random ...

• To answer the questions about the cute dog in the recent Easter (and Thanksgiving) pics ... his name is Bruce and he's an English Bulldog who belongs to Manbug's brother - too cute for words, isn't he?!  The long story is that the 3 brothers grew up with bulldogs - the only breed my in-laws ever had.  It's been about 6-7 years since their last bulldog, so there had been somewhat of a drought in recent years.  So when my mother in law passed away about a year and a half ago, one of the boys decided to get a bulldog of his own almost immediately afterwards.  The timing was really nice - my mother in law had passed away around Halloween and they were able to bring 3-month-old Bruce home right before Thanksgiving, which was an especially tough one so soon after her passing ... so needless to say, sweet Bruce has a very special place in all our hearts ♥

• This next photo is being posted for Jess over at ccbella ... today she posted this photo of her daughter Caroline while they were boating on a recent vacation and I almost choked when I saw it because it looks so much like one of my all time favorites of my own little ladybug (nearly 5 years ago ... sigh!) ... compare for yourself, I think it's kinda wild ... same crinkly nose and big smile ...

• That "if you were a little girl in the 70's" post was so much fun - everyone seemed to identify with at least a few things on the list ... what fun to take that trip down memory lane with everybody!  As I said then, the original email that was being passed around years ago included a couple of items I took out (feathered hair, solid gold dancers, strawberry shortcake dolls, etc) and then I added the Bionic Woman "Jamie Sommers" barbie doll at the end ... but I have to confess there are a couple of other entries I missed and have to share - were roller skating parties as cool for you as they were for me?  Nothing cooler than roller skating around the rink with your friends - disco ball glimmering its spots all over the place - with Queen's "We Will Rock You" blaring over the speakers ... can't you just hear it?!  C'mon, you know you want to clap along ... clap-clap CLAP ...

Also, did anyone have this fold-up vinyl Barbie airplane??

Or how about the camper?

I promise that's it from my 70's flahsbacks, but these last few stragglers were big for me - I just had to make the addendum ;-)

• My funny bronx zoo cobra is still tweeting in spite of being recaptured and returned to the zoo ... I seriously love this ...

• My March trip home to Florida - hello?  never even posted a single photo, that's terrible!  How about a few belated photos ... hard to believe this was 6 weeks ago!  Basically, the trip home consisted of ...

Flying ...

Eating outdoors ...

Shopping ...

Swimming ...

Hanging with my gorgeous goddaughter - my brother's precious lovebug - beloved cousin to my ladybugs ... 

Riding bikes all around the 'hood ...

Learning that time flies when you're having fun ...

easter weekending ...

yum, candy for breakfast!

Yay, the Easter bunny liked the veggies we left for him!

time for church ...

The view at my father in law's house ... the leaves are on their way!

big ladybug and her cousin tried out the old/new atari we brought along ... anyone recognize pole position?

the brothers engaged in a frogger marathon - may as well be 30 years ago

Grilling the cornish game hens ...

... and checking out the view from the roof of pop-pop's garage while we wait ...
(not to worry, this is the backside of the roof, where it slopes right down where I'm standing at ground level!)

... ready to serve!

priosciutto-wrapped asparagus ...

homemade mac-n-cheese with breadcrumb topping ... be still my heart ;-)

and a colorful salad ...

putting on his most adorable face in hopes of leftovers ...

alleluia ...

Jesus Christ is risen today ... Alleluia!

Our triumphant Holy Day ... Alleluia!

Who did once upon the cross ... Alleluia!

Suffer to redeem our loss ... Alleluia!

Hymn 207 is one of my all time favorites - for as long as I can remember, this joyful song has opened the Easter Sunday service at our church, and today was no exception.  With all of the alleluias being omitted throughout Lent in favor of a more somber tone, it brings me such joy to sing this hymn on Easter morning.  I embrace each and every alleluia, so glad to hear them again.

Likewise, I'm thrilled when I see an alleluia as well - and lately I've been seeing a lot of them ... all around me in fact.  Only these alleluias have been absent for a lot longer than 40 days ... so you can only imagine how happy I am to see them again!

So just as Easter Sunday brings the joyful sound of an alleluia back to our ears, these are the beautiful visual alleluias that April brings back for us to see each year as well ... like a symphony of alleluias!  How blessed I feel on this beautiful Easter Sunday ...

~ Happy Easter to all ~

if you were a little girl in the 70's ...

After having an Atari in the house for the last 10 days, it's brought out quite a flood of warm-n-fuzzies for this little daughter of the 70's ... I was already touching on some of my best childhood movie memories in my last post, but since then I've remembered so many more fun things from 'back in the day' - it's as if a door in my mind opened, the memories have been vivid and clear - kinda wild.  I recalled an email FW that was being passed around about 3 years ago and was able to find it again (thank you, google!) ... anyone remember this one?  I've eliminated the entries that just didn't speak to me, but believe me when I tell you that each and every one of these photos below mean something to me ... ah, those beautiful 70's ...

If you were a little girl in the 70's ...

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked ...

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it ...

  

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute ...

You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island ...

You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days ...

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too ...

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic - with the thermos inside!

You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself in the face more than once ...

You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits ...

Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession ...

You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie," not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill" ...

You wore a poncho or gauchos ... 

You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon ...

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze.  The swing set tipped over at least once ...

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Olson!

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle) ...

It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz" would come on tv.  Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: "Who will I marry ...

... Shaun Cassidy, Leif  Garrett, or David Cassidy?"

 

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat ...

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume

books ...

You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft, which was the first 'real' perfume you ever owned ...

You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color ...

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs ...

You used to tape songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker ...

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record albums ...

Guilty as charged.  I had or did every single one of these things.  Even the swingset that tipped over.  And that Dorothy Hamill haircut wasn't the best look I've ever tried (nor were the prairie dresses for that matter!), so my mom deserves a special mommy hug to have smiled through those phases!  And by the way, I would have added to the list a shout out for the 6-million-dollar-man and the bionic woman - I even had a Jamie Sommers barbie for crying out loud ...

For me, all of these things were a big part of my youth - hilarious now, but oh so important to me back then!  What I wouldn't give to have a home video to watch or to go back as a fly on the wall and see my 10-year-old self for a day ... alas.  The memories will have to suffice - well ... memories and an actual Atari console.  With 10 game cartridges.  Including Ms. Pac-Man and Frogger.  What do you guys think - do any of these relics from the 1970's especially speak to you guys, too?  Thanks for putting up with my walk down 1970's Lane today ...