approximate time that we became a couple, around 4:15 PM, 20 years ago. We captured the moment on camera on the resort's large clock, affixed to its lavish (pink) architecture, facing the pools.

On our last morning there, my parents joined us for breakfast. They live only about 15 miles from the resort, so it was a nice opportunity to enjoy a get-together. Kind of an extension of Mother's Day.


Thanks for sharing our big day with us! And after 20 years, Sal, I'm still "tickled pink" that you're my "boyfriend"! {XOXOXO}


Have a great week!

20 years ago today.....

Today is a really special day for me and Sal! Yes, it was 20 years ago today that we became a couple! We started dating on May 12, 1988. It all happened during an afternoon study session at our college library. I told Sal that I would probably be dropping the (one) class that we were taking together that summer, and he got upset and slid a note across the table to me that said "...I'm in love with you, please don't drop this class....". And you know the rest of the story....I married him! So today we're in a really special location to celebrate.....I'll reveal photos and details later this week. So fun and romantic! Gotcha guessing, don't I ??? Here's a hint: I'm looking at waves and sand as I blog, and I'm tickled pink to be here! Where In The World Are Susan & Sal ? {smiles}

Hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. We celebrated with our Moms....we brought flowers to Sal's mom and he made a yummy ravioli lunch for her. I took my mom to her favorite quilt store, Rainbow's End Quilt Shoppe, with a giftcard that we gave her to go on a shopping spree there. It was fun to browse through all the gorgeous fabrics!

Have a great week ahead!

tragedy at the Derby

A beautiful horse, Eight Belles, died on the track shortly after the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Perhaps you hadn't heard? That's because the press was furiously covering the victory of Big Brown, while she was laying in agony elsewhere on the track. I applaude People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for not allowing this tragedy to slip under the radar.

After the race, she collapsed from 2 broken ankles......and was euthanized right there on the track. Among other questions, PETA has launched an inquiry about whether she was injured before the finish, but was "whipped" into continuing. PETA is seeking a ban on whipping, limits on races and the age of racehorses, and a move to softer, artificial surfaces for all courses. And they want the jockey suspended.

I have mixed feelings about animals as "entertainment". Certainly, I find the circus abhorrent. However, venues like Sea World arouse my inner conflict on this issue. While it has been documented that the park's treatment of the animals is by no means despicable, I cannot help but assume that an orca would rather be swimming in the Gulf of Alaska. On the other hand, I appreciate how interaction with the animals gives the public an educated appreciation for them. And an awareness of their plight in the wild. I'm particularly aware of the benefits that manatees have received from Sea World.....the residents at their manatee exhibit are ever-changing because they are rescued manatees that are undergoing rehabilitation, courtesy of the park's experts, facilities and resources. And then they are released back into the wild. Because of this exhibit, public awareness of manatees has increased dramatically.....people from Ohio and wherever now know what a manatee is and that they're endangered, and why. So, I believe that although Sea World is a for-profit organization, they have some noble motivations.

The Kentucky Derby, however, is nearly 100% motivated by money. OK, and tradition. But is the public ennobled by seeing horses run around a track? I doubt that most who won Big Bucks by betting on Big Brown were concerned with the suffering and loss of Eight Belles as they counted their winnings. And I doubt that if there were no monies at stake, that many spectators would be interested in this race at all. And there would be no race. And no potential for horses to die this way.

I did not watch the race, but was appalled when I heard the news later. This is not an isolated incident.....it's the second consecutive year that a horse has died as a direct result of injuries sustained in the Derby. Remember Barbaro last year?

I'm with PETA on this.....

happy National Scrapbook Day!

Today's the first Saturday in May......which is National Scrapbook Day......happy cropping and shopping to my scrappin' friends! Enjoy! {smiles}

thank goodness for my TV's PIP

Wow, what a fun morning! As indicated in my post title, I've been really utilizing the picture-in-picture feature on my TV......On one channel, I had The Today Show going since Matt was live in this year's final Where In The World is Matt Lauer? destination, The Seychelles, a remote island chain in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 miles off the east coast of Africa. What an incredible place, it looks like a magical paradise! Sal - we're definitely going sometime! I love how they describe it as a place that's "more about scenery than sightseeing".

And on another channel, I was tuned in to QVC since they were having a scrapbooking extravaganza! Attention scrapbookers - they're featuring lots of new and fun stuff.....more shows are scheduled for this evening. Happy shopping today!

Enjoy the weekend!

Matt's day 4 destination

What an interesting segment Matt hosted on The Today Show's series Where In the World is Matt Lauer? this morning. On day 4 of his whirlwind tour of the world he's in Istanbul, Turkey. So exotic! Would love to visit sometime. I really enjoyed learning more about Whirling Dervishes and the famed Blue Mosque.

So, where will Matt turn up for his 5th and final destination this week? Here's a clue for tomorrow's locale: Many come here to see the natural wonders but the national symbol is for your eyes only.

Have a great day!

swirls and stuff

Gee, I hope that Sal isn't reading my blog today......this post's topic involves 2 hot-button issues....shopping, and what he considers scrapbooking "clutter". Usually while he's engrossed in a show on The History Channel or SciFi Channel, I'm online and he doesn't know what I'm doing (ahem...buying). {LOL}

With National Scrapbooking Day fast approaching (May 3), I've decided to join in the festivities early.....lots of stores and online sb retailers are having sales to celebrate. So, I took the plunge and got some "swirly" acrylic stamps that have been on my wish list for a while. A warning to my fellow scrapbookers --- you will want these, too! {grin}

from Luxe Designs:

from Bo Bunny: from Inkadinkado:
and from Fancy Pants:

Can't wait to play with them all !

P.S. ~ Per yesterday's post, Matt L. is in Laos today. Cool! Here's the hint for where he'll be tomorrow: So the prime rate you guessed, the red lights you saw through. The anagram even proved easy to chew. In this place you can rock and there's one heck of a mall. With a turn of the head, different continents call.

"Where In The World?" (but it's not my blog)

I've been enjoying Matt Lauer's jaunt around the world for his annual series on The Today Show, "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?", airing this week. Over the course of 5 consecutive days, he hops around the globe, showing up on live TV in a different locale each day. The fun part for viewers is that his next stop is always a surprise, but he gives a hint on the prior day. It's not easy to guess, for instance, here's the hint for tomorrow's location: This country is an anagram of a synonym of a homophone of an even prime number. Ooh, that's tough!

Anyway, I really got hooked on this series last year, and was especially excited when he popped up in Ireland since we were going there soon afterwards! The series is such fun because not only does he show the sights, but he gives some history and background of the country and its people. They also give some travel tips for planning a trip to these places.

So far this week, he has stopped in Argentina & Amsterdam.....where in the world will Matt be tomorrow???

food for thought

I really love magazines! I think they're some of the most fun things to get in the mail, a nice surprise. I subscribe to several scrapbooking mags, and of course a travel magazine too. But this weekend when Sal and I were browsing in a Barnes & Noble, I came across a new magazine that really spoke to me. It's called VegNews and, as the name implies, focuses on vegetarianism. But this mag is different than other veggie mags....rather than obsessing over recipes and healthy eating (cooking is just not my thing!), its theme is the vegetarian lifestyle which, in addition to a meatless diet, includes cruelty-free choices when shopping, traveling, decorating, etc. It covers the whole "eco-package", and I love it! (And, of course, the magazine is printed with soy ink on recycled paper.)

After flipping through an issue, I came home and went online to subscribe. Their website has a cool list of 222 Reasons to be Veg, here are some of my favorites:

# 13 not eating the bodies of tortured souls;
# 17 resisting cruel fashion trends without a second thought;
# 30 being the change that I want to see in the world;
# 34 watching loved ones and strangers slowly evolve toward vegetarianism;
# 39 looking into the faces of animal companions without guilt;
# 45 meeting brilliant, compassionate, creative people who advocate for the voiceless;
# 48 viewing non-human animals as fellow earthlings rather than as mere objects;
# 63 being the voice for the voiceless;
# 74 being consistent (claim to love animals? prove it!);
# 86 becoming a conscious consumer***;
# 108 treating all animals with the same respect and consideration;
# 165 vegan online shopping***;
# 168 cruelty-free Thanksgiving;
# 185 snuggling up in a warm, not-down comforter;
# 187 my vegetarianism gives me a sense of purpose in life - I can't imagine living any other way;
# 208 wearing my own skin and no one else's;
# 213 the music of Paul McCartney (there are lots of famous vegetarians!)

*** Certainly, being a conscious consumer isn't easy....I sometimes have to search hard for shoes, purses, etc. that are "cruelty-free" (i.e., not made of leather or other animal products). And I say that as someone who loves to shop and enjoys cute shoes and fashionable purses as much as the next gal. Products made from leather, suede, down, angora, etc., are ubiquitous, but I by-pass them and keep looking. I buy items that say "man-made materials" on the label, and I've had great success finding fashionable products at stores like JCPenney, Chadwick's, and Payless Shoes, among others. (A woman once asked me if my purse was a Chanel, but it was from Payless, and made entirely of synthetic materials!)

P.S. ~ happy birthday to my brother-in-law, Paul in Philadelphia!

that's a wrap!

Wow, what a one-of-a-kind day Sal and I had today! We spent it on the movie set of Marley & Me, based on the book, and starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson (Marley wasn't there.....bummer!). It's being filmed here in south Florida. We were among 80 extras filming 2 scenes, from 3 vantage points, at Miami airport. That airport is quite busy as it is, so it was interesting to watch the production crew orchestrate the film shooting among all of the normal hustle and bustle that's already there. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed, so I have no photos to share {sigh}. They were adamant about that, saying that we'd be escorted off the set immediately if we were caught taking a photo, so I didn't want to chance it and risk losing the opportunity to participate. As a scrapbooker, this was bad news for me, but I'll just have to relay the story in words this time.

Shooting started at 7:00 AM, so we were up at 4:30 AM in order to get down to Miami in time {yawn}. But it was a short day by movie set standards; we were done filming at 1:30 PM.

In all of the scenes, Sal and I were the "happy traveling couple", which is hardly a stretch for us!!! {how perfect} We were asked to bring a variety of clothes, and the first thing we had to do was meet with the wardrobe people to determine what to wear. They had me and Sal wearing jeans and shirts in all of the scenes. We brought everything in our luggage, as instructed, because our bags were to be used as props, given the airport setting. But, they decided that everyone's luggage looked "too contemporary", so they brought out older luggage, since the story is set in the early 90s.

About our scenes.....they were all shot between Terminals F and G, outside, in the passenger drop-off area.....the scenes are fairly early in the storyline......you'll have to look for us in the airport scenes! In the first shoot, Sal and I are walking along the sidewalk, pulling our 90s-style luggage, (they even gave Sal a briefcase to carry too, which was fitting since he often works while we travel, and he looked especially "professorial"), and it's raining a "fake" rain that they created with hoses and water tanks and stuff (Sal's favorite part of the day).....this is while Owen drives up in an old Toyota (with a camera mounted in the back), to pick Jennifer up after she returns from a trip, and she runs to the car in the rain while holding a newspaper over her head. We're probably just a blur in this shoot because of the rain, but oh well.

In the second shoot, which was shot repeatedly, Sal and I are holding hands walking off of the pedestrian bridge, crossing traffic and going toward the terminal. You'll see a staged pair of flight attendants standing and chatting where the bridge and street intersect. In this scene, Owen and Jen are again in their car several yards away from us.

A third shoot had me and Sal simply standing with our luggage curbside, chatting. We're in the distance beyond Jen and Owen, who are again at their car. All the people that you see around us in the scene....those walking past us, or running by us to catch flights, or flight crews, or people getting into or out of cabs, are all extras.....it was all staged. Pretty cool!

We're hoping that we'll be visible in some of the scenes, but of course all of us extras were "background". So, you'll just have to look closely for us!

It was neat to watch the production crew take care of the details to create the correct setting and feel for the story....some extras brought their 90s model cars for the shoots, and the crew put fake license plates on them so that they'd have a 90s registration sticker....and, of course, we weren't allowed to use cell phones or have them clipped to our belts because that technology wasn't available in the early 90s....cell phones were a lot bigger then, and it was beepers/pagers that were the norm! Remember?

The movie's release date is Christmas day.....see you there!

P.S. ~ Jen asked me where I get my hair done.....{kidding}

P.P.S ~ Happy 41st anniversary to my parents today! And happy Earth Day!

no peeking, Grandma! ;-)

I've just about finished a 4-page scrapbook layout for my Grandma, it's a Mother's Day gift. I can't take credit for the artistry of it because the overall design was by the teacher of a class that I took at a local scrapbook store. So I'm not complimenting myself when I say that I think the pages are gorgeous, and the photos don't even capture all of the dimension and details! The patterned papers are from Basic Grey's Two Scoops line, perfect for a feminine layout. And I did add a few of my own little touches and flourishes to the class design. Here are the pages, I just need to add the photos to them and then I can pop them in the mail up to Grandma in Canada:

page 1....

detail of the flower that's on page 1....

page 2....

page 3....

page 4....

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Hi everyone! Hope your week is off to a great start. It's April 15....hope your taxes are all done and that you're getting a refund.

I meant to post this to my blog earlier, it's so neat.....last week, Sal and I went to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, 50 acres of land that our county's water utilities company developed into a wetlands ecosystem ("Wakodahatchee" is a Seminole Indian word meaning "created waters"). Sal and I were impressed at this environmental haven that they've created for wildlife. It's an amazing place, we saw so many birds and other creatures as we strolled the boardwalk, and it was so peaceful. It's like having our own "mini Everglades" right here in metropolitan Delray Beach! We plan to return often, and next time will bring our lunch or dinner and sit and listen to the birds and enjoy the peace and quiet. Anyway, here are a few pics of some of the wildlife we saw that day:

Sal on the boardwalk (my favorite wildlife!)....{{wink}}

a little bunny rabbit nestled in the grass.....

a blue heron landed right next to us on the boardwalk.....so majestic:

an iguana ran across the sidewalk right in front of us.....

and of course the almighty alligator was there.....this one swam right under us as we peered down from the boardwalk....eerie!

I have some really fun news!!!

I am busting with great news today! As promised in my February 26 post, I'm keeping you posted.....today I got a call from the casting agent for Marley & Me, the book-turned-movie that they're filming here in south Florida.....Sal and I have BOTH been chosen as EXTRAS in the movie! WOW!!! I am super-excited !!! We'll be on set with the stars of the film (Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, and of course the main attraction, a cute pup named Marley) for a 10- or 12-hour day next week. The filming for our day will be happening at the Miami Airport. How fun will this be??? I can't wait to pull out my copy of the book tonight and go over all the specifics of the story again! I'll be sure to fill you in on all the details of this once-in-a-lifetime day....!!!

does your car indicate how you'll vote?

I saw results from an interesting, albeit unscientific, survey conducted in February by U.S. News. They tallied the responses from 500 participants, and claim that there's a correlation between your choice of vehicle and your political leaning.

Here are some vehicle categories that tend to fit Democrats:
hatchbacks
imports
prefer Honda, Toyota, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen

and for the Republicans:
pickup trucks
domestic (except for high-end cars)
prefer General Motors, Ford, BMW, Porsche, Lexus

Drivers from both sides of the political aisle prefer mini-vans, SUVs, sports cars, and Chryslers about equally, according to the survey.

Interesting huh? In case you're curious, I drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse (a sporty, hatchback import) and Sal drives a Volkswagen Jetta (a German sedan).....our next cars will be green (hybrids or entirely electric) though!

music to my ears

Tonight Sal and I attended a fabulous concert! The group performing was Andes Manta, four brothers from Ecuador who play a wide variety of handmade instruments (35 different ones, actually!).


It was amazing how so much beautiful sound could be generated by simple bamboo instruments. The songs were mesmerizing, I felt as if I was attending a festival in Ecuador or something. Take a moment and listen to an audio clip of El Yamor, a song typically played during a festival by the same name in the northern Andes. My favorite piece of the evening was a song called Causai Pacha, which incorporated sounds of the Amazonian rain forest within the music.....you could hear frogs croaking, wind whistling, rain falling, birds chirping.....and all of the sounds were created using the native instruments, it was incredible!

It was a perfect evening since the concert was held at an outdoor amphitheater, and not a drop of rain even though it was in the forecast for this evening. Wonderful music under the stars!