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Recent Events...

It's been a little while since I last posted! I've taken lots of pictures over the past month or so and thought I'd share some of them with you as a pictorial summary of recent days.

Some of my friends and I have been getting together almost weekly for many years (I've lost count how many). In June we had the opportunity to participate in a photoshoot with a professional photographer at a beautiful public park in Washington. The lighting was fantastic, the photographer amazing, and a great time was had by all. Here's just a sampling of the beautiful pictures!

Photos courtesy of KAB Photography.

  

  

The next adventure was another concert...but this time....with FREE TICKETS that I won from a local radio station. I had been lamenting to my friend K that it would be so much fun to win concert tickets sometime, but so far I had not been that fortunate, and lo and behold, a few weeks later I got some tickets to see The Josh Abbott Band (a Texas-Country group). I was not very familiar with them prior to the concert, but K is a huge fan, and I am pleased to say that I am now a big fan, too! Check out their music if you haven't heard of them....you just might enjoy it, too!

Since it was a small venue, a small crowd and a not-as-well-known band, we got to stand on the floor right under the stage. So...first tickets won to a concert, and first time to be on the floor for a concert, too. Double whammie, and a great time with my friends K and E.

 

 

Also in July, I had the opportunity to go on a beautiful hike with a group of friends from church in celebration of my friend K's birthday. It's views like this one that make me thankful that I live where I live (I may not repeat that sentiment come the middle of winter.....).

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with a friend from high school who lives on the other side of the country. She was in town and we went to a local art festival and ate dinner at Texas Roadhouse (one of my favorite places!). M, P and I (all pictured below) were in a group in high school called Young Ladies Literary Society (YLLS), where we would read books and then discuss them, eat snacks and hang out. Great memories! A couple days later I had a chance to get frozen yogurt with P and our friend J (also a member of YLLS), and the evening was so nice, I had to take a picture. Enjoy!

And that is a picture of recent happenings in my life. Stay tuned for the next installment..... :)

Happy Independence Day!

It's a beautiful Independence Day. The sun is shining, the grass is green, and I decided it would be a good time to take Reba outside for some fresh air and pictures in her patriotic scarf (she's an All-American dog, what can I say?!).

We started by trying to play frisbee. She loves to catch the frisbee. Unfortunately either the wind is blowing, or I'm a really bad frisbee thrower (probably the latter), because it didn't take long before the frisbee landed on the roof and slid into the gutter. Oops.

So with no frisbee to play with, my little fur-friend decided to roll in the grass - her favorite thing to do on a sunny day when she is outside. Then she let me take a few pictures. Not too many, mind you - she was more interested in sniffing the grass, and trying to avoid the camera lens (I am convinced she knows when I'm trying to take her picture, and looks away on purpose). But here's a few pictures of Reba, wishing you a Happy Fourth of July!

Josh Turner, Round 2

Last time I saw Josh Turner (in 2010 - my first country concert!), I said that if he was in town again, I would go see him in a heartbeat. Well, last night I got to do just that, although he wasn't quite "in town" and we had a little bit of a drive to get there!

Josh Turner is not the first artist I have seen twice, because technically I've seen MercyMe and Tenth Avenue North twice, thanks to the Rock and Worship Roadshow. But Josh Turner is by far my favorite artist that I've seen twice. And I'd see him yet another time if given the opportunity!

The second time around was even better than the first. With the release of Punching Bag about a year ago, Josh Turner not only has his hits that have been around for several years, but he also has a whole new album to add to his repertoire. So it was fun to hear old favorites, and some new ones, too.

What also made this concert fun, was the 2.5 hour drive to get there. So it was a grand adventure, and without further adieu, here's some pictures (because you know I took some....and you probably would rather see pictures than read a novel, anyway.....).

Singing "I Wouldn't Be a Man"

What a voice!

The venue.

Such a great evening!

My concert buddy. I love this girl, and am so glad she moved to the northwest!

The Josh Turner truck!

We didn't get to meet Josh himself, but we did get to meet some of his band members. This fellow hails from Austin, Texas, via London, England, so he has an awesome accent. We had to get a picture since my friend, K, is also a Texan. :)

Was it worth it? You bet. And if you get the chance to see Josh Turner live in concert - do it. He puts on a show you will greatly enjoy!

The Blessing of Sunshine.

I've been feeling very blessed lately, in many different ways. Today, I was feeling blessed to live where I live because, well, it's beautiful - especially in the summer! I must admit that I am still not a fan of snow after about the first month or so. Give me sunshine and a blue sky anyway. I guess that is the California girl in me.

I have a 1-hour lunch break. Oftentimes I run errands, or go walk around a local grocery story (fun, huh?). Sometimes, in the winter, I just stay at work and eat in the staff lounge. Today, I decided to go to the park.

We have many parks in this town. Some are prettier than others. One of my favorites has a beautiful man-made pond right smack dab in the middle of it. As you can see from the picture, it also has a fountain. You might also notice the swan. Believe it or not, it's fake. I didn't believe it at first, either, but trust me - the thing is a floating, plastic piece of art, designed to scare the geese away (not so sure it works).

The park makes for a pretty great place to plant oneself for awhile to read a book. And that is exactly what I did today. All the benches were occupied by others with the same great idea, so I found a nice flat rock amongst a forest of irises, pulled out my ham sandwich and my book, donned my sunglasses, took off my sweater, and felt very refreshed about 30 minutes later. Eventually I put away my book and took a walk around the pond. It's a decent sized pond, so also makes a nice place to walk to get a little exercise.

Needless to say, I had a delightful hour enjoying God's beautiful creation and feeling blessed to live in such a lovely area.

Where did you eat lunch today?

Cheeseball!

Last spring, I helped a friend plan an engagement party/Bridal shower for her sister and her sister's fiance. She was looking for interesting things to serve, and I suggested a cheeseball. This is the recipe we settled on, and I have made it several times since then. As it has become a favorite of mine, I thought I would share the recipe with all of you.

Cheeseball

2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

2 c (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions

¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper

2 tsp season salt*

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained very, very very well

½ cup pecan pieces

Combine all ingredients, except pecans, in mixing bowl and mix well. Chill for several hours or overnight, then form into a ball. Coat cheeseball in pecans and chill for several more hours. Serve with crackers. Can also be served in a bowl, without the pecans/cheeseball shape.

*I usually add this ingredient. However, when I made this last night to take to an event this weekend, I omitted the season salt as I needed to make sure it was gluten free and I couldn't find anything on the bottle saying season salt was gluten free. I since did a google search to find out that Lawry's Season Salt is, indeed, gluten free. But the cheeseball is just as good with no salt, or a little table salt thrown in, too.

The Piano Guys

If you have not yet been introduced to the amazingness that is The Piano Guys...allow me to introduce you.

Dear blog readers.....The Piano Guys.

The Piano Guys....allow me to introduce you to my blog readers, who I'm sure will become big fans.

The Piano Guys actually consists of a piano guy, and a cello guy (and a bunch of backup guys). As they say, the first thing you should do after naming your group "The Piano Guys" is go find a cellist (ha ha ha). They do instrumental covers of popular songs, and then they do a music video that usually features the most beautiful scenery you've ever seen.

They released a new video this week. Their version of "Home" by Phillip Phillips (of American Idol fame). I like the original song....but I LOVE The Piano Guys version. They took a good song and made it amazing. Enjoy!



Other The Piano Guys Favorites:
1. What Makes You Beautiful (originally performed by OneDirection)
2. A Thousand Years (originally performed by Christina Perri)
3. Peponi [Paradise] (originally performed by Coldplay)
4. Beethoven's Five Secrets (a mashup of Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Secrets by One Republic)
5. Over The Rainbow/Simple Gifts (based on the version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and the Shaker hymn)

Actually...just visit their channel. Everything they put out is fantastic.

Happy Listening!