The Dog Ate My. . .

Blood pressure cuff! Seriously.

Well, he didn't exactly eat it but he munched and chewed and it's history. Gone. Out of here! We are leaving on vacation bright and early tomorrow morning. (More about that another time.) In my quest to have some sense of organization and planning I carefully began to lay out all the things that had to go with us. Laid them on the guestbed. Out of the way. Now Joey is a little guy and he can't climb on the beds - but he can stand up tall enough to get things close to the edge! Didn't know that until he came down the hall yesterday with my blood pressure cuff trailing behind him! The tube was in his mouth - minus the bulb to pump it up! Checking the guestroom I found the missing device. Chewed right off the rest of the equipment! A stern reprimand was followed by time out and those sad, little hound dog eyes said, 'I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Promise!' Then I was off to buy a new one. A bigger, better model. Minus a bulb to be destroyed. The new one is a thing of beauty. If I can ever figure out how to make it work! It seems the instruction booklet might be missing some information. Oh well, my sweetheart can decipher it and help me. I hope! And, in the meantime, nothing is going near the edge of any surface in this house. So this sweet little thing won't get into things he shouldn't have!

One more thing to cross off the to-do list: Learn lesson on how far the dog can reach. Don't put things anywhere near that area!

The Sea Of Life

‘My God, protect me; my boat is so small and Thy sea is so great.’ - A Breton sailor

‘Don't panic. I'm with you.

There's no need to fear for I'm your God.

I'll give you strength. I'll help you.

I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.’

Isaiah 41:10 (The Message)

Down By The Sea

Bright and early last Saturday morning we picked up my dear little mother and headed for the North Oregon Coast, over an hour from home. The day couldn’t have been better. Gorgeous weather was a gift for the day and temperatures cooler than what we left behind at home were a real treat!

We stopped along the way at the Downtown Farmers’ Market in Tillamook and at the Tillamook Cheese Factory before having lunch in the little coastal town of Garibaldi. Across the street from the restaurant we saw a big building with a sign that called us to check it out – Pirates Plunder Gallery and Antiques.

Just outside the door was the most inviting place to sit and rest for a bit or just enjoy the sunshine and the smiles of passersby. A resting place I couldn’t resist – in my favorite colors.

We found a few treasures inside. My sweetheart wasn’t sure why the pirates had plundered some of the things he saw! As we drove out of town I loved the view of this long pier and the little fish house at the end. And the bank of clouds beyond.

We continued on through little neighborhoods and communities as we enjoyed our perfect day – it was the get-away day we all needed. Along the way we came to the conference center where we've had our church Ladies’ Retreat for several years. We took a brief detour through the center to show my sweetheart and my dear mother this special place and then we stopped nearby to enjoy the beach and Twin Rocks.

A few miles down the road we came to Wheeler – one of our much anticipated, planned stops. My dear mother and I had such fun inside the antique mall while my sweetheart checked out the Wildlife Viewing Area just across the highway. We all have our priorities, you know!

I loved the window boxes filled with Nasturtiums.

We ‘shopped till we dropped’ and then continued on, driving north up the Oregon Coast. A few miles ahead we came to the most breathtaking viewpoint. I want to build a wonderful, big house right there!

It seemed we could see forever. You know -‘On a clear day you can see forever!’ The gorgeous Oregon Coast stretched out for miles and miles below us.

We drove through Cannon Beach and stopped to enjoy the view of Haystack Rock. In the distance we could see Tillamook Rock Lighthouse - a tiny, historic lighthouse. When our children were young we lived close by and there were many memories to share as we spent time here again. We wished we could stay a bit longer!

After stopping in nearby Seaside for a nice dinner together, we turned eastward and headed home. We have plans to return again one of these days. It will be nice – but this wonderful day we spent together down by the sea will always be a special memory.

By the sea, by the sea,

By the beautiful sea!

You and me, you and me,

Oh how happy we'll be!

Song: ‘On A Clear Day’

Words and music by

Song: ‘By The Sea’

From the musical ‘For Me and My Gal’

Written by Harold Atteridge and Harry Carroll

A Certain Truth

Were there no God

we would be in this glorious world

with grateful hearts and no one to thank.

- Christina Rossetti -

Gone For The Day & Scenes From The Garden Center

I have gone away for the day with my sweetheart and my dear little mother. We have taken her to the Oregon Coast for the day, driving west to Tillamook (stopping at the cheese factory, for sure!) and then heading north along the beautiful coast highway. As we go, we will stop wherever our hearts desire. And we already know that our hearts are set to stop at antique shops and maybe a few garage sales along the way.

While we are away I want to share the beauty my dear friend and I enjoyed recently at a garden center a short ways from her California home. We had such fun and I only wish my home and yard could be surrounded by such beauty. As soon as we walked in we were surrounded by beauty. Gorgeous hydrangeas in blue. . .

And lacy white.

Unique 'Shooting Star' hydrangeas. . .

And pretty blue vases filled with sweet flowers and ivy.

All kinds of 'pretties' were waiting for us in the gift shop. Soaps shaped like dogs. This one looks like my little Joey.

There were sweet-smelling sachets. . .

Unusual lamps. . .

And a chandelier made of shells.

And inside and out there were plants and flowers and shrubs and trees. Hanging baskets filled with cactus and succulents. . .

And begonias.

And roses. . .

And flower-filled pots of all kinds.

Outside. . .

And inside.

And a room filled with orchids. In purple. . .

And white.

Benches and patio furniture of all kinds captured our hearts.

Along one of the pathways, we found the original Disneyland bandstand. Mickey Mouse led the band in this!

A sign told the story and we were amazed.

I thought I had seen it all. And then I found this gorgeous piece! I wanted to take it home with me - I knew exactly where I would put it!

There was so much more to see but time ran out and we had to end our tour of this amazing place. We both left there inspired by the wonderful things we saw at the garden center near the beach.

If you are ever in the Newport Beach area, be sure to stop at Roger’s Garden Center just off of Macarthur Boulevard. You won’t be sorry you did! You can see more on their website here.

The Rest Of The Story, Part 2

Recently I shared here a bit about my trip to California to spend time with my BFF from college days. I promised to show you more of what we did during those sweet days together. Time has flown by and today I want to tell you more.

Early Sunday evening we drove a short distance to Downtown Disney. I had never been there and it didn’t take long to capture my heart. The live music, the lights, the fantasy of it all and the energy of the people was more than I could have imagined.

Now this was hard - I wanted to do it all! But I kept focused and kept walking toward the shops. Shopping is always a good thing. Isn’t it? Along the way we met Pluto. . .

And Mickey and Minnie! I think they were out for an evening stroll.

When we saw this gorgeous gazebo on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel we both wished we could have one just like it. Don’t you think it would be a good idea? Wouldn’t you like to have one, too?

As we walked toward DisneyTown we began to hear the most wonderful music. It touched my soul and made my feet want to dance. Once we entered the mall we saw the musicians and it wasn’t long before I bought a CD so I could bring their music home with me. Every time I play it I feel as if I’m taken back to the rapture of that time!

Nearby, the Rainforest Cafe begged us to go inside. The moment I stepped inside I couldn't believe my eyes! It is incredible. Just like walking into a jungle.

Huge trees fill the inside. And you never know who you will meet as you walk along. I wonder if this guy is friendly!

This cute this family seemed to have a lot of fun together!

And then we saw this big butterfly. As we watched, she captured our hearts. She gently closed her wings. . .

And then she slowly,

Ever so slowly, opened them again!

It wasn't long before we were in the land of Legos! A kid’s world – a place of play! As we wandered around and looked, we met this fellow. He was BIG!! His head was here. . .

And the rest of him was here!

Just around the corner I was intrigued with Mr. Giraffe. I have a story to share with you some other time about my fascination and love for giraffes. This one is definitely bigger-than-life - the biggest one I’ve ever met!

We walked through the mall - in and out of shops – and we were delighted to see some of our favorite characters. There’s Mickey and Minnie again. Back from their evening stroll.

And Goofy. Just hanging around being goofy!

The evening went by too fast. It wasn't long and we left the mall and strolled through the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel on our way to the car. The sun was going down and it seemed to make this fantasy world even more magical. Just across the street from the mall, this big wizard’s hat welcomed us at the entrance to the hotel.

Many years ago, when our now-grown children were young, we took them to Disneyland. I remember the fun and the joy and the enchantment of those days. And this time it happened all over again – once more I was charmed by the Wonderful World of Disney. And I didn’t want to leave - I wanted to stay. Stay forever - never to return to the real world. And I realized that - for a while on a summer evening – once again I had the heart of a child.

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do