Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah...Zip-a-dee-ay!

****First a Word of WARNING****: 

This post is extremely long! 

Yessiree Bob! 

Believe it or not...I think this one has to be my longest post! 

And it is cuz I had waited far tooooo long before posting a thank you for all the sweet BLOG HUGS (aka Blog Awards) that have been passed my way.

****End of WARNING!****

(Please continue...)

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,
My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way,
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder,
It's the truth, it's "actch'll"
Everything is "satisfactch'll."
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,
Wonderful feeling, feeling this way!

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder,
It's the truth, it's "actch'll"
Everything is "satisfactch'll."
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!
(Lyrics by Ray Gilbert and Allie Wrubel)

Our daughters are sweet sisters...

& also sorority sisters...part of a wonderful Sorority...

These were taken back in their undergraduate years.

...a close sisterhood...and it is fun to see their friendships that they have formed with their Kappa Delta Sorority sisters.

sooo...this is fun for me to say....

Presenting:

The Bloggerette Sorority!

I'm now a...

I love the cute sorority sisters pictured!  

& Thank you Karen for a fun way 

to connect the world of blogging sisters!

I went to college after our children were in high school. So at my age, I didnt get connected with a college sorority! I would've been the house mom or something like that. haha

I look forward to being a part of this Sorority :o) ...meeting others and creating new friendships.

Go to my sidebar and click on the Bloggerette Sorority Button to find out more about it.

<*><*><*><*><*>

&

Now...here's "plenty" more "sunshine headin' my way..."

I know that some of you do not "do" awards...just know that I was thinking of ya! 

...but if there are those that will accept them, 

please let me know when you post about them, 

so that I can be sure not to miss it. 

The following "thank yous" have been long overdue!

Thank you for your patience with my delay in posting these awards (AKA blog hugs!)

FEB awards:

Thank you to Dina-Marie @ Dimes 2 Vines.                                                                
She is a sweet blogger...keeping busy with what makes her happy.                                  .
..her hubby, 10 children, beautiful home with a vineyard...

This is special to me, since it was created by our older daughter -Girly~Twirly aka theLuckiestMrs.

& it represents and is a great reminder of some of the things that make us happy :o)
(Girly~Twirly introduced me to the wonderful world of blogging!)

The rules for me accepting this award are:

1. Copy & paste the award on your blog.                                                                      
2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her blog ( or hyperlink)                      
3. List 10 things that make you happy.
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know!

First...10 that make me happy:

1. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

2. My hubby - Mr. B

3. Our daughter - Girly~Twirly & our son-in-law

4. Our daughter - Girly~Whirly

5. Our son - Heartbreaker

6. The great health of my family

7. Future grandbabies

8. Great times with family & friends

9. Traveling

10. blogger friends :o) (blogger friends make the blog world go round...)

Now, for the other bloggers...

...with this "blog hug",

 ...a few newer and a few not as new blogger friends.

1. Jenny @ Jenny Matlock Off on my Tangent

2. Karen @ Some Days are Diamonds

3. Maureen @ Mighty Mo's

4. Morgan @The Everett Family in Asia

5. Jenilee @ The Goodwin Family

6. Michelle @ A'etonu Family Adventures

7. Alely @ Oh Sweetlee Me

8. Vicki @ Change in a Bottle

9. Laurie @ Sewnso's Sewing Journal

10. Vivek @ Friend's Kitchen

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Thank you to Rose @ Etcetera, Etcetera.

Rose is a beautiful blogger with a beautiful family. 

As a requirement I have to list 8 things about me. & pass this on to 8 beautiful bloggers.

(I'm trying to think of 7 things I may not have mentioned before).

1.  I love the heat...(I tend to feel colder than any one else in a room).

2.  I love fresh flowers & a garden with lots of blooms & different types of plants...(but I'll dry the roses my hubby will bring home after a couple of days, cuz I don't want them to lose their petals...I love my dried roses).

3.  I would love to sew, smock, craft, quilt, draw, blog, create....as much as I can. (retirement sounds great...but I actuallly just started to contribute to the work force outside our home...so should I be thinking this???)  (...I must say that I do love my patients.)

4.  I would love to get all our photos organized and in albums by year, so that I can find them! (I did our photos from 1990 to 1995 in dated albums...but have the rest...some in albums, some in rubbermaids, some...hm...dont know exactly!)

5.  I love food! I would love to go to some of the places the show called Drive-In, Diners & Dives features on t.v.  I love the cake and food challenge shows... and home decorating/renovating shows...and the show House Hunters.

6.  I want to travel, travel, travel! (& it would be awesome to travel with family).

7.  I would love someone to go through my wardrobe and totally up-date it...I like to ask our girls for advice, cuz they have the fashion sense. I had some clothes in my closet from high school! hm...I think I finally got rid of most of them.

8.  I love learning new crafts and new ways to create...in any media.

Here are 8 new beautiful bloggers that added me to their blogs they follow (thank you):

1. Mama's Little Chick

2. Charm of the Carolines

3. Leksi Designs

4. CueJ @ Shroomei

5. The Paint Splash

6. The Thrifty Ba

7. LDH @ With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart

8. Karen @ I made it Through the Rain

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I would like to thank Lea at SSH! Momma's Writing for this.  Lea recently also went into the outside working world and with an 18, 12, 8, and 3 year old! 

I am exhausted when I am done at the end of a work day and it is only me and my hubby at home, now that our children are grown.

& in March Kathie @ Just a Happy Housewife also passed this one on to me.

Kathie's regular comments truly make my day...she has been so wonderful at stopping by. She's so creative with her blog and I am impressed with the numerous blog awards that she has designed and passed on. 

The rules are as follows:

• Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
• Pass the award onto 6 bloggers.
• Link the nominees within your post.
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are 6 bloggers that regularly bring me sunshine with their regular visits and the sweetest comments! (I would definitely send this back to you Kathie!!! but since you sent it to me, I am passing this on to the next bloggers who have commented the most):

Xinex @ Christine's Home & Travel Adventures

Debbie @ Heart Choices

Nan @ Mom's the Word

Jamie @ 2003 Beach Bunch

Alicia @ More than Words


& 6 more bloggers (that bring sunshine through their posts) 
since this one was passed to me two times :o)
Katie @ Katie's Nesting Spot
Sandi @ Bearly Sane Blog of a Bear Nut
Melissa @ A Little Loveliness
Cheryl @ Too Many Hats
Nina @ Portugal Bound
& her lovely daughter
Brooklyn @ Portugal Rocks

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MARCH awards:

Thank you Kathie at Just a Happy Housewife for both these awards!

Kathie! You truly have been a blessing! Thank you for thinking of my blog and for answering my multitude of past blog-related questions!

 No rules for the Blogger Buddy award :o)

This Blogger Buddy Award...

I pass on to all those that follow me,

those on my "Blogs I Browse" & 

those that leave a comment on this post. 

Thank you so much for leaving a comment.  

It is always so fun to read what you all have to say.

<><><><><> 

For the Stiletto Award

THE RULES!

If you’ve received this award, here’s what you do:

1. Display your Stiletto Badge of Honor on your sidebar! Wear it with pride…

“Heels this high are not meant for clubbing or walking long distances in. They are mainly used for getting from the living room to the bedroom, from the car to the restaurant, or for a short stroll along the catwalk.”

2. BRAG ABOUT IT! -write a post about your award.

3. SAY THANKS! - include a link to the friend who nominated you for the award.

4. SHARE THE LOVE! -nominate 5-10 blogs that you feel deserve the award.

Include links to them in your post -and- leave them a comment to let them know they are nominated.

5. DO WHAT YOU DO! -keep at it. Keep inspiring and encouraging and sharing your life! We love it and we thank you!!!

I am passing this on to my next 10 top commenters:
Nancy @ Bacardi Mama
LV @ Thoughts from Meme's Corner
Heather @ Oswald Cuties
Jenny @ Jenny Matlock...off on my Tangent
Mary Anne @ Starlight Blog
Lea @ My letters to Emily
Kristin @ Bon Bon Rose Girls
Maggi @ Just add Glitter and Stir
Jessica @ Muthering Heights
Our lovely daughter aka the Luckiest Mrs.

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APRIL awards:

Thank you Alely @ Oh, Sweetlee Me

so i need to list 7 things about myself and then pass this blog award to 7 other Lovely ladies!

1. * I love to learn the background/origins/history of words, names, unusual things...
2. * I would love to have a craft/sewing/art room with tons of shelves and everything organized.
3. * I love roses, gardenias, magnolias, orchids, morning glories, hibiscus, hydrangeas, tulips, daffodils, sunflowers...uh...I guess I have to stop and just say...I love flowers!
4. * I love, love, love to draw.
5. * I think it would be awesome to be a children's book illustrator.
6. * I  love listening to my hubby and children sing and create music.
7. * I love to play board or card games...video games can be a bit complicated for me.

now it's time to pass this blogger award on to 7 other Lovely ladies.
Kathie @ Just a Happy Housewife...do you have this one yet???

Jessica @ Chronically Vintage
Regan @ A Day in the Life
Jen @ I believe in Love
Dani Joy @ Taking the Gospel 2 Gijon
Yonca @ Yonca is Cooking
Veronica @ Of Mice and Ramen

<><><><><>

Thankyou Kathie @ Just a Happy Housewife! Ok...here is an example of one of the beautiful awards that Kathie has created!  And I love what this one represents: 

This award is just for fun and to say thank you!  Thank you for entertaining, teaching, inspiring and supporting me.  Thank you for all that you contribute to the blogosphere!

The only rule for this award is that if you accept it, please don't keep it to yourself.  Please pass this along to others and share the bling!

I'm passing the bling to a few faithful friends and a few new ones too:

Angela @ Sweet Tea Diaries

Regan @ A Day in the Life
Rose @ Nostalgic Marveling

Noelani @ Lanikee.com

Lynn @ Painting Thyme Needfuls

Keren @ Free Pretty Things for You

Betty @ Day Dreamn World

****WHEW! If you made it to this part...You are amazing!  Truly!!! **** 
Please do let me know when you do post about your award, so that I can be sure not to miss your post.

I am linking up with:

Jenny's

 Alphabe-Thursday,

&

Alicia's 

Friday Photo Flashback,

&
Jenilee's
Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane.

And since this is so long, I will wait til my next post to share some more drawings. But please take a peek around and see some past drawings that I have shared.

Blessings & Aloha!

(Also, since it is still a bit before my 100th post and the giveaways for Personalized Sketches artwork and gift certificates....On Saturday, I hope to post about a giveaway for $40 to be used at the CSN store. Please check back.)

Y is for Yangmingshan...

Yangmingshan (pronounced like "yang-ming-san") National Park is located in the north of Beitou. Yangmingshan was called Caoshan (Grass Mountain) during Japanese occupation of Taiwan, because it was covered with grass and seldom visited. 


After World War II, the KMT government renamed the mountain Yangmingshan and built a park here. Yangmingshan National Park is the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs.  


The magnificent mountainous scenery and comfortable weather have made Yangmingshan National Park a perfect summer resort. 

(Photo found on Bing.com)

This photo was taken in 1971...over the years the floral clock has had various designs...but this one in 1971 is what I remember that the design looked like when we were in Taiwan (1974-1976).

The park is characterized by a large clock made of flowers with a diameter of 22 feet. Water runs around the flower clock and music is played every hour. The clock is the characteristic of Yangmingshan Park. (Info from Tourism Bureau Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Republic of China (Taiwan).

When my hubby and I were at my dad's visiting, I was able to take photos of quite a lot of old photos.  But I didn't get to the photos of the years we lived in Taiwan. There is a photo of my mom pregnant with my brother and sitting in front of this floral clock.

Here is a past photo of me back in 6th grade. Recently, this year book page was posted by a classmate on Facebook! I lost my yearbook, so it was fun to see these.

(I am the 4th one in the front row, 

with the two braids and glasses.)

I went to school in Taipei, Taiwan, while our house was actually on "Grass Mountain" aka Yangmingshan...

Here are a few of my memories on Yangmingshan...

My dad was in the Air Force stationed in Shu Lin Kou. I was 10 yrs old when we moved to Taiwan and 12 when we moved to Clark AFB, Philippines.  We lived on Yangmingshan in an area of housing set aside for the U.S. Air Force families. It wasn't on the base, but the neighborhood was set in the midst of Taiwanese neighborhoods.

In the mornings, we would walk to the main road to catch our school bus. I went to Dominican School (now called Dominican International School)...

Dominican International School is a Catholic, private school under the supervision of the Dominican Sisters. It was formerly a contract school for the United States Forces in Taipei. 
oops...I got off on another tangent!...(More about Dominican...on a future post...)

Back to...a few more memories of living on Yangmingshan...

The bus stop was right in front of an itty bitty "mom-n-pop" run candy shop. 


**I remember the stone step down into the narrow, low doorway...and the small, tight space with the counter that practically met you at the door....we all would go in to buy some little Chinese candies, toys or I loved to buy these:

"The plastic bubble balloon is magic toy for above 4-year-old kids, it blows by plastic straw, it is very light like water bubble, and could touch and play for 7-15minutes..." quote from Shin Dorn Co page.

(Photo found through Bing.com)

Don't know who this is...Isn't she so cute?  

and this is like the bubble balloons that we would buy.)

 & ...there was this little posterboard, that had numbers on it...you would pick and pay for a number...the number went to a piece of candy or a little toy surprise...like little tiny toy figures or like what I  used to find in a Cracker Jacks box. 


(Does anyone remember Cracker Jacks? Now, I think the prizes in Cracker Jacks are mostly stickers, but I can remember little plastic toys that used to be in them when I was little.  ...Oh! off on another rabbit trail...let me see...

Oh! ...yeah, along the roads were "Benjos"...these were large open sewage ditches...I remember that kids would say they saw the huge sewer rats that were as large as cats.  


I think I said that too...but after all these years...I can't really remember if I actually saw any...wish I had a picture...well...maybe not, except to prove to myself that it wasn't just  "a child's active imagination"!

I remember...riding my bike a couple of miles "up" the road to play.

...riding the tightly packed Chinese city bus from Yangmingshan down to downtown Taipei with my girlfriend! 


We had to stand up the whole way & I'll just say...I remember that we were not taking in deep breaths in that crowded, hot bus at "armpit level".  My dad remembers the drive from our house to Taipei to be about 20 minutes by car...the city bus took way longer, with the stops for dropping off and picking up. 


(We were only 11 or 12yrs old, going to get supplies for our science project..we had been at my friend's house working on our project...I don't think my parents would have let us take that bus trip alone...I can't imagine kids that age doing that now without an adult around in a busy city like Taipei.)

Bits and pieces of other memories filter through my mind...but one more memory of living on YangMingShan...fun times with a "Long ago prayers and Birthday wishes" answer -come true.

Joining in with:

Jenny's

 Alphabe-Thursday,

&
the ABC Wednesday Team's 

ABC Wednesday Rounds,
Please let me know from where you are hopping over from :o)

Alicia's 

Friday Photo Flashback,

&
Jenilee's
Wednesday's Walk 
Down Memory Lane,
& 
CFoxes'
Friday-Follow Me.

**********

Here is a slideshow of some music-inspired drawing orders. 

The first few drawings shown are ones that I've shared in past posts.


The song is another of our son's original pieces.  After he played the twelve string guitar, the  accordion, sang the main part and harmonized, he put it all together in a recording. The guitar and the accordion, he inherited from his great uncle. (Thank you for listening to the ones on last week's post...and if you haven't yet, please feel free to go back one post that is about his music...)
Our son posted this  and another of his songs at this site, that can be downloaded for free.
(I'd love to know if you get a chance to go there :o) ... I'm excited that I can download his original music even when he is away at college, and we are a 12 hour drive -here in Georgia!

Blessings & Aloha!


(Thank you for coming by and for commenting...
...I will be sure to visit you back.


And please do check back for my 100th post giveaways. I realized after my last post that I actually did not have as many posts as I thought! Blogger dashboard shows ALL the posts, actual and drafts and will show how many total of those.  I actually am only on my 90th.

X-traordinary, X-traspecial...

...gift of music.

For this post, I really wanted to share some of our son's music that he has created...

First a little background info:
My mom had a beautiful singing voice.
My hubby's Uncles, Great-Uncles, and Great-grandfather all played instruments and sang. (Our son is blessed with the beautiful guitars that belonged to some of them).
My hubby has a beautiful singing voice and has been blessed with an ear for music, he plays the ukelele (And he can tell you, that I LOVE when he "drums" on his djembe or anything actually...even the steering wheel along with a song on the radio! haha)

I am so thankful that our children have inherited these musical genes and are able to sing and play music. (somehow, it skipped over me from my mom and I didnt get any of this talent to rub off from my husband, even after 30+ years!.... let's just say...I like to "make a joyful noise" and I often have to get back in beat, cuz my clapping with a song...well, my rhythm sometimes gets off the beaten path...)

Here is our son when he was 7 months old, with my hubby's Kamaka ukelele.

--Hawaii, 1990--

Heartbreaker and Dad "jammin"

--Tulsa, Oklahoma 1993--

When he was about 14 years old, 

he taught himself how to play the guitar.

--at the beach on Tybee Island, Georgia--

2004

...he still was wearing the hospital I.D. band on his wrist
& the bandage on his neck from where the lymph nodes
were taken from the 2nd biopsy.

We are so thankful and blessed that this challenge is in the past. And Heartbreaker, with the love and heart for Jesus, has been a wonderful witness for what the Lord has done in his life.

Well, he has been playing ever since, and writing his own music. I would love to have all his music on a CD to listen to.  He made the following video and put his song titled: "A Reason for Traveling" on it for me recently, so this post was perfect timing.

(On YouTube, Heartbreaker had captioned...
"This is my Family. I guess we laugh a lot.")

The Christmas "slow clap" was actually from one of our daughter's (theLuckiestMrs.) past commentor's family traditions, which we thought was awesome and hilarious, so we thought we would try it out last Christmas. I wish that I could remember who it was! If any of you have seen this on another blogger's post, please let me know.

The last wrapped gift was for Malone, our older daughter and her Mr's pup. (**added note** LV, I have to admit that I wrapped Malone's gift over and over and over :o)  I do love that he really was attentive to the unwrapping of his gift!  heehee

When he was the 2007 Georgia Child Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network, he was asked to be one of the performers before a 2000+ audience, which had two of CMN's co-founders there-Marie Osmond & John Schneider, other celebrities like Lavar Burton, MaryLou Rhetton, Jonas Brothers. It was an amazing Xperience to hear him sing at the telethon being filmed in Orlando. (I'll save this & other photos for another future post).

--Photo for this magazine article was taken on the stage during rehearsal--

Orlando, Florida 2007

--he grew out his hair to donate it to Locks of Love.--

While in high school, he was part of some church dramas, like the lead actor/singer for the 2007 Savannah Christian Church's musical "Joseph & The Technicolor Dreamcoat".  He had gone to the tryouts with friends, actually as support.

1. from the posters/flyers of an Easter play (that's his image too)

2. the poster/flyer for the musical & closeup shot

For this post, I want to share two more of the (truly) countless songs that our son has written, played and sung.  These are playing on the following two video slideshows of past July 4th celebrations... The first song is titled : "you can find me Going Out Dancing"

&
This one is titled: "CANVAS"

Happy July 4th
to everyone! :o)

Our son just posted these 3 of his songs at this site, that can be downloaded for free.
(I'd love to know if you get a chance to go there :o)

I'm joining in with:

Jenny's

 Alphabe-Thursday,

&
the ABC Wednesday Team's 

ABC Wednesday Rounds,
Please let me know from where you are hopping over from :o)

&

Alicia's 

Friday Photo Flashback,
&
I do like to meet new bloggers, so I am joining this week with
Jenilee's
Wednesday's Walk 
Down Memory Lane.

*********
Here are a few music inspired drawing orders.

Blessings & Aloha!


(& this post is #97! For some reason, I was thinking that I had several weeks to go! 
*EDITED note here: I saw on my dashboard that it said 97, but I just realized that it also counts any old draft posts too! So, I was right...I am still a ways away from 100...This post is only #89! Sorry about that! I am learning something new all the time!*

Please check back on my 100th post for the giveaways. 
Thank you for each of your comments.)