For All You Moms!

Several of the blogs I read were talking about a great tradition they've started at their homes over the last few years and even though my girls are grown I thought of all of you and your lovely little ones when I read the blogs.

Since Santa is scheduled to visit tomorrow night, go check out I Caught Santa!!!  You can create a photo of Santa at your house and then show it to your little ones on Christmas morning!! In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don’t have kids yourself.  One of the blogs even had a coupon code: Coupon Code for Santa Photo : SANTA50 and get your entire order for 1/2 price!

So go check it out today!!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Snap Thursday!!

Who is that "Masked Woman"????

Wordless Wednesday

 

What caption would you give this photo?

 

Where Do You Recommend...???

Bet you haven't guessed.....I love to travel!!  Doesn't matter if it's just down the road or halfway around the world, I love to visit new places and take in all the sights/sounds of the area.  I will travel on a motorcycle, in a car, on a boat, in a plane (sounds like Dr. Seuss)!!!!  Not only do I love to travel, I also love to take photographs of the places I visit ( bet you couldn't guess that either).  Now, a great photographer I'm not but I do try to capture the sights with my camera as best I can.

With summer officially here, vacations are happening everywhere and I'd love to hear where you've been or where you are headed this summer.  I'll be going to Topsail later this summer with the family.  We do love the beach!!  However; I'd like to hear about other places I should put on my list to visit in the future.  So...help a girl out and tell me about a place you'd suggest!!!  A quaint bed and breakfast, a great trip to take on the motorcycle, a resort that is fabulous, a town that is awesome, a cruise that is fantastic....you get the idea.  I'm open to hearing about any place you recommend!!!

I'm following these blogs this Friday:


  

Murray's Mill

Good grief....it was hot yesterday!!!  Harley Man and I took off on the motorcycle to join our H.O.G. friends for an afternoon ride.  With temperatures in the 90's, we  headed out to Murray's Mill in Catawba County, Newton, NC.  When you are on a motorcycle, the wind temperature plus heat from the motorcycle adds to the overall outdoor temperature....let me tell you, it felt like way over 100 degrees on that bike!!!  Call me crazy.... but when the storm clouds moved in I was thrilled!!!  Anyways, loved the beautiful country scenery along the way and I thoroughly enjoyed being a passenger for the day!!!

Murray's Mill is a National Register Historic Site.  Preserved intact are the 1913 mill itself, the 1890s Murray & Minges General Store, the 1880s Wheathouse, used as an exhibit gallery, the 1913 John Murray House, furnished to the period, and numerous outbuildings.  The mill abandoned operation in 1967 due to increased taxes and red tape.  To learn more about Murray's Mill, go to: http://www.catawbahistory.org/historic_murrays_mill.php.

Here are some photos from our visit!!

It was a wonderful ride.....but I so enjoyed finally getting inside to some cool air at the end of the day!!!

Yep, Thankful Thursday Is Here!!

Today, my Thankful Thursday consists of photos.  I am so blessed and so very thankful for my awesome family, the diversity of this world, the beauty of nature, the oceans of our world, the ability to see/hear/smell/taste/feel the wonders of life each day!!  Have an awesome Thursday!!!!

(Believe it or not, I actually took most of these photos...except those of the family)!!!

What are you thankful for this Thursday?  I'd appreciate you sharing your thoughts in the comments today!!

Joint Venture!!

We had a delicious lunch Easter Sunday with the girls, son-in-law and KK.  It's so nice to have them prepare items to bring and share with us.  Brooke did an appetizer, Spinach Dip, which was delicious.  Bree made potato salad and brought fresh, sliced strawberries from a farm near her house.  As for me, well... I prepared a smoked oyster ball (a favorite of Harley Man and the girls), green bean casserole, ham, turkey, steamed broccoli and grilled pineapple.  Delicious!!!!

I haven't shared a recipe lately, so I thought you might like the potato salad recipe from Bree's kitchen.  Actually, it's from a friend of ours who graciously shared it with us.  We named the recipe after her since she deserves the credit!!!

Caroline Ray's Potato Salad                                                         
Ingredients:
1/2 of a 5lb bag Red Potatoes
3 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped
1/2 finely chopped onion
3-4 cloves finely chopped garlic
7-8 dill pickle chips finely chopped
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1 cup of mayo
2 tbsp mustard
salt ; pepper


Directions:

Boil 1/2 the 5lb bag of red potatoes.  Start in cold water and once it comes to a boil it takes about 20-30 minutes.  I tested each one and as they became fork tender, took them out and put them in a bowl of cold water.  This way the smaller ones didn't over cook while we waited for the large ones to cook.  
Once all potatoes are cooked put them in cold water and covered and refrigerated for several hours (over night is best).  Once super cold peel, and dice to bite size pieces (this helps them not be mushy).  I put them back in the fridge once diced while I prepared the rest of the ingredients so they would stay nice and cold.  I also boiled my eggs while potatoes were boiling, cooled and peeled them and put them in fridge to get cold.  Saute onions in a little butter and once they start becoming translucent add garlic and saute for a few more minutes.  Just be careful not to burn the garlic.  Take out of pan and put in dish to cool (stuck these in fridge too).  Finely chop celery and dill pickle.  Put potatoes, egg, sauteed onions and garlic, celery, and dill pickle chips in serving bowl.  Add mayo, mustard, salt and pepper to taste.  It is best made ahead so it can sit in the fridge and let all the flavors mix.

I also had an opportunity to use my new camera!!!  I played with some photo editing and here is one of my favorite shots!  Still have lots to learn!!

I'm Soooo Excited!!!!

I have a new DSLR camera and I can't wait to learn all about the different aspects of photography!!  Whoooo Hooo!  Now, I drive my family crazy because I love to take photos....no matter what the occasion.  My current camera is a point and shoot Kodak M863 (a gift from my daughters a couple of years ago).  It has served me well and I love how easy it is to tuck into my pocket or my motorcycle saddlebags.    

However; I've been "yearning" to own a DSLR camera for some time.  Why?  Because I want to learn to take exceptional pictures and even a photography class.  Not to mention the fact many of my Harley friends own one and they have the most extraordinary photos they share with me all the time.  Another reason...I've been reading various blogs over the past few months and read things like "photoshop", "composition", "aperture", "layers", "RAW", etc.  Totally "greek" to me but hey...I love a challenge! Oh, and the fact I'm going on a trip in May!!!!!!

So yesterday, hubby agreed to go with me to Best Buy so I could just "hold" a DSLR" and see what I thought about it.  Now, I didn't go into that store "green"....nope...I'd been doing my homework and "research queen" had read all I could about these cameras and recommendations for beginners!!  By no means did this make me an expert but....at least I knew two cameras I could focus on with at least a small amount of knowledge about each of them.  Yep...a Canon Rebel Xti and a Nikon D3100. 

As soon as I hit the doors of Best Buy, I made a beeline to the camera section and lo... there they were.  I picked each one up, examined them, played with the lens, read the info tag and was in heaven!!!  Now mind you, I was in the "look" stage...telling myself the day would eventually come when I might actually own one of these cameras.  Satisfied with having seen and touched these cameras, I told hubby all was good and turned to leave.  Other family members were checking out laptops, so I joined them totally satisfied at this point and willing to leave without a purchase.  I know...hard to believe isn't it!!

Little did I know temptation was just around the corner!!!  As we talked with the salesman, we were informed of their 18 month (no interest) plan.  Next thing I know....my wonderful, sweet hubby says, "Why don't you do that and get the camera you want?"  What????  Well, you don't have to tell me twice and I was gone in a flash...back to the camera section.  Then I saw it.....a "bundle deal" that was just tooo good to pass up.  It was the Nikon D3000 (which I also had information stored on).  I could get the camera body, a 18-55 mm lens, a 55-200 mm lens, a camera bag and a 8 GB memory card for the same price as the D3100 camera body only!!!!  Oh my goodness, I'd died and gone to heaven!!

Once I came back to life, I found a salesman and asked him to help me acquire the camera. "Ma'am, I don't know much about cameras but I'll do what I can" he said.  "Oh, you don't need to know a thing, I know exactly what I want!!", I said, as I practically ran over to the camera!!  Now I was in business.

 As I went to show him, another salesman told my hubby "Oh no, she'll never learn how to just pick that camera up and use it."   Can you believe that????  Bless hubby's heart, he turned to the guy and said, "You wanna bet?  She'll figure it out, I guarantee that"!!!  (Oh, how I love a man who'll stand up for you) :)  Within minutes (actually 30 minutes because speed is not an attribute the sales people possess at Best Buy), I walked out the proud owner of that Nikon D3000 "Bundle Deal"!!!

I've ......unpacked my new camera, charged the battery, set up the camera settings, new lens is attached, strap is attached, software installed on my computer, memory card inserted, warranty cards completed and I've taken several "test" photos!!!  I am sooooooooooooooo excited!!!!  Now it's time to venture outside and see what I can capture on "film"!!!  Now, where is that salesman????? LOL!!!        

Stay tuned......more to come!!!  Oh by the way, if you know of a great place offering beginner photography classes...I'm in the market!!!  Just give me a shout!!