fill your home with joy,
your heart with love
and your life with laughter.
Photos from St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in North Royalton, Ohio.
Places and Locations
Merry Christmas 2012
fill your home with joy,
your heart with love
and your life with laughter.
Mary’s Close Encounters
Mary is my sister’s sister-in-law. Does that make her my sister-in-law-in-law? It certainly makes her my friend. Mary has had two very unusual things happen to her in the last few days. She can’t explain it and neither can I.
July 16, 2012
Hi, guys! I’m not sure quite how this works, but something happened to me this morning I wanted to share with all my buds. I recently had a bout in the hospital and am now home slowly but surely gaining my strength back … at a snail’s pace, but working on it.
To remind some of you, I live in the desert of Nevada outside of Carson City (northwestern part of state). This morning I took my trusty walker and oxygen for a walk, this is my second time out since coming home. I was shuffling along on the long leg back to home when I heard a soft “clop” sound behind me. I turned around and found I was being accompanied by a herd of “wild” free horses!
There were about 7 in the herd with a baby filly, and they had been behind and now beside me walking along at my pace … so close I could almost touch them. The one behind me was the “man” and he was watching me with the most gentle eyes and was no further than a foot away. I was so stunned to not only see them as I had no idea when they had joined me, but because they were actually walking with me at my pace, as if making sure I got home okay.
My little Yorkie, Sammy, was with me and did not blink an eye, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Once I reached my area the little one kicked up its heels and started to play and they went on their way.
Nowhere but in Nevada, nowhere but in the desert are there such gentle free beings. Not getting gushy, guys and gals, but I truly felt I had been walking with God’s Angels and there is no other way to describe it. I wanted to share this with all those I care about and love to give you some of what I felt and still do.
July 20, 2012
After I walk in the mornings, my routine is to get a cup of coffee and go out on the deck, pull my walker up to the railing, put my feet on the bottom rail, and my cup and arms to rest on the top rail. I then face the sun and soak up some rays.
A couple of days after my walk with the horses, I was doing this with my eyes closed, and heard a kind of “fluttering” sound, sort of like a BIG bug … ugh … I opened my eyes and found myself staring into the face of a Hummingbird!!! If I had lifted my finger from my coffee cup I could have touched it! About 1-1/2″ from my face!!! And, yes, their wings do HUMMMMM! I could actually see them moving. It only lasted for a nano-second and then it flew away, and it may only have been attracted to the scent of my Coffee Mate (French vanilla), but one thing I DO know … I’ll continue walking.
So, that’s Mary’s two animal encounters. Were they just coincidence? Could there be a deeper meaning? Either way, they were certainly interesting encounters. Thanks for sharing, Mary.
Has anything like this ever happened to you? Leave a comment with your animal story.
Penguin Cam from SeaWorld San Diego
As caretakers of the earth, we’re responsible for our family and so much more. The choices we make and the things we do, can have far reaching effects. Chemicals we use in our homes. Pesticides that are sprayed on our fruits and vegetables. Hormones and antibiotics that are in our meats and dairy products. They all go somewhere. And they end up in the soil, the rivers, lakes and oceans. We can make a difference by keeping the chemicals out of our environment.
Here’s a site we don’t often get to see. Penguins being penguins.
Keep them safe. Use non-toxic cleaning products.
Frozen Planet airs tonight at 8:00 pm on Discovery Channel.
To switch views, click the “Multiview” button in the gray bar above.
Watch the penguins on land or in the water.
This is live streaming video from SeaWorld San Diego
This video cam is available March and April 2012.
WARNING: Penguin Cam can be addicting!
Do you watch other animal cams? What’s your favorite?
Add a comment with the link and let me know.
Digital Catalog
The products are always safe, always green and always work. Guaranteed.
Motel New Yorker
I’m from Ohio. I call it home and always will. But, there were three years in the mid 60’s that took me to Miami, Florida. Dad decided we should pack up all our worldly possessions and drive 1,100 miles south, right behind hurricane Cleo.
We had a big, old Chrysler and a station wagon, pulling a trailer. This was actually our second trip. The first time, we drove down the Treasure Coast to Miami to find a motel to buy. Mom and dad had pretty much decided on one along US 1 in Miami. When we stopped for gas, dad asked the guy pumping the gas if he knew a good place to stay. (Remember when the gas station attendant pumped the gas?) His answer: “The Motel New Yorker.” That was the motel they were about to buy! That stretch of Biscayne Boulevard was one motel after another. Why did he pick that one? There must have been something special about it. That sealed the deal for dad.
Sure they were making the right choice, they bought the motel. We moved into the manager’s apartment behind the office, plus the next 2 motel rooms. It was crowded, but it was temporary. After a year, we moved to a home in North Miami.
The motel did well, especially during “the season.” Those were the winter months. Vacationers stayed for several days or a week. But, some people stayed all winter. Dad said they were business owners. Either they were retired or they were able to leave their business in the hands of their employees.
Originally, the motel looked like this in 1953 when it was built:
I got to thinking about the motel and all the changes thru the years. The neighborhood was good when we were there in the 60’s. The motel was named the New Yorker to attract visitors from New York. Miami was a popular destination for them. After mom and dad sold it, the neighborhood deteriorated and so did the motel. There were a couple of name changes that I’m aware of. The Motel New Yorker became the Motel Quebec. I’m guessing demographics changed and more visitors were coming from Canada. Or maybe the motel was bought by Canadians. And it was also called Davis Motel for a while.
But, I heard there was a restoration project along Biscayne Boulevard. Curiosity got the best of me and I googled MOTEL NEW YORKER MIAMI. To my surprise, the Motel New Yorker has been renovated and there is even a website to explore: www.HotelNewYorkerMiami.com . The owners, Walter and Shirley Figueroa, have done a great job restoring the motel with a retro look. Visit their site for more information and a photo gallery.
Today, the Motel New Yorker looks like this:
Photos compliments of www.TheBorrowedAbode.com
If you’ve ever stayed at the Motel New Yorker in Miami – Or if you know the area and have seen the transformation, add a comment with your memories.
Fall Foliage 2011 – Part 2
I’ve been watching the Fall Foliage map. Northeast Ohio is near peak and quickly approaching the peak. Draped around Cleveland is the Cleveland Metroparks, also known as the Emerald Necklace. You can drive slowly – mostly 25 and 30 MPH – thru the park for hours. The southernmost part of the park is where I chose to take my pictures.
It’s been a spectacular fall. Here are the pictures I took over the last couple of days.
Click the large image to advance the slides.
Hover over the small images and move the cursor left and right to see and choose any image.
I invite you to add a comment with links to your fall foliage photos, too.
