Hooray for lucky me !  My husband loves to cook and often times he experiments and comes up with something pretty spectacular.  Here is a photo of the marinated chicken breast & pasta salad  ~  nice presentation ~ fantastic flavor.  YUM !

Friendship

One of life's many treasures is our friendship that has lasted 40 years (but who is counting) ?!  We survived the often turbulent teen years, love affairs, heartbreak, marriage, babies, divorce, travel, careers, illness, joy and sorrow.  Through it all, we changed with the times from mini skirts to bell~bottoms, long hair to short hair,  now dyed hair, pedicures, and wrinkles.  We faced our toughest challenge last year when we lost one of our "dears" to the dreaded C.  Through it all, we rallied together and did the absolute best we could for our most darling friend as she slowly slipped away.  We are after all, friends together, forever, and never apart (our motto).     P.S.  We love you Susie and we visited your favorite shops today.   ~J.~

Moment

I love the early morning when I am the first one up and about.  Slipping into my cozy housecoat and my soft pink slippers,  I gather my little dog in my arms and we head outdoors for a quick breath of morning air.  I can hear the sputtering coffee maker as it brews my much anticipated morning cup of hot coffee. It's a comforting feeling knowing my loved ones are still nestled in their beds while I sit quietly, gather my thoughts, for yet another busy day.   ~J.~

A

 A Tisket a Tasket I found a lovely little basket ~ these are the nicest little shopping baskets !   While you are walking the grocery aisles you can fill your stylish basket with lots of things avoiding the use of those awful plastic bags !   Oh yes, and if it is raining and your basket gets wet ~ it's waterproof ! 
~ Simply lovely~

~ A Love Affair ~

My youngest daughter started riding lessons 4 years ago.  It all started simply enough, school had ended, the prospect of warm summer days lay ahead, and knowing she always dreamed of riding a horse we signed her up for a few lessons.  Upon recommendation, we were put in touch with a very nice lady who taught English riding lessons at a barn just around the corner from where we live.  It seemed quite perfect. When we arrived at the barn, April was introduced to a very pretty white Arabian Pony named "Gabby".  Who would have thought a love affair at that very moment would blossom?  Sure enough, with April's determination and Gabby's love of getting attention, a very special bond grew.  Twice a week April attended her lessons working tirelessly at learning all the many maneuvers it takes to be a rider.  She learned to groom that horse along with learning Gabby's favorite treats were most definitely carrots. As her mom, I have spent hours taking pictures of her with Gabby and filming her lessons so she could make video's (put to music) of her cantering around the arena.  These latest pictures are of her sitting on Gabby bareback.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do ~ there is nothing sweeter than a girl and her pony.

H

I want to share some of my vintage treasures with you. I love the "pincushion doll" and even though the beautiful French coffee pot has the tiniest chip in the lid, I couldn't resist it.  A dear friend gave me the vintage hatbox and my collection of old suitcases hold many unique little treasures.  The circa 1900 Wedding dress I found in the vintage clothing store where my daughter works. Finally, one of the many hats in my hat collection.

Welcome

I am officially laying out the welcome mat to all of you who have chosen to be a part of my Blog.  I have to admit, I have resisted temptation to write a Blog, but I have been encouraged to follow through and give it a try.  I am looking forward to networking,  meeting new friends, and bringing a bit of inspiration to my page as well !  A big thank you to Katie for the design concept, and my personal photographer April, who has a gift when working behind the lens.    ~J.~