Smile 43/100 New Life

Look at that adorable little face!!

Now this  kitten was too keen on the fact that we pulled it and all its siblings out of their warm dark bed and put them on the top of the human bed in the light but we just had to get a glimpse of them while momma kitty was outside.

They all (6) had the cutest little hisses and then they would get up on their little legs and shakily walk around. And of course, they were mewwing...LOL. These little guys were only about 4 weeks old so they still had some time with momma left.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with the flash off but the macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add a fuzzy border.
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Ten Years Ago on In My Words...Bathroom Kitty

Smile 42/100 Sister Moutain

We live very close to a chain of mountains here and this is one in that chain that is not too far from where we live.

My SIL and I were on our way to visit my FIL for the day, and we had her daughter and two grand daughters in tow. We had a winding road up to the top of the smalller pass and then we had this beautiful view as we started to head east.

It was a beautiful sight to see. I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Bucket List 2

Smile 41/100 Lizard

We saw this beauty at a local festival. He and some of his animal friends were in a learning display for kids.

My understanding is that he is a bearded dragon. I thought his coloring was just awesome and he just sat there and let me zoom in on him. So photogenic!

They had several iquanas, a large tortise, a huge toad, a few snakes, to include a large boa. They had two parrots and a bunch of chicks and ducklings that were probably totally tramautized by all the handling.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and added the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Dead Gecko Movement

Smile 40/100 Great Niece

This is our great niece Gracie. She is about 5 weeks old in this picture.

We were all out at a local festival and her grandmother was holding her. She is a sleeper so getting a shot with her eyes open is unusual, but I am sure that will change as she gets older.

She is an easy baby so far...food, burp, diapers, sleep...rinse and repeat....LOL. I am happy for our niece that she is like this though because Gracie also has two 3 year old siblings to keep our niece very busy.

Gracie was here visiting us for a few days from Kansas and I was thrilled that we all got a chance to meet her. We probably won't to get see her again for some time.

I took this picture in the afternoon shade with my Fuji Finepix f50, no flash but with macro enabled. I then edited it in GIMP 2.6 to add the fuzzy border and balance color and light.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Meme Time

Smile 39/100 Chicks

Another dose of chicks at the Grange today. These ones were all under red heat lamps to keep them warm but it did a number of my photos so I decided to go black and white instead.

They were super cute, of course, and noisy as heck. I guess lots of chirping is probably a good thing though.

My FIL has chicks at his house too but they are a bit older than these ones. They are already starting to look like chickens.

So I took this image with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited in GIMP to change it to black and white and then added the fuzzy border.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Observations

Smile 38/100 Other End

This is the other end of the brightest of the rainbows in the last post. It went from one end to the other and I am sure there was a pot of gold somewhere in there.

The sun was out but the rain was on its way again, and then the rainbows would be gone so I stopped what I was doing to capture this image before it would disappear.

Sometimes taking time to enjoy a small beauty is what it is all about.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Enough Already

Smile 37/100 Double Rainbow

When I stopped by a local brewery today to get some beer for a get together I was going to, these beautiful guys were in the sky.

The darker of the two was actually a full rainbow that I couldn't capture all in one shot. I love how dark the sky is, how vibrant the colors are and how the sun is shining in the foreground.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add the fuzzy border to it.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Two Suns

Smile 36/100 Bananas

We don't always have bananas in the house, but when we do, they always make me a bit happier. I love bananas...but not soft ones.

As soon as they get even the smallest bit soft, they get cut up and put in freezer bags to use for smoothies since texture is not an issue in a smoothie.

I try to limit banana consumption to breakfast or lunch since they do have a far about of sugar and calories in them...but the benefits from having one are also pretty significant as far as minerals go.

I took this picture in our living room (in my pjs), with my Fuji Finepix f50 with the macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Card Making and Socializing

Smile 35/100 Wisteria

This wisteria was on a plant that had been trained into the shape of a tree along my walk this morning.

We had a lot of wisteria in the past in our yard, but it was always in a vine so when I see this little wisteria trees, it always throws me off a bit at first.

These were so pretty in the morning light, I couldn't pass up the photo opportunity.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash, but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Thanks To Everyone

Smile 34/100 Lunch

This lunch today was amazing.

I steam fish and some sort of veggie for lunch (when I am not at work) about 3 times a week if not more.

Today, I had fresh pico de gallo from the store and topping the steamed salmon and brussels with the pico and pepper was just the ticket.

I took this picture in our livingroom because I just couldn't pass up how pretty it looked when I got settled to eat. I used my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...15 Books

Smile 33/100 ELibrary

This is an screenshot of my Adode program for managing the books I sideload to the Nook from the library or any other locations that are not Barnes and Noble.

I love, love, love that I can borrow books from the library electronically. I love that I can see a book title and say, that sounds good and go in the other room and download a library copy right then to read that night if I want.

I have been using the elibrary options to work my way through some pretty hefty series and it has been great!

I took this image with a Snipping Tool screenshot. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...What Happened To The Classics?

Smile 32/100 Jack

So last week, they started painting a new parking structure located next to our parking lot at work and many of our cars were oversprayed...

So the contractor had a deal with the city to cover getting all our cars detailed on the exterior to see if that would eliminate the dots of paint most of us were seeing even after washing.

I was one of the first ones to get our truck, Jack, in and he came out looking beautiful and practically brand new. The company that did the details even cleaned the interior as well and it was so nice to get in a nice clean vehicle.

I took this picture of Jack in the evening after work with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...Little Happenings

Smile 31/100 Package

Love getting home from work, with a package at the front door...

I had to order some socks for work and SierraTrading is my go to for socks of any type. Then they had a really big sale, so I was able to pick up a few other things at a super discount. It was actually totally awesome.

There might be a few other things that show up on the porch in the near future, but that is okay by me...LOL

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Not Happening

Smile 30/100 Sunshine

Sitting outside on the bench during break, absorbing some spring sunshine and enjoying a little reading.

I have this bottle for iced tea that I bring to work and then I have a different bottle for my water. When it is cold, I drink hot tea instead.

The sun felt so good...which is nice since we are expecting rain for the next few days, or at least clouds. You take a chance when you sit outside since the public walks by and are apt to ask questions so you end up not really on break, but I love the fresh air and the sun so I am willing to risk it.

When our new building is finished in a couple of years, we'll have an area that we can eat outside that is not near parking or sidewalks. I am sure that we'll have even more co-workers out there then.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with macro turned on but flash turned off. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Life's Measurements

Smile 29/100 Soft Hands

I keep this tin of hand salve at my desk at work and in the kaboodle when not at work. It is small enough to fit in the kaboodle but still provides me all the moisturizing I need at work.

I could do the trial size lotions to meet the fit requirements, but then I am looking at paying a bunch of money for all those small containers. Another plus is that this tin is recyclable once it is empty.

I took this picture at my desk at work with my Fuju Finepix f50, with no flash but the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Fragrances

Smile 28/100 Hummingbird

Bet you thought this one was going to have a picure of a hummingbird...and that would be pretty ccol but the little girl doesn't sit still long enough for me to get a picture of her though.

So instead, this is a picture of the flowers that she is just loving right now. Each hanging basket on our front balcony has one of these flowers in it and the hummingbirds just love it.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 in the afternoon on our front balcony. No flash but had the macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Interesting Finds

Smile 27/100 Lavender

One of my favorite things is happy blooming lavender. It has so many awesome uses and it makes the little bees so happy when it is bloooming. This bunch was along one of my walks today.

My lavender died this winter...both of them, that I had in pots. I need to put some in the ground so it will not be as much of an issue in the future. We have a spot in the front that would be perfect for some.

I took this picture in the morning sun, with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but with the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Feels Good

Smile 26/100 Awareness

Today we had a walk for MS. This is the second year I have walked in the local annual fundraiser and for a second year in a row, we had fantastic weather. Not too hot, not too cold.

We had a great turnout, a ton of family joined us this year. My SIL, BIL, a long time family friend, and friend from high school all have MS so we do the walk in their names and in hopes that at some point in the future, they will have a cure for it.

There is no race...it just mostly for awareness (we were all wearing bright orange shirts) and fundraising. I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 in the morning sun, with no flash. I edited in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Insanity

Smile 25/100 Ladder Storage

This might seem like a silly thing to bring a smile to my face but it isn't.

We own two of these extension ladders. One is 10 ft long and the other is 8 ft long (collapsed). Only the 10ft one is here right now but in the past, we have kept them in the attic of our garage. In this house, there is no attic in the garage because the house is a split level and the livingroom is above our garage.

So figuring out a new way to store them has been on the To Do list. The longer of the two is a pain in a butt, because finding a long enough space on the wall to store it, interferes with whatever cabinets or shelves we have.

We do however have a bulkhead in the garage that encloses the ductwork for the central AC and the garage door opener motor. I figured out that if I could get some big hooks screwed into the studs, we could hang the ladders across the garage width behind the bulkhead.

You have no idea how happy it makes me to not have the ladder laying on the floor, having to be moved all the time to get things in and out of the garage. I took this pic with my Fuji Finepix f50 in our garage. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and adding the fuzzy border.
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Our Home Improvement Blog....The Bamboo Lagoon

Smile 24/100 Lilac Blossom

I was cutting some stems for the house and decided I wanted to get a shot of the blossoms on the bush while they were still flourishing.

I wish that lilac bloomed all summer, I just love the scent of it. I actually have some lilac melts that I use in the house throughout the summer and a lilac creme perfume I use on my skin.

Along with lilac, my other favorite flower scents are gardenia, jasmine, asiatic lilly and plumeria...probably the same as most other people. I have melts in three of those scents along with the lilac...they are my summer smells.

I took this picture in our sideyard in the afternoon with slight overcast. I used my Fuji Finepix f50 with the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added a fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Flowers

Smile 23/100 New Feet

These are my new black laceups. I got them for work but I like them so much, I will wear them all the time too. I was looking at some Keens for work, but I wanted to try them on first because the online reviews had been mixed. I went to one of our better shoes stores for some expert advice and gave the Keens a try. The ones I tried were just not as comfortable as my other Keens, and the shoe guy recommended I give these ones a try.

They are made by Klogs. I put them on, and it was love at first sight. Sooooo comfortable and super cute too! The only issue I have noticed so far is that one the super shiny floors at work, they squeak like my Danskos do but I am hoping that once they are worn in a bit, that might stop. I wore them all day the first day and no problems at all with needing to break them in.

I took this picture of my feet at work on the carpet near my desk (not sure why the floor looks so bright) with my Fuji Finepix f50, no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Strange Gym People

Smile 22/100 New Growth

Although a lot of plants had a hard time of it this winter, I am happy to see the spikes on this bamboo in our front yard...we lost two bamboos in pots so seeing the two we have in the ground doing well, is a relief. if you look closely,  you can see the new growth spikes.

This is a clumping bamboo. It doesn't spead like some bamboos can and if it does, it is very containable. There are two in this bed, the front one (main one in the picture) is a shorter more dense one, and the one in back is a taller reedier one. This bed is pretty self contained because of the driveway, the steps and the porch foundation so I am not too worried about it spreading.

I took this picture in our front yard, in the afternoon with a bit of overcast, with my Fuji Finepix f50. I then edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and adding of the fuzzy border.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Getting Creative

Smile 21/100 Still A Beauty

This little pansy is starting to fade and looks a little bit beat up, but I love the way that it is still perky and making the most of its beauty. It is a happy little pansy.

I picked up a couple of six packs of pansies a while back and this is one of the ones in the front yard. With the cooler weather and rain the last week, I am sure they will be living a bit longer than the warmer weather would have allowed for.

I took this picture in our front yard in the afternoon with a little bit of overcast with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color and light balance and then added the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...Storm Rising

Smile 20/100 Blossom

These little blossoms are just dying to pop open and shine in the world...I couldn't help getting a shot of them at the edge of their struggle.

The chives are one of only a couple of our herbs that didn't get wiped out in our single digit wave of weather this winter. Of course the mint (or at least one of the two we had) survived as well but the mint doesn't have a cute little blossom lke the chives do.

I don't end up cutting our herbs and using them in cooking as much as I should...but I can say that the difference in fresh chives versus dried chives is unbelievable...and I do take advantage of those little guys any time I can.

I took this picture in the afternoon on our back porch where the herbs grow with no flash, but macro enabled. I edited this in GIMP 2.6 for color and light and then added the fuzzy border.
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One Month Ago on In My Words...On My Mind

Smile 19/100 Healthy Eats

This is a super awesome salad I made for dinner tonight. I picked up these mini peppers in a big bag at the grocery the other day and they are awesome on salad. They are super sweet, you can eat them without anything else if you want.

So in addition to the organic spring mix, and the mini peppers, I added baby carrots, yelllow cherry tomatoes, feta crumbles, cucumber and then a creamy sesame dressing. It was so good, I could have just kept eating and eating...LOL

This salad made my night...so yummy and healthy for me too!

I took this pic in our livingroom with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added a fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Midnight Salad

Smile 18/100 Easter Gift

One of the people at work, that works a different shift from me, brought these eggs in for everyone. They are emptied real eggs that are intricately painted. I thought it was pretty nice of her to give me one since I only started last week.

The egg is really well done. Super cute and since there is no candy involved, also low calorie!!

I still haven't memorized everyone's names yet, especially the people I don't see everyday. I try to review everyone's name in my brain after work based on where they are sitting for the day (most people change desks everyday).

Those that just move through our department will be harder to learn because I don't see them nearly as much. On top of that, we all wear our last names on our shirts but we address each other by first names...LOL

I took this picture at my desk at work with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...And Then There Were Four

Smile 17/100 Dark Blue Iris

This iris is in the front yard in the little bed next to the big rocks. It is a dark bluish purple and it so pretty. It is a little bit hid behind a little tree that is in growing out of that same bed but as the tree gets bigger, I am sure it will be more visible.

Last spring was the first time I remember it blooming but at this point, it seems be pretty happy. My SIL wants a piece of it for her garden, which I am sure she will get some time this year, now that she has gotten her garden started.

Some of our other later blooming irises are starting to bulge. I am excited to see the yellows again too. So much work to do around here...feels like it will never end.

I took this picture in our frontyard with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and then added the fuzzy border.
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Earlier This Month on In My Words...Smile 1/100 First Iris

Smile 16/100 Dinner

This was my celebratory dinner after I got off work the first day of my new part time job. I stopped at this great Mexican place near our house, and had a margarita while waiting for take out.

This is my first time having enchiladas verdes and they were pretty darn good. I actually only ate half and had the second have for dinner the next night...LOL. The plates are always so much food so I pretty much am guaranteed for leftovers.

It made me very happy to not be cooking after my first full day of paid work in a long time.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with the plate in my lap in our livingroom. No flash but macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and added the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Flashing

Smile 15/100 New Sneakers

I have been on a hunt for new running shoes for a while. I used to be a huge Adidas running shoe fan but then I always bought them in the men's section in a smaller shoe. The place I always bought them at (and most other footware places) stopped carrying the smaller men's sizes and I was forced to women's shoes which always seem to be pink or purple.

So I stopped buying Adidas and went to Saucony. For years, I have been happy with Saucony, but they don't make the one I like anymore, and the reviews are not good for the newer versions. This meant, I was SOL.

On top of that, we really don't have a great selection of stores that sell running shoes here and since I was going to starting from scratch, I really needed to try some on.

As fate would have it, I ended up with an unexpected trip to a location that does have an Adidas outlet mall, and I was able to get in there and find a great sneaker (this one). They were having a buy 2, get one free sale, so I bought 2 pairs and got the last one for free. They were last year's version but I'll be set for a while now.

I wore them for about 10 miles before I did my 5K and they were comfortable with no breaking in time at all...so thrilled to be back in new sneakers that don't have too many miles on them.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 in our entryway with no flash but macro turned on. I edited in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Fashion Angst

Smile 14/100 Remote

Okay, this probably doesn't seem like something to get happy about...but since we have been back in our house here, we have not had a garage door opener remote and that makes unloading our truck a pain in the butt at times.

It seems that the AC was added to the house later down the road and so they put the bulkhead for the ductwork across the top of the garage ceiling. When the garage door opener was added even later, they put it in the bulkhead butted up against the duct work...which makes access to the back of the opener motor nearly impossible.

So even though I had purchased the opener ages ago, the hassle that I knew it was going to be kept me from wanting to even tackle it. Well this weekend, taking this item off the To Do list was a priority...and it was a hassle since once I opened up the drywall a bit more, it was obvious that reaching between the two was going to be almost impossible.

Sitting at the very top of the painting ladder and wedging my hand down the back of the moter from the top, I was finally able to feel the reset button and after erasing the codes, and then hooking up a light so we could tell if the programing was working, we were able to get the new opener remote programmed to work. When that door lowered after pushing the button, I almost jumped off the ladder, I was so excited...

I took this picture in our truck with my Fuji Finepix f50, with no flash but macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and then added a fuzzy border.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Happy Endings

Smile 13/100 Lilacs

We have two lilac bushes on the side of the yard...unfortunately for them, they don't get quite as much sun as they probably would like, but they still bloom pretty well.

This weekend when we were doing some work on the fence on that side of the house, we had to actually tie the bushes back temporarily to get them out of our way. Near the end of the day, I remembered that I hadn't untied them, so I took some clippers out and after I took off the tie, I cut some branches to bring into the house.

The smell in the house has been fabulous ever since. When I was a kid, there were lilacs along one side of the house my parents were renting and even though lilacs bloom in spring, for some reason, I always associate the smell with summer.

I took this picture in our dining room with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add a fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Perfume Creme Updated

Smile 12/100 Texture

So this beauty is from the Japanese Maple that I posted about a few days ago...I just couldn't pass up the soft delicate leaves or the many shades of color inside of it. So I grabbed the camera so I could get a few macros taken of it before the leaves take on their summer look.

I need to trim a few of the branches so they aren't touching the rock wall or the little Japanese lantern we have near it, but other than that, I just love the glory of it...so pretty.

I took this picture in the afternoon in our front yard with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add the fuzzy border.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Two Favorite Things

Smile 11/100 Bib

This is my bib for the 5K that I am doing tomorrow. I picked up my race packet this afternoon. I am looking forward to the run even though I am not in that great of shape and I know I won't get the best time on it....it will be fun anyhow.

One of my cousins is running it too but she is a fast runner so I am sure we will not see each other except at the end...LOL. This is my first IRL race for the year and my second overall 5K since I did a virtual this winter.

This year, we got short sleeve tan shirts instead of the long sleeve ones from last year. I won't wear the new shirt until after the race (my own juju) but I think I am going to wear last years since it is warmer and the race is at 7am and will be chilly.

I took this picture in our dining room with no flash but macro enabled with my Fuji Finepix f50. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...IRL Run

Smile 10/100 Night Light

So this little lantern came in handy last night. There was a car accident in town that involved an electric pole so our corner of the city was knocked out of power for about 6 hours.

It occurred late enough that it didn't affect us as bad as it could have, but it was still nice to find this lantern in the cabinet with fuel and a wick already in it. Definitely made me smile.

Lately, I have been avoiding big candles...we have a ton of those wax smellies to use up so I have been focusing on tea lights...but then when the power goes out, tea lights aren't necessarily the best option.

We have flashlights but why use up all the batteries when this little lantern available?

I took this picture in the middle of a blackout with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but the macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Camping and Fishing

Maru Gets Me Every Time

I love this kitty...and now with his year old friend Hana, it just gets better.


These two are hilarious. It is so obvious that Hana doesn't get the box thing the same way Maru does, and he seems so content with just his face peeking through...

It looks like from these newer videos that Maru and his family live in a new home and everyone seems to be adapting well.
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 One of my first posts about Maru...Maru And The Very Small Box

Smile 9/100 Japanese Maple

This is the third house we have had, that had a Japanese Maple in the yard...it is weird that it happens that way.

The first one we had wasn't as small as this one but I really like the shape and location of this one. We put in a little Japanese lantern almost as soon as we took the house over from the rental company. I can't wait to get our shisa dogs and put them out on the porch.

This little guy just got all its leaves on and they are just such a great color that I couldn't pass up getting a shot of it.

I took this picture in the evening in our front yard. I used my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited the image in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...New Eggs To Watch

Smile 8/100 Nursery

Made the rounds today with my aunt seeing what is out there, ready to be planted.

This one nursery we go to is huge and they supply some of the local plant stores. I just couldn't pass up this photo opportunity with all this color in perfect rows.

We also hit a DIY, the gas station, the bank, a restaurant for lunch, another nursery, and found out another favorite nursery is closing for retirement...lots done, felt great, but sad to see the one nursery go.

I took this picture in the middle of the day at the nursery...great light. I used my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then to add the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Roses, Roses For Sale

Smile 7/100 Lemon Water

Not too long ago, I started drinking fresh lemon water whenever I drink water at home. On rare occasions that we don't have a lemon in the house, I do use lemon juice. Fortunately, today, I had lemons...LOL. I pop the seeds out just so I don't have to deal with them in the glass...

The lemon water tastes fresher to me and from what I have been told, it is a great detoxifier as well as gives you some good pH level components. All part of the plan to get away from the processed food and chemicals as much as possible.

I took this picture in our kitchen this morning with my Fuji Finepix f50, with no flash but macro turned on. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Corona

Smile 6/100 Clean Rock

Yardwork is neverending at our house...but I am feeling accomplished today because I knocked out at least one small section of cleanup. This area is to the right side of our backyard when looking at the house. We have this landing area of stone at the edge of the back deck and it had grass growing up between all of the rocks. Now there is none.

The yard is by no means "done" but at least I got the allocated section for today done, and can move onto a new section next time I am out there in the yard. I also filled up the yard bin for pickup tomorrow which always feels good. The yard is a big project so I am allocating a set of time to work on individual spots to break it up into do-able pieces. This way it can be tackled, otherwise it is just to overwhelming for anyone.

Tomorrow, I hope to get some pansies and some herbs into their new homes, and might even mow the front yard if the weather permits. Then there are a million "in house" items to be tackled. Normally, I post these kinds of posts on our house blog but since this was my "smile" picture for the day, we get to see a bit of the projects at the Bamboo Lagoon here.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Dragonfly

Smile 5/100 Fresh

Every three weeks there is a little smile when I get to open a new set of these...LOL. Fresh contacts feel great. I probably could go a whole month, but as soon as I start to feel that my eyes just don't feel that clean, I figure it is better safe than sorry, and I change out my contacts.

I wear Acuvue Oasys contacts which are pretty comfortable disposables. I don't wear them at night so I get a little bit longer out of them than if I wore them 24 hours. I change to my glasses right before bed, or a bit earlier if I know I am going to be doing nothing but computer work for the rest of the night. I don't mind my glasses, but I can't wear them on a daily basis when doing yardwork or exercising as they get in the way.

I first got glasses when I was in college when I started noticing that the words on the board in my lectures were hard to read. I didn't end up doing contacts until about a year later when I realized that the glasses were just super uncomfortable and inconvenient for doing exercise.

I took this picture in our bathroom this morning when I was doing the change out. I took it with our Fuji Finepix f50 and then editded it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Loving The New Contacts

Smile 4/100 Regrowth

We had a very weird winter here. We got about 9 inches of snow at the beginning of December and then the temps dropped and stayed low, so the snow stayed on the ground and then we hit the single digits. So in a way, we had this massive winter in the matter of 10 days...it was completely abnormal.

So during that time, some things that would normally be fine in the winter here, just didn't have what it took to survive. Everything we lost was planted in pots, but I have seen a lot of landscaping that was in the ground around town being taken out.

Normally as far as my herbs go, we lose the basil every winter but everything else comes back, even if it just dies back for the winter. This year, I lost a rosemary, two lavendars, two sage, an oregano, a possibly a thyme.

So while at the growers market the other day, I picked up 7 replacement herbs...no basil yet as it is too cold for it. I didn't lose either of my two mints or the chives, but I couldn't resist getting a chocolate mint because it sounds like it would make great tea. I also got a pineapple sage, a common thyme, a lemon thyme, a rosemary, a variated oregano, and a hot and spicy oregano. I already replaced one of the lavendars but I still need to get another soon.

Getting these new little herbs makes me smile though, at least it is a start! I took this picture in our kitchen with my Fuji Finepix f50 with macro turned on but no flash. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Flowers

Smile 3/100 New Project

Having just finished a baby blanket for one of our nieces, I decided to start on this neck scarf for my grandma. She tried one on that belonged to one of my aunts a few weeks back and thought it was very cool. I had to look up the pattern online and figure out how I was going to make it.

Yesterday, I picked up the yarn for it and the buttons that will go on it to latch it after it is complete. I started working on it last night...I am hoping the one skein is going to be enough but if it needs two, I will pick up another soon. Purple is one of her favorite colors so I know she will love it once it is done. I am hoping that the yarn is soft enough and not irritating since having something right up against your neck can be itchy.

It is a thicker yarn so I had to move to a much bigger hook but other than getting used to that, it has moved pretty quickly. Being creative in whatever way I can, is always a benefit for me. It allows me to be a little less left-brained for a bit...LOL.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash in our living room. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and added the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...Making Progress

Smile 2/100 Errand Treat

I think it started in Japan...because we needed to pay most bills face to face, and we were paid in USD, but needed to pay bills in yen...bill paying became a monthly errand day. This usually fell near payday and the beginning of the month since that was when rent and utilities were due.

So after payday, I would withdraw the amount we needed for bills in dollars from the bank and then go to Jusco to exchange the dollars for yen. Jusco had several machines that looked like ATMs that exchanged money and they had one of the best exchange rates in the town we lived in.

After I had done the exchange, I would usually go to this sushi-go-round place called Gorume Kaiten Sushi for lunch and as a treat for all the errand running still left in the day. We loved that place...you could get pretty good sushi for a decent price very quickly so it made for a great grab and go kind of day.

Now that we aren't in Japan doesn't mean that "errand treating" had to end. Now it has become somewhat of a Pavlovian thing for me...LOL. So I was out running a lot of errands...Target for toiletries, the mall to pay a bill, Trader Joe's and Winco for groceries, Michael's for yarn for a project I am doing for my grandmother, and REI for a county parking pass and a little window shopping. While in that area, I decided the sushi restaurant would be my stop for lunch.

I ordered the sashimi combo with edemame and ocha...it was the perfect errand treat! The sashimi combo was tuna, salmon and yellowtail...yum, yum.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but the macro enabled.  I edited the image in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and added the fuzzy border.
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Nine Years Ago on In My Words...Full Feeling

Smile 1/100 First Iris

So I decided to unofficially do this for the next 100 days instead of the POTD, just to change things up a bit. When I say unofficially, I just mean that I didn't sign up on the site, but I am going to blog my pics, and share through my Twitter, my Google+ and one of my Facebook groups. I'll be using a hashtag of #findingjoytoday on Twitter and Google+.

I tend to find something to smile about each day and try to enjoy the small beauties that each day contains even if the overall day isn't perfect in any way. This challenge gives me a chance to share those items without the word restrictions of POTD for a bit. We'll see how it goes.

This picture is of the first of the many irises that are planted in this yard. This is a transplant from my sister in law's yard that bloomed last year as well. It is a dwarf iris (so it only gets about 10 inches tall) and I love that it peaks up soon after the daffodils have finished, but before any of the other irises are even budding out yet.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash but macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and to add a fuzzy border.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Ikebana Lesson Two-Basic Upright

POTD Day 29 Sticky

This cutie is a cupcake from my little cousin's second birthday party. I think they are supposed to be owls...they were super cute and super sticky!!

Last year for his first birthday, they had cute cookie desserts that had faces on them too. And I imagine they were just as sticky!

I took this pic with my Fuji Finepix f50 with the flash and macro on. i really don't like using the flash when I don't have to but the party location was dark so I had no choice. I edited this picture in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Last Year on In My Words...Birthday Madness

POTD Day 28 Nostalgia

Grandma is the back right

This is a cool picture our family has of my maternal grandmother and her three sisters.

I scanned it in a few years ago so everyone could have a copy of it. I love this picture...they look like movie stars in their 40's style. They are all so beautiful.

Seems like we don't do protraits like this anymore...family pictures were so common before, but now it seems like you don't see them as often.

My grandmother's sisters (the ones that are still alive) all live in another state so she doesn't get to see them as much as I am sure she would like to. She has never flown and I don't think she could handle being in a car for the amount of time it would take to make a visit happen so I don't know if she will get to see them again. I guess that is one of the reasons pictures are important to us...the help us to hold on to memories.

I didn't take this image but I did edit it in GIMP to clean up the scan and then added the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Thankful Thursday (one of my paternal grandmother's is in this post)

POTD Day 27 Something I Made

Kai Jiaow with steamed jasmine rice

This is one of my favorite Thai dishes to make...and it is super easy and so yummy!

The only thing missing from it is this awesome sauce that my friend Jai turned me on to, but it is no longer available. Everytime I go to my favorite Thai grocery, I ask the owner if he has seen any of this delectable sauce and he said that he thinks they stopped making it...bummer!!

I need to put a picture of the sauce on my phone so I can have it when I go next time so I can make sure he can knows for sure which one. I have a second sauce I am always looking for that I forgot to bring a picture of last time and I need to get that one on my phone too...LOL. The things we do when we can't read the words on the label.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash and no macro. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added a fuzzy border.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Sunday Treats

POTD Day 26 I Am Here

Of course I can't show my face or where I actually am, but I am at an extended stay for the night and limited to the webcam on my Chromebook...LOL.

Fun and exciting stuff. Was able to try this really yummy seafood restaurant and it was amazing.

Luckily didn't run into any crazy road rage people during the drive, and I listened to an audio book in one direction and the BBC World Service over the Internet Radio on my phone in the other. Overall, a very productive visit.

I took this picture with the webcam on my Samsung Chrome book, and did no editing.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Sparsely Living

POTD Day 25 Soft

These are flowers on one of the Phlox plants we have in the front yard. I thought they were so cute and the buds before they open look fuzzy and soft.

It took me a couple of Springs to figure out what this plant was since there were no markers and it was already here when we bought the house. The other day, I was at a garden store and they had a couple different types there so I took a few of the labels so I could bring them home and compare them to ours and it looks like we have Purple Beauty in our bed. The colors on the plants are bit different but I think that might be due to one being in much more shade than the other.

I took this picture in the afternoon with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash and macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Plants Are Here

POTD Day 24 One Of A Kind

I love when I find a daisy all by itself in a field of green....they are just so cute and friendly.

When I was a kid, we lived across the street from a big cemetery. Daisies would grow all over in the grass, and I would make these daisy chains as necklaces or for head wreaths...I remember when I first learned how to make them and was so excited, like I had discovered something new.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 in the afternoon sun with no flash, macro enabled. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light, and to add the fuzzy border.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Week 42 MCP Project 52

POTD Day 23 I'm Loving

This is a piece of orgonite that my cousin made for me a few weeks ago. I put it in the window in our living room near most of the electronic equipment in the room.

I love the color green too, so it is really perfect.

My cousin started making these healing objects for herself and for others recently. You can read more about orgonite on her website at this location.
She recently got some really terrific news from her latest bone scan and I have to believe that items like this and all the other positive energy sources in her life were responsible to helping her body to heal.

I took this picture with my Fuji Finepix f50 with no flash in the morning sun. I edited it in GIMP 2.6 for color, light and then added the fuzzy border.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...AWWA Donation Site

Dances With Wolves And More

Perhaps I am a crazy person, but there are some terrific movies out there, that I just can't watch again. I love them, and perhaps even own them, but have the hardest time watching them again...mostly because I know what is going to happen in them.

Dances With Wolves...just can't stand to watch the whole wolf scene. Animal cruelty is just too hard to watch.

Last Of The Mohicans...this is great but just the overall end of the movie is a bummer and I really have to be in the right frame of mind to do it.

Saving Private Ryan...this one is just such a heartbreaker.

Black Swan...I felt stressed out and anxious through this entire one, even though I liked the movie, I couldn't watch it again.

Gangs of New York...great movie but just so awful at the same time.

Update: A Simple Plan...just a complete downer, even though it is a great movie.

Casino...just because of the violence and the knee drilling...ewww!

Reservior Dogs...just so harsh and the policeman scenes...

Boys Don't Cry...just another complete downer

Full Metal Jacket...kid goes crazy and commits suicide and then war scenes

Slingblade...because I love the main character and it sucks how it ends...

This, of course, is only a small segment of those great films that are hard to watch (for instance there are several war movies that I could list). And who knows, maybe that they are hard to watch is what, at times, makes them great films. I am sure I will be watching most of them again at some point in the future but when I am scrolling through the movie channels on cable, and one of these is available, I tend to skip over it for something less stressful, cruel, or sad...
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Locked Out (one of my funnier moments)