Stumped??

Ever wonder what to do with those ugly tree stumps in your yard or front lawn? Well here are some uglies that were made into beautiful pieces of art. Wish I had the talent to take a chain saw and carving tools to create like the artists who carved these stumps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hope you enjoyed looking at these wonderful stump art pieces along with me. Until The next time my friends have a day of blessings.

Day Dreaming Thoughts

Today and how it's been the past two weeks not having much going on and not much to really blog about. The past three days we have broken weather temps with way above average warmth. This will all change by tonight when we drop at least 30-35 degrees back to normal weather for the next week. But this warmth has me day dreaming about my morning walks when I was able to. So here is my day dreaming in poetry.

My Morning Walk

Walking slowly on the bridge across the bay
Letting the sun's warming rays caress my face
I stop to enjoy the beauty of this pretty day
It is such a peaceful and soul filling place

I turn to continue my walk across the bay
Taking in the quiet of this wonderful scene
Sun rays in the water ripple round and play
A feeling of happiness yet joyfully serene

Continuing walking on across the bay
The sun's warm rays still tickle my face
Enjoying the beauty of this lovely day
Truly a peaceful and soul filling place

Now reaching the end of my morning walk
Soon I'll be joining the busy day ahead
Knowing this peaceful feeling will remain
And happy and thankful I got out of bed.

Toni Taddeo ©

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Today I'm looking forward to getting my new journal to start placing daily bible verses and thoughts. I haven't used a journal in years and now I'm ready to write with a pen instead of a keyboard. That's about it for now and until next time dear friends have a day of blessings.

Friday Foto Friends #68 Nature's Ice Sculptures

These two photos of nature's ice sculpture that struck me for being so beautiful especially the first one that I had to make it this week's Friday Fotos Friends. Amazing what happens with nature in our world. Thank You Lord for the simplest natural beauty around us when we open our eyes to see it.

Frozen Spiderweb Found In Nantucket Mass.

A Natural "Flower" Ice Formation On A Window

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

Toni’s Peach Muffins

I thought you might want to try my own peach muffin recipe. They are delicious and easy to make. No mixer necessary and one big bowl will do.

Toni’s Peach Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cut up Dole sliced peaches drained
1 egg
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp. oil

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients. Add egg, lemon extract, milk and oil. Don’t over mix and mix by hand. Add cut up peaches. Drop into paper lined muffin tins or spray pan with PAM baking spray with flour like I do. Fill 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes depending on your oven.

Notes:

Makes 6 large (notice one is missing in the above photo LOL!) muffins. You can substitute raisin or chocolate chips in place of peaches. I never made smaller muffins as I don’t have the smaller muffin tins.

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Cartoon Of The Day

Hope you try out my recipe and let me know how they turned out. Until the next time dear friends be blessed.

Just Name One ~ Tuesday 4 Meme

I thought I would spring another one of my Tuesday 4 Meme. Hope you join in and either answer here in a comment or copy and paste the questions to answer on your own blog.

Just Name One:
1.  Thing You're Afraid To Do?   Hmmmm... There are a few things like being able to swim which I don't, fly a jet or race in the Indy 500.  (Can you just picture it!! HaHa!).

2.  Thing Scientists Need To Invent?   Many diseases but to name one, I think a real cure for the common cold  (just think of the money It would save in tissues alone).

3.  Thing That Would Make You Very Happy?   It would be wonderful if I could walk a mile and hike the park trails again. Also it would be great if I could drive and have my own car again.

4.  Thing About This Past Valentine's Day That Was Special To You?   Nothing unless a box of Whitman's Chocolate Covered Creams would have magically appeared.. :)!

Seems I just couldn't name one thing for each answer, it wasn't easy. Think you could name just one thing for each question? Try it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Photo Of The Day

That's it for now and In the meantime dear friends have a blessed day ahead.

More Sunday Unconscious Mutterings From Me

Here's this week's Unconscious Mutterings meme. I really enjoy doing this meme and this one had me really thinking. It's fun and all you do is answer with the first thought that comes to your mind for each question. Usually one word answers will do. Most of the time I answer tongue in cheek. :-)


I say ... and you think ...?

1. Haunting ~ Bad Memories
2. Mattress ~ Sealy, Simmons, Serta, etc..
3. Speculate ~ Ponder
4. Climb ~ Every Mountain
5. Diana ~ Memories of Neil Sadaka
6. Runner ~ Escaping
7. Grim ~ Reaper
9. Nightmare ~ Alley (old movie)
10. Chrome ~ My Favorite Web Provider

Now hopefully you'll try either on your own blog or answer here in comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It's been a very quiet two weeks here for me thanks to the weather. I've spent it hybernating LOL! Hopefully Spring will pop up in time. Until the next time dear friends, have a day of blessings.

Friday Foto Friends #67 Amazing Nature

These amazing photos of a giant tree were taken by my cousin Vicki this past week in Charleston, SC while visiting her parents. I have her permission to show them for today's Friday Foto Friends.

Angel Oak Tree Johns Island Charleston SC

The Sign By The Tree Reads:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

Lazy Morning Thoughts

Today and how it's been the past two weeks not having much going on and not much to really blog about, I'm sitting in the early morning with everything quiet and just finished making coffee. So, with this picture in mind I thought I'd write what I'm doing in poetry.

My Morning Hug

Sitting here with coffee in hand
In the early morning light
Thinking where today I stand
And what will be in my sight

I contemplate on my things to do
And where I should start the day
I think that things are very few
So not much seems to be in play

Now I'll just enjoy and drink
The coffee calling in my mug
And just relax and do not think
And give myself a morning hug.

{Toni Taddeo ©}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'll probably spend the rest of the day reading and puttering around my apartment. Until next time dear friends have a day of blessings.

Do You Know Your Mom?

I thought I would post Annie's Meme list of questions she had on her blog.

1. She is sitting in front of the TV, what is she watching?  She likes watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy and other shows.

2. What dressing does she eat?  Her favorite was blue cheese

3. Name a food she hates That I can't answer for I never saw her not eat anything that was in front of her. My mom was an excellent cook.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink, what would she have to drink?  A glass of wine.

5. Favorite music to listen to?  She enjoyed Italian music.

6. What is her nickname for you?  My Italian mother never used nicknames for me.

7. What is something she collects?  She wasn't a collector.

8. Where is her favorite place to visit?  I would think Italy where her sister and sister's family lived. Although she loved to travel and went many places with her late Canadian cousin.

9. What is her favorite breakfast?  Not sure, she ate whatever she made.

10. What would she never wear?  Makeup. She would only use lipstick when going out. My mom had perfect young looking skin.

11. What is her favorite sports Team? I think like me she liked the NY Yankees

12. What is something that you do that she wishes you didn't do?  LOL!! Too many to name but she loved me anyway.

13. What's her favorite animal?  Her cat Buttercup who passed a couple of years after she did.

14. What could she spend all day doing?  Working in her garden and walking before her illness.

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Hope you join in to Annie's Meme. Until next time dear friends, have a day of blessings.

A Special Valentine

How Very Special

How very special is a Valentine day
When love is shown to come your way

When a happy smile and a hug or two
And a kiss is given then just for you

Behind them are hidden a gift of love
A picture of a heart and turtle dove

With words hand written and lovingly so
They say, "Dear mommy we want you to know

How very special you will always be
To my brothers and also special to me."

Yes a happy smile and a hug or two
And a kiss then given just for you

{Toni Taddeo ©}

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Hope your Valentine's Day dear friends is a day full of blessings.

Winter In My Area This Past Week

Thought I would post winter photos from my area for you to look at as there isn't anything special going on right now with me. I really don't have much to write about and it's been a week of not wanting to do much either. Winter weather doesn't lift my spirit at all. Anyway hope you enjoy looking at them.

Taken Yesterday Morning During Our 2nd Snow Storm From My Livingroom Window

Also Taken Yesterday In The Afternoon From My Bedroom Window

Taken Last Thursday Of The Snow Storm Blizzard By A Neighbor

Also Taken Last Thursday Night Showing The Snow Moon By The Same Neighbor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I like looking at Winter scenes even thought I'm not a lover of the season or the snow and ice. As a child I loved it especially growing up in New York City, but as a grown up like a bear I hibernate in the winter. So my friends until next time have a day of blessings my friends.

Friday Foto Friends #66 Abandoned And Lonely

Ever feel sad when seeing lonely unused buildings? I know I do. Here are a couple of them. One in the Adirondacks, NY and one here in my area.

Abandoned little church in the woods in Adirondack Park NY. A sad sight for sure.

Unused railroad building along the train tracks south of lower Main Street In Germantown, NY taken by a local resident.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

Today's Weather

Haven't seen this type of blizzard nor'easter in a couple of years. Along with the high winds and low temps I'm hybernating and hope electricity holds out. Here'a a poem I wrote I thought would work with the today's weather.

City In White

City streets laden down with snow,
Watching people covered from head to toe.
Those not used to this winter white,
Are hating the city's cold snowy sight.

Wishing they were home all safe and warm,
Instead of out in this terrible storm.
A change of season come soon oh please,
I need the warmth of a summer breeze.

How strange to see this city in white,
It makes for an unusual blustery sight.
A hot steamy drink would warm me now,
As I shovel and wait for the city plow.

Toni Taddeo © ~ 1-27-2011



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Hope you all are safe and sound with better weather. Until the next time be blessed.

The Wish List

Thought I would write a different type of post featuring my poem with my drawings and a painting  (not mine, unknown artist)  and a photo of my favorite type of stone tudor cottage I always dreamed of having. Here is my wish list.

Here I sit pencil in hand wondering where to start
First to list a place from where I will depart
Of course I do know I have to follow my heart
It must be a place with warmth and set apart

Second must be a small cafe where people meet
A place with outdoor tables on a quiet street
Of course I do know I have to follow my heart
It must be a place with warmth and set apart

Third on the list be open to new adventures
And a world of wonderful joy and treasures
Of course I do know I have to follow my heart
It must be a place with warmth and set apart

Fourth will be take a companion along with me
For out in the world there is so much to see
Of course I do know I have to follow my heart
It must be a place with warmth and set apart

Fifth on the list is knowing when to return
The time will be when there's no more to learn
Of course I do know I have to follow my heart
For home is a place with warmth and set apart.




Poem by Toni Taddeo ©

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hope you enjoyed my wish list "voyage" and might try this on your own blog. Until the next time my friends have a day of blessings.

Unconscious Mutterings #9

Here's the past week's Unconscious Mutterings meme. Haven't done one in a couple of weeks and this one had me thinking. It's fun and all you do is answer with the first thought that comes to your mind for each question. Usually one word answers will do. Most of the time I answer tongue in cheek. :-)


I say ... and you think ...?

1. Boots ~ Black
2. Flames ~ Hot
3. Resign ~ Give Up
4. Move ~ Fast
5. Stream ~ Brook
6. Champagne ~ Cork
7. Slid ~ Oops! :)
9. Trailed ~ Follow
10. Woods ~ Hike

Now hopefully you'll try either on your own blog or answer here in comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tonight I'll be going over to my niece Joelene's with other family members for a Super Bowl party even though I won't be rooting for either team as my favorite team the NY Giants aren't playing. But it's a get together with food and card games. It should be fun. So until next time dear friends, have a day of blessings.

Friday Foto Friends #65 Peace and Beauty

Two beautiful peaceful photos and a special one all taken by my daughter Tuesday, January 24th. They were so lovely I thought I would feature them in this week's Friday Foto Friends. She takes them with her cellphone and they come out beautifully.

Sunrise At Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Herons On A Man Made Lake In St Johns Town Center, Florida

This one is the special one from her. She Said, "Walter is just over a year old. His owner Steven was a sweetheart
to share him with us & other passerby. He's sitting on ny daughter's hand. — in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you're interested in joining the Friday Foto Friends you can visit Debbie by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.