She's Here . . .

Hi Everyone, I finally have a chance to blog about Elizabeth's arrival. Everything went well when they brought her over. She got out of her carrier, started exploring, never ducked under the couch or bed or ran away from me. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Elizabeth went right up to my leg and started to rub up against it several times. She looked really happy to be here, I was happy and her owners were really happy too.

Here's Elizabeth playing with one of the toys I brought her . . .

I exchanged e-mail and phone numbers with her owners, we talked for a long while, then they gave Elizabeth a big hug, we exchanged hugs and off they went...

Elizabeth still didn't run and hide. She sat for awhile looking out the window, we played a while and then

. . . to my surprise and it never even dawned on me that this would happen, but she started to look for her owners. Silly me. She started to meow and I thought she was talking to me, but she was running up the stairs, down the stairs, sniffed along the walls, ran up and down the stairs several more times, sat gazing out of the window, ran up and down again meowing . . . then I realized she was crying and missing her owners. I was felt so bad listening to her but all I could do was talk to her, pet her and give her some space. Finally, I decided to lay down and take a nap. I woke up and saw her a little more calmed down and resting on the chair next to me so I took a quick photo.

She still cried on and off after this photo and I just felt so bad for her. I was thinking that she probably thought that they abandoned her. I fed her, played with her some more and now she has finally stopped meowing and is sleeping. Whew! Let me just say this. I have the greatest utmost respect for all of you out there who are parents to both children and pets...

We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but for now I think she is settling down. They gave her a blanket (it's the blue one) so that is what she is sleeping on right now. Thank you again everyone for that great Virtual Kitty Shower! It has been a really fun day for me except for the part with Elizabeth crying, but I will let her know about her new blogging friends and the party that you all threw for her. Again, many, many thanks to all of you and I hope you all have a great weekend. :)

PhotoHunt: Spotted

This photo is spotted with a lot of orbs (Wikipedia). I took it while I was assuming my "back of the pack" position at the Las Vegas Marathon. :)

I'm starting to get into the Olympic Spirit. Don't forget . . . the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics (Official Website) begins on February 12, 2010!


See more PhotoHunters HERE!

And to all of my wonderful blogging friends, thank you so much for your wonderful and very touching posts welcoming Elizabeth to her new home.It was such a cool surprise to wake up to this great virtual Welcome Elizabeth party! Of course, I'm so exciting I couldn't sleep and I woke up at the crack of dawn. Went to Petco last night to buy yet another little blanket for her. :) Thanks everyone! I really appreciated all of your comments, support, encouragements and helpful tips during my adoption process. Have a great weekend everyone! Edited to add: A very special thanks to my dear blogging friend and Elizabeth's new virtual auntie Maria for throwing this wonderful virtual Kitty Shower. Thanks so much Maria and to all of you. This was so cool.

American Idol: LA'

Idol comes to Los Angeles and with Hollywood just around the corner it just wouldn't be right if we didn't produce some outstanding Idol standouts!

Mary Powers rocked it out with Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefield". Not bad! Plus Idol needs another Rocker Girl. Can you say Alison Iraheta! Besides, her 8 year old daughter idolizes Simon...

Andrew Garcia sings Maroon 5's Sunday Morning and was awesome! Escaping the traps of the gang lifestyle in Southern California, his parents moved away and now Andrew has this opportunity to do something with his musical talents and create a better life for his own family. He received the highest praises from all 4 judges. Go Andrew...

Tasha Layton sings Joss Stone's, "Baby Baby Baby". A personal Assistant by day and minister by night, Tasha moves on to Hollywood! I thought she was pretty good.

Chris Golightly, the contestant who lived in 25 foster homes sings Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". He's through to Hollywood with two small "y's" from Katy and Simon and two big "y's" from Kara and Randy! Something tells me that Katy and Kara won't become best buds after Idol. :)

I thought Avril Lavigne was okay. I thought her hooded jacket with the ears was cute. :) Katy Perry was cool!

A total of 23 out of 11,000 moves on to the Hollywood rounds from Los Angeles. And I'd have to say that Andrew Garcia is my fav.

Next night, Idol heads to the Big "D" - D.A.L.L.A.S. And here's how I saw it...

Lloyd Thomas, a dock worker and father of two, sings Stevie Wonder's, "Overjoyed" and was very good. I really liked his personality too.

Todrick Hall, who appeared with Fantasia in The Color Purple sings an original song that he wrote incorporating the personalities of the judges. I thought he had a good voice and was very creative.

Maegan Wright walks in with a "Break the Rules" top on and sings Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love". She sort of stood out to me too. I'm not sure if she'll go all the way but I liked her uniqueness.

Erica Rhodes, a grad student and former "Barney Kid" actor enters the audition in black leather and a whip and sings En Vogue's, "Free Your Mind." She was not bad but I wonder how she'll do without the gimmicky leather and whip in Hollywood?

Christian Spears, a 16 year old leukemia survivor sings Eta James, "All I Could Do Is Cry". She was very good and gets a "...a full house" of yes's from the judges and moves on to Hollywood.

And my final standout, Dave Pitman sings another one of my favorites, Sam Cooke's,"Bring It On Home". Dave was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at the age of 9 and you can see signs of his condition except when he sings. I thought he had a great voice and I hope he does well in the competition.

The guest judges in Dallas were Neal Patrick (aka Dougie Houser, MD) and teenage heartthrob Joe Jonas. Of course, since Idol showcased the "supposed" tension between Katy and Kara during the LA Auditions, they had to equal that with clips to showcase the "supposed" tension between Neal Patrick and Simon. Sometimes they try too hard to spice things up.... :) Well, a total of 31 hopefuls from the Dallas auditions move on to Hollywood. And I'd say I have a three way tie for my favorite, Meagan, Lloyd and Christian are my favs.

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

Isn't She Lovely: Meet Elizabeth . . . .

I am so happy to introduce a sweet and gentle 2 year-old Tabby cat named, Elizabeth.

She is a very gentle cat and so beautiful. She looks so much like Annie's Lulu.

I met her and her current parents this afternoon and as soon as I saw her she melted my heart. I finished the adoption paperwork, but Elizabeth won't come home to live with me until next Saturday after she is weaned off of her medication. She was not happy in her current home because there were too many siblings (1 dog and 4 other cats). She needs to be a one and only cat to a proud and lucky owner...that would be me! :)

I found her from Petfinder and a non-profit local group of dedicated volunteers called People and Cats Together (PACT).

Thank you so much everyone for all of your support and encouragements.

PhotoHunt: Balanced

I took this photo of one of my friends while we were hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. We stumbled onto these rocks balanced on top of each other. We couldn't quite figure out what they were, but found them interesting.

According to Wikipedia, these manmade pile of stones might have been a carin. In ancient times carins were erected as monuments or used for practical uses such as marking a burial site or the summit of a mountain. Today, they are used to mark hiking trails or cross-country routes in mountain regions. But since this is a pretty popular trail with excellent signage, I'm thinking that carins may also be some kind of hiker tradition or hiker entertainment as well! :)


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American Idol: Chicago & Orlando Auditions

This week, American Idol goes to the cities of Chicago and Orlando.

More than 12,000 hopefuls showed up in the Windy City with dreams of being the next American Idol. The guest judge was country/pop Grammy Award winning singer Shania Twain. Where has she been? I thought she was pretty good. With only 13 selected to move on to Hollywood, the pickings in Chicago were really slim. I nearly didn't have much to write about. Here are my standouts:

- Charity Vance, the 16 year old from Arkansas sings George and Ira Gershwin's bluesy, "Summertime". She was pretty good too. Different.

- Angela White, a 3rd time contestant and a naturally gifted singer sings Mary J. Blige's "So Fine". Angela has had to overcome some personal challenges and I'm happy she made it through. I hope she goes far in the competition.

- John Park, a college student sang Blood Sweat & Tear's, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" very well. Shania really liked him and we could all tell by her twirling necklace. :)

I think Angela White is the strongest contestant from the Chicago Auditions hands down.

Next up, nearly 10,000 Idol hopefuls auditioned in Orlando and only 31 were selected to move on to the Hollywood rounds. The guest judge is Kristin Chenoweth. Who? Apparently Kristin stars in a show called Glee. I thought she was pretty funny. And the standouts in Orlando went like this:

- Seth Rollins sings Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me". I thought he was fantastic. He has a great soulful kind of voice. He also seems to be a genuinely nice guy. Just the kind of guy you want to pull for in the competition. And I will.

- Jermain Purifory sings "Smile". This was his second go around on Idol and I thought he was one of the top contestants in the Orlando round.

- Cornelius Edwards sings Proud Mary. He wasn't my favorite, but after doing the split and ripping his pants in the process, he's through to Hollywood. :)

- Matt Lawrence who at age 15 was arrested and sentenced for robbing a bank with a BB gun sang Ray Lamontagne's "Trouble". He had the highest praises from all the judges. I thought he had a fantastic voice. The judges called his voice authentic. I really liked his story because it shows that people can and do change. He committed a crime and paid the price with 4 years of his life. This is one of the reasons why I love this show. It can give someone like Matt a chance to follow his dream and turn his life around.

My top pick from Orlando is a tie between Matt Lawrence and Seth Rollins. I hope they both go far in the competition.

Now . . . . can I really do an auditions recap post without mentioning the duds? Yes I can!

And that's my Recap. Keep on Rocking AI . . .

Scotland Souvenirs: Edinburgh . . . .

On this trip I really didn't buy as many souvenirs as I'm used to buying. Maybe it is because I am on a minimalist trip and have been working on downsizing my possessions. But that's another story.

The few items that I did purchase are mainly things that I just had to have like my Scottish sheep and highland cow. That's just for the kid in me. Other things were associated with places I visited and/or things I did. And so with no further ado, here are a few more items that I picked up during my stay in Edinburgh.

Although I'm not a great writer I do admire great writing and great writers and so I decided to visit Edinburgh's Writer's Museum which is located in the Lady Stair's House. This beautiful building is situated in the close (i.e. alley) of the same name just off the Royal mile.

The building was built in the 17th century by Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, a prominent merchant burgess of Edinburgh. The building was later bought by Lady Stair in 1719 and now bears her name. The exterior was much modified in the 19th century with a balconied tower and stonework. It's quite impressive.

The likely date of construction, 1622, is noted in a carved lintel above the doorway, which also bears the motto "Feare the Lord & Depart from Evill" and the monogram and initials of Sir William Gran and his wife.


Just above the entrance there hangs the sign of a man with a quill pen seated at a desk.

The Writers’ Museum in Lady Stair’s House is uniquely surrounded by a courtyard dedicated to writer's, ‘Makars’ Court’.


The Scots word Makar stresses the role of the poet or author as a skilled and versatile worker in the craft of writing. This court is considered a Scottish national writers' monument as more 'makars' and their craft as poet or author are represented here on specially cast concrete slabs.


Since 1932, the Writers' Museum has displayed items with a literary connection to three of Scotland's most famous writers - Robert Burns (who stayed in a house opposite during his first visit to Edinburgh in 1786), Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. It is full of pictures, etchings, antique wooden writing desks, furniture, handwritten manuscripts and other memorabilia of the three writers. It was very interesting.

Looking at all of the items in the collection made me wonder how a museum collection of today's great writers would look like years in the future. Maybe a laptop, an I-pod recorder or an Internet website ... I, myself, can't remember when I last wrote something extensive using a pen! Since I couldn't take any photos, I purchased this nice souvenir booklet.


And speaking of writers, here is a photo I took of the Elephant House Restaurant famously known as "The Birthplace of Harry Potter", because this is where the author J.K. Rowling often "mulled over a coffee writing her first Harry Potter novel." So this is where it all began . . .

Remember my post about my visit to St. Margaret's Chapel in the Edinburgh Castle . . .

From a book I purchased as a souvenir in the chapel, here is photo of the simple yet elegant interior. There was something very special about this chapel and it is a feeling that will stay with me for years to come. I consider my experience visiting the chapel to be one of my most treasured souvenirs from Edinburgh.

And remember the very cool play I was lucky enough to watch while in Edinburgh. Since photos weren't allowed of the interior, here are photos I took from a souvenir booklet I purchased. I thought the actors were so talented . . .

And how could I resist . . .

PhotoHunt: Jiggly

This was a common scene while driving along the single track roads in the Highlands of Scotland (specifically the Isle of Skye).

I took this photo of the very cute, fluffy and jiggly behinds of a group of Scottish sheep making their way to somewhere down the road . . .

I smile everytime I think of them strolling along the side or across the road while I went exploring. And in case you missed it, here's a clip from my Trotternish Peninsula travel video: Jiggly


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American Idol: And the beat goes on . . .

Whoo Hoo! Idol Season 9 is finally here with tryouts in Boston and Atlanta! Guest judges, Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) and Mary J. Blige were the guest judges and although I still miss seeing Paula, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the panel. And with Paula missing, I think Kara's personality and contributions have stepped up from last year and I thought she was pretty good.

I normally don't start posting about my obsession until the final group is selected but well, I just couldn't resist.

I saw a few standouts that I have a feeling will go far and some that I want to go far in the competition:

- the sweet and adorable Madddy. I really hope she goes far.
- Ashley Rodriguez could also go very far and the judges really liked her. And she got a thumbs up from Fashionista, Victoria Beckham.
- Tyler Grady, our throw back to the 60's contestant was pretty good too (broken wrists and all) He also got a thumbs up from Victoria for his "cool" look.
- I loved 16-year old Katie Stevens (very sweet story about her close relationship with her grandmother who is suffering from Alzheimer's). I hope she goes far.
- Cutie and cancer survivor, Justin Williams, could also go far.
- Loved Mallorie Harden who sings with a natural ease about her.
- gotta love the singing police officer Bryan Walker (he surprised me the most).
- I'm really pulling for Vanessa Wolf from Rural Vonore Tennessee. I agree with Simon and the others in that she really comes across very authentic ...unlike guitar girl Holly Harden.
- Another standout thumbs up goes to Jermain Sellars (also another sweet story of him caring for his ill mom).

And although I tried I just couldn't leave out the duds: First, there was Mr. Personality himself, Andrew, loved how Kara put him in his place! Dude, now you have all the time in the world to do whatever you want. So long...And let's not forget the waitress who didn't quite sound like Mariah Carey. :)

And I can't end my first impressions Idol post without a comment about 62 year-old, General Larry Platt, who I think has the potential to win the award for best new original song at the season's finale show with "Pants on the Ground." But Mr. Platt has a very interesting and fascinating history in the civil rights movement and for that he deserves our praise and respect.

Good way to close out Atlanta AI producers.

And that's my Recap: Keep on Rocking AI . . .

Scotland Souvenir(s): Scotch anyone....

Here is another souvenir that I brought home from my trip to Scotland last November. After reading one of Sandra's comments on my blog, I did some research and found the Talisker Distillery on the Island of Skye. And after taking a wonderful tour there and having my first experience tasting Scotch Whiskey, I could not resist bringing home a little bottle of 10 year old Talisker Scotch Whiskey. And with that, I had to buy a little Kilt to dress it up. Unfortunately, the Kilt was too large for my little souvenir bottle so I put it on a bottle of Italian wine. It's an international affair.

Here's my first glass of Scotch Whiskey...

Here's the bar in the waiting area of the Distillery (the pitcher of water on the bar came in real handy after taking my first sip). :)

The Distillery is located in a really beautiful setting on the shores of Loch Harport with dramatic views of the Cuillins.


Down the road from the Distillery...



Seeing these photos again brings back so many fond memories of my trip. I hope I get to see Scotland again. . . .

Music Monday: Somewhere Over the Rainbow . . .

Thank you everyone for liking my Rainbow photo of the month. It always reminds me so much of one of my favorite songs, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

A beautiful rainbow and this song represents so many things to me, but specifically, it represents hope, peace and a notion that dreams can come true . . . And to be honest no one has come close to singing this song better than Judy Garland.

PhotoHunt: Bulky

I had a really hard time with this week's PhotoHunt theme up until I looked up the definition for the word Bulky, which is defined as " . . . very large and massive, esp so as to be unwieldy." ~ Collins English Dictionary

In 2005, this was my very large, massive, unwieldy, bulky 31" luggage that I traveled with before I became the more wiser, light traveling Slow Traveler that I am today! What was I thinking! :) I snapped this photo while traveling with my friend by train from the Cinque Terre to Rome in Italy (btw, her luggage was just as gigantic)...

This is my new and improved less bulky luggage. I snapped this photo while traveling by train from Prague to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Notice how it neatly fits on the luggage rack above my seat.


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Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: SSB# 19 - Chick Peas

This week's ingredient is Chick Peas and it was selected by me! :) It is the last ingredient in the Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites Cooking group which started on September 6.

I decided to pick Chick Peas because although it was an ingredient used in AnnieNC's delicious Couscous Salad, I never actually used it because I mistakenly used Sweet Peas rather than Chick peas. I didn't realize that Chick Peas were Garbanzo Beans. That was the first mistake...the second involved a pan of chicken broth and a pot of already cooked Couscous...:) I thought Annie's recipe was great and my salad (thanks to Annie's great recipe) ended up tasting delicious despite my mistakes. So when I joined the Sunday Small Bites, I decided to pick Chick Peas to make up for my mistake and also because I thought it would be a great ingredient for an appetizer dish.

I decided to go with a recipe that I found on the Internet called Chick Peas Crostini from the What's Cooking America website. I thought it was a very easy and tasty dish to make. And you'll be happy to know that I was mistake free!

Ingredients:

12-inch loaf of baguette bread
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 carrot, cut into small chunks
1 small onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut into small pieces
2 sprigs flat Italian parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 cups chicken stock or broth
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions:

Cut the baguette bread into 10 slices (I cheated and bought pre-sliced baquette bread from my local Bristol Farms store). In the oven or on a grill, toast the bread.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the chickpeas, carrot, onion, celery, parsley, thyme, salt, and chicken broth. Bring just to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and drain the beans and vegetables, discarding the liquid and thyme stems.

Transfer chickpea mixture to a food processor. While processing, drizzle some olive oil into the mixture until a chunky smooth texture is attained.

To serve, spread a thick helping of the chickpea mixture onto each slice of toasted baguette bread, then arrange them on serving plates. Drizzle each with olive oil and then balsamic vinegar. Makes 10 slices.


During the past 3 1/2 months members in the group shared so many delicious and creative appetizer recipes and I learned so much from the experience. Thank you so much to all the very talented Slow Talk Sunday Small Bite Members for sharing all of your recipes and expertise. I had a lot of fun, I got a lot of great appetizer recipes to try and I learned a lot from the experience.

For more Sunday Small Bites (SSB) recipes, visit the Slow Talk Website.

American Idol Season 9 . . . .

Whoo Hoo! American Idol Season 9 starts Tuesday, January 12, 2010 with a two hour special!

AI has produced some amazing talent over the years. Some contestants have gone on to have successful recording careers selling millions and some have even gone on to become Grammy and Oscar winners. It is a wonderful and entertaining show that can lead to finding new and undiscovered young talent in America. Well, okay minus Bikini girl...

So many questions to be answered! Will it be half as good as Season 8 when they had the likes of Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai. . . ? Will it be as successful without one of their original judges, Paula Abdul? Will it work with Ellen DeGeneres? Who will be this season's brilliant stand out talent? Who will be the next Tatiana or Bikini Girl?

I'm looking forward to season 9 and to finding out the answers to all of these burning questions Idol fans have been thinking about during the off season! I can't wait to see what new and awesome talent Season 9 will bring! And I really can't wait to see who will be our new "next" American Idol!

After eating & drinking way too much over the holidays . . .

. . . I went back to doing several daily rounds on what I have affectionately nick named my outdoor Stairmaster! :) After a few of these, you can definitely feel the burn.

At least, I'm not the only one ...

Slow Travel Sunday Small Bites: SSB# 18 Egg Plant

This week's ingredient is Eggplant and it was selected by fellow Slow Traveler and Blogger, Eden (Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings). Thank you so much Eden for selecting this week's delicious ingredient, a definite favorite of mine.

I decided to go with a recipe that I found on the Internet called Eggplant: Good, Tasty and Easy, from the All Recipes.com website. I followed this quick and simple recipe and totally loved it! I would definitely make it again.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 large eggplant
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian-style salad dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil.
Slice the eggplant into 8 round slices, each 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Trim the skin, In a small bowl, whip together the egg and water. Place the breadcrumbs in a separate small bowl.

Dip the eggplant slices one at a time into the egg and water mixture, then into the breadcrumbs. One by one, place the coated slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet or pizza pan. Top the slices with equal amounts of tomato, Parmesan cheese and Italian-style salad dressing.

Bake in the preheated oven approximately 15 minutes. Change oven setting to broil, and continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes. Check the slices frequently while broiling to avoid burning.

For more Sunday Small Bites (SSB) recipes, visit the Slow Talk Website.

Next week is the last week in this very fun cooking group and the ingredient is Chick Peas selected by yours truly! :)

PhotoHunt: Lick

Happy New Year!

"Highland cattle or kyloe are an ancient Scottish breed of beef cattle with long horns and long wavy pelts which are coloured black, brindled, red, yellow or dun." ~ Wikipedia

I took this photo on the Isle of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland this last November. After visiting the Dunvegan Castle I took a side road just to explore and I stumbled across a group of beautiful Highland cows.

They are gorgeous animals. I first learned of these beautiful animals from a postcard that AnnieNC posted on her blog. It's a very cute story! Another Slow Traveler (Andrew) identified the postcard as a Baby Highland Cow. This breed has a beautiful long coat which was intended to with stand the harsh Highland weather.


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