Today I had a surprise holiday trip!

Yes, you read that correctly, I was taken on a surprise day trip to...

Disney's CA Adventure!

 DISNEY TOOK UP MOST OF TODAY!  YAY!  Full post later on, just one tree for now to tide you over:

Disneyland California Resort Lobby Tree

Took a hot shower, am in comfy pj's and just dropped by to say hi and goodnight!

Advent Week Two

Week Two (of four) of Advent has arrived and I am still struggling with gift ideas.  Part of me wants to at least send cards to all of my family/extended family/friends/those I have lost touch with/pay it forward to strangers/all that jazz... Realistically I have been able to focus on helping create a "family" gift for just immediate extended family and write Merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Kwanza, or Seasons Greetings, or Happy Holidays) on my various social media.  Sometimes emails, but I never feel like it is enough.

No matter how quickly time passes between each Advent season, I am so very thankful when December rolls around again.  Whether I have had a great year, a horrible year, or landed somewhere in-between, Christmas/December/holiday music always reminds me of family, love, support, stability, warmth... Although there are 52 weeks in every year and I always tell myself I will try to appreciate this year -- every year slips through my fingers.  And I am only thirty (already thirty!) this year...wonder what life will be like in the future!

As a Catholic, these four weeks leading up to Christmas Day every year give me the amazing opportunity to stop and be thankful for everything (good and bad) in my life.  I try to take this time to focus on something/everything that is positive/good/uplifting in people's lives because I know of/have heard of/have read/have experienced not good things.  And, being human, I often fall/sink/fail.  Advent is a time where I try to really focus outside of myself and not allow myself to get caught up in personal drama (ok, still human, I try not to focus for very long on things that are negative in my life).

I shall, of course, continue posting here hopefully for a long while... This year though I am going to invite all of you to leave me a message or send me an email (disappearingrose@yahoo.com) and I will send you a personal holiday note.  Please let me know what holiday you are celebrating, or if you would prefer the more generic Season's Greetings : )  Also I want to thank all of you, because most if not all of you have been sharing your lives with me via the online world and I really appreciate it.

Halfway through the Advent Wreath -- this week I shall be sure to pray extra for all of my social network friends!! ::HUGS::

Annual summer visit from "my France family"

Continuing on my catching up, I have to do talk about how thrilled I was to get another few weeks in with my godson, his twin sister, and their parents!! Actually, they had a surprise for us...

Mom was pregnant again! (just one this time - girl!)

So we had a family of FIVE visit this past summer!  I have no clue how the days flew by so fast (okay, I know but I somehow cannot find photos from their visit... somewhere I have at least a couple of my godson climbing up the side of the play structure that was built in the backyard while they were gone, but that will have to wait)... It was absolutely lovely having them visit, and meeting their baby girl.  The twins were so cute too, learning how to touch baby "gentle, soft ... careful!" and being told "shh! baby sleeping!" if we walked by her too loudly for their liking.

Mom S. with new baby girl;
Me holding my godson

 This is the only photo of their visit I can find at the moment, it is from their last night in town before heading to LAX in the wee small hours of the morning.  It took two cars to fit everyone, their checked luggage, and their carry-on items -- I am thankful that I was not one of two parents with three infants/toddlers, although I wanted to travel for a visit so badly!  Plus I am sure an extra set of hands the entire trip back would have been welcome!  Perhaps next summer... Until then all of us in CA will love and miss them -- oh, and the twins start school this year!  (In France you start younger than in the USA).

Safely back in France!
(Mom, twins, and baby girl; photo by Dad!)

Just a spoonful of sugar

According to Mary Poppins: Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in the most delightful way!

10 reasons introverts and books

 

Love reading!!

Miss many people and am praying for many

::HUGS::

Crazy/Normal

"I don't go crazy.
I am crazy.

I just go normal from time to time.

Get it right!"


(Image taken from online as usual -- love the cute hairstyle by the by!)

CA for beginners

This image has been traveling around Face.Book for a while and I realized that I really wanted to include it here -- after all, CA is the only state I have ever lived in. Also the writing across the state is pretty much spot on -- and even when it is not it is still amusing!  Hope everyone is doing alright

Lovely puppy dog

Isn't he handsome with his hat?

Turtle

What caption do you think should go with this photo?

"Valentine" animals!

This adorable penguin has a perfect white heart on its chest!

These two swans are beautiful plus it looks like they deliberately are forming the shape of a heart with the curves of their necks and their beaks touching!

Happy Valentines Day everyone, smile!

Westminster Dog Show

Westminster Best Of Show 2013

Breed: Affenpinscher

(Cute and tiny!)

Butterflies Of The World

Poster of various Butterflies of the World - pretty!

Lamb and Mouse

Am missing fun, play-filled days with my godson and his twin sister

::HUGS::

Stars in the Heavens

Pretty paper stars!!! Made and mailed to me in time for Christmas by a long time friend (two decades now???) Keep forgetting to post photos of the three stars so here you go!

 Above on the left is one made of light blue paper;

Above on the right is one made of dark blue paper

I think this one might be my favorite because every other point is made of a different shade of blue which is neat!  I cannot make these, but they are lovely





EDIT 12:12am on January 31st JANUARY 30th post!  Eeep!  Technically I am off of posting something every single day now.  *disappointed* Blargh.  Oh well. I still made the post -- does that count? Started doing something here daily the last months of 2012 and intend to continue... I have decided this post counts.  Either that or I shall randomly post now.

The Gambler by Kenny Rogers

(You.Tube.Video of "The Gambler" -- Kenny Rogers)

The Gambler (lyrics)
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

He said, "Son, I've made my life out of readin' people's faces,
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Now Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Happiest Things

Disney - Peter Pan
"Think of the happiest things, it's the same as having wings"

Remember, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly! :)

All I can expect of anyone

Note to Self:
I am doing the best I can with what I have in this moment and that is all I can expect of anyone, including me!

Downton Abbey tomorrow!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE PBS's "Downton Abbey" enough times in the past few weeks? Also yes, I know I posted this exact photo about a week ago, but the shows go so quickly!  Am very glad I decided to wait and buy seasons one and two on DVD (although I really wanted to watch them before!) since this month season three is brand new AND -- for those who have not yet found this wonderful and historically correct fictional show -- they have gotten the green light to film season four!  Unfortunately the show cannot go on forever, it initially really was just to be right at the 1910-1920 mark and too many seasons will bring the show into modern times (which is not what they intend to do)... I shall still enjoy every minute produced and hope that many of you are/will be doing the same thing!

So the image above contains the two grandmothers (not a surprise to realize that in the 1920's the grandmother on the left is from America, seeing as her outfit reflects a much more "loose" society than the very strict class structure we have been watching in previous seasons!) On the left is the lady of the houses' mother, played by Shirley MacLaine.  On the right is the lord of the houses' mother, played by Dame Maggie Smith.  Both are two of a large cast of wonderful actors and actresses!!

3 tired kittens

3 tired kittens -- they look so cute!

Hope everyone rests this weekend!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (January 14th)

Finally, an image of another book!  Just teasing... Although it does feel as though it has been a while since I posted book covers/images here as part of my "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" posts.  I have been reading bits and pieces of books, but this is the first "important" new book that I have read in the past couple of weeks.  I have been very obsessed with the PBS Television show Downton Abbey (bought and flew through seasons one and two; last night watched the second episode of season three)!!  This book, The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott was actually one that I picked up partially because of Downton Abbey, so even books are not immune *amused*  The Dressmaker is an interesting story whose main character is a servant girl who up and leaves her position for the chance to work on the Titanic.  (This connects to the tv series because the show starts in 1912, when the Titanic sank/sinks). The young woman finds a position, survives, and the story continues with her first few weeks/months in the United States -- including hearings held about the sinking of the ship, which I fully admit I had not realized occurred.  Possibly more novels/historical fiction from that time period to come!


Also I cannot go without posting at least one image from season three of Downton Abbey! This is the two grandmothers (not a surprise to realize that in the 1920's the grandmother on the left is from America, seeing as her outfit reflects a much more "loose" society than the very strict class structure we have been watching in previous seasons!)

On the left is the lady of the houses' mother, played by Shirley MacLaine.  On the right is the lord of the houses' mother, played by Dame Maggie Smith.  Both are two of a large cast of wonderful actors and actresses!! Love this show!