madameblogalot

What would be your dream vacation? There are so many places I would love to visit all over this globe. Of course, Europe seems to often be at the top of many people’s list when asked where they would like to travel. Seeing all the fantastical sites, taking in the history, reveling in the food and entertainment…it’s no wonder. I think one European country we would all enjoy visiting would be Scotland. I came across some really cute cottages and log cabins that can be rented by the week. What a peaceful, lovely vacation that would make!

A vacation home would be ideal for families traveling for their summer holidays. I like the pricing for weekly rentals. Staying in a cabin or cottage is more home-like and everyone can relax a bit more. And yet, at the same time, many amenities can be enjoyed, including pools and private hot tubs, fishing, golf and exploring. These cabins are located throughout the United Kingdom from Scotland to Wales, the heart of England to islands in the Channel.

I can imagine us trolling through the green hills and mountains of Scotland, looking for Nessie and exploring the lochs, touring castles and of course, my husband would be thrilled with a round or two of golf in its native home. Maybe one day we will indeed have a European dream vacation come true.

I love my chiropractor. I have not seen him in about six months. But I just received a handwritten card from him thanking me for a recent referral! I was really amazed that he himself would actually take the time to hand write a card like that. It is not a formatted office letter printed out and stamped or signed by him. An actual hand written card! The podiatrists I’ve seen barely have time to look at me much less talk to me. I know they are busy, but I have paid them A LOT of money! I will definitely keep recommending my chiro!

Since I don’t wear eyeglasses, I do not know how hard it would be to purchase prescription eyeglasses from an online site. I have heard that Eyewear Planet offers many styles of both prescription eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses. They offer many brand names to choose from. I saw that they even sell goggles and shooting glasses. It is easy and convenient to shop online and it might be worth some time to check it out, especially if you already know what style of frames you prefer to wear. Be sure to check out the specials the website is running. You can save from $15-$30. And you get free shipping on all orders over $29.95.

I was thrilled last night to be able to go for a short swim. The water was nice and warm after being heated all day by the sun! The pool was not crowded. We were told that they can no longer take down the rope for us to swim laps, but we can still swim from side to side. The swimming felt pretty good. My leg is weak, or maybe I am overcautious. After about 15-20 minutes I felt some burning at the incision site. I decided that even though I wanted to keep going, I better not. I am supposed to start off slow and easy and not overdo as I get back to my activities. It’s hard to do but I know in the long run it’s for the best.

Just in case you missed Father’s Day (oops!) or in case you are in search of a gift for another occasion, I found some really great looking gift baskets online. There are lots to choose from. It looks like there are gift baskets just right for any occasion and for just about any person you are shopping for. My list might look something like this:

1. Friend on the Mend Doctor’s House Call Kit-um, just in case you know of anybody who recently had surgery and could use a little happy pick me up!

2. Great Adirondack Breakfast Gift Basket-this one could be just right for the newlyweds.

3. Sweet Summer Fruit and Treats Box-this could make a perfect end-of-school-year teacher gift.

4. Spa Gift Baskets-for the Diva of any age.

5. The Super Sweet Snack Gift Basket-looks like it would be a hit in any dorm room!

My family has just returned from another week at church camp. I am always happy to hear that they have had a good week. It was especially nice to hear how others were very proud of our kids too. Our son was a team captain this year. He apparently did a really nice job and I am happy to hear that! He had a little girl on his team who has trouble walking. He has been a great friend to her already this year and I am glad they were together on this team. I am so proud of him for exemplifying good sportsmanship. He is a very competitive person, especially in sports, so to hear him saying that everyone should get to play, including those who are less able, is awesome. He was really upset that another team took advantage of this but he knew he took the high road in just playing the game and supporting all of his team mates. It’s something fairly new to hear him say that a game really doesn’t matter, and it looks good on him!

On the flip side, my daughter came home this year in a sling! This is one year after my son came home from the same camp with a broken collarbone! Thankfully hers is only a sprain. But the nurses there are pretty much on watch for my kids!

I guess I am a slow learner when it comes to taking care of my own blogs! For example, I have had this blog on its own domain for two years. I never could get photos to post on it. So I kept loading them on to Flickr and then putting them in the blog from there. Well, today, I accidentally was able to insert an image into a post without loading it on to Flickr first! (Which is really good since I am nearly out of room on my Flickr account) So, as a note to myself:

I copied the image.
Then I clicked the “img” button.
Insert URL info and title.
Then the photo should be inserted.

Hopefully I can pull it off again next time I am ready!

As kids are out of school and folks’ schedules change, the days are longer and everyone stays up a little later, it seems that everyone is spending more time outdoors. This is always good, though where I live the heat and the mosquitos can melt you or carry you away! In spite of that, it seems everyone around us is having barbecues and outdoor parties. It’s the time of year people are buying new outdoor furniture . I have even found websites where you can purchase nearly any outdoor furniture you desire.

I have not bought outdoor furniture in years. If I were going to buy this year, I would first start with an awning for the back porch area. Then maybe one of those fire pits. All our neighbors have one and they are a nice feature for outdoor relaxing. Of course then I would need outdoor seating to enjoy the fire pit. I would go for at least one chaise lounger (I love this double chaise) and a few chairs. They would have to be able to stand up to outdoor weather, including extreme humidity. They would have to be mold and mildew resistant in this climate. Then I think a table and some nice outdoor lighting would round out the patio area nicely.

I agree that watching tv can turn your brain to mush. Mine is quickly becoming that way after all the tv viewing I’ve done. But I have learned some things too along the way. Everything to why flamingoes have pink feathers (a diet of shrimp and algae) to stone massage (minerals considered therapeutic) to sleep apnea and snoring (both are linked to being overweight) to recipes and crafts. All this with a lot of game shows in between. And some reading. And finally some blogging too!

I don’t have an “i” anything! I have never owned an apple ipod, an iPhone, or any other personal “i” portable electronic device. My husband has the iPhone and loves it. He pretty much lives by it. Everything he needs is on there-whether for work or for play! My son told me he nearly bought a used ipod touch to give me for Mother’s Day. See, I love to play Scrabble and now my husband (who does not love it) plays it with all the other iPhone users he knows. Sometimes I borrow my son’s iTouch (which has all the same capabilities as the iPhone-minus the phone) so I can join in the fun. So, my son figured it would be a good idea to get me one of my own.

We are thinking about getting the new iPad for our son when he graduates next year. And we have enjoyed our Mac computer, though there are still lots of things that I still don’t know how to use yet. So I am not sure if I would be ready for one of the hand held gadgets just yet. But maybe one day.