A Milestone!

 

I received a surprise notice from the WordPress watchers behind the scenes.

Boy, time flies when you’re having FUN!!!  😀

Best Boy Ever

Today, I’m giving you all just a link.  It will take you to my other blog on which I post about my cats.  Today was a special day for Rusty.  He has the lead and Romeo has a supporting role.

Enjoy.  I hope you like all the photos also.

“If It Fits, I Sit”

Today, I have a different type of blog – something which is a special treat, in my opinion.  My daughter’s very close friend sent me an email with photos of animals in unusual positions.  Calling all animal lovers!!!

I call this one, “Made to Order.”

“If you’re thinking of taking this box, think again.”

“You’ll have to get up!  I have to print something and I’m in a rush.”

Recycled tree stump – perfect for an afternoon snooze.

As you all have probably guessed by now, I love animals, and next in line is that I love odd, funny photos with animals the subjects.  The captions are my thoughts as I first viewed these photos.

Hope you enjoyed!  I certainly did.

Good News

Whew!!  My new blog address seems to be working just fine.  So glad.  You can only imagine how worried I was that all my blogs would be gone, and the connections to everyone of my bloggers I follow and who follow me, would be lost.  Maybe I should copy all bloggers and keep you all in a safe place.  Not a bad idea.

Good Vibes in the End

The last few days have not been the best.  Neighbors sick, neighbors dying!  I’m not kidding.  I don’t have many days when I find it difficult to smile; these last few have been that.  Who else can I talk to, but my friendly neighbors on WordPress?  Yes, this is Sunshinebright speaking.

A different type of blog, veering off a little bit from my usual.  I’m thoughtful – these types of flashes of news does that, especially at this time in my life.

So, I decided to turn to my computer and see what’s up – chose not to read or watch TV.  Finished one book; ready to start another – not in the mood to watch weddings on TLC or scientific studies of monster snakes and fish on NatGeoWild.

Found The Chicago Files’ “This Is Hockey Night In…..America.”  Cher’s description of the difference in the announcers’ methods of giving “play by play” commentating is funny – truly.  So enjoyable – and, I’m not even a hockey fan!!  Here’s the link:  http://tinyurl.com/mfjk74l

Couldn’t help laughing, Cher.  Thanks so much for your great sense of humor!!  Sunshinebright is back!

It Started Out With a Book Club Meeting

Last month, after a book club meeting, a woman came up to me and introduced herself.  A very friendly sort, and I remembered her because she had contributed intelligently to the discussion.  She paid me a lovely compliment and invited me to her wine-tasting gathering the next day.  I liked her immediately, and since I had nothing planned for that time, I told her I didn’t imbibe but I would accept her invite just to be sociable.

The party was attended by some lovely people, and the conversation was very pleasant.  It was apparent to me that these other people were very familiar with their wines.  In the past, I have enjoyed wine occasionally, but those times became fewer as the years went by. 

The pouring began, and we started with the white wines.  I took a tiny sip – and the woman next to me was gracious enough to finish whatever little was in my glass.  If you have never been to a wine-tasting, there is just a little poured for tasting only.  After 3 or 4 different whites, we next came to the reds.  Never did like the reds, so the gracious woman next to me had a grand old time! 

Chardonnay Wine                   Red Wine

Finally, the last wine choice was poured and the representative from the winery announced he was pouring a very special wine that was a finely blended mixture of a few different wines.  It was a port.  Really?  That was a wine that I had liked, but hadn’t had any for a long time.  It was delicious, and, of course, was to be enjoyed by sipping only.  I did not share that with the gracious woman!  It was time for me to be gracious to myself.  Despite my original determination not to order any wine, I did.

I received the wine (port) today.  Up until this point, it hadn’t occurred to me, “How am I going to open it?”  I have never, NEVER, opened a bottle of wine in my life!  I always had a husband to do the “honors.”  Hmmm.  Rummaged in a kitchen drawer and found it.

How do you work this?  I never watched closely when my husband did it, but I do remember him saying he had to make sure the screw has to be kept straight.  I know, by this time all of you are probably laughing at this woman who wants to sample her new bottle of port, and can’t open the damn bottle.  Well, I fooled all of you.  I somehow, with difficulty, managed to do it and out popped the cork!!

Hello, port.  Happy me!

3 Smiles on My Face

Gorgeous winter day in South Florida.  Slight wisps of white clouds, and the blue is a perfect baby blue.

Inside today, catching up on chores that have been waiting a long time.  Love to clean out closets and cabinets – yes, I really mean it.  A great sense of satisfaction after the job is done; in fact, I keep looking for more things to throw out.  I get in to a “getting rid of things I don’t need anymore” mode and truthfully, I am disappointed that I can’t find anything more with which to fill my garbage pail!

The disappointed feeling  didn’t last very long.

Something on the TV caught my ear as I walked into the kitchen (I usually keep it on even when not in the room).  Treehouse Masters.  On Animal Planet, of all places!

I’ve seen Pete Nelson’s amazing treehouses before, but this day, I was taken all over the US – California, Ohio, Upstate NY, Manhattan, and even Alaska!  This guy is a veritable “globetrotter” in the States.  He’s from Washington State – a real “down homebody” kind of guy.  Loved my trip!

Above is the interior of a “brewery tree house” he designed and built for a family where they could brew their own beer.  His vision for them was a house that resembled a church.

Below is the tree house built and owned by a homesteader in Alaska – very crude, but strongly built.  No design – just used nails and a gas-powered saw.

The guy, a helicopter pilot, brought Pete to his house (he hadn’t been there in 7 months), hoping it would still be there, considering the weather in the Alaskan wilderness.  It needed a new part to the smokestack of his woodburning stove inside the tree house.  It was a tricky and dangerous job, but Pete managed, without getting killed.

Finally – Sunshine!

The day has been really beautiful.  Yesterday was nasty and rainy and I remember commenting to my sister as we rode in the car, that it seemed like a Fall day in New York:  misty, drizzly, cloudy and wondering when we were going to see the sun again.

The night was horrendous.  It rained very hard all night, and the thundering on the roof prevented me from having a good night. 

I went out to the driveway to pick up my newspaper; it wasn’t there.  Then I realized the street was flooded.  I am not one to keep checking the weather report, so I just accepted the fact of the small lake in front of my house and went inside, sans newspaper.

I called the Sun-Sentinel and a recorded message told me today’s newspaper will be delivered tomorrow with tomorrow’s.  What good is that?  OK.  Had to accept that.

Was expecting a visitor this morning, but she telephoned that all the access roads to my community were flooded; in fact, there was a BMW stuck in the deeper water near the entrance.  Posted all the “good” news on the community website.  Daughter’s street was flooded and many major roads as well.  Heard there was a tornado in the area during the night, and her phone and electric were out.  She couldn’t get to work and went back to sleep.

The good news?  Most of today has been sunny and mild, allowing the excess water to disappear and there is no more flooding in my community!  January will probably be the wettest winter month in years, here in South Florida.  No prospect for a drought, that’s for sure.  And my Rusty is keeping me company on my desk.  Check out my blog for my cats:  pussycats3.wordpress.com

What is your good news for today? 

 

A Negative Turned Into A Positive

Had a 2:15 appointment at a dental office today.  Was almost there, when my phone rang and was told that my dental appliance didn’t arrive yet and the office wanted to push my appointment back to 3:30, when they were expecting that the delivery would be made.  I was so annoyed, that I hung up on the girl, after yelling at her that I should have been notified before I left home for the appointment.

This office isn’t around the corner from where I live.  The round trip is almost 25 miles.  So, I made a “u-ey” and went back home.

Mulled over what happened and called the office.  Told the girl I won’t make another appointment until the dentist calls me as soon as he can.  He did call in the early evening and stated that they still didn’t get the delivery.  He was very apologetic, and due to my inconveniences, he said I will have a nice reduction in my bill and get a free teeth bleaching!

I’ll take a 25-mile ride again for that kind of consideration.

Mother Learns From Daughter

I was reading many blogs today; commented on some; liked others.  Decided to take a look at daughter’s last blog post, and came across a little “tidbit” that struck me like a soft love-punch to the shoulder:

Find happiness every day. If you look, there is always something that brings a smile to your face, even if it is only for a fleeting moment. Take that moment and study it, amplify it, make it the center of your day. That fleeting moment suddenly grows bigger and brighter as you take the time to contemplate it. In no time at all, you recapture that feeling of happiness.

I could never have expressed what I’m trying to do here with my blog so succinctly as did my daughter!

Now, this wasn’t the first time I read this particular blog post of hers, but, you know, many times you can read something and kind of “quick read” it and the point gets missed somehow.  This time I didn’t miss it.