When hubby and I visited Hawaii, we saw the sights. We rented a car and saw pineapple and celery fields. We stopped along the ocean and sat for hours while the whales made appearances. They would surface and then slap their tails on the water. Hubby had to drag me away, I enjoyed watching them so much. While visiting a small village, we looked at beautiful pearls. Hubby has always wanted to buy me a strand of pearls but that has never been in our budget. We did buy a beautiful black pearl pendant that I wear for special occasions. Pearls are my favorite style of jewelry. Hubby bought me pearl earrings when we were dating and they hold a sentimental place in my heart.
Pearls make wonderful gifts for brides to give to their bridesmaids. That is what I gave my bridesmaids over 30 years ago. Pearls are still a well received gift even today. Pearls can be saved for a dressy occasion or can be worn with a sweater and blue jeans.
There are different types of pearls and all are beautiful. There are Akoya pearls which are noted for their brilliance. My favorite pearl, the Tahitian black pearl is the rarest, most valuable of pearls. There are also freshwater pearls and satiny South Sea pearls. South Sea pearls are harvested off the coast of northern Australia from the Pinctada Maxima oyster. The Pinctada Maxima oyster produces some of the largest pearls found in the world.
There is something magical about visiting or living in Hawaii. The plant life is amazing. When we were there, the thing I noticed and appreciated was the lack of mosquitoes. That made the evening there so enjoyable. We could sit outside and enjoy dinner. Walks along the beach were very nice. The state was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, making it the 50th state. The most recent census puts the state’s population at 1,211,537. Lucky dogs.
One site that I would like to visit is The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, It is the largest Marine Protected Area in the world. The new native Hawaiian name, Papahānaumokuākea , was chosen by the citizens of Hawaii. The name was chosen because the purpose of the monument is to tell of Hawaiian traditions relating to the birth of the Hawaiin islands. Folklore tells of how the islands were born to the goddess, Papahanaumoku.
Over 7,000 species are being protected including the Green Sea Turtle and the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. Also protected against extinction are the Laysan and Nihoa Finches. Numerous species of animal life are being saved through efforts of the Hawaiian people.
The area will not see commercial fishing after 2011 and the area will be promoted as a tourist destination. One more reason to visit Hawaii.
When I think of nature, I think of getting back to basics. I think of walking along a nature trail and observing everything growing in its natural state. When I look at what nature has to offer in the way of plants and animal life, I am amazed at all the different things our world has to offer. Do you ever take a look around and become amazed at how a weed can sprout up through a crack in the sidewalk? Or that a doe instinctively knows how to take care of her newly born fawn?
There is a beautiful place in Orange, Texas that is the epitome of seeing what nature has to offer. Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center was begun over 60 years ago by H.J Lutcher Stark. His mission has been continued through the efforts of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation. This private foundation endeavors to improve and enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas and encourage and assist education with regards to nature.
Teaching adults and children that we can live in harmony with nature has produced an educational message to thousands. For their efforts, Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum certification for LEED®-NC. The first in Texas to be awarded this prestigious award, Shangri La Gardens reached the highest green building and performance measures. The eco friendly nature retreat offers so much in education as well as a place to simply relax and enjoy our earth.
For more information on the Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center, visit the website at www.shangrilagardens dot org. There are so many resources available; it would be a shame to not check it out. You can read about the history of the center and see what is in store for its future. You will find yourself longing to visit the beautiful gardens as well as visiting beautiful Orange, Texas.
Well, my hubby is on cloud nine. He just left in his truck and he was pulling his fishing boat behind him. He loves to fish for Bluegill in southern Indiana. This time though, he is going to try his luck at fishing for crappie.
Coal mining in 1870 turned Linton into a boomtown. Linton is nestled among hundreds of lakes with the Greene-Sullivan State Forest at the edge of Linton. Boating, fishing, hunting, camping, archery and hiking are all very popular. Just north of Linton is the ever-popular Shakamak State Park.
After reading about a an elderly person who became disoriented after a drive to the grocery, I am convinced that there are more uses for GPS tracking devices than I had originally considered. This woman had almost driven to another state. Luckily, her family had installed a GPS tracking device in her car. She had shown signs of dementia and they thought they would rather be safe than sorry and so installed the device. Keeping our senior citizens safe is a problem that many families face every day. Tracking devices installed in cars can keep track of where our loved ones are and give us the opportunity to help them.
I had just been discussing the value of GPS tracking devices when you have teen drivers in your family. We hope that our teens make good decisions but there are times when they lose their minds. My friend is sad that her daughter is gravitating towards a group of kids that are not the best. She is limiting the time her daughter spends with those kids and a GPS tracking device is helping her do that.
There are so many ways, besides when we travel, that GPS tracking devices keep us safe and keep us from worrying.
Hallelujah! It is spring time. That means our hot dog stand is open. They sell the best Spanish hot dogs and root beer. I had not had a Spanish hot dog until I moved here to the midwest. The sauce is made similar to the following recipe but has a sweet flavor.
Rachel Ray’s Sloppy Joe DiMaggios
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds lean ground sirloin or ground turkey
1 packages beef or pork hot dogs, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon steak seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
9 soft burger rolls - like at the ballpark
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and crumble as it browns. Add chopped hot dogs after 3 to 4 minutes then cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the onions to the pan and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes more. In a bowl mix the spices, sugar, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over the meat and simmer a few minutes to combine flavors. Slop onto buns and serve.
When I order mine, I ask for cheese on top and a large rootbeer. Oh my goodness, is it ever good. Spring and summer mean Spanish hot dogs and gaining 20 pounds that are so worth it!
So many people that I know have recently bought GPS units and really like how they help them save time. They are capable of finding the shortest route from point A to point B. That is especially important with gas costing such high prices. I have heard that even the inexpensive ones are great. I would love to have one for when I drive in the city. Do you have a GPS unit? What kind do you have? Have you had one that you did not like?
If you ever have a chance, you should see the La Bufadora Natural Blow Hole in Punta Banda Mexico. A blowhole is a cavity located at the end of a sea cave which exits above the cave. When a wave enters the mouth of the cave it will be funneled up towards the blowhole, which can result in quite spectacular blasts of water from the top of the blowhole if the geometry of the cave and blowhole and state of the weather are appropriate. Many tourists visit the blow hole and are always amazed at the blasts of water. You can find yourself mesmerized and relaxed as you wait for the water to make it’s magic.
The area is full of little shops and many of the clerks will try to get you to shop at their site. Touting the best prices and quality, they hope you will be lured in to look over their wares. Be sure to have fun bartering for the best price.
I can remember the day when business men and women went to their industry convention to learn about the newest products and pick the line they felt important to their sales efforts. Families were rarely included in those trips. I love it that corporations have gotten smarter when they hold their conventions. By holding their events in popular places like Orlando, business folks are more likely to attend and bring their families. Lake Buena
Vista Hotels have long been noted for their convenient locations close to all the Orlando attractions & convention center. The Orlando Vista hotel is located just outside the entrance to the Downtown Disney® Resort Area. That makes it convenient for mom or dad to attend their convention and meet up with the rest of the family at Disney®. There are so many sights to see in the area. Check out SeaWorld®, Universal Studios®, and the Florida Mall, (where I left some of my money last February). You will find restaurants within walking distance when you attend the 2008 American Urological Association Annual Meeting or a meeting for your industry. Booking a room at one of the many hotels near Disney World will afford you more time to relax while incorporating a little pleasure with your business trip.
What motivates you to stay healthy or get on the road to good health? I love to watch Dancing With the Stars. I wish I had an ounce of that ability. They are in such good shape.
Our county fair has a clogging exhibition that lets all the cloggers in our area show off their stuff. There are classes through the 4H extension office where you can learn to clog. It looks like such good exercise to keep your heart healthy.
Clogging is a traditional type of percussive folk dance which is associated with a number of different regions across the world. In earlier periods it was not always called “clogging”, being known variously as flat-footing, foot-stomping, buck dancing,clog dancing, jigging, or other local terms. What all these had in common was emphasizing the downbeat of the music by enthusiastic footwork.As for the shoes many old clogging shoes had no taps.Some were made of leather and velvet.The soles of the shoes were either wooden or hard leather.
Have you ever tried clogging?
