~WITHOUT the OCEAN..I WOULD BE LOST~

MY SUNDAY'S..Past TWO weeks

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:52:41 GMT

STRESS RELIEF....

Click on the word bubblewrap.
BUBBLEWRAP
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU COULD DO IT ONLINE!!

A boring entry ...but at least I got something here.

This past week I put in 60 plus hours at work. Seems between employees taking vacations, going back to College, and one Manager getting married plus taking off for 3 weeks, I am putting in longggggg hours. Sunday was my only day off and believe me when I say..I enjoyed just staying home and doing nothing but relaxing.

Let me say FIRST and FOREMOST..I have prayed for AL and his most difficult surgery. The power of prayers from everyone that was aware of his situation was overwhelming.

Get well soon, Al and Welcome Back.

Until next time...Keep Smiling.

~*~PAULA~*~

Still Under Construction..

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:20:37 GMT

BEFORE AFTER

For the past year, Mr. PJ and I have been constructing a new waterfall on the Northern slope of the back property. We decided that we could use all the native stones and boulders that were already around. We just had to move some of the larger ones and terrace out a hole deep enough and extend it running East and West for the most beautiful effect. There are 4 meditation areas that we will use and still hear the trickling waterfall with 4 different views of it. We have the hammock which is located to the West, a wooden picnic bench,to the Southeast, an outdoor patio chair sitting directly on a large native stone boulder to the East, and an acquired wicker love seat with cushion that sits directly below ( South ) the newly constructed water garden. We have added more bird feeders and will not be finished with this area for an undetermined period of time. It has been fascinating to see a natural area transformed into another beautiful waterfall. A lot of work, a lot of hours, but the pleasure we will receive is priceless. All the mature trees keep the entire area shaded and therefore it usually is about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than any other area in our yard.

<----Wicker Loveseat placed South of the waterfall area

A few photos are in the latest album but remember..it is NOT completed to our satisfaction. Never-the-less..we actually have the pump in and electricity running to it now, so the major effect has been successful. The wonderful sound of trickling water. MMmmmmm so relaxing. Eventually we will have flowers and water plants thriving as well. All in good time. We also have placed a few low voltage lights around the area for evening. I am anxious to see the final results, but until then..it is time to move more stones/boulders. Whem completed it will be about 22 feet long.

Until next time..Keep smiling.

~Paula~

***PLAYING IS NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE MUSIC***

Journey of Love 1, 2, and 3..First year passing.

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 02:36:54 GMT

<--Grew grass for her to eat when she got ill

This is a repost of the entries I published here on Spaces. Just seems appropriate for all to know about Miss Mattie. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not sit and visit with her. What a beautiful, loving companion she was and always will be. I LOVE YOU, baby girl!

July 21

A JOURNEY OF LOVE

ADOPTED JANUARY 19, 2005

Passed Away August 2, 2007

JANUARY 25, 2007

It started out as an unfamiliar sound. The sound of a person snoring. Very unusual...never heard this from her before. Perhaps allergies? Nothing to worry about I thought. Just keep your eyes and ears open as you are loving her. The "snoring" effect never subsided. Concerned..I phoned the Doctor to inquire of his knowledge about these things. "Have you done any remodeling lately"? I thought about it and responded "yes, we had new carpet installed not long ago". "It could be she inhaled all the dust from the older carpet and is having some allergic reactions to it. Just keep watching her and if she doesn't show any signs of improvement ..make an appointment to see me. It could be asthma as well. Keep a fan going at all times and use a drop of "Ocean" nasal saline in each nostril." Thanking him..I hung up the phone and went about my business.

March 14, 2007

A month and a half have passed since I noticed the "snoring". It seems to me that she may be wheezing, but she doesn't show any pain or discomfort. Her temperature is normal. She has not lost her appetite and she looks healthy..but something is not right. Could she have asthma? Or perhaps a touch of pneumonia? I make an appointment to see the doctor. It is set for March 19th.

March 19, 2007

After a thorough examination and all seems great; with the exception of the occasional snoring/wheezing sound..She is healthy as can be. Healthy lungs, healthy teeth and gums. Perhaps she may have a polyp in her nose or several. Not to worry Paula unless she seems to get worse. Gratefully thanked, I pay the bill and leave with a smile.

May 19, 2007

She still shows no signs of a serious illness; although there are times I see her having a bit of trouble swallowing. I figure it may be a tooth that has gone bad. I open her mouth and look at the one tooth the Doctor and I had discussed and it seems to be healthy. "You just worry too much, Paula" I tell myself. It is my birthday. All is well.

July 2, 2007

I am convinced that something is NOT right. I discuss her actions with the Doctor. He re-examines her. She is healthy. Every tests is negative. Her weight is good. She is just showing signs of hoarseness occasionally. Another clean bill of health. Once again, I leave smiling.

July 5, 2007

It has been only 2 days since she was at the Doctor's office. In that short amount of time, we find a "knot" on the right side of her throat. I immediately call and take her in once again. The Doctor is in disbelief..perhaps he "missed" this knot while examing her. I told him..I do not think so doctor, we would have noticed it before. It is large enough not to MISS. It is as if..it appeared overnight. Now she is having trouble eating and swallowing. She has lost some weight as well. Not much..just 3/10 of a pound. He takes her temperature , once again. The results..normal. Heart and lungs..Healthy. He shakes his head in disbelief and is writing non-stop in her chart..the entire time. I knew what he would say when he finally decided to speak to me. The dreaded "C" word! C-A-N-C-E-R. The growth that is 1 1/2" in diameter ( in less than two days )is right on her lymph node. She would not be still enough for him to draw her blood. He said that in order to hit the jugular vein, he would have to sedate her. He did not want to miss and hurt her. We decided that we would try antibiotics in hopes that perhaps she had earlier had a puncture wound that may have become infected. Antibiotics for two weeks for what we hoped would be a bacterial infection. If no smaller in those two weeks, call and come back in. I left not smiling, but hopeful.

July 20, 2007

Today was the final straw as to the "guessing". She has lost weight and the lump/knot/growth was no smaller. I thought at one time it felt smaller; however he explained and showed me that what I was actually feeling was her "adam's apple". The knot/lump/growth was no smaller at all. He then put her "under" and drew the blood sample. He studied it under the microscope. He came back in and told me that there were cells that he was not familiar with and the rest of the blood sample would be sent to California for further testing immediately. This way..we will know exactly what kind of C-A-N-C-E-R we are dealing with and the options that we may pursue. He now thinks it may be Cancer of the Thyroid Gland. It is Friday...the weekend..so therefore; I will more than likely have to wait until Tuesday or possibly Wednesday for the results. But rest assured..He will call ASAP with all the information. I cried..I wept..I cried..I wept. Just keep loving her Paula and make her as comfortable as possible. She loves you and needs you. I need and love her more than anyone could ever imagine. My heart is breaking. I will try to be strong..for her..but I am only human. We will just go for our walks daily...loving one another..until we get the news. At this point..she is not too uncomfortable..just hoarse and not eating much..if at all. I left with tears streaming down my face. But I had a smile...because Miss Mattie was in my arms and purring. It's all about the Love!

This journey has not been an easy one. I am still in denial. Time and tests results will put an end to the mystery of not knowing how this could happen to my beloved pet..Miss Mattie...I have an email message that was sent to me by a friend. It says it all and very eloquently, I might add. "Mama" loves you baby girl..and I know that you love me. Below is the message for my baby.

Since my last entry there have been numerous veterinarian visits. After the needle aspiration was sent to California, it really did not tell us as much as we needed to know about the C-A-N-C-E-R. Mr. PJ and I decided that a second opinion would be wise. We made an appointment with a local Animal Hospital and Urgent Care Center and saw a Dr. Bradley. By this time we had the files from Dr. Webb's office faxed to her. She thought it necessary to to take x-rays to see if the C-A-N-C-E-R had spread to other organs. The good news was that it had NOT spread. The not - so - good news was that the x-rays could not detect the tumor due to the fact that it is "tissue" on "tissue". After a long consultation and many questions answered by Dr. Bradley, we decided to seek the professional opinions of an Oncologist as well as a Surgeon in this field. This decision is based on Miss Mattie's age. She is only 5 years young and Dr. Bradley said that if she was a bit older..then she would not even suggest further options. The decision was left up to us, of course. We will be taking Mattie to them @ 8 A.M. on Thursday, August 2nd. This is the only time that we could get in until a few months later. Time is of the essence. So, Thursday..we hopefully know whether to continue this journey of love or leave what is best for God to do. In the mean time; we are giving her a different antibiotic to keep the infection from spreading and also a mild pain medication from a syringe that is squirted into her mouth behind her canine tooth.. She has been eating but not nearly as much as I would like to see her eat. She is still enjoying her "outings" every day. As a matter of fact I took a few photos of her sleeping on the native stone around the water garden as she listened to the relaxing sound of water.

I will update as soon as possible on the next Oncologist/Surgeon's reports.

The past few weeks have been very stressful for Mr. PJ and myself. Numerous appointments at different medical fields of Veterinarians, Surgeons, Oncologists, and others. The outcome was all the same. Noone wanted to speculate about what kind of Cancer she has. Yesterday was the final appointment for her. Enough is enough, although until yesterday...she was doing as well as could be expected. She had stopped eating for the past two days and drinking very little water. Last evening she was in excruciating pain and the sound that came from her was that of a human child. It was absolutely pitiful. My heart was wrenching and my eyes streamed tears. Knowing I had to get up and go to work this morning, I retrieved my pillow and a blanket from the bedroom and laid on the floor beside the back glass sliding door ..where she was laying. Mr. PJ was on the other side of her. All we could do was tell her how much we loved her and stroked her beautiful, long, silky fur. Needless to say..there was very little sleep, if any at all. I got up at 3 and left for work by 4. Mr. PJ stayed home after we had discussed this. At 7: 45 A.M. while at work..I received the call I had expected..Miss Mattie passed away. I tried to focus on getting through the work day which I did; however, it was not easy and there were numerous times I had to just walk outside and let the tears flow. I made it through the day and finally home. She was laid in a wicker picnic basket that is lined with red velvet and of course it opens and closes. The pillow was a favorite washcloth that she loved to "toss" around and play with. The blanket was a favorite one she would lie on the back of the love-seat and look out the front picture window on. Two letters had been written last evening..one from "Mom" and the other one from "Dad" telling her how much she was loved and how much love she gave to us. These were placed inside the basket. We also cut some fresh Althea blooms ( lavender color ) and placed them inside all around her. She is buried in the West Garden area where she loved to sit and watch the birds and chase skinks, etc. This area is always cool..as it is the Shade Garden. There are native stone round rocks around the perimeter and a large piece of Flagstone placed on the top which will eventually get engraved.

Mattie, you were so loved. Sleep tight , My Baby, and may you finally catch that mouse that you tried to for months over-end. You may be gone from this Earth but will NEVER be gone from our hearts. We LOVE YOU!

A friend of mine sent me this email that I shared with all to read. It has so much meaning to me; therefore..I shall repost it as well. It is below:

Dear Miss Mattie,

You know how much your PJ loves you. You have been a light at the end of each day in her life. I pray that the lump you are feeling is nothing serious. Miss Mattie, you are loved and whatever happens nothing will change that. PJ rescued you from the animal shelter and gave you many many happy days. You in turn loved her each and everyone of those days. Nothing can take that away.

~*~Paula~*~

Can you spell H-O-T and H-U-M-I-D?

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:10:38 GMT

Oh my gosh..it is oficially SUMMER here at PJ's Palace!! This has been the hottest day of the year thusfar and believe me when I say...INDOORS is the place to be. 97 degrees with a heat index of 106!! How do people breathe in this type of weather? I think of all those individuals that have to be outside working and my heart just goes out to them. I used to be able to do it..but..ummmm..my turning "younger" must have something to do with NOT wanting to be out in it. Even my deck is H-O-T when walking on it barefoot. (Mental note....place flip-flops on feet before heading out back next time .)

<-----PJ's toes in the sand in Atlantic City last year. Land's End flip-flops.

Another week is ahead of us all. I wish you all the best of each and every day. And now LENA, I shall place new photos up so you will not yell at me for the snake pic!! LOL. I don't care for them either, but they are part of nature. A balancing act..I might add.

Until next time..Keep Smiling.

~*~Paula~*~

An AWAKENING of the JUMP BACK Kind

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:27:46 GMT

Good morning ( or good evening ) all my friends. It is almost a new week and so many long hours of hard work ahead beginning Monday. I went about my daily routine this morning and was ready to leave. I opened my front door , then proceeded to almost open the glass storm door to go to the mail box. I always look out before doing so. I had a rather "cold" visitor lying around to greet me. You see, last evening a cold front came through and therefore cooler temperature's. Very pleasant, I might add. I even opened the windows yesterday after it blew through. At any rate...here is what I saw as I was leaving to run errands. Now if you are squeamish perhaps you should just by-pass this entry. LOL. There is a dead GLOBOSA SPRUCE to the left of the porch that needs to be removed. We have been checking for another one but have not found one the size we would like at the price we would like. They are expensive due to the low maintenance and the grafting and the slow growth.

First I shall try to make a long story short from my past. As a youngster living on the ocean front, we rarely saw snakes unless we went to water ski in the nearby Lakes. My mother was raised in the South and was always told by her Mother..if you see a snake..k-i-l-l it. Well, even as a teenager visiting my Father's Grandmother was an experience. She once lived inland and we would go visit. She had acres of land and she and my step-grandfather farmed it. Plenty of snakes..correct? My Mother would run and try to find the closest thing to k-i-l-l the snake with. OK..enough about the past. Now for the present. I have since learned to identify most of the markings on a snake to know whether they are harmless or poisonous in this area. As I studied this one this morning I knew it was a Blue Racer..therefore it was harmless. I still get startled at the sight of snakes, but I am knowledgeable enough to step back..take a deep breath..and then proceed about my business. I ran to get the camera and I truly thought it would be gone before I could retrieve the camera. To my surprise it was still trying to get warm and had not moved . I opened the front glass door...stepped out onto the front porch..and started snapping away. Still, hardly any movement from the Blue Racer. It was then that I knew it was trying to warm up ! LOL. I finished taking the photos and then went back inside. I locked the doot and said goodbye to my early morning "friend" and drove to do the errends.. I have not seen him/her since. Trust me..I am alwys looking !

Just another fun day at PJ's Palace.

Until next time..Keep Smiling.

~PAULA~

The Weekend and Now Monday and Now It's Friday Again!

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:01:35 GMT

OMG..I've been tagged by Mystafied (GARRY)..grrrrr

Tag, you're it!
Each person posts the rules before their list,
then lists 8 things about themselves.
At the end of the post, that person tags
and links to 8 other people and then
visits those peoples' spaces and comments
letting them know that they have been tagged,
and to come and read the post,
so they know what they have to do.

8 things about Moi.....

1) I paint my toe nails but never my long natural finger nails.

2) I celebrate Independence Day ( 4th of July ) not only for the freedom of our country..but for my now 19 years of sobriety. I chose July 4th to quit "cold" turkey and am very proud of myself for breaking that vicious cycle.

3) I try to visit the ocean at least twice a year for my sanity.

4) I am a people person. It comes natural.

5) I love music...especially the blues. (Guitars)..on the other hand....one of my pet peeves is tardiness. I am always on time.

6) I won the "Emplyoyee of the Year Award" given out at a 5 Star Hotel where I worked the first year I was there. There were over 1200 employees.

7) I love gardening and nature and sleeping in the nude.

8) I love photography although I am an amateur one.

There you are Garry..It didn't "hurt" as much as I thought it would. However, I will not tag anyone simply because I usually do not do this type of thing. If I were to tag..it would be Lena.....Patricia (PJ)...., Tom....., Lisa...., Al...., Greg....,Paul...,and that's all, folks. LOL.

The Weekend and Now Monday.............

My Fourth was very nice even after working a double shift. The fireworks were spectacular and then I was ready for sleep. I do not have anything in particular to write about today. But I did have some thoughts earlier that I will type out below.

It seems as though I am losing visitors that leave comments. Even though my page viewed stats exceed 38,000. Oh well, my photos are going to be my main objective from now on. It amazes me how when you first start corresponding with a person and feel as though you are a small part of their daily routine...they just come by less often and then..poof..g-o-n-e. Perhaps it is due to new Friends being added, but to me..if you are my Friend..I will continue to visit you as often as I can. In the mean time..have a wonderful Sunday and an even better week.

~Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and the longitudes.~

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

~*~Paula~*~

HAPPY 4th ALL!

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:03:42 GMT

I have lived in this area for many years now. There is a house about 7 miles away that has been patriotic for most of these years. I finally had my camera with me when I passed it again for the zillionth time. I have often wondered what the folks that live there may be like. In all these years, whenever I pass , there is NEVER anyone outside. Perhaps one of these days I will knock on the door and say hello and find out. I shall sign off by wishing everyone a Happy and Safe 4th.

Please Click : Turn your speakers on, please. Please watch til the END.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1221321706636&source=jl99

~*~Paula~*~

Mother Nature..What a LADY

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:48:44 GMT

*The music is from the movie "LEGENDS of the FALL"*

If ever there was a day that you wish you could have "bottled up" , today would be the day I would have done so. What an absolutely gorgeous day! Sunshine and winds from the Northwest made for less humid conditions. The perfect day to worship the sun and not feel like you are melting away. The skies were blue with small puffy white clouds drifting by. The songs of the birds were letting all know that they were having a spectacular day as well. I learned a few years back that a lot of our colorful little feathered friends would be missing for seems like weeks at a time. Then as suddenly as they disappeared..they would reappear. If you think about it ..it makes perfect sense. "NATURAL" feeding is everywhere. The beautiful canary yellow with black tipped winged, Yellow Goldfinches are busily filling their tummies with Mother Nature's own food. The Niger thistle is abundant these days. Also, the Cardinals , Blue Jays, Mockingbird's, Robins, and Woodpeckers are also away eating fruits off trees and such. I love the tiny Carolina Wrens .Their morning and evening songs are quite unique. And Hummingbirds ...they are just so cute! We have many types of birds in this part of the country which come in as many colors as the rainbow.

I walked the outer country road this past weekend and took a few shots of blooming thistles and also Queen's Anne Lace. BEAUTIFUL. Mother Nature really has it together. I had a nice weekend but as usual..it was gone too quickly and now it is time to get mentally prepared for the work week. I hope all my visitors had a loving and beautiful weekend and are ready for the Fourth of July. Now here is an entry I shall try to write about in the next few days. Boy do I already have a few photographs to share. Talk about fireworks stands and patriotic Americans..I can hardly wait to post them for all to see. LOL.

Until next time..Keep Smiling.

~*~Paula~*~

THANK YOU ALL

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:37:44 GMT

* I added a few shots of a Park today..Sunday*

<----Looking down from hillside at the smoking chiminea through the Hickory tree

Yes, I have been working longer hours these past few weeks but please do not interpret this as complaining. I am fortunate and grateful just to be employed in these trying times around the globe. Fortunate because my employers seem to truly appreciate me; therefore giving me more hours and a small increase in salary. For this I say graciously...THANK YOU.

After being inside most of those hours of the week, I enjoy my own outdoors daily around my property. I also enjoy taking the photos you see here on my Space. It simply gives me inspiration to exceed my expectations , as I truly am an amateur photographer. The kind comments about them are much appreciated and make me smile. For this, again, I say...THANK YOU.

<-One of the mediatation areas on hillside. It overlooks the water garden.

It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful nature really is. One can photograph a simple leaf and if taken correctly..you can actually see the "veins" of the object that normally you would not be able to see by just glancing at it. It truly is the "simple" things in life that matter the most to me at this point in my years. I have always loved designing landscapes and creating beauty from a barren piece of ground, but photography takes a certain "eye" , I am learning. I cannot tell you how many times I have photographed an object and then after reviewing it on the camera immediately deleting it and retaking the same picture time and time again at different angles....and ..voila', instant gratification . Simply amazing.

<--another area for meditation

Every day for the past 2 1/2 months I have gone strolling around the property and just clicked away. No matter how many times I have photographed the exact same object, it will always look more beautiful than the previous time. again, THANK YOU Mother Nature. The album above I am entitling "Beauty Amidst the Shadows", as most of the photos were taken early evening or early morning. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them. It is similar to my favorite album "After the Rain".

I am signing off now as I feel as though I am rambling on and on about things. I will end this entry by saying once again..I THANK YOU for the visits, the comments, rather they be positive or negative. The negative ones just help to set my goals even higher, so do not be afraid to tell me what you think about a certain picture. I am a grown lady and I can "handle" criticism. LOL.

Everyone have a most beautiful weekend. Until next time...Keep Smiling.

~*~Paula~*~

COFFEE ART

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:13:03 GMT

**I have not had time to write a entry. I have displayed food art in a previous entry...now it is time for the coffee art. Hopefully soon I will be back with my own. I have numerous outdoor photos to share, just have not uploaded them all.**

COFFEE ART

There is a restaurant in Vancouver ..actually three... where they dress up the lattes.
You get to watch them create the pictures. What can be done with coffee, cream, milk & imagination?

For the coffee lovers and others just to enjoy the art. Which is your favorite?

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.

~*~PJ~*~

Absolutely Amazing!!!

Now...Drink up.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:52:19 GMT

I would like to start this entry by wishing all you Father's out there a most LOVING FATHER'S DAY. If your Father is still on this Earth..treasure every single moment you spend with him. Life is way too short not to. My Father is in Heaven and he is who made me whom I am today. Thank you, Dad.

I LOVE YOU, Dad. Keep swimming with the Dolphins and also keep watching over me from above. Again, DAD, I LOVE YOU.

Your Loving Daughter,

~*~PAULA~*~

The Winding Road

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:04:12 GMT

This has been one of those weeks that you're glad is over. After the concert last weekend and returning to work..I was still in "HIGH" spirits. I do not believe you all know how much I enjoyed BB King. At any rate, with the good comes.. the bad. My youngest Sister had to have surgery once again due to a hernia she developed from the last surgery she endured about 6 months ago and was almost healed from having to be "opened" up. She was very close to death prior to this surgery.They had to recut the same incision ( from her sternum to her belly. ) She seems to be doing o.k. at home after spending 3 days in ICU again. Just a lot of pain and healing and perhaps this will be the end to her surgeries.

I am very saddened by the death of my Mother's closest friend for almost 25 years. He passed away unexpectedly and was found in his home lying on the floor for a day or so. After being taken to two hospitals..he left this world and never regained consciousness. The last time he and I visited I was a bit concerned about his attitude and overall appearance. He said that his children did not care for him otherwise they would visit. They all lived within an hour of him and one actually lived in the same town! I truly believe he grieved himself to death. ( Depression ). May you fly with the Angels, Richard Campbell. I will miss you dearly. Thank you for always being a friend to my Mom. While you were here, I felt a sense of "calmness" about my Mom living alone because I knew that you would keep an eye on her and call me if she needed anything.

The weather here has been up and down as well. Very humid and lots of severe weather all around. Rain, hail, and winds. It is a rather unusual pattern. However, Friday.. in my opinion was the "PERFECT" day. High of 82, sun, and light North breeze. Ahhhhhhhhhh...wonderful but I had to work most of day and evening. I slipped out as often as I could, though. What a relief from the humidity.

I am taking it as easy as I can this weekend. In other words...doing a lot of nothing. With this I will sign off. Until next time..Keep Smiling.

~*~Paula~*~

A LEGEND, A TRUE GENTLEMAN...

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:34:46 GMT

Yes, I am back from the B.B. King concert. I have a lot to share about this legendary blues guitarist. He is absolutely charming ! He was born in 1927 in Mississippi and at the "young" age of 82...yes, 82, he is still worth seeing. Although Diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis has set in..he can still blow you away while sitting in a chair and smiling, occasionally playing Lucille. His stories were told from past experiences and I was enthralled just to be in his presence. I am aware the song playing is quite long, but it is well worth listening to..beginning to the end. When all others were not with the "King".."Lucille" never failed him. Just listen to his story and I will be back soon to update on the concert that was held outdoors in Council Bluffs, Iowa at a place called "STIR COVE". My birthday gift exceeded my expectations. I can no longer say.."I have never seen the "King of Blues". What an experience.

To be continued.............

*Part 2*

I was fortunate enough to have a room on the 8th floor facing the Missouri River. Not until I got in the room did I realize that the view was spectacular of the skyline of Council Bluffs.

Not only that..but directly below was the lawn and stage of the "Stir Cove". I had the pleasure of watching the "roadies" set up the entire stage and also the staff of the "Stir Cove" set up the reserved seating area. It was as though I was watching a movie.

I did take breaks from the entire work being done..but I also captured BB King's bus as it arrived.

Adjacent to the Hotel and stage area was a Golf Course. The golfer's were pretty busy! I came to the conclusion that they are in dire need of parking expansion after seeing quite a few frustrated golfers. LOL.

After all the hard work of getting the stage ready for the concert..from men climbing up scaffolding to hang speakers, to the miles of cable for lighting and audio..it was finally time for the "test" stage of the work. All went well. BB's Band is now called "BB King's Blues Band" to carry on his tradition for many years to come. There were saxophones, trumpets, organ/piano, drummer, and of course bass player. They were super. Even got an encore before the KING was announced.

I sat next to people that had flown in from Colorado and on the other side of me..from Canada! I cannot express in simple words how exciting and wonderful the concert was. The stories that man can tell will have you falling out of your chair with laughter. He also has a serious side. He talked about U2/Bono joining with him to keep the vulgarity of the upcoming, as well as the present, "rap" artists that seem to put ladies down. He then said.."I have NEVER seen an ugly lady before" and then he turned to his band...and they..one by one..looked the other way as he pointed to them. LOL.It was hilarious. He spoke of growing up in the South where the streets ran North and South and East and West but was only allowed on the streets running North and South. One day he decided that he wanted to "taste" the "white man's" water from the water fountain. He then got scared and ran all the way back home. In the end..the water tasted the same. ( Imagine that ). Lovely man, awesome concert, and a birthday I will remember for as long as I am around.

I hope you all enjoy the photos....I sure will. As BB so very eloquently put it...He still has the "mojo" going. And then he blushed. God bless you BB and may you always be... "Forever Young".

~*~Paula~*~

P.S.

Reserved seating there is first come. I was there early enough to choose my seat. I sat on the 6th row. Yes, babyyyyyyyyyyyyy, woohoooooooo. I spared you all as well..I have..umm...123 photos. ( blushes )

Officially Summer

Tue, 27 May 2008 01:37:44 GMT

* After work today, Thursday the 29th, I am going out of town for the BB King concert tomorrow evening!! Woohoo. Have a great weekend everyone. *

<--New colors of trellis <--"money plant"

Mr. "PJ" and I stay home for this holiday. Throughout the years we have traveled to family members BBQ's and get togethers. Now that we have lost a significant amount of his side of the family..we stay home and just contact most of the relatives. Working around the home and gardens are most relaxing to us. He does most of the work while I snap photos. This does NOT insinuate that I do nothing because I do. LOL. There are some projects for the male of the household ( Gotta keep em believing they are worthy ). We BBQ'd chicken breasts and stuffed them with cream cheese and sun-ripened tomatoes. DELICIOUS. Hot dogs and burgers were thrown the grill as well to have as dinners for the rest of the week. Also fresh veggies ( sliced onions, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms ) that had marinated in Italian dressing and spices overnight. We use a large aluminum deep dish pie plate to put these on the grill and cover it with aluminum foil. DELICIOUS! For dessert we had our choice of Chocolate cake or Apple Pie Ala Mode. Needless to say we are both full.

The temperature here jumped from the mid 60's early this morning to 91 degrees. That is quite uncommon. Also very, very muggy out but at least there was a 20-30 mile an hour South wind, so it did not seem so bad except for indoors. Yes, I finally turned on the A/C. In a few days the high will be..you guessed it..68 degrees again. Just plain strange weather thus far. Also expecting some severe weather late tonight.

While out snapping photos of the beautiful Perennials that are in bloom, it occured to me that the "money plant" has 5 basic stages. Each one..intriguing. This is the first stage :

( Very few blooms and a few pods )

And then you have the second :

( abundant blooms )

Now the third :

( blooms fade )

Fourth stage :

(pods again..is that sperm? )

And the final stage after drying :

A beautiful dried flower arrangement.

I will be working Memorial day but I want to wish "MR" PJ a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. My next entry will be fairly soon due to my leaving town. (My belated b'day gift. ) I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing long weekend. Until next time.....I will have lots of photos of BB King..I hope!

<-- part of West garden

~*~Paula~*~

An American Bouquet

Sun, 25 May 2008 17:47:37 GMT

Please Click : Turn your speakers on, please.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1221321706636&source=jl99

~*~PAULA~*~

~~~WITHOUT the OCEAN..I WOULD BE LOST~~~

MY SUNDAY'S..Past TWO weeks

Still Under Construction..

Journey of Love 1, 2, and 3..First year passing.

A JOURNEY OF LOVE

Can you spell H-O-T and H-U-M-I-D?

An AWAKENING of the JUMP BACK Kind

The Weekend and Now Monday and Now It's Friday Again!

HAPPY 4th ALL!

Mother Nature..What a LADY

THANK YOU ALL

COFFEE ART

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

The Winding Road

A LEGEND, A TRUE GENTLEMAN...

Officially Summer

An American Bouquet

~WITHOUT the OCEAN..I WOULD BE LOST~