And the winner is ...

Before I announce the winner to my Cottage Giveaway, I'd like to thank everyone who posted comments and who have become a follower of my blog. The past few weeks have been busy for me  ... after next week I am looking forward to visiting all my new follower's blogs and making new friends. I am also looking forward to getting back to posting, so come back often and leave lots of comments. I LOVE hearing from you!!

NOW ...


 THE WINNER IS ...
Blessings from Cindy

Thanks again to all who entered.
~Vicki~

Meet e on Monday

Ok ... ok ... I've missed the last couple of MMoM, but I'm back at it ....

Welcome to the 46th edition of "Meet Me On Monday!"


Meet me on Monday is a fun little meme hosted by Java @ Never Growing Old. 
Java asks 5 fun questions, you answer them and hopefully they give your reader a little more insight into who you are. 

Questions:

1.  What is your favorite bagel flavor?
Big Apple's Cinnamon Apple Pie Bagel 

2.  If you had an extra $100 right now, what would you spend it on?
I'm with Java ~ summer clothes

3.  What is the last thing that you felt guilt about doing?
Mailing off a package that should have gone out weeks ago. I want to add a couple of things to it and just haven't gotten out to get them yet ~ my mission for today.

4.  Soft serve ice cream or hand dipped?
What is this? A trick question ?!It all depends on what I'm eating. Soft Serve ~

Chocolate and vanilla swirled

Hand dipped

Chocolate chip, cookie dough, Reese's  Peanut Butter Cup5.  Are you allergic to anything?
Early Springtime I wake up with a lot of congestion, head plugged up and sneezing.

So ... there you have it! 

Click on over and join the fun!

A trip to the "BIG" City

Good Morning! The sun is shinning!!! Almost done with my second cup of coffee. Soon I will be heading out to work in my garden ... BUT ... first...

I just wanted to share a little of last week-end. Let me tell you ... it has taken almost a week to re-coop. I'm not as young as I use to be and having 3 full days of walking around put my body into shock.

Last week-end my siblings and I took a trip to New York. Just five of us, no spouses, no kids, just 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

We haven't all been together in maybe 5 or 6 years. We all live in different states ( MN, VA, WI, CO, OH) and for awhile one brother was pretty much living in Singapore. It was good to see each of them. Although New York was a bit overwhelming.  I mean... it is H-U-G-H !! I am use to Chicago. It is a good size city, but probably at least 10 times smaller than New York. It compares right up there with Paris. AND ... there is no way you can do the city justice in 3 days. We crammed as much in as we possibly could, but there is still soooooooooo much more to see.

Let me share so of the highlights!

Maybe next time I'll get to see a Broadway play!

Day 24 ~ 30 Day Challenge

Day 24
A picture of something you wish you could change

Getting together with family.


This past week-end, Me , my sister and brother's got together for the first time in about 6 years. I think that I am the only one of the 5 of us who have seen everyone within the last year. This was a planned trip of sightseeing. I think we all had a good time, but I would be nice to just hang around together and get to know each other better. 

Day 23 ~ 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day23


A picture of your favorite book

I am not a reader. Not that I haven't read several books. BUT... reading is not on my list of favorite things to do. I read the newspaper ... magazines ... But books ... for me books are a way to past the time when there is nothing else to do.

WELCOME

I have been out of town for several days and away from my blog. What a great surprise to see how many "New Friend's" I have! I just wanted to give you a warm WELCOME and let you know that I DO appreciate you stopping by and becoming a follower.

If you were visiting my home, we might celebrate our new friendship with a delicious afternoon treat.

I hope that you will visit often and leave many comments!

Looking forward to getting to know YOU!

Vicki

Day 22 ~ 30 Day Challenge

Day22
A picture of something you wish you were better at 

Managing my time!

When my children were younger I was VERY organized, I managed my time well. I really had no choice! Three children in school, I drove them every morning; working, school activities, sports activities, all these things were part of the scheduled daily events. 

Now, it's one adult child at home, who by the way can do some of my errands.

Hubby now works night, so we try to keep thing quiet so he can sleep during the day.My work schedule is sporadic. Sometimes I work a lot, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I leave early in the morning, sometimes I leave in the afternoon.

After all ... aren't you wondering WHY this 30 Day Photo Challenge is well past the 30 days...LOL 

Day 21 ~ 30 Day Challange

Day 21-
A picture of something you wish you could forget 


There are so many things that happen out in the world ... things that are unmentionable ... things that are horrendous. The things I wish I could forget images of are, things out of our control. The devastation that comes from nature.

We have every little control over things like this and it can literally destroy  anyone who has live through it.

It is so sad to realize that your life could change to basically rubble is no time at all. 

Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway Event - May 1 thru May 29th!

I was so excited to see this event! Kim at The Twice Remembered Cottage is hosting it. This is the first time I am joining in on this event and I hope you will consider joining in too!

This is a multi-blog, month long event beginning Saturday, May 1st where bloggers give away on their blogs items they feel exhibit "Cottage Charm". Anyone can join at any point in May before the 29th. On May 29th, all participating bloggers will announce their winners and post it to their blogs.

There are 4 easy steps to follow. To get all the deatils, click on the Giveaway Badge below.

 I love the Cottage look! I love the freshness of it! I love the details of it! Roses, pastel colors, ruffles, lace all add to the charm of the Cottage look.Yes, there is a wide interpertation of what "Cottage Charm" is, but I think the best way to sum it up is... Cottage Charm = warmth, coziness, personality.
Here is what I am giving away~

10 inch round Quiche Plate

15 inch tall bear

9X9 inch 

Ribbon Embroidered Pillow

Magnets & Note Cards

1.2in X 2.5 in opening,Small While Rose Photo Frame
RULES~You Must leave a comment on this page of my blog.(1 entry)If you are a follower, make sure you let me know(2nd entry)You don't need to have a blog to enter. If you do not, please make sure you leave an e-mail address where I can contact you, in case you are the winner.
Make sure to check out The Twice Remembered Cottage blog page.

Day 20 ~ 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day20
A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

AFRICA!

Day 19 ~ 30 Day Photo Challenge

Day19
A picture and a letter


WOW ... if I knew several years ago that I was going to be doing this challenge ...I'd have the perfect letter. BUT ... I'll tell you about that letter at the end of this post.

This is a picture of my Dad. 

At the age of 17 ( in the 50's), my Mother was a teenager who was pregnant with her first child. She did marry the young man who was my father, but his family was not happy about it and they were divorced.

I'm not sure how long my parents knew each other before they got married. I do know my Dad was in the Army, stationed in Tucson, Arizona where my Mom lived with her parents, younger brother, and me. My parents met working at a small "drive in " type restaurant  called "The Lucky Wishbone."  (The actual location where they worked no longer exists, BUT  there are several "Lucky Wishbones" in the Tucson area and I make sure I stop in for dinner whenever I'm there.) 

My parents were married just after my 3rd birthday and for a short time my Mom and me lived in Arizona while my Dad was stationed in Illinois. This picture is of a box of letters my Dad wrote to my Mom. Some are before they were married, some are after they were married. This letter, dated April 11, 1961 talks about forms for income taxes and about us moving to Illinois. It's strange think that my parents had such struggles in their life. After all, growing up, I felt like my parents had it all under control. 

This box of letters was found after my Dad passed away in 1994. Even though I have looked at them and through them, I have read few of them and never a whole letter. But what I have read and what I witnessed in their lives ...I know my parents loved each other deeply and that's all I really need to know.

The other letter... I one I wish I still had. It was a letter written by my oldest Daughter to my Dad. She was 11 or 12 years old. In the letter she was telling her Grandfather what terrible parents she had. She was pleading a case to get a phone in her room (no such thing as cell phones ) and her parents were not going along with it. 

I found that letter, several years later in my Dad's things, after He had passed away. For her 24th birthday I framed it with a picture of  them when she was about the age that she had written it.

Vehicular~Thematic Photographic 145

This weeks theme at Written Inc is Vehicular. Thanks Carmi! I think I'm going have a little FUN with this one!

;~D

Day 18 ~ 30 Day Challenge ... resumed

Day18
A picture of your biggest insecurity 

As you may ... or may not know (depends on how much of my blog you have read) I am a "school photographer". Meaning ... I work for a company which takes pictures of school age children for yearbooks and ID's. You learn how to set up the equipment, everything plugs into a power source and is already calibrated through a computer for you. For posing, you have guide lines to follow. Everything is pretty much  cut and dry.

I would love to have a side business. Nothing big, just enough to pay my bills and do a little traveling.

BUT ... what if people don't like what I do? The hard part for me is posing and lighting and of course ... I want the WOW factor ...that's the perfectionist  side of me speaking.

I have had several people tell me that I just need to get out there and do it.

Easy for them to say!

ABC Wednesday ~ P

Here it is another ABC Wednesday! I missed N & O, but that's ok. Work was just soooooooo crazy! And I'm just going to go with the flow.

Todays letter is ~P~

P is for our pet, puppy, Piper who is part Pug ad part Boston Terrier.

T

This is what she looked like when we first got her

She has a "BIG" smile on her face after an afternoon of running around with my Grandson.

But pretty much ... this is how she spends her day.

Oh ... and can you tell ... 

She REALLY HATES the cold weather here in Wisconsin.

For more posts on the letter ~P~ click 

HERE