Happy Friday- Just Pure Happiness...

Debra over at Lifescapes tagged me to post the 10th photo that I personally took on my blog, since 10th wasn't my photo I went with 11th. Wouldn't you know it- this was one of my happiest and memorable times, my big birthday party. Our home was just as full as this penny candy station.

As a child this was a fond memory of mine, walking down the street to the local corner grocery store to buy a bag worth of candy for 25 cents. Do you have a family owned little corner store in your area? I do miss the little family owned grocery stores.

I am one lucky gal to also be awarded the sunshine award by not one, but two blogging friends. Thank you Cindy and Line!

If you haven't visited Debra, Cindy and Line's blog yet, take a moment to visit their beautiful blogs. All three gal's have hearts of gold, and an eye for beauty!

Being Happy Friday and all the sunshine in my corner. I thought I would add a little wine to the occasion. Even though it is way too early in the neck of my woods as I write this, it has to be happy hour somewhere, right?

I raise my glass to you my friends for a wonderful, happy and golden weekend!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

The flavor of wine is like delicate poetry

Louis Pasteur

Corner View: Animals

This week's corner view theme is animals, it could be local animals or pet/s. I have share the squirrels out back so much I am afraid I will be labeled the squirrel lady!

So... instead I will share my little gal pal, Riley, she keeps me company when I'm in the office at work and was Kelly's little friend. As you might remember we dogsit for her from time to time. Riley was so tiny when she came home and immediately we became friends watching each other back. I make sure she gets treats and she gives me all the puppy loving I need.

I don't think it is a secret how much I love animals and how dogs can wiggle their way right into my heart instantly.

These two little friends live up the street with their 90+ human mom. I try to keep an eye on them all even when I can't visit as often as I would like to.

Sean is a 3 year old collie, who watches over his girls. Meghan is a sweet 6 year old gal who loves to give kisses.

I bet we are going to find some really interesting animals and pets along the way as we visit our corner view friends. Don't forget to bring some treats!

Next week's corner view topic is garden, suggested by WanderChow Feel free to toss in a glimpse of water, twilight and a piece of the sky if you like.

Have a golden day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language

~Martin Buber~

It Might Be Raining Outside, But Not Inside

This week's corner view topic is "animals" can be local animals or your pet/s.

The rain held out long enough for my friend Catherine to visit. She brought a little sunshine indoors from her garden.

She gave me some great ideas for our backyard. I hope to do some planting in the next couple of weeks. OK actually it will be Gary using his muscles to plant and I'll be the project manager.

I was able to move some of the little ferns that wander away from their group, but didn't make it in time before the rain came, to move the one over to the other side of the railroad tie to join her friends.




Now that I have some flower/plant ideas I want to take a ride out to my favorite store and vist my friends at The Backdrop for some garden art. Soon the backyard will be busting with color.

Between the raindrops I was able to pick a lucky winner from the give away last Wednesday. She has a wonderful blog, she is a fabulous writer and her sweet side kick is her dog, Jack. Congratulations Kwana! I am sure your knitting group (oh yeah is she is a wonderful knitter too) will be looking forward to a great dish made with your own home grown basil. Send me your address Kwana!

Oh wait, I'm not finished yet- I have more good news to share! I heard yesterday that Mookie has already found a home with a couple of older kids to play with and pal around. Wishing you all the happiness you deserve little Mookie!

Have a golden day my friends!


Hugs,
Joyce
xo

The silence of a flower;

a kind of silence which we continually evade,

of which we fine only the shadow in dreams

~Lewis Thompson~

Woke Up On The Wrong Side

Yawn... stretch...This little fern is waking up from a long winter slumber,

happened to find herself here

on the the wrong side of the railroad tie.

Thank you for making my first blog-sitting job fun and painless. Mookie made such an impression that our next week's corner view theme is "ANIMALS" it could be local animals or your pet/s. This wonderful suggestiton came from Daan and Annabel!

Have a golden weekend my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo
P.S. I will draw a name on Sunday for the small give away and post on Monday.

Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there

~Thomas Fuller~

Corner View: Earth Day

Earth Day is actually tomorrow, but I thought it would interesting to share today, our wonderful ways to help our planet. Typical ways of observing Earth Day includes planting trees, picking up roadside trash, and using recyclable container for snacks and lunches just to name a few.

With this all said in a nutshell and my first week watching Jane's baby "corner view", I'm not prepared. Would you believe if I told you the dog ate my homework? OK maybe a dog didn't eat my homework, but one did managed to take up my time last night.

Last night Gary and I were coming home from a walk at my favorite place, the forest preserves. We were talking about how many deer there are this year, when all of a sudden he says there is an animal walking up our driveway. As we got closer he said it is a dog in our yard. I immediately jumped out as he was driving up the driveway. If you know my driveway I'm lucky I didn't roll down the driveway. Sure enough in the corner of our side yard was a little pup!

We were able to corner her and open the back gate to get her to a safe spot. We sat out back waiting for her to calm down. She was so scared running in the back trying to find a way out. Lucky we still have some treats left over from Kelly. This little girl is so sweet. We brought her inside to give her water and noticed she had a tag and was micro chipped and also recently spayed. I called the number on her tag and found out her name is Mookie and she was from a rescue group called Almost Home Foundation. Leaving a voicemail and with a quick return call back we found out a neighbor down the street is fostering Mookie. When her foster dad opened the door, she decided to explore the neighborhood.

As I am writing I realized Mookie DID actually help me with my post today. Isn't fostering a dog/cat or taking one in our home as a pet is our way of helping a dog/cat of our planet?

In case some are wondering, no we didn't keep Mookie, but very tempting. I will be out of commission for the next couple of months and it is too soon for us after losing Kelly. All this wouldn't be fair to her. I believe in my heart she will find the perfect home. I have a feeling she is just taking a short detour as I feel most rescue animals do until they are safely home.

In Mookie's honor and my appreciation for her help in this post. I am doing a give-a-way! I will make a donation to her rescue group and this organic basil plant in a bamboo pot, from Potting Shed Creations for you. Not only will you watch your plant grow, but you can add it to a favorite recipe. The company is in a recycled school, they use products that are good for our earth and they have their employee's dogs walking the halls. Now how cool is that?!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, so I know you were here. I will draw the lucky name on Sunday.

Stop on over and visit our corner friends to see some of their great ideas to lend a hand. List is on the side bar.

Have a golden day my friends!

Hugs,

Joyce

xo

P.S. If anyone has any ideas for next week's corner view let me know otherwise I will post a topic on Friday.

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children"

~Native American Proverb~

A Hint Of Color...

of the early moring sun. Over the weekend I was up before the sun to get up to take a some photos of a new hospital wing.

This family of four were a few doors down the road from our home, getting in their morning meal before the day woke up. The other two deer were off to the side and three ducks were swimming in the pond. A sight so beautiful as the sun was inching its way above the trees. I was so taken by the view, I forgotten about my camera sitting next to me. Sorry my friends this is the only photo I was able to get before they decided to move further into the trees.

I did manage to snap this sweet little bud just for you!

Have a golden day my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

~When we live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere~

Happy Friday And A Golden Weekend!

A couple of special garden friends...

...wishing you a

wonderful golden weekend.

Enjoy my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

~A cheerful friend is like a sunny day~

Corner View: Celebration

Today is Corner View's one year anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe it has been a year already. We were supose to relist our favorite corner view post, but of course I have more than one. My first corner view post HERE is a favorite because it was my first. Second I love nature and to reflect so this is a favorite HERE. I love spending my days and nights with the love of my life, and one of my many memories of Kelly HERE.

Jane thank you for bringing all of us together. Hand in hand we circle around the world visiting each other's corner, building friendships along the way.

Thank you ALL, my friends for visiting my little corner and your wonderful comments.

If you would like to take a walk down memory lane, visit corner view's blog list on the sidebar.

Have a golden one!

Hugs,

Joyce

No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny

without leaving some mark on it forever

~Francois Muriac~

Recipe: Pasta with Asparagus

I made this wonderful pasta the other day and have to share, courtesy of Southern Living. If you enjoy pasta, pecans and asparagus this pasta is a must.

Asparagus Pasta With Toasted Pecans
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serving: 6

1 (16 oz) package penne pasta
1 bunch (1 pound) fresh asparagus
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (3/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 Tablespoon butter
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and divided
Garnished: freshly grated Parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain

Snap off tough ends of asparagus, and cut into 2-inch pieces

Saute asparagus in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 4 minutes. Stir in red bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Toss together pasta, asparagus mixture, basil, 1/2 cup cheese, butter, and 1/2 cup pecans. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 cup pecans. Garnish if desired.

OK my friends you have the recipe, all you need is a wonderful bottle of wine.


Have a golden day!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

"To share a meal with friends and family

who bring laughter into our lives

is one of the greatest pleasures of life"

Happy Friday!

Another weekend is here

I hope yours is filled with

peace, happiness and beauty

Have a golden weekend my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Sit quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself

~A Zen Saying~

Corner View: Vending Machines

When I first saw the topic for this week's corner view, I thought to myself, where am I going to find a vending machine. I work out of a home office one day a week and a few days from home.
The first place that came to mind was our local police station, but how was I going to get myself behind the glass window. That was until I saw our local news on Friday.

YAHOO... the vending angels were on my side. A reporter was interviewing T Hephner, president of a vending company, called Healthy U . As lady luck would have it, the company is a stone throw away from me. I emailed them to see where I could locate one of their machines. T himself wrote back and went one step further by inviting me to visit his company.

(How cool is this- I was on his calendar)

Yesterday I grabbed my camera and my friend Tracy and off we drove to McHenry.

T greeted us at the door and eagerly shared how we all can eat healthy from his vending machines.

He started his company in 2009 to provide an alternative to high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats and partially hydrogenated oils snacks and replace them with organic, gluten-free and nutritious snacks.

Healthy U started out of his home, then moved to the garage, to the current location and will be moving again to a larger place. Their vending machines can be found in schools, colleges, universities, health clubs, dance studios and businesses.

T is not only joining force to teach us and our children to eat healthier, but he is committed to helping our environment.

His vending machines are made with LED lights, and high efficiency compressors for refrigeration.

(Tracy checking out the product for her little ones)

Healthy U works with companies that practice organic farming and strict recycling programs. Their delivery vehicles are designed to reduce emissions either hybrid engines, bio diesel or alternative fuels.

I am confident you will be hearing more about T Hephner and Healthy U. Rumor has it he might be talking with a beautiful woman with the initials M.O. (hint she currently lives in a BIG white house) and a handsome Chef from England.

(T adding snacks for the photo shoot)

Thank you, thank you ... T for the wonderful invite and grand tour!

If you would like to see more vending machines around the world visit our corner view friends (list on the side bar).

Healthy eating my friends and a golden day!

Hugs,

Joyce

xo

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art"

~La Rochefoucauld~

I Need A Maid

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We had a great weekend. Went to a fish boil on Friday and had family over for Easter. Everyone enjoyed looking for the hidden eggs and finding their little treasures from the Easter bunny.

I'm still cleaning up from Easter yesterday. I hope to stop by later today to visit your corners after I get everything back into place. Do you clean before your guest arrive and find yourself cleaning all over again afterwards?

Have a golden day!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpieces

~Nadia Boulanger~

Some Bunny Loves You!

Good Friday makes me melancholy and a time to reflect
and to know that someone does love me
(I snapped this photo last fall. I went outside and saw this little cross. My love saw a cat that lost his life from another and gave him/her a proper burial. A big man with a big heart)
Come Sunday will be a time to rejoice

My heart will be filled with sunshine

and I will be wearing the colors of the rainbow

and very fashionable this Easter in the kitchen thanks to Deidra. Stop by Deidra's blog Jumping Tandem to say hi, she will leave your heart wanting more of her eloquent writing.

I'm off to hide plastic eggs filled with candy and small tokens for our young and young at heart guests.

Have a golden Easter my friends!
Hugs,
Joyce
xo

The story of Easter is the story of God's wonderful window of divine surprise

~Carl Knudsen~