Just Jot January - 2018

Today in #JusJoJan we have "Coffee" suggested by Barbara at Teleportingweena.  Thanks Barbara!

AHHHH Coffeeee...I've been drinking coffee since I was at least a teen.  My parents wouldn't let me drink it when I was too young but probably around the age of 13 or so I guess they figured I could handle it.  Now I drink at least 3 large cups every morning, low fat or fat free milk, no sugar.  Once I hit midday though, I'm done and I switch to water or tea. 

For 18 years of our married life my husband worked for Sara Lee in the Coffee and Tea division.  We never had to pay for coffee during all that time and he would come home smelling SO good.  My favorite from that time was a mocha blend.  Haven't been able to find a good one since he stopped working there.  What a shock it was to have to buy coffee for the first time!  It's expensive!   

I love having big mugs to use and here are some of my favorites:

My daughter brought this one for me when Disneyland and I both turned 60.

A good motivational one to start the day.

My other daughter made this one for me.

Sometimes I drop a chocolate mint marshmallow in it for that minty flavor!  YUMMM

Coffee is such a part of every morning that sometimes my husband will leave me little notes or, in this case, flowers because he knows that's where I'll go first thing.  Isn't he great?

Now our daughter works at Starbucks so sometimes we can get free coffee again :) 

And, of course, I made these mug-shaped gift card holders so you can give a Starbucks gift card to your friends :) 

And that's my take on "coffee."  How about you?  Coffee or tea?  Flavored or regular?  Sugar or no sugar?  Share and please visit the other participants in #JusJoJan if you have time. 

December Reflections - 2017

Winding down to the last few days of the year!  I am looking forward to this week between Christmas and New Year when I can focus on getting my planners ready and start working on some new projects.  The 365 pictures has been a struggle these last few months and I'm not ashamed to say that it will be a while before I do that again.  I am, though, kind of excited to see if I can turn it into a slideshow this time.  Here are a couple of the more recent pictures:

#350 - My December selfie 

#349 - Dinner with some very good friends at 16 Mile House in Millbrae.  Most of this group has been together since high school and I always learn some new things about my husband's escapades when they get together.  Sometimes the memories are a bit confused, but I believe there is great love at this table. 

#354 - Our Christmas tree with just the lights.  We had a real one, not the Charlie Brown tree of the past few years, but I hardly decorated it at all.  Maybe next year I'll be more in the spirit.  

#353 - Book #22 Murder on the Orient Express.  One of my favorites.  I have not seen the new movie yet but will do so when it comes to DVD.  I am having trouble picturing Kenneth Branagh as Hercule.

#346 - My husband had to have a 24 hour holter monitor to check his heart progress.  Fortunately it was okay.  Hoping that 2018 is a better year health wise than the last few months of this year has been for him.

#351 - Our minimal outside decorations, lights along the walkway to our house.  We added another two strings to make it go all the way on both sides.  So much easier than climbing ladders to put it around the roof.  

#355 - Skyline on my drive to work one afternoon.  The picture doesn't really do it justice but I was sitting at the stoplight and using my phone through the windshield.  

#356 - Michaels is almost out of everything Christmas.  There are many shelves that look like this throughout the store.  Pretty soon I expect there will be hearts all over the place for Valentines Day and planners galore for those of us who are planner addicts.

#357 - The tiny tree in our break room.    

#360 - Another new flavor!  I drop one of these in my morning coffee...yumm

#359 - Christmas dinner with the family.

#358 - Our stockings.  

Just four days left to this interesting year.  Time to make my vision cards and get my planners ready to start 2018.  Next year our daughter will graduate from college!  Looking forward to more adventures, aren't you?  

Man, It's May!

May 1 - Well last month I was consumed with the A to Z Challenge and except for 4 letters, I finished.

 I may still go back and add those missing letters.  They were: Q - I was going to use "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" by the Backstreet Boys; S - I was going to use Sade; V - I was going to use Van Halen; W - Who else but the Who?  I have most of the pictures but I did not get the scrapbook pages made and since my theme was scrapbooking the concerts we've seen, I didn't think that just adding the pictures was right.  I have started my "Reflection Post" for next Monday and then it will be time to think of the theme for next year!

But, I have also been keeping up with my 365 pictures and here are a few of my favorites that I took during last month, in no particular order:

#103

My husband helped me get a picture of the full moon.  The times I tried to get it, there were too many clouds because it was raining during those couple of days. 

I Googled Rod Stewart for some information and I was excited to see that MY blog posts on him were #'s 2 and 3, following his official site!  I'm not sure that means much to anyone but I found it kinda cool - so I took a picture of the computer screen.  The same thing happened when I Googled Tina Turner. 

#117

We went into San Francisco for dinner one night and we saw the Bay Bridge with its flashing lights.  I love the way it looks on this rainy night.

#97

Shopping at Safeway I came across this shelf full of flavored waters.  They look so pretty with their different fresh fruits in the bottles.  All different flavors.  I haven't tried them yet, they just looked pretty.

#109

Also while shopping I found this new treat!  They have a couple of different flavors but the Cinnamon Churro sounded the best.  It was QUITE tasty I must say!  There were not that many calories in it either, even though there is sugar.  Four marshmallows for 80 calories.  I usually only ate two at a time because I am not used to eating too much sugar anymore and that was just enough.

#108

We went to our first baseball game of the season and it was a great one!  Our Giant's haven't been doing too well but they won in dramatic fashion in extra innings that night.  I got my exercise in by walking around the stadium since we got there early, in addition to walking to the train station and back.  Of course, I did have to have peanuts while we were there, but I stayed away from the garlic fries.

#116

When I am doing my scrapbooking and listening to music I turn the iTunes visualizer on and every once in a while I catch a shot of the fascinating scenes.  Maybe that's why it takes me so long to make my pages - looking at the computer screen instead of crafting?

#119

Have to include my May selfie.  This is me in my scrap room.  It is my happy face in my happy place. 

#112

Some of the pictures were of my A to Z layouts so I'm not including those here since I know you've been following me and have seen them :)

So, how about you?  Survive the A to Z?  Taken any interesting pictures this month?  Love to hear about them.