Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Other Seven Wonders of the World...


My sweet and wonderful friend, Kathryn at;
Take My Breath Away passed on The Versatile Blogger award to me! I am so thrilled as I have truly enjoyed meeting new friends in Blogland and was actually thinking of doing a poll to ask if I'm the only one that really feels connected with such wonderful people out there! So this award comes at a perfect time.
If you have never visited Kathryn's blog Take My Breath Away please stop by and say hello. Her blog is not only beautiful and inspiring but very real, you just feel as if she has asked you in for a cup of coffee and a chat...true Southern hospitality! Thank you Kathryn for giving me this award, I am honored!

A "Versatile Blogger" brings everything to the table - a little of this and a little of that."
Now, here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:
Thank & link back to the person who gave you the award (Thank you, Kathryn!)
Share 7 things about yourself
Pass the award on to (up to) 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fabulous
Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award.

So here we go...seven things you never knew about me and never knew you wanted to know about me...

1. My given name is Theresa Joanne so named after an Angel or a Saint, can't remember which one but it doesn't matter anyway because (much to my mother's dismay) I was never able to live up to an Angelic or Saintly standard :) Probably because of my mouth! In 2nd grade (at the tender age of what...7?)...my teacher actually wrote in my report card for Citizenship; "Terry has trouble with talking too much in class and needs to work on this problem". My mother replied back with; "Yes we have the same problem here at home with Terry and we are working on it!". I was born in the month of  March and I am Aries, the Ram through and through. I am head strong, able to make a decision in a heartbeat, and have a fearless pioneer spirit. I always want to be in the lead position but only because I want to make sure the coast is clear for those that may follow.
2. When I was sixteen, my parents and grandmother enrolled me in John Robert Powers Modeling and Finishing school in California for a year. As odd as such a school program may sound by today's standards, it was truly one of the best things I could have ever done. It taught me such things as manners, voice and diction (to speak correctly and not talk so much), applying make-up (so as not to look like a clown:), how to properly sit in a dress, how to introduce people properly, how to write a thank you note, you get the idea. But most of all, it taught me how to respect myself as a young lady and how be respectful of others. Lessons in life that are as timeless today as they were back then.
(me age seventeen)
3. I have a very creative side. If you ask me to plan a party I can execute it like an event  pro except I don't get paid for it:) I love to organize anything, and I mean anything...to a fault! If I walk into a room no matter where it is, be it someones house, a hotel room, a party, I start re-organizing it in my mind! Its horrible, I just can't help myself! I have actually stayed at B&B's where I have re-organized the room we stay in and/or the living rooms! I never tell the owners but I often wonder if they leave it the way I rearrange it:) I've also (legitimately) helped many friends with interior re-design and rearranging. I live, breathe and dream of decorating and can never get enough of it. It is my passion in life!

4. OK Kathryn so this one is for you; you and I are exactly the same! I love too to read. I read every single night before bed and have for as long as I can remember. Thank goodness my husband is OK with the light being on until I'm done reading for the night! I love almost any kind of good read except violence, I just won't even pick up a book if its disgusting in any way. I too love to read some books over and over. As a child I loved the Nancy Drew series. As an adult, I love to read just about anything and I am fascinated with anything having to do with the Kennedy's; John, Jacqueline, you name it, I read it. I can't go to bed at night without reading. It's unnatural and very rare for me to get into bed and just turn out the light unless I am extremely tired! Maybe it goes back to being read to as a child before bed...

5. I have never had children of my own but was blessed when I married my husband. He had/has a daughter, (now 30) and she has blessed us with two little grandsons now six and four. In many ways I do/did have children because we do all the same things a "normal family" does and those little boys only know that I am their grandma and that's it.
(becoming a grandma to Cole and Blake)

6. I have never met a vegetable I didn't like:) Yep Kathryn, even Peas and Beans...oh and I did try fried green tomatoes and Okra one time cooked by a true Southern cook and it was divine! I loved it! Most of the time my husband and I eat like vegetarians but we're not in the true sense of the word, we just like veggies a lot! I'm not a big meat eater and really don't like steak at all, it just seems so wrong to have to gnaw on something so much to be able to swallow it...what's up with that?! Oh but put Seafood in front of me and I could eat it all day long, love it all! I like Bananas before they turn too ripe and mushy but hate Banana bread...bleh, bleh, bleh...it ranks right up there with Fruit cake for me:)

7. I worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator for 30 years and believe it or not I secretly want to be a stay at home wife. To me that would be a dream come true.
  (me above at the job I am now retired from and below, all gussied up)


There you have it! Seven things you didn't know about me and could probably live without knowing!

Now to pass this on... I know everyone is busy so if you aren't able to do this, I understand yet there are so many wonderful people out there in Blog land that I call my friends! My list of favorite blogs could go forever and it does on my dashboard! But as I said I know everyone is busy, busy, busy in life so this is a good start!

A Young Ladies Birthday Tea

My sweet niece, Mindy asked me to host a tea party for her 14th birthday yesterday, September 26th, 2010 at my home. I was honored to be asked and what a thrill it was to see her best friends and darling young ladies dressed in their Sunday best, laughing and giggling their way throughout the day!

Here are the highlights of her special day...

Nothing but the finest would do for such a lovely day...



So Aunt Terry used her antique Chintz and china tea cups that had been passed down from her grandmother...



 A Ladies afternoon tea wouldn't be complete
 without nibbles and noshes...
Sweet petite cookies from
"Two Tarts" bakery...
Tea sandwich's made with Mindy's favorite...
"Dave's killer bread"


Fresh fruit tray with flowers from Aunt Terry's garden...
Cucumber nibbles nestled in with more flowers from the garden...


Another one of Mindy's favorites; Pumpkin pie instead of birthday cake!

Mindy and her best friends...





  pretty young ladies for Mindy's special day...
 Hats and gloves optional...

 Mindy, the birthday girl choosing a hat to go with her pearls...
 
Aunt Terry's choice for favorite hat and glove set...









 pretty little faces smiling...
 Mindy's mom and dad; Bob and Mary...
 Dad and Daughter...
So when the hats came off, this is how the girls act most of the time...
except when they sit down to tea...




Happy Birthday Mindy and thank you for asking me to host your lovely day!

With love,
Aunt Terry


Saturday, September 25, 2010

Team Martini's back...


Well seven days later Mr. La Bella Vie is back from 
One week later and over 500 miles of riding he had a fantastic time! So many stories to tell when he arrived home Saturday night September 18th but alas, not so many pictures...a stellar cyclist he is, a photographer he's not:) But he and "Team Martini" did manage to get a few shots to share.
This is Mr. La Bella Vie's first year for doing this particular ride but its Cycle Oregon's 23rd year! The ride is an epic event with 2200 cyclist and an enormous cast of characters to support the riders. They provide and haul in everything on semi trucks from town to town, between three states for seven (long) days! I mean everything from soup to nuts; the food and libations (a beer garden:) shower trucks, bathrooms, rest stop provisions, medical support, lunch stops, and live entertainment every evening. Each town from the start of the ride graciously provides a place to pitch a tent for the night whether its a football field, golf course or horse track they are very accommodating and welcoming when it comes to the onslaught of cyclist bombing into town.
Here are just a few of the pictures of this great adventure from Mr. La Bella Vie and Team Martini...the name comes from the fact that every evening at camp "Martini Mike" poured everyone a Martini, shaken, not stirred to celebrate the day!


(click to enlarge)
 




 

Above;Chris and Liz in Tandem

All photo's below courtesy of Ronnie and Dawn


 Above; Chris and Liz
 Above; Ronnie and Dawn
 Above; Average Joe
Above; Mr. LBV