Oh Deer & Girl Power!

Yet another bump in the road!  This time around - my mini disappearance had to do with health issues for DH and surgery and re-coop and the last couple of days me fighting an awful mutant head cold or sinus issue.  But...I'm back!

Last month, a few of the Zonta Club Members participated in a 5k Run/1k Fun Walk to benefit CASA.  It was their annual Superohero 5K Fundraiser and dressing up was encouraged.  We had special Zonta T-Shirts and our Pres accessorized with Wonder Woman garb.  Super COOL!

Cricket has been stuck to me like glue the last several weeks.  Sometimes I can get the cutest pictures of her while she's on my lap in the evening!

I'm blanking when it comes to where I found these somewhat recently but I knew I had to grab them!  I'm thinking it was either Tops or Wegmans because those are the places I've been the last several weeks.  Maybe Walmart???

Maybe it WAS Walmart because I remember finding THIS at Walmart the last time I went and was pretty shocked to see several items were new there that were also vegan!

I know I grabbed that at Wegman's!  I've had 2 or 3 other NEW Amy's Wraps, too!  LOVING that Amy's is coming out with more new vegan options!

I've still been doing a lot of traveling with my job and I am sure that will keep up.  Another thing I have been doing more of lately is taking video footage for TV news reports.  Last week I grabbed video at a local festival, 2 area football games, a local apartment fire, and more...and they were all featured somehow!

These last two photos were taken from my car window.  YES...I was completely stopped and I normally wouldn't even THINK about grabbing my phone to take a pic in a situation like this BUT I had been sitting there a while because these 3 deer wouldn't move.  They were in the middle of the road and I was lucky enough to see them and could stop BUT once I stopped they didn't move.  Because of the road I was on I knew someone would hit them so after moments of them not moving I laid on the horn and 2 out of the 3 eventually ran in to the woods.  The 3rd slowly followed.  They were all safe...THANK GOD!

OH!  By the way...I slightly changed the look of the blog...what do you think?

More Vegan Eats & Women Are Wonderful Event

Have YOU seen these YET?  Clif came out with new (loose) Granola!  I was able to find this Cinnamon Almond flavor and I must say it was GREAT!  Actually, it was a gift from my parents!  They are VERY thoughtful!  When I eat Granola I eat it loose and dry and usually as a snack!  Because I ate many handfuls of this it was more like a meal!

Eventho this photo isn't the best I wanted to post it because it was a meal I had recently.  It was one of the Tasty Bites Microwavable Pouches...the Spinach Dal...actually, and a side of Garlic Parsley Riced Cauliflower.  I ended up mixing it together.  It was YUMMY!

My 40th birthday is in about a month.  I wanted to do 40 Good Deeds leading up to my Birthdate but I haven't been consistent with doing one each day.  One of the things I'm doing is donating tea to our local Cancer Center for those waiting for treatment (and their families).

Another thing I have done recently is volunteer at our local Women Are Wonderful Event that took place this past weekend.  It was a FUN day.  There were about 100-110 participants about roughly 30-50 volunteers.

Participants could take up to 5 classes/sessions of various topics and there was a breakfast bar and lunch served.  This photo is one of the last classes of the day and it was a card making class.  As a part of the Zonta Club efforts, we had many volunteers there.  We also chose the winners of our Basket Raffle Fund Raiser which the money raised goes to our Service Projects.  That day we also took a collection for our "Free The Girls" Project.  The participants donated 66 bras and $56 to help with shipping our next batch of bras to "Free The Girls".

The other night I was roaming around the house - doing a few things - and I caught Cricket on the recliner like this.  Apparently, she didn't want to sit ON the recliner's seat but wanted to wedge herself in the elbow part of the armrest.

I almost forgot to post this photo.  Still not a great photo but it was a good meal.  I made some more Baked Tofu Nuggets.  This time I threw a bunch of spices in with Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Flour and some Arrowroot.  I probably left them in a bit longer than needed but the texture was nice.  Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside!

Weekend Hibernation

This past weekend was CRAZY!  I never left the house.  We received about 2 feet of snow and this morning it was -2 degrees.  My BIL in Erie got about 3 feet of snow and my sister in Bemus Point got about 3 feet as well.

So...I hunkered down...and hibernated, basically.

I made a LARGE vat of soup as you can see above.  I like to call it Creamy Lentil.

1 C Lentils

2 Carrots
4 C Water

Spices: Onion Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder,  Cumin, Parsley, Black Sea Salt...all to taste
2 T Earth Balance Vegan Margarine 

Once all cooked in a large pot I put everything in a high-speed blender.  I added a handful of cashews and more water until I reached the desired consistency.

I've had 3 meals from it so far and the 3rd time I had a bowl I added from Daiya American Cheese and it made a nice Vegan Cheese Soup.  Tonight I might add some veggies and finish it off.

Cricket was less than impressed with the cold.  She will not go outside and she's been doing everything in her power to stick to me like glue and get under the blanket.  This from someone who doesn't usually like burrowing in blankets.  

Check these 'bad boys' out!  I made Tofu Bites!  I basically coated them in All Purposed Flour, Garlic, Smoked Paprika, Onion Powder, Black Sea Salt and Grapeseed Oil.  I baked them at 375 for about 30 or more minutes until somewhat chewy.

But what really MADE these Tofu Bites was the sauce I made for them!  I was overjoyed with the flavor of this sauce and will be making this OFTEN!

1/3 - 1/2 C Just Mayo
3 T Yellow Mustard
3 T Maple Syrup
3 T Sweet BBQ Sauce (I chose one from Wegman's that was clearly marked VEGAN)
1 T Lemon flavored Balsamic (or you can use 1/2 T Lemon Juice & 1/2 T Balsamic)

So needless to say, I was drinking HOT TEA all weekend long and catching up on LOTS of Tea Reviews over at Sororitea Sisters...when it came to my attention that I totally forgot to mention it was Betty White's 97th Birthday last week!  "Rose" from the Golden Girls was the first Funko Pop I bought and I knew I had to post something on IG.  So for those of you who aren't on IG...here is the pic I posted.

I also ALMOST forgot that I still had some Vegan Cookie Batter from EatPastry in my frig so I busted that open and made some Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

National Comedy Center Pre-View, Vegan Finds, Fur Kids, Niece, Selfies, Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

More and More and MORE stuff to share!  Still posting pics in 6's!  

A while back on IG I posted something about a Vegan HAPPY MAIL Exchange.  I haven't done anything with it as of yet.  There was a bit of interest.  I'm still considering it but haven't figured out how to organize it yet.  Maybe in the New Year I will take that step.  If you are interested in MAYBE participating let me know in comments.

I found some BITCHIN' SAUCE at the Erie Whole Foods Co-Op.  I have to say it was pretty darn tasty!  I used it on basically everything until I ran out of it.  

When they are on sale I have been buying Veggie Rings and Veggie Tots!  I have been able to find at least one of them at Tops but they have a better selection on Wegmans.

I have to get more photos of my darling niece Trinity, too!  And I've been obsessed with David S. Pumpkins since the first year the sketch was featured on SNL a few years ago!  Each Halloween I repost the video!  You gotta LOVE Tom Hanks!

A while back Erie Whole Foods Co-Op had Blue Sky Soda on sale so I thought I would try it and I enjoyed it!

One of my stops at Wegman's I grabbed some vegan sushi.  It had been too long!  I think it was the same day my parents and I stopped at a local brewery and they had their Halloween decor out!  The pumpkin was drinking a beer!  

In our travels I have been seeing more and more Dandies Vegan Marshmallows!  This year I think I bought the regular ones once and the peppermint ones twice.  I wish I could find the peppermint ones all year 'round!  I also found the seasonal flavors of Clif Bar at Wegman's!  Yum!  

I have to squeeze in photos of the furkids whenever possible!  Hope you don't mind!

Our closest Walmart has been getting more vegan options, too!  I found this Garde'in dish and it was surprisingly good!  I'm not much for fake meat but this didn't seem to have the effect on me that most fake meats do!

Here are more photos of the furkids!

I had made a Tofu and Tomato Dish a while back that ended up being so simple and so tasty!

I found Miyoko's on sale at Wegman's and couldn't pass it up!  YUM!  LOVE these pub cheeses!  Also found a Halloween Mug for super cheap so I grabbed that, too!

And speaking of Halloween and Fall...here are some more photos from around that time!  

Our Japanese Maple was a vibrant red this year while almost everything else wasn't as colorful due to the crazy summer we had.  

I was able to go Trick or Treating with Trinity and my sister and her husband.  It was fun!  The weather was mild but rainy.  She was Bell from Beauty & The Beast!

Filter FUN on IG...me as a zombie!

And some Cauliflower Pretzels I found somewhere while we were on a day trip.

These photos are 3 selfies - 2 of which were while voting - and the other one is another IG Filter.  What do you think?  Should I go GOTH more often?

Since we had a local Ollie's open I always look for Vegan Cookbooks.  I can usually find at least one per trip!  I recently found this Plant Protein Recipe Book and bought it for $2.99.

I have also been getting into these Kitchen LOVE cups.  They are great for meals on the go and most of the ones I have seen are vegan.  I think there were a few that weren't, tho.

And then another random Fall Photo!

My Aunt Kathy visited my parents in November and I was able to spend some time with them.  It was fun!  We went to the NEW National Comedy Center in Jamestown.  It's quite the experience.  So much so that I think I will dedicate a full post to it soon!  In the meantime above are a few photos from when we went.  The first one on the top was from the cartoonist nook of the museum.  The one to the right of that is when you first go in.  You create your own comedy profile and they give you a wristband and customize your entire trip!  The one with the motorcycle and green background was also in the entrance area.  That is Dan Aykroyd's SNL Motorcycle and you can read more about when he donated it to the center and the center HERE.  It's so weird that this center is getting so much attention.  Don't get me wrong...it REALLY deserves it!  But for lil old Jamestown, it's not a normal occurrence!  I recognize a few people in the photo at the link - which was featured in Newsweek!  On the outside of the building they have Jumbo-Trons!  Pretty cool!

Here are more photos from voting, Dandies Vegan 'Mellows, Kitchen LOVE, and Clif Bar.  As for the bras you see above that was the pre-tally for the bras our local Zonta Club Members shipped to FTG (Free The Girls).  We ended up shipping 408 bras with our first shipment!!!!  We have over 200 in our current stash now so I am sure we will be shipping again after the new year!  

Another thing I do each November - for work - is 8th Grade Career Day!  I go from 9 to almost 2 and spend it with a bunch of the 8th Grades in our county.  I set up a table for the radio stations and other businesses do displays as well.  The past several years I have done a 'Radio thru the Decades' sort of set up and they really seem to like it.  They love seeing the different microphones from the 1940's up to current...as well as the Records, Reel to Reels, Carts, CDs, etc.

Here is Cricket and Riley again!

Also more EATS...at Wegman's I found some Chana Masala on sale and Refried Black Beans from Goya that are VEGAN!  They were great.  Around that time I was doing a lot of LAZY meals so I took one of the cans of beans and made a Black Bean Soup out of it.  It turned out TASTY!  That's all that matters, right?

Then I found these Swapples!  I'm TOTALLY LOVING these things!  They are made from whole Yuca Root!  No Flour!  No Grain!  No Dairy!  No Eggs!  No Soy!  No Gluten!  YUP!  They are vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo, etc!  I have tried the Spinach Garlic one and the Tomato one and LOVED both of them!!!

I made Bianca's Recipe for Thanksgiving with the corn, peppers, etc in a nice vinegar!  It was YUMMY!  

Some other soup I made, another Kitchen LOVE cup, more furkid pics, and then there was a stop to The Dollar Tree!  I found these breaded veggies that were accidently vegan and they were pretty good.  I also found a 'tot' by the same company and those were NOT very good.

And I think I will make my last photo blast of the day be from this past Thanksgiving!  YES!  I'm still THAT backlogged!  SORRY!  Anyhow...the one photo is a Zonta Club informational sheet that we had on display while selling raffle tickets for a fundraiser we were doing the day after Thanksgiving.

The other photos are all from Thanksgiving!  Trinity got all dressed up with a new coat and matching dress underneath.  With the help of my mother, Trinity made us all hand turkeys.  She calls me AUNT JAJA!

Then you will see some of the Vegan Thanksgiving Foods I did this year!  From left - that is my whole plate!  I did Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing (from Vegan Zombie), Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole (from Bianca).  We also had yams and rolls.  Everything on my plate is vegan, of course!

How To Catch Up On The Last 3 (Or More) Months?

I guess the BEST way is to just jump in, eh?

Yeah!  It's been WAY TOO LONG since my last post!  There has been a LOT going on and I really hope to share as much as I can with you!  I thought the best way to do it is in screenshots of 6 and go from there!  So with this first set of 6 photo shown above you can see that I have been trying my green thumb at more plants.  My co-worker has really been getting me into it.  The problem is...I can't keep up with buy more and more dirt and potting soil for the ones we are obtaining!

I was able to get my hair done and I have to get it done again soon!  I'm so horrible about being consistent with that!  YIKES!

Cricket is still doing well.  Riley and Charlie are aging by the day!  I have really seen a rapid change in both of them this past year.  Charlie is 19 and Riley is 18.

I have been able to locate some great new and new-to-me vegan items over the last several months in our travels!  I also put in an order online at some point, too!  This Daiya wasn't available to me locally with the 4 cheese style but I was able to find it online!

SWIRLS!  These Vegan Swirls receive a HUGE two thumbs up from me!  I absolutely LOVED them!  I can't wait to find them again!  She's Swiss Cheese I bought online, too, and whereas it wasn't the best vegan cheese slices I have ever had I was able to get them at a low price so I was happy I was able to try them on the cheap!  The Foodies Frittata was ok, too!  Very filling!  Again...found that online over at Vegan Essentials.  Same with the French Bistro product.  I have to fess up and say I wasn't a fan of that product but was super excited to try and was stoked it was one of the 'overseas' vegan products I was able to get my hands on!  The Mustaches were cute and cheesy but really small and easy to eat in one sitting!

We did take a trip to Indiana a while back - more on that in the near future!  

I have been finding some great random vegan deals at our new local Ollie's, too!  Annie's was on sale not too long ago!  There was another Vegan Mac I grabbed from Vegan Essentials that was pretty good and from Germany (I think).  And some more office plants!

Here are some Amy's Vegan Cheese Pizza Snacks that I finally found and enjoyed! 

And the other 5 photos are from Letchworth State Park!  We finally visited it this past fall!  I can't believe I had never been there before now!  We hope to go back in the spring or summer, too!  I really liked the visit!

Our mall is being ripped apart and the guys working on the building were going to trash all of the plants so my co-worker and I grabbed a bunch and tried to save them and propagate them.  Some are working well and others aren't.  

More pics of Cricket and Riley!

In one of our Ohio trips I was able to visit Mustard Seed Market again and found more VioLife Vegan Cheeses which I really like!  And our local Tops has Enjoy Life Cookies!  YAY!

LOTS more on tap!  Just need to take it a little at a time!  Hope you haven't given up on me!

Animal Friends, Plant Life, Hot Temps, and Colorful Meals!

Last week I took a walk in a nearby park.  This nearby park has a Pollinator Garden in it.  There were some plants that had already 'expired' for the season but there were several that were left blooming and beautiful including this one so I took a picture.

Last weekend I spent commutating back and forth to the fairgrounds.  We still camp there and volunteer each weekend on the grounds.  This coming weekend there is a folk art festival that we will be attending on the grounds, too!  I hope to take more photos of the grounds and of this years festival before we are no longer down there for the winter months.

Since Monday was a holiday I didn't have to work so I decided to take Cricket with me.  She had fun with my mom and dad's dog Lexi and some other dogs that were down there.  She played and walked a lot.  On our way home she was sooooo tired!  She laid down on my lap while I was driving and fell asleep!  She was even sluggish the next day!  So cute and so funny!

Some of you know I adore goats!  Each time I see one I have to spend some time with him/her, make a fuss, talk to them, etc.

This is one of the goats I saw over the weekend - last weekend!  He was giving me kisses and nibbles!

I should be able to see more goats this coming weekend.  Usually, at this festival we go to there is a guy who rehabs animals and brings them for the kids to pet.  I remember blogging about them before/in previous years.

I do have some vegan items to share for Vegan MoFo but first I will get all of the non-food stuff out of the way!

It's been a hot summer but I have to say that the last 3 weeks has been a little NUTS!  I LOVE hot temperatures but I don't like it when the humidity gets out of hand on top of those hot temps!  That is exactly what has been happening these last few weeks. 

The other day it was over 100 degrees AND I swear it was near 100% humidity...then...the power went out for at least 3 hours! 

This is the dash of my new Fiat!  I have to say I love it more and more each day!  I already put almost 2500 miles on it!

Now on to the food!  Today is COLORFUL Meals!  Well, I had to try and fit this into today's prompt for Vegan MoFo!  It's last weekend's Vegan Fair Food Option.  We ended up going to Stoneboro Fair and there was a Mexican Food Truck there and they were SO NICE!  I asked all the 'normal content/ingredient questions' that 'we vegans' tend to - and they told me what everything was made with/how it was made/what it contained!

I opted for these Nachos that I customized.  They had Salsa, Lettuce, Black Beans, and Rice.

They were tasty!  Sometimes...all you have to do is ask, right!?

One of the things I have had at the camper all summer - just in case - I got the munchies and couldn't find anything FAST - and/or didn't feel like a sandwich - or cooking - I had these Salted Caramel Organic Brownie things from Nature's Bakery!  I've tried their other flavors before but this was a FIRST for me with their Salted Caramel!  They are rich, that is for sure!  I have to say...I'm a fan!

Another thing I wanted to mention...my parents went to Erie the other day and brought back one of the Mad Mex's vegan options for the Angry Hippie Burrito...they offer Daiya Cheese and Tofutti Sour Cream as options!  It's been too long since my last trip to Mad Mex!

Weekend Re-Cap in Photos!

Saturday I decided to take a short drive up to Kinzua Dam.  I didn't go to the actual Dam but the Big Bend Area. 

If I were to actually make a stop at the Dam I would be in a Parking Lot or at the Bridge going over top of the Dam that you see here. 

I wanted to do some thinking.  I also wanted to take some photos.  It's been a while since my last stop up there.  It's one of those places that people from far away visit often but the locals don't usually frequent.

If you visit my Instagram Account you can see more photos and even a short video, too!

The weather was gorgeous that day!  It seemed like it was the perfect temperature.  It wasn't muggy (like it has been most of the time the last couple years in the summertime) and it had just the right amount of breeze.  As you can see from the photos...the skies were blue and had some lovely, light clouds.

This photo is looking down 'water' from the Dam from the same spot.  One of these days I might go up to the Dam and the Bridge area and take some more photos to post here.

I wanted to go over to a small waterfall that is tucked off the road into the Allegheny National Forest a bit but ran out of time.

We left our house to make a quick trip up to the Buffalo area and stopped at The Pizza Plant for an early dinner.  Of course, I'm always excited because they not only have Vegan Pizza - they have Vegan Cheese for their Vegan Pizza!  I wanted to do a different topping for it this time around, tho.  Usually, I opt for Tomatoes or Mushrooms.  This time I went with the Artichokes.  It was fantastic!  I ate it for 4 meals!

Driving back wasn't fun.  There was a lot of construction.  We made a mistake with a detour and went about a half hour out of our way.  Oops!

Here's a close-up of an individual piece in case you're interested.

In other news...I've decided to take on another volunteering project.  This past month The Dyslexic Advantage eNewsletter was asking for volunteers to voice certain articles of their monthly online magazine.  I figured since I'm in radio full-time and have access to the equipment both at work and at home, I thought it was something I could easily do.  Plus, I have been wanting to get more involved in advocating for Dyslexics (since I, too, am one).

This past Thursday, there was a chair meeting for our Zonta Club.  It was a real eye-opener about just how much we do in our area.  I hope to help get the word out more about the efforts.  In the meantime, I was asked to chair the Service Committee so I'm looking forward to that, too!

Another thing we did this past weekend was stop in to our some-what-new, local Ollie's Bargain Outlet and we found some extra large fuzzy blankets for cheap.  We bought them and some other stuff for the house and I have to say that the blankets are a HIT with the dogs!  They LOVE them!

Here is a photo of Cricket sleeping on my lap...on the new blanket, of course.

What did you do over the weekend!?

Vegan Finds, Changes, & Updates!

I was going back thru a slew of photos I have been sitting on since my hiatus and realized just how many I still have yet to post - to blog about - and to share!  This post will be just as busy as yesterday's if not BUSIER!  First I wanted to share with you a salsa I made.  I was lazy the other day and opened a cheap storebought salsa.  It was pretty underwhelming.  Once I added sweet corn and black beans it made all the difference in the world!

Before fair week I went to Wegman's for one last shopping session before all the fair craziness!  My mother and I went and had their salad bar.  This is what I was able to find and it was tasty!  There were 2 kinds of greens for salad base, pickled sweet peppers, butternut squash zoodles, carrots, mushrooms, various seeds, cabbage, peas, artichokes, etc.  I believe I topped it with a Pomegranate Balsamic of sorts. 

One of the items I finally broke down and purchased was Miyoko's Vegan Butter.  I had not yet tried this because it's usually quite pricey.  I remember it being on sale by a buck or two so I figured WHY NOT.

I grabbed a package of these to have in the camper freezer.  I have had them before and with the right dipping sauce, they are pretty good.  

In my travels over the last couple of months I have been seeing more and more places carrying Lenny & Larry's!  I remember having them when they first hit the food shows last year and enjoyed the ones I tried up to that point.  I was just so excited that I saw these at our local Sheetz that I had to grab one!

I picked up these but I cannot remember where I got them.  I want to say they were over at the new Giant Eagle in Erie but I could be wrong.  They were pretty tasty.  I would probably purchase them again if I came across them.

These Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogies were something left from last last Ohio Trip.  They were YUMMY and I remember making a Cashew Based Alfredo Sauce which was even better than the Pierogies themselves!  I was just sooooo thrilled to find a storebought Vegan Pierogies that I couldn't pass them up!

About a month ago or more I made my first online BRANDLESS purchase.  There were a few things that didn't go as planned with my order but it all worked out in the end.  This was one of the things I bought and I am so happy I did!  It's delicious!  And I'm not going to lie...I recently had a couple of spoonsful stand alone and straight up.  I know that's weird but it was tasty and I bet would make a good soup!

One thing I made before Fair Week kicked in was this Lentil Curry.  I just used what I had on hand (which wasn't much) but I made do with what I did have.  Lentils from a Halal Market in Buffalo, Frozen Spinach, Canned Coconut Milk, Canned Stewed Tomatoes, and some spices.  It turned out fine and dandy!

Next up is this Vegan Camping Food Plate.  I have to apologize for the foam plate.  I don't usually buy them or use them.  It was someone elses and it was a thrown together potluck meal.  My mother made Baked Beans which were vegan and no one even knew.  I made the Sweet and Sugary Tomato Salad and there wasn't much of that left.  I used an organic and vegan natural sugar for it.  I also made the Vegan Macaroni Salad which is now being requested by many on the fairgrounds.  Of course that makes me smile.  I'm glad I'm not the only one eating the vegan stuff...eventho...the other people aren't vegan.

One of the new things over at the VIP Tent during fair week was the 'throw back' looking popcorn machine.  The accidently vegan kicker was the 'buttery' look...it was actually a non-dairy coconut oil base.  YAY!

Our fair was the first full week of August but this past weekend we went to a neighboring fair.  We were treated to a special 'ice cream' and because it wasn't vegan I wanted to participate somehow.  I noticed they had frozen bananas on a stick.  I asked if they could do one PLAIN and she said yes.  Oddly...I HATE BANANAS!!!!  But I thought I would step out of my lil box of comfort and try it.  When it was completely frozen it wasn't too bad.  When it started to thaw I couldn't handle the banana taste or aroma.  I ate what I could and shocked my husband in the process!

I did find another accidently vegan option this past weekend, too!  This was a Blooming Potato!  I asked the vendor about the oil and the fryers all they used in the fryer was potatoes and the oil base was vegetable.  There were tons of toppings you could opt for but I stuck with the basic potato and hit up the condiment bar.  I put onion, relish, and ketchup on them and they were VERY filling!  It was a WHOLE POTATO afterall!  I shared with about 6 other people, too!  It was a real winner!

Not sure if I mentioned on the blog but I mentioned on my IG that our town recently got a new Ollie's Bargain Outlet!  I used to visit the one in Erie when I was around and always had to hit up their book section for vegan cookbooks!  Now I don't have to go to Erie!  I have one right here!  So far I have bought at least 4 or 5 discount vegan books there and added them to my collection.  This was one of them.  It was only $2.99.

I absolutely LOVE this photo I was able to take of one of the stray cats in our neighborhood.  I felt bad for her that she was stray but she seems to be fine with being outside.  Prior to leaving for fair she was laying and sleeping on our front steps and stoops.  As soon as I approached her she would run away.  I haven't seen her in about a month.  I hope she's ok.  I always worry about our busy street and animals getting hit.

Another thing I haven't updated you all about in a while is my adorable niece who FINALLY started walking the past couple of weeks.  My mom and dad watch her 3 times a week and took her to a local park yesterday.  Here she is with my mother and their dog Lexi.

And speaking of furkids...here are my two pups!  They have been doing more and more of this since we lost Paco.  Riley is about 17 years old and our feral cat Charlie is 18 so I'm afraid what the future may bring with the two of them being older at the same time.  

Cricket is about 5 now, I think.  She is still the Queen of the Castle.

And another thing I forgot to tell you was that I finally cut my hair a couple of months ago and think I'm already due for another haircut!  With my last two haircuts they cut off about 14 inches of hair!  WOWZA!