March 31, 2017

Friday Foto Friends #73

Around The Neighborhood

For those of you who are new to my blog here are some photos from around my neighborhood. I live near the Hudson River across from the Catskill Mountains in a town called Germantown in Columbia County upstate NY. It's a beautiful rural area about 2 hours above New York City. Click on each photo to see full view.

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I have joined a wonderful group awhile back called Friday Foto Friends and as it suggests on Friday we post photos. If you're interested you can visit Debra by clicking on her name. Until next time dear friends have a lovely and blessed weekend.

March 29, 2017

Sleeping Through The Night


Sleeping Through The Night

It's the middle of night
Yet my mind is wide awake
And the ticking of the clock
Is more than I can take.

Trying hard to close my eyes
In this middle of the night
As the brightness of the moon
Filters my room with glowing light.

Knowing sleep will never come
I'm so tired yet wide awake
And the ticking of that clock
Is way more than I can take.

Sleeping through the night
Has never been or yet to be
No matter what and how I try
A night of sleep is not for me.

Toni Taddeo ©

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Sorry I haven't been around to visit in case you haven't noticed, no illness involved just a tired laziness that I can't seem to shake off. I'm praying it doesn't last long and I'll get back to my old self. I thank you for still taking the time to visit here anyway. That's about it for now and until next time dear friends have a day of blessings.

March 27, 2017

A Reader Of Books

I was always an avid reader and used to read 2-3 books a week. Although I've slowed down in my reading, it's still one of my favorite things to do. I found an old question book meme that I had posted awhile ago that I thought you might like to answer. Below is my answer to the meme.


 When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)  When I was a child, reading books was the way to go for enjoyment. I had no real influence as I just loved to read and at Christmas and my birthdays my aunts would always give me books. First and foremost was and is The Bible.
I grew up with all the great classics like Dickens, Cristie, Austin, Tolkein, Lewis, Verne, etc.. and I still enjoy reading them today. My father used to love anything science fiction and I remember sneaking his books at night and reading them in my room after everyone was sleeping.




Yesterday my sister and brother-in-law and me of course, spent part of the day at Barnes & Noble where we enjoyed coffee, fellowship and reading. I picked up a Mary Higgins Clark book titled,  "Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories". She is my favorite modern day mystery writer. I skimmed through it and liked what I did read. I have it on order from Amazon® When I buy books I buy hard cover. That to me feels like reading. Do you read? What is your favorite book or books? Let me know what books you like to read if you do.


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Well my friends, until the next time have a day of blessings.

March 24, 2017

Apple Trees In Spring

Today I'm featuring a painting by Millie Gosch an avid plein air painter who says, "I paint what I know, and what I love is nature. In my work I strive to bring my viewer into the painting and let them make it their own experience". This painting from her site is titled,  "Apple Trees In Spring ©".  Beautiful isn't it


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Hope you enjoy me presenting artists and their paintings here on my blog every so often, just let me know what you think. Until next time dear friends and family, be blessed.

March 22, 2017

Street Art Grounds For Talent 2

You don’t necessarily need fancy qualifications or expensive equipment to get started. What is required is talent. All around the world artists are at work, saying what they want to say on their own terms. And the talent shines. I've always been fascinated by street and building art so I usually manage to find something that catches my eye and believe me these two did.

The Owl Street Art In Athens Greece. Titled "Knowledge speaks—Wisdom listens", by WD Street Art, 2016


ADM Street Artist Shaka is equally accomplished in fine art. I love this one.
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I'll leave you with this quote which explains my area by ~ Charles Dickens ~,  "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

Not much going on here these past few weeks and not much to write about either LOL! So dear friends until the next time have a day of blessings.

March 20, 2017

First Day Of Spring


Sounds Of Spring

As the morning dawn fills my room with filtering light
And the sounds of spring fill my soul with delight
I hurriedly shower, dress and rush out the door
For I truly can not wait to see or miss much more

Of chirping birds building their nests all around
And butterfly wings fluttering, such a wondrous sound
The trees now budding with their green leaves so bright
And tiny blossoms and lilac blooms are a welcomed sight

The colorful daffodils and tulips stand proud and tall
Lined up along the winding path and my garden wall
The sound of children laughing ring throughout the air
And the soft warm spring breeze ripples through my hair

As I fill myself with sounds and fragrance of spring
The beauty of this season that only God can bring
Happily I thank Him as chirping birds fly on by
While the warmth of the sun filters down from the sky.

Poem By Toni Taddeo ©

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Until the next time dear friends, be blessed.

March 17, 2017

Friday Foto Friends #71 Scenes Of Nature

The following photos were taken by my daughter Elena this past week in Florida. She lives and works all around Florida and sends me photos she takes while traveling the state. Living here in upstate New York I don't get to see the wonderful sites of nature she sees. Click on photos to see full view.

Lochloosa Lake Park, Alachua, outside of Gainville, Florida
Red Headed Herons
Sand Hill Cranes
 ~(Thank you Pamela for correcting me)


Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park Black Lizard
Lake In Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park

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Happy Saint Patrick's Day to those who celebrate the holiday and may GOD fill your heart with gladness!

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.

March 15, 2017

Just Bits And Pieces

Yesterday Stella's Winter blizzard/snowstorm dropped 36 inches and that's not counting the drifts and 30-35 mile an hour winds, have made me tired talking about it and since there's not much else to talk about today except thank Our Lord for keeping us all safe here.

I'm posting a photo from my daughter. It's a beautiful collage of flowers she photographed in Florida. Makes me feel great just seeing the beautiful flowers she sees.


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I just can't wait for Spring weather to kick in and remain here until the Summer. The older I get the more I do not care for Winter at all. I'm not a lover of cold and snow. No use complaining for I can't do a thing about it. LOL!! Until next time dear friends, have a day of blessings.

March 12, 2017

Traveling Thru My Sister's Eyes

Between my sister and my daughter I get to see other places through their eyes. Here are some beautiful photos taken this past Friday sent to me by my sister Phyllis who spends the winter in Myrtle Beach. They were taken at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrills Inlet. Hope you enjoy the photo traveling with me. Click on them to see full view.

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Happy Birthday This Wednesday To My Sister Phyllis

Until the next time, I wish you all a lovely and blessed day ahead.

March 11, 2017

Time Change Again

While the adoption of Daylight Saving Time is almost always rife with controversy, most of the world (except for countries around the Equator) has implemented DST at one point or another. Today, approximately 70 countries utilize Daylight Saving Time in at least a portion of the country. Japan, India, and China are the only major industrialized countries that do not observe some form of daylight saving. As for the states, parts of Arizona doesn't observe DST either.
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Here's a little poem I wrote about the time change. Thought you might get a kick out of it. :)

An Hour Lost

Tick, tock, tick, tock
Ding dong chimes the clock

It's the time to move ahead
Lose an hour then go to bed

Sun comes up an hour late
This is time I truly hate

Let me sleep an hour more
Then I'll dress and out the door

Daylight saving time is here
Seven months of the year

It's time again to move ahead
Up and at 'em, get out of bed.

Toni Taddeo ©

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Now don't forget to change your clocks tonight. I usually change my clocks Saturday morning, it's a habit from when my kids were young so by bedtime they were already used to the change. Until the next time my friends, have a weekend of blessings.

March 10, 2017

Friday Foto Friends #70 Suffolk, England

Photos by Meleah Reardon Photography. She says of herself, "I’m a girl with a camera who loves making pretty things. I'm based in Suffolk, England where I specialize in landscape, architecture, and travel photography using a unique technique called High Dynamic Range (HDR)."

This group were taken in Suffolk, England. She takes fantastic photos. I'm glad I came across her. Click on her name to visit her blog and see more.

'Bridge Cottage' a 16th century thatched Cottage in Flatford, Suffolk

Bury St. Edmunds in bloom

The Church of St Peter and St Paul

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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.

March 8, 2017

Willows And Clouds

I love nature photos from my area and only wish I could get out and take some nice ones myself. Here is one taken at our local park by a neighbor who takes great photos, his name is Conrad Hanson. You can click on his name to see his Instagram page and all his wonderful photos. I haven't seen pussy willows in years and just had to show this one.


This one was taken by me Monday night as the sun was setting 5:30 pm from my window. It was the cloud formation that got me and not the setting of the sun.


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That's all there is my friends. Until the next time have a day of blessings.

March 7, 2017

Our Unique World

I love to travel but nowadays I do it from home through the web. There are so many beautiful places in this world and this time I didn't travel to countrysides but countries. Enjoy coming on this trip with me.

Canal In Venice, Italy

Castle, Cochem, Germany

Skyview London, England

The Rock of Cashel, Ireland

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I love this kind of stuff. How I wish I was able to travel to these places when I was younger and had the money to do so. Oh well, hope you enjoyed them too. Until next time be blessed my friends.