Literally In The Moment

Ligonier PA Icefest Scupture Highlights 2012!

2012-01-23T11:24:00.011-05:00

The ice storm which hit Pennsylvania on Friday Jan 20, 2012, left a thick layer of ice underneath at least 3 - 4 inches of snow our way! Couldn't even get into my husband's Toyota on Saturday morn for my commute to work! The truck doors were frozen solid. Luckily we were able to open my car doors, and start to defrost my windows. Much rather drive a 4 wheel drive on snowy days like this, but had no choice to drive my car. Roads were hazardous to say the least, snow covered and icey, yet I made it to work very close to on time!

Fitting the ice storm led the way for the 21st Annual Icefest held in Ligonier PA. Since I had to work Saturday, we headed toward the mountain on Sunday Jan 22, 2012. Temps hadn't rose out of the 20's all night so the icey snow was still hard and everywhere! I wore my boots with a good bit of tread, for fear I'd take a tumble on the icey sidewalks and roadways. The air in Ligonier was blowing when we arrived there, colder than back down the mountain at home! Sidewalks were very icey at the Diamond where the professional sculpters were busy at work. Be sure to click on photos to see in larger detail!! All ice scuptures are done by the awesome professional ice carvers of Demartino Ice ~ http://www.dimartinoice.com/

The first ice sculpture to catch my eye was this beautiful butterfly! In Japan, a butterfly represents a person's soul, living dying, or already dead. And if a butterfly lands near you, it means the person you love most is visiting you!

I was so impressed by these adorable replicas of Dora and her sidekick monkey Boots, that I decided to use them for my winter header. Aren't they just too cute and lovable?

Another very impressive ice scupture piece was this clown, with his open see through eyes! I couldn't believe how big, he was massive!! :)

One of the handsome Ice Carvers took a moment out to give me a smile. How much work and detail goes into every ice scupture they carve!

Another favorite of mine,was this cool giraffe, which stood taller than I! I'm close to 5' 5 inches so gives you an idea how tall this boy is!!

The grande finale was the galant Pegasus, which towered in the Gazabo and glistened in the sunlight. Oh such devine beauty against the blue sky and barren trees!

On the way out we caught one last glimpse of these 3 fish, displayed along a storefront wall! Aren't they just amazing! The Ligonier Icefest is always worth the trip, even in the ice and snow! I don't know how the Professional Ice Carvers come up with all the different displays every year!
I can't wait to see the ice scuptures Demartino Ice http://www.dimartinoice.com/ create for their displays next year!! If you need ice sculptures for any occasion, this is the place to order them!!

On our way out from Ligonier Diamond we headed across the highway to the top of Ligonier Valley cemetary. I took this shot of Laurel Mountains in the backround, where it looks as if the clouds are resting right on the icy white mountain tops. We headed up the road to Linn Run, where, I thought my life was flashing before me. The roads there were too icey for my car, but we slowly and finally made it back down!!

We then drove over to the museum, which I'll post some highlights of that exhibition soon! Hope all is well with you all. Wishing you a Happy New Year and stay right here Literally In The Moment.

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Foundation And Gloss Balm ~ Go El Naturale!

2011-05-03T11:17:00.009-04:00

I recently received my BzzKit from the BzzAgent CoverGirl NatureLuxe BzzCampaign. CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation and CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm came in a generous full size sample. I wore both the foundation and lip balm for Easter. The Silk foundation I chose in Oak makes me look like I have a slight tan, and doesn’t leave a visible line like most foundations do along the jawline. The foundation went on smooth and light, but didn’t seem to cover all the little flaws I have. If you’re looking for a light coverage foundation and have decent or perfect skin, I would recommend the CoverGirl NatureLuxe silk foundation.

I shared my CoverGirl BzzKit with my sixteen year old daughter, and she thought the foundation felt greasy when applying. In her words the foundation was “OK.” We tried the CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in genache, and we both loved it! In fact my daughter loved it so much she said she was keeping the Gloss Balm, which means I’ll have to go out and purchase my own!! We both liked the pearly tint, natural color, and great lip moisturizers in the CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm. We’ll definitely purchase the CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm again!!

Between my daughter and I, we give CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation 4 Stars, and the CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm 5 Stars!

You too can become a BzzAgent and receive and review new products from major companies you already purchase from!! Let me know if you join up!!

Update to my blogger friends and readers, my life has become very full. I've taken a short break from animal network rescuing, and have been busy with my own furry additions here at home. Promise to update on that aspect soon. One thing I've stayed very loyal to my writing and photography, as these are my first and foremost loves. Be it wrting for urgent animals, or reviews for products I like, or writing with my photos and poetry, my real passion never fails to enter my daily life! My love for animals is almost as strong as you know!

Hoping you're taking full advantage of your passions, and staying Literally In The Moment!!

CoverGirl photo courtesy of BzzAgent & CoverGirl!

Valspar~ Love The Look ~ Love The Paint!!

2011-03-05T23:43:00.004-05:00

With anticipated thoughts of Spring just around the corner, are you planning to paint or remodel a room in your own home? I recieved my Valspar sample the beginning of February, and I was impressed. Of course I'm already a fan of Valspar paints and colors because I used Valspar paint previously 2 years ago on our Purple Bathroom Remodel. The light purple we used is still very appealing to this day!!

Valspar is giving away free sample kits which include a 7.7 Fl Oz paint sample in the color of your choice, color chip, coordinating colors envelope, rollers, and a coupon for $5.00 off your next gallon of Valspar paint. You can't beat that for a great advertising deal, and you can even try out a color that you choose. Hurry over to get your Free Sample kit, I believe the kits are still being offered!

After much debate, I chose the color Dancing Rose-1005-6A, which is the first color to the left in the color chip pictured above. Valspar offers you a choice of a million rainbow colors!! It's like literally being in a color candy store, and believe me there's no lack of choices here!! You'll find it difficult to pick one, as all are so inspiringly beautiful. I dare you to try to pick one!!!

You can trust in Valspar to give you a quality paint, and most of all a finished look you'll cherish for many years to come. I can say from my own experience with Valspar~ You'll love the look, and Love the Paint!!

Go grab your sample and let me know what color you decided on. My whole house really needs done. With the cost of living prices and gas on the rise, I'll have to settle for one room at a time! :)

Think EARLY Spring and stay right here Literally In The Moment!!

Soap.Com Find Ease Of Shopping From Home!

2011-02-07T14:02:00.006-05:00

A little over a week ago, I happened upon a wonderful new new shopping site called Soap.com. On the day I ordered they had a special promotion of half off on Pantene products, and also buy any Aussie product and get an Aussie styling product free. They only ran this special for one day!

My order before promotion code was $25.85 so it qualified for free shipping. I purchased a 25.4 fl oz Color Preserve Volume hair condition, a 25.4 fl oz Color preserve shine conditioner, a 12 fl oz color preserve smooth conditoner, a fine hair anti-breakage detangler 8.5 0z, an Aussie catch the wave mousse, and received a 10oz Aussie hair spray for my free product!!

The cost of one 25.4 oz Pantene hair conditoner went down to $3.78. I usually purchase my hair conditioner at Walmart, which is running these same hair conditioners online for $5.97. A savings of about $2.20 per bottle at Soap.com. I received $10.00 off my order because the promotion was for up to $10.00 off Pantene products. Still for $17.00 I made out like a bandit, and was able to stock up on our favorite hair products!! The biggest plus, I did it all from the convenience of my own home, and with the price of gas to travel 10 or more miles one way to my nearest Walmart was a huge savings in itself!

I receved my products in two days as promised, each product exactly as I ordered. I had a mix up with my free Aussie product and emailed their customer service. They got back to me almost immediately and called me to straighten out my order. I was very pleased with their service, and most of all the savings I received from their great promotion!!

Soap.com run by Marc Lore, and Vinit Bharara was created in 2010 "to make life easier for people." Soap.com has a 1-800 number for your convenience, a liberal return policy, take manufacture coupons, and offers free 1- 2 day shipping on orders totaling $25 or more. What more could you ask for in an online shopping site.

You can bet, I'll be searching for more tremendous deals to stock up on Soap.com!!

*This was not a paid review, but a shopping experience I wanted to share with you!*

Southern Alleghenies Ligonier Regional Juried Art Exhibition Photos 2011!

2011-01-30T15:37:00.015-05:00

Upon leaving the 2011 Ligonier Icefest last Sunday, we headed over to view the fine art displayed in the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley. Featured there was the 15th Annual Regional Juried Art Exhibition. The exhibit was a beautiful delight to the eyes, and below is only a handful of my favorite pieces in this exibition. Click photos for larger view!!

*M4d0nn4,* by Artist Sam Howard was my overall favorite. A wonderful Oil painting so full of vibrant color, and the madonna like portrait girl resembles my sweet niece Megan right down to her pouty lips and puppy like eyes. Could definitely be her twin!! This equisite art piece grabbed me as soon as I walked in the door. The photo is 24x 18 and Not For Sale!!

Another stunner was *Regal Duo* done by Elizabeth Asche-Douglas. Excellent facial textures added wonder dimension to the faces in her portrait. Photo 12 x 12 done in Ultrachrome ink w/acrylic platform and is for sale at $750.00.

*Jackie* by Norma Rowley also grabbed at my heartstrings, as I've a deep softspot for Labs, and this baby reminds me of my beloved Sampson RIP. I apologize for all the reflections as the lighting at the museum is very bright, and bounces off the glass of the portraits. The photo is clean and sharp, right down to every hair on Jackie shinny fur coat. Photograph is a digital photo-enhanced like the majority of the photos I take here on Literally In The Moment. Photograph measures 13 3/4 x 13 3/4 and sells for $250.00.

*Kamala's Flower* by Karen Ferrick touched on a femine side with her lovely pink lotus flowers, and gorgeous green reflections. A grand size photo done in devine pastels, measuring 40 x 19 and sells for $1,200.00

In conclusion *Passion Flower* by Melinda Myers Grass was another awesome flower portrait to draw my eyes into. Pretty pastel colors and finest detail of the flower stamens and stigma!! This oil on panel portrait measures 12 x 16, and sells for $500.00.

The exhibit features many more talented artists, and I highly recommend a trip to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. You'll be very pleased at the exhibit, and who knows you might want to buy one or two for your art collecting pleasures!!

I'm excited to report, I received my new red camera last week, and will be tweaking and studying to get the right shots I desire!

Stay tuned to Literally In The Moment for more exciting photographs and stories.

*All Photographs copyright of their prospective artists please do not use without permission from the talented Artists.*

All Portraits ~Photographed by Jo ~

View another Exhibit I photographed at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art here:

Impressive Art ~ Portraits of the Eastern Frontier

Ligonier PA Ice Sculptures 2011 Ice Fest Photos!

2011-01-23T23:09:00.016-05:00

Zero degree windchills didn't prevent folks from attending the 20th annual Ligonier ice fest. The sun was deceiving today on this frigid Sunday afternoon, where the professional ice carvers from DiMartino Ice were busy creating their amazing ice sculptures, displayed on the Diamond in Ligonier PA. Folks were bundled in their warmest winter clothing, braving the cold to gaze at the glass like creations.

This ice carver was so intense in his creation, yet I went ahead and snapped a shot of him adding his beautiful finishing details to his ice sculpture. I'm amazed at the talent which goes into every piece they work on. Below are a few which caught my eye, but there a many more gorgeous sculptures displayed throughout the wonderful section of town!

The Zebra was a stunning piece which grabbed my eye right away. Notice the excellent detail on his mane!!

The squirrel was one of my favorites too. Adorable tail and face!!

The masquerade mask was another gorgeous ice scupture decorating the walkway. Check out the feathering and mask detail totally amazing!!

The guys always create a huge piece to sit on, this year it was a magnificent sleigh. Of course I had to grab a seat. I dressed in four layers, but forgot to wear two pair of gloves so my hands were frozen taking all my pictures. As you see, I'm wearing our Steeler colors!!! Isn't the sleigh extraordinary!!

We were so cold, we ducked into Abigales Coffeehouse to grab a hot chocolate, and tried to get warm. The chocolate chip cookies were luscious.

Another favorite of mine was the angel holding a dove. Isn't she just precious?

The four hawks above were a massive and awesome display on a storefront ledge!!

The penguin was also a nice touch to a storefront display of our Pittsburgh Steeler Spirit! Hubby couldn't wait to get home to watch the game, which the Steelers won. Way to go Steeler Champions!!

Last but not least was the Gazebo Grand finale, an astonishing, gigantic bird and heart ice sculpture which reached almost to the top of the gazebo. I don't know what the 90 represents, maybe someone will comment and let me know, so I can share it with you all!

If you're in the Ligonier area, be sure to take a drive or walk on the Diamond. The scuptures should remain in tact for awhile, as our PA weather has been stuck in freezing mode since the beginning of December. Very unusually cold for so long, but perfect weather for the beautiful ice scuptures to survive!! Thanks to the talented ice carvers from DiMartino Ice for another awesome display of their beautiful ice sculptures!!

Been busy the last 3 months, sadly lost a loving member of our animal family. Will post about it sometime in the future as our hearts slowly heal. My camera has been on the brink, I fear this is the last post my camera will take. I ordered a new one should come this week. We also stopped at the museum after the ice fest.

I'll have to make another post of the art exibit we saw, so stay tuned and stay right here Literally In The Moment.

View More of my Ice Fest photos from the past two years here:

Ligonier PA ~ Ice Fest 2010 ~ Photo Featured Ice Sculptures!

Ice Sculptures ~ Ligonier PA Ice Fest Photos 2009!

URGENT LA, CA!! MYA Female Blue Pit Bull Terrier Needs Adopted or Rescued ASAP!!

2010-10-27T15:07:00.009-04:00

**URGENT**Mya Id#A1129051 is a beautiful female blue Pit Bull Terrier in need of adoption or rescue. Maya is very sweet dog, walks well on a leash, takes food gently, and is good around other dogs per LA Animal services! Maya is 6 years old, and weighs 67lbs. HURRY Contact ASAP For Maya Id#a1129051~ You can tell Mya has an incredible personality!! Mya lived with a family for 5 years!!! Here's Mya's wonderful Video:

If you can help Mya please contact immediately:

LA City Animal Services -
West LA 11361 West Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
Phone: 213 792 5811
Name: Samantha Westbrook
email: ani.newhopewla@lacity.org

Dogs In Danger Link: http://www.dogsindanger.com/dog.jsp?did=1280953914049 "Make sure to include ID#a1129051 for Mya!!!!"

I've contacted a hundred wonderful rescues for Mya, but have had no luck in finding anyone to step up for her yet! I've been networking Mya on facebookfor awhile, with no sparks of interest!! Mya is very urgent, and out of time! Feel free to pass her information along to anyone who may be able to help her!

Mya is in a kill shelter, and running out of time as we speak! I want to make it clear, that the LA Animal Services has taken every opportunity to help Mya find a forever home. There're just way too many dogs in kill shelters and rescues.

Please if you can help donate, become a sponsor, adopt, foster, or volunteer, contact your nearest shelter or rescue. As the economic downturn continues, so does the plight for thousands of homeless animals!! I'm passionately trying to get their stories out there, they need an extra voice to help them!! If you're looking for a new pet, look no further than your local shelter, or rescue.

Thankful to these wonderful shelters, for supplying me with more information to pass along! They take excellent photos, and make videos to help each dog get the best exposure. Most of these folks are volunteers who devote their time to helping these animals get adopted!!

Look at Mya's cute face, how could anyone resist her. We can't let Mya be put down! Please help me save Mya!!!

Photos and Video courtesy of LA City Animal Services!!

Remembrance For A Beautiful Poet Friend~ James C. Hartsell ~ Wintersong

2010-10-17T19:48:00.020-04:00

Celebration

The morning sun burns through the gray,

billowing clouds majestically

and all those winter days

when fog crept thought the flats,

like sorrow,

yield in celebration.

My nostrils suck the pungent smells

of green-grass fields

and winter's brown decay.

My soul soars high,

an eagle circling earth and sky

in self-enhancing rapture.

And in this mystic place where all things rush,

like prayers,

the world is such a lover.

@James C. Hartsell ~ Wintersong

Excerpt from Jim's book ~ Visions From The Trail

I wanted to celebrate the vast work of a beautiful Poet friend, who I met years ago on the Lovestories forum. Sadly Jim passed last Spring, totally immersed in networking urgent dogs to rescues, I just got wind of his passing. The poem above is a favorite of mine taken from his book Visions From The Trail, which Jim sent me years ago. Jim always went by the pen name Wintersong.

Jim was my mentor, every writer's friend, and celebrated life in his humble and wonderful artistry of words, stories, and photography. Jim had an uncanny eye for imagery, beauty, and a wonderful humor that left a smile to all of us here in the internet writing world. Jim had many admirers, including me who was like a kid with candy reading all his new writings.

Jim was an inspiration to many poets, and will be sadly missed by all his writer friends. He had a special way of seducing words to draw you into his exceptional free spirited mind. You can read more of Jim's beautiful work here at his last writing stomping ground The Peaceful Pub ~ The Poetry of Wintersong Also the beautiful memorial pages created for Jim by The Peaceful Pub here: Wintersong's Memorial Pages Some great poetry and memorials wirtten there from some old and new friends!!!

In 2004 I wrote a poem for Jim, and had the pleasure of posting it on the Gypsywriter's forum. You must let people you love know how you feel about them. Never let a day pass by, and not tell someone how much they mean to you. I was very inspired by Jim's talent, and I let him know that he was special to me as a Poet friend. I'll never regret that, he was grateful as usual for any praise of his writing which he truly deserved.

My heart goes out to Jim's family, knowing he is still missed and will forever be! Here is the poem I wrote for my Poet friend Jim~

The Maestro

His
voice
speaks
tongues
of gold,
glimmering
sweet refrains,
painted from memory.

His
eyes..
seek
depths
immeasurable,
in perfect
sculpted metaphors,
integrated silver linings.

His
wisdom..
inspiring
literary
incantations,
eloquent words
of gifted verse,
eternally..
quilled upon my heart.

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2004
In Loving Memory of my Poet Friend
James C. Hartsell ~~ Wintersong

Jim will always be that "eagle soaring earth and sky," and now he's flying in Heaven blessing the whole dang universe with his humorus, artistic and talented verse!!

Summer's Final Reflection Photos

2010-08-28T19:11:00.016-04:00

With Summer steadily winding down, comes the climax of many beautiful reflections. I hardly know where to start with my own. First my bountiful vegetable garden has yielded many lovely treasures. I layered my perfections on metal skewers pictured above, creating a splendid barbeque feast for our dinner tonight!

Mouth watering cherry tomatoes, zucchini, green bell peppers, pearl onions, and carrots, were all my garden veggie delights surrounding chicken breast chunks. I used a special dry rub sent to me by my good friend Nazarina, paired with a terriyaki marinade. To say the least, I couldn't grill them fast enough to fill my families plates.

I've had an abundance of greenbeans, which are still coming strong! I've frozen a good bit of these vegetables for my soups, sauces, ect for the Winter months ahead. I started drying out my sunflowers to make sunflower seeds as in the past.

My daily walks with Sierra dog has given me wonderful solitude, gazing along the countrysides of my farmer friends farm. Isn't the view just breathtaking? The corn is about a good 6 to 7ft, ready to harvest shortly. This farm goes on for miles, carrying into another farm.

The sun was setting on an evening this past week, when I shot this photo at a different angle. The soybean field directly in front of me, and the rolling hills that Pennsylvania is know for far off in the horizon. Farming is a unique and beautiful art in itself, these great folks work hard to keep this farm looking immaculate as it does.

My flowers seem to always look their most beautiful at the end of Summer, and through most of Fall. The flower plants are at their fullest and most brilliant color. My hotpink petunias just light up my flower garden with their elegant and delicate presence.

I only had one set of my purple coneflowers come back this year. These beauties are one of my favorite flowers. The birds love pecking and eating the centers out of the daisylike flowers.

School is starting in a couple days, and the nights are growing cooler. It's been a hot and humid summer, and I look forward to cooler nights walking with Sierra dog.

Soon the flowers will fade, and the leaves will start turning. But I won't rush a moment, not too fast or hastily. I'll take them as they come and revel right here Literally in the moment!!

Stunning Minature Rose Photo & Haiku

2010-08-19T00:43:00.005-04:00

A real stunning photo of a minature rose from my beautiful flower garden!!

Animal Lovers Urgent Funds Needed For Lilly Beagle!

2010-08-06T23:40:00.007-04:00

Update 8-26-10: Lilly has found a wonderful home here in Pennsylvania. Thanks to the Lewisburg Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Loving for taking Lilly into their rescue, giving her the vetting she needed, and finding her a good forever home with a wonderful family! A great ending for a dog who traveled so far, to be saved from a kill shelter!! Thanks to all involved for helping to get Lilly rescued! It was truly worth it!!

URGENT CRISIS! After all it took to get Lilly pulled and transport set up to
get her to her foster, this beautiful girl has tested NW+ PLUS has lyme. She's not doing well at all and needs to get treatment started NOW! Anyone wanting to donate towards Lilly's care can call the vet's office and contribute using a credit card over the phone to them. You can also send a check like I did by mail to:

Lewisburg Veterinary Hospital
829 Fairground Road
Lewisburg, PA 17837

C/O Kim Shuck and make sure to note it's for Lilly!
Phone Number: 570-523-3640 to inquire about her status or
treatment!

Due to the high cost of Lilly's treatmet and urgent medical needs we're grateful
to the Lewisburg Veterinary Hospital for taking over Lilly's care!

I'm thankful for all who were involved in Lilly's rescue, and I'm so sadened that Lilly despite all the vet work she did have is really so sick. Lilly needs our help to get better, any amount will help her new rescue. We're still hoping for a happy ending for this special beagle!

Lilly was in a kill shelter, and I had networked her to help find rescue. Here is a post on facebook I posted previously everyone worked so very hard to rescue Lilly!

SAFE!!!Undate 7-31-10 Lilly Dog IS SAFE!!! Lilly is now in transport with her foster mom Robin!!It's been a busy week, from transport networking California to Virginia, and finally here to Pennsylvania for a lovely hound who needed rescued for over a month!! Thanks to Lilly's Rescue Julie from Forever Home for pulling Lilly, Katrina Transport Coordinator for putting together a transport in less than two days, Courtney from Bonnie Blue Rescue for pulling and boarding Lilly In Va, Transporters Kate, Eric, Ariel and Robin for transporting and Fostering Lilly, Melissa at New Kent Shelter, and to my buddy Linda who helped me to rescue and keep our Lilly dog Safe!! Robin promised updates. Thank you all for Networking Lilly!!

Anyone willing to donate to Lilly's urgent medical care please do so, no amount is too small! Thanks Kindly Jo ~

The End Of A Swimming Era!

2010-07-15T17:51:00.005-04:00

Sadly our Esther Williams pool of 16 years has bit the dust! All my beautiful memories are going to the scrap yard! I was pregnant with my first child when we purchased this pool. It's been through 2 generations of dogs, and most recently my nephew and great nephew. We enjoyed many wonderful summers in this pool, and I'm certainly going to miss our favorite summer recreation right in our own backyard. We were going to purchase a new liner, and upon examing the walls my hubby found a bunch of pin holes all through them.

It couldn't of happened at the worse time, as we're experiencing one of the hottest summers here in PA. We've spent a lot of the past month, driving over to my sister's house to swim in her pool. Though it's been really nice to go there, it's not like swimming right out our own back door! Winter took it's toll on our roof, so we had to have all the shingles replaced this Spring. So purchasing a new pool is quite out of the question.

I've been having a run of bad luck for the past two weeks. I fell one day while walking Sierra dog, along a country field and almost broke my arm and wrist. The ground was so hard, it might as well have been cement. My wrist is still black and blue almost halfway down my arm. Of course I didn't go to the doctor, and have been nursing myself. Still walking Sierra 5 days a week, very gently I may say. Still doing all my chores slowly and gently! To say the least my spirit has been broken, and I know I must be very careful in my footing from now on. I push myself very hard always, and most things can't bring me down. But the pain has gotten to me this time!!

Our luck changed today when a friend of ours stopped over. It just so happens he had an extra pool, and he decided to give it to us. He had moved and thought he lost some pieces to it, and bought another pool. In the meantime, he found the lost pieces. It's a round pool not like our oval, but we'll still be able to swim. My hubby went and picked up the pool this evening.

I'm not sure if we'll get the pool up this Summer, because we want to move it to another location. Where we had the pool before, the leaves would always come in and make it turn green!! Too many trees, shedding too many leaves, especially during thunderstorms!! Plus with my bum arm, I'm limited to how much I can help!! Yet I sure would like to have the pool up and running, as the temps don't seem to be going down anytime soon! Unfortunately Summer is halfway over already.

Time sure flies, how's your Summer going so far! Our vegetable garden is coming along, with beets, zuccini, onions, radishes, and garlic. My flower garden is blooming beautifully too, and those glorious Sunflowers are back! Still working hard on the animal front. A reminder to keep all your pets cool in these hot Summer months!!

Stay right here Literally In The Moment with more updates to come!

We Deserve The Chance To Live ~ Poem For Urgent Dogs On Death Row!!

2010-07-06T16:21:00.012-04:00

We Deserve The Chance To Live ~ (Poem for Urgent Dogs On Death Row)

Who will love me when I’m abandoned,
when all my hope is stripped away?
Where do I turn when I feel lonely?
Begging to live just one more day.

Who will embrace the sorrow in my eyes.
Speak out all the words I cannot say.
Hear my silent, frightened cries.
Begging to live just one more day.

Who will finally come to my rescue,
during my last dying hour I pray..
My worthy cause will not be forgotten.
Deserving to live just one more day.

Who will mourn my undue passing?
Never knowing the love I had to give.
Show me great miracles can still happen,
Because we all deserve the chance to live.

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2010

In Memory of Missy tan dog pictured and all shelter dogs who are euthanized everyday. I’ve been networking Mystery aka Mister for the past two weeks, her momma Missy was euthanized on June 18, 2010. I was so affected by this beautiful and vibrant dog's death, that I decided to make them the poster dogs for my mission to bring awareness to the plight of Death Row Dogs. I was determined that Mistress would not have the same fate as her momma. I feel I let Missy down, her face will forever haunt me and remain on my pages, because I found her link a day too late.

Be a miracle~ please help me save Urgent Dogs On Death Row!! To bring worldwide awareness to their untimely plight, and ultimately to help save their lives. Did you know that one dog or cat is put down every 8 SECONDS according to the HSUS? This is an astonishing amount of dead dogs and cats littering our shelter trash bins!! Most like Missy are young, healthy and would make a great family pet!!

Join me in my passionate mission to save literally millions of beautiful healthy dogs and cats waiting desperately to be rescued, fostered, sponsored, and adopted!! So many of them go unnoticed like Missy and her baby Mystery. Their faces get lost because there're so many urgent dogs and cats filling our shelters daily.

Missy’s daughter Mystery has been rescued and given the chance, that both of them truly deserved. I had the pleasure of networking out this adorable pup only 4 months old. Contacting close to 60 rescues, a wonderful rescue has committed to taking Mistress and not a day too soon. I'm learning so much about what goes on behind rescue scenes and have profound respect for all involved. We had a circle of rescue ladies from 5 different states, hustling to make Mystery’s rescue possible including her shelter. She's now safe with her foster mom in Georgia, soon to be transported by ARF to her rescue in Minnesota!

Please make your sponsor donations, or help with transport or medical costs. Most shelters just simply don’t have funds to pay for all these costs. Some dogs simply need medical treatment to make them available for rescue or adoption. A large majority of shelters need funds to cover medical costs, and like Missy may be put down for an oversight cost of medical attention!!

We can’t let this happen to such beautiful souls, who have so much love to give us. Your dollars can be the only difference, between their life and death. Mystery is one lucky pup, and we almost didn't make it to save her. We couldn't help to save her momma, but I can rest knowing her sweet orphan puppy lives!!!

Thanks to some very special rescue ladies, her shelter coordinator, and foster mom, Mystery is SAFE!!! Mystery is a temp name, until she reaches her rescue!!

View 8 Rescued Dogs I helped to feature on my blog and facebook!

Marriage Twenty Years In The Making~ Photos Then And Now!

2010-06-10T16:17:00.010-04:00

June 2, 2010 marked our twentieth wedding anniversary. Time sure flies, and so much has happened in twenty years. We were a stunning young couple back then, working hard for our future together. I can't say it has been total bliss, or a storybook marriage. There were times I thought to leave, but stayed because of my deep love for my husband and child. I couldn't survive in a loveless relationship, or one which lacks passion and intimacy. I think most couples go through rough times, and if they're lucky come out together even stronger and closer.

If I can say one thing we lacked was taking time for ourselves to nourish our relationship. Helping family, kids, and work always came first. It was almost if we eventually didn't have real time for each other.

If I could share a word of wisdom it would be make time, before it's too late. Before you just become friends, and not lovers anymore! That doesn't mean just sex either, although intimacy is very important too.

It's just the little jestures I miss, like the long French kisses, a hug now and then, and just plain hand holding! Yes I did marry my best friend, but I can find a friend anywhere. Like the Lady Gaga song goes "I want your love, I don't want to be friends!"

I want it all, just like so many other women out there, alittle bit of the fairytale dream wouldn't hurt!! No one is perfect and I'm far from it. It takes a lot of patience and love to stay commited to each other. True love will always prevail, and you must work at it!! I always like a good fight, making up is the ultimate pleasure!!

Still the love of my life even after twenty years. There is no other man I'd rather be with.

Before we left, I wanted to venture back to our special day at the church, where the wedding photos above were taken by the fountain. As you can see the water is not running! The Mother Mary statue is still as beautiful as it was then. I hope to rescan my wedding photos at a later time, as my scanner is getting old and my bigger photos came out distorted. The reason I had to use smaller images than usual. The photos have a special finish to preserve them, and my scanner picked up on the coating!

We celebrated with a long awaited romantic weekend last weekend. We took a long drive into Pittsburgh and stayed at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel where the Gateway Clipper tours up and down the three rivers.

It rained so hard the whole time we were there, and we were under tornado watches. We worried about home, as we're putting on a new roof!! The shot above taken from our hotel room dark clouds looming! The beds were very comfortable, and the room was very nice. We had dinner at McCormick & Schmick's, of course I had seafood, and the food was fabulous! My honey surprised me with a beautiful tiger ring, that I had wanted!

The Pittsburgh Pirate game was sold out, so we went to check out the new Rivers Casino.

The casino was beautiful inside, and part was still under construction. We needed a players club card to play the slots, and the line was at least an hour wait. So we just looked around and left!

We took a wrong turn on the highway and I saw my life flash before my eyes as we crossed three lanes of traffic. So glad to be back at our hotel, we decided to drive no further. We walked around Station Square, and the fireworks at the Pirate Game were lighting the sky. The Hard Rock Cafe was just down the block from our hotel, so we walked there! A band played Fleetwood Mac, and they were good, but the Doors tribute band wasn't so hot. We left and called it a night, after a couple drinks.

The weekend seemed to go so fast, just like the flash of the last twenty years. Glad to be back where the parking is free, and not $3.00 an hour. The city is beautiful to visit, but we don't belong there!! I belong here on the beautiful countrysides walking Sierra dog, along this beautiful dairy farm above. I'm older now, enjoying the peaceful life, here where natures view is always beyond breathtaking!!

Giddy Gastronome Finest Homemade Food And Fragrant Handmade Soaps!

2010-05-27T22:04:00.013-04:00

Are you searching for different recipes to prepare for your family meals today! Look no further than Giddy Gastronome. I’m elated, I found a good friend, in meeting Nazarina, owner and founder of Giddy Gastronome.com . We met through our love of homemade ethnic food, and our deep love for animals. Both of us have a profound respect for the women in our families, who have passed down generations of great recipes. We take family recipes and add our own twists to make them even greater!! Nazarina takes her recipes to a whole other level, with her stunning presentations of her masterpiece food creations.

Not only can Nazarina whip up an ultimate meal, she creates handmade soaps, sews, and speaks African fluently. Using only the finest and natural ingredients in both her recipes and wonderful soaps, Nazarina will enlighten your day with her humorous, skilled dialogue posts!!

Curious to know more about this sensational multi talented young woman, here is my interview with my special friend Giddy Gastronome herself.

Where were you born and what is your ethnic background? How does your background tie in with your unique tasting recipes?

I am of Malaysian descent and born in South Africa. My parents emigrated to Miami and this is where I attended college and made the best friendships! My Grandmother owned a pastry shop in South Africa, so we were practically raised in the bakery, surrounded by all kinds of good confections and the best culinary dishes to boot! However, my mother broke away and decided to study fashion designing, but still had to put in her time at the bakery. She would always say that she felt extremely blessed to have been enriched by both the fashion and the culinary worlds. I shall always be grateful to both her and my Grandmother for engaging us in all of their endeavors. It is this “creative metamorphosis” if you will, that has given me the insight in all that I do! Their mantra was that almost anything can be accomplished by commitment, diligence and with a “big fat smile on your face.”

Where did you come up with the name Giddy Gastronome!

I have a truly jovial & vivid personality and can sometimes be very naïve …..thus “giddy”, ( people always say that I am the life of the party), but on the other hand very anal about my food source. I care very much where I buy my ingredients and particularly love all of it organic and locally grown. I would rather resist the temptation of buying a sixty dollar pair of shoes, only to splurge on the very best organic ingredients! I love for flavors to explode in a dish and I care very much about the presentation. What can I say, I love to cook and entertain! Beside my passionate love affair with the culinary realm and people, I have a soft spot for destitute animals, that is why I fell in love with your blog!” I think the world of you!!!”

Do you have a favorite recipe?

I do not have a favorite recipe except maybe for my handmade roasted garlic & fennel spicy kosher beef sausage which I make twice a year from scratch. It is very time-consuming! Someone in Miami wanted this recipe for their butcher shop but my sister advised me against the idea at that time and prompted me to include the recipe in my cook book.

Last but not least, I can’t wait for Nazarina’s book to come out!! Don’t forget to check out the wonderful and taste tempting recipes already featured on Giddy Gastronome too!! As one of Nazarina’s biggest fans, and I’ll be sure to feature her new cookbook here on Literally in the Moment the minute it’s off the press!! As always stay tuned to Literally In The Moment.

I heard there's a cook book in progress, what will you be featuring in your new book?

My cook book is still a work in progress and quite a labor of love. This is almost the hardest endeavor I have attempted! This book will include pictures , step by step instructions of food and desserts, my secret tips and tricks, personal stories, ( most of them…funny), and poetry. I want the reader to experience hospitality like they would if they were in my home! My Grandmother and Mother really never did something like this,( though people will never forget their creativity), so therefore I feel the need to do so. I have so many recipes from them written down in their handwriting , so the prudent thing to do is to document them in a cook book and in a way share their legacy with everyone!

How did you get into the art of making handmade soaps?

I started the soap-making endeavor about three years ago. I would make them and give them away as gifts until a friend in Miami ordered 70 bars for a bridal shower. Now people, I hardly even know, orders them from my blog and by referrals. I love making them for people! The pictures that I attached below are two of the more detailed ones I make!

Chocolate and raspberry cupcake soap.

Speed boat, polo fragrance.

Notice all the delicate details and time Nazarina puts into her art of her handmade soaps. I was the lucky winner of Nazarina’s Spa Basket giveaway for April. From experience I love her goats milk and honey soap. I use it on my face everyday, it never dries my skin and leaves it feeling soft and toned!!! I highly recommend her soap especially if you have drier skin! You’ll be amazed at the aroma of Nazarina’s lily of the valley soap, you simply must try them all!! You’ll find many different soap designs, and great soap fragrances featured on Giddy Gastronome! Don’t forget you can order these gorgeous soaps, to add a classic touch to any holiday or any special party occasion.

Lastly but not least, I can’t wait for Nazarina’s cookbook to come out!! Don’t forget to check out the wonderful and taste tempting recipes already featured on Giddy Gastronome too!! As one of Nazarina’s biggest fans, I’ll be sure to feature her new cookbook here on Literally in the Moment the minute it’s off the press!! As always stay tuned to Literally In The Moment.

PA Twilight ~ Sunset Photo And Haiku ~ Mother's Day 2010!

2010-05-08T23:15:00.009-04:00

Unveiled

Life's beauty unveils

memories become moments

withering in twilight

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2010

Mother nature like many women cannot make up her mind! In the 80's yesterday and in the 50's today! Typical crazy Pennsylvania weather. I took this twilight shot right out my front door, the first part of February. We had rain, and temps dipped way down to zero, and the rain froze during the day covered by a light snow! One of my favorite shots with the sun in the backround! We're close to freezing tonight!!

Talking about Mothers, Mother's Day is bittersweet for me, because my mother passed four years ago. I've many great memories of her, filling our home with great cooking smells. It was my mom who made our house a home. Her mere presence always brang a smile into our lives and always will. Her talents and love were unprecedented and irreplaceable. To say I miss her would be an understatement. The years haven't been the same without her, and I can say my life hasn't been the same either.

Yet life truly goes on and all mom desired most was for her family to be happy. Holidays seem to be the hardest to celebrate, even years later. It's almost if I miss her more the longer she's been gone! If you're lucky enough to have your mother, treasure her for every moment that you have. People say it, yet few realize how short our time here on this lovely earth is. Embrace life with every breath, and never regret a moment you have together loving each other. Memories are everything, never cease making them.. Lastly never stop taking photos. You don't know when our loved ones will make their final exit far into the twilight.

I'll be planting my Mother's day flowers soon, picked out 42 little flower gems to brighten my Spring flower garden. Happy Mother's Day and stay Literally In The Moment!

Read my other Mother's Day posts here:

My Mother's Day Flower Planting Ritual

Siberian Crabapple Blossoms ~ Tree Sappling For Unique Mother's Day Gift

U.S. Death Row Pup Sponsored From Afghanistan! Sponsor A Shelter Or Rescue Pet Today!

2010-04-26T09:13:00.018-04:00

Andy a beautiful hound mix was sponsored by Tina C. from Afghanistan pictured below, and saved from being euthanized on April 14, 2010. Tina and I are elated to know that Andy has found his forever home, with a great family. According to Michele Shanley at the Tulare County Animal Shelter, Visalia, CA. "Andy has a forever home! The family is very nice, and they just fell in love with him...I'm so happy!" This special pup will have the life he so deserves. Yet there are
many more dogs in need of being rescued just like Andy. Can you find it in your heart to sponsor a dog on death row today? Many more dogs are deserving of a chance at a happy ending.

Tina C. and her Dogs Gabi and Maggie at Mt Cowless CA.

Never underestimate the immense power of the worldwide internet. A dog I featured on Facebook was sponsored by a wonderful Danish Soldier deployed in Afghanistan! Facebook has played an intrinsic role spreading the word of animals in desperate need of rescue. Shelters, rescues, fosters, sponsors, and passionate animal lovers alike, have all come together to help save the lives of dogs, cats, horses ect.. in kill shelters all across the world! I’ve witnessed this wonderful phenomenon with my own eyes, seeing it all unfold in rescue efforts by so many extremely persistent and knowledgeable group of Facebook friends. There are many who work behind the scenes, pulling, and strategizing transport efforts all to save these precious dogs from being euthanized. Most do this work without personal recognition, but only for the deep satisfaction of saving animals.

Dogs have always been a deep passion of mine, featuring dogs on death row on my blog and now on facebook! Spreading the word can mean the difference between life and death for a dog who is to be euthanized within days or even hours. I’ve also come in email contact with many wonderful shelter workers, who have done everything in their power to save their shelter animals!

This is how Andy a 1year old hound pup I featured on my blog and on facebook was saved from being put down on April 14, 2010. I could tell from Andy’s photo he was special, so I composed a post and placed a photo of Andy to my facebook. One of my facebook friends Tina C. a Danish Army soldier stationed in Afghanistan came to Andy’s rescue on his last day! Tina and I met through facebook and a our deep love for animals. I was truly amazed and inspired by Tina's compassion to sponsor a dog here in the U.S. Tina is also married to a soldier from the U.S. I was very touched by Tina’s love and generosity, so I wanted to know more about her. Here is my interesting interview with Tina C.:

Where are you originally from?

I was born on the Faroe Islands back in 1973, but my mom moved to Denmark with my dad, so I am raised in Denmark!...

Are there kill shelters where you are stationed there in Afghanistan?

Well... if there only were shelters here - there´s not :( Afghanistan is truely a horribly place for dogs to live! NOWZAD Dogs is a UK charity organisation that helps soldiers (who has found a dog) get their dogs outta here... http://www.nowzaddogs.co.uk/ and http://www.baghdadcatrescue.com/
Absolutely wonderful people - take a look at their websites! I obviously support them as much as I can in any way I can!

What made you decide to sponsor Andy, and how does sponsoring Andy benefit you!

When I saw Andy´s beautiful face and eyes, I just couldn´t let him get put to sleep! I wanted to buy him more time to find a FURever home! Unfortunately I cannot save them all, but there are always dogs that really touches your heart! So I decided to give Andy a full sponsorship, that gives him another month to find a home!... At least I know, that I might have saved one dog, and saving a dogs life, is a pretty damn good feeling!... I love dogs... always have... and I love saving the few I can!

My one dog Maggie is from Iraq! She was found back in 2004 by the Danish Embassador! He took her in, and she stayed at the Embassy in Baghdad. There were some Special Operations Force guys there at the Embassy, and when a buddy of mine came there, he took Maggie in and she really got to him - he is also a huge dog lover! He knew, that he needed to get her out of the country! So he called me and asked if I could take her! And 3 months later, she arrived in Denmark!

When I was in Kabul in 2006, a U.S. pilot found a little puppy - we called her Kaia since she was found at Kabul Internatinal Airport, also known as KAIA! My buddy was there at the same time and again - we wanted to save this girl... After really putting our heads together, we managed to get her out of the country and to Denmark!

So saving dogs has always been a passion of mine! I lived in Poland for 3 years from 2000-2003, and I supported a local shelter there, raising money and food for them, and even bought puppies from the shelter, and brought them to Denmark to a FURever home - the shelters there were overcrowded, but they did the best they could with what they had for the dogs - it was heartbreaking!!!!!

Where do you and your husband want to live permanently!

Well he lives in the U.S. and I live in Denmark! For now! He is in the U.S. Military, but will retire in a couple of years, and we haven't decided where we want to settle yet. In the Army - I work 24 hr shifts in Denmark, so that gives me a lot of time off in between shifts. That time I spend with my dogs, Gabi (weimaraner) and Maggie (my iraqi mutt), and when we settle, we'll have plenty of time to go explore Europe, and hike all over the place :)

Do you have animals and what are their names?

We have 2 dogs, Gabi and Maggie! Gabi is our beautiful weimaraner and Maggie is our amazing Iraqi mutt... They are both 6½ years old and currently living it up with their dad in the U.S., while I am deployed! Cannot wait to see them again - I miss them all so much!

Tina and rescued pup Kaia in KAIA Kabul 2006.

Tina's Maggie pup rescued from Iraq! Isn't she adorable!!

The love of animals outstretches continents and spreads throughout all the world! Thanks Tina for sponsoring Andy, and sharing your wonderful information and cool photos about your life and deployment with us! The world is a better place because of you, and your deep love for dogs! You inspire us all to go another level, to make a difference in the lives of dogs on death row. Tina and I hope to bring awareness to the kill shelter plight, and many ways you can help a kill shelter pet!

According to the Humane Society of The United States, it’s estimated that 6-8 million dogs and cats are cared for in U.S. shelters every year! Out of that sadly an astonishing HALF 3-4 million are euthanized. If you can please sponsor, foster, or adopt a dog or cat in a kill shelter today. Your sponsorship will help with immunizations, neutering, and newspaper ads, and much more to help find these dogs find a permanent and loving home. Just one more way we can work together to save more dogs and cats and keep them from being euthanized!

Meanwhile I'll strive in my mission to continue my writing featuring dogs and cats in life threatening need, and give them the broad exposure they most truly deserve.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always stay right here Literally In The Moment!

Photos: Copyright and Courtesy of Tina C. and Petfinder!

Early Spring Flowers II & Gardner Snake Photos

2010-04-16T12:14:00.011-04:00

I had transplanted these lovely deep orange poppies last Fall. I was excited to see them bloom the earilier part of the week. Poppies add a touch of beauty to your Spring flower beds! These are my first poppies to grace my flower beds!

My hot pink tulips bloomed for the 3rd year in a row. The tulips have spread and are a gorgeous compliment to my purple phylox to the right!

The centers of the tulips are a bright yellow, giving a stunning contrast to the hot pink petals and long green leaves.

I stepped out to check laundry on the line yesterday, and guess who was back. My friendly gardner snake, was almost underfoot. Surpisingly he let me get this close with my camera! I was almost afraid at how close I was! These snakes have red tongues, which slide in and out of their mouths so fast. So now I must watch where I step, because one of these snakes could be lurking about! Gardner snakes love to bask in the sun too!

Were expecting storms today, the weather has been grand in the upper 70's. A cold front is coming through and we'll be 20-30 degrees colder! So is the crazy seesaw weather of Pennsylvania! How is your Spring going! I've been very busy featuring dogs on death row, here and on facebook. Some have gotten homes, and others have been rescued or sponsored. I'm elated to help these sweet dogs.

More photos and great stories to come, as always stay Literally In The Moment!

Gorgeous Purple Stripped Crocuses Photos

2010-04-02T23:24:00.005-04:00

I couldn't resist taking a couple more shots of these beautiful crocuses, on my nightly walks this week with Sierra dog. These lovlies were growing in a small cluster beneath a maple tree. The colors so stunning they grabbed your attention immediately laying your eyes upon them!

The yellow centers resembling the cheery sun and the long awaited arrival of Springtime! They seemed to close up as the light of day faded, and the petals closed together as if they were going to sleep. I've seen many dark purple crocuses, but not many like these with the fine stripes!

We've had some awesome weather here in Pennsylvania as temps ran up to 85 degrees today! Of course I hung clothes on the line! Getting ready for a busy Easter weekend, nursing a horrible cold I caught!

Wishing you all a great Easter Holiday, and stay Literally In The Moment!

Early Spring Flower Photos

2010-03-24T16:35:00.008-04:00

The delicate Crocus is one of my favorite Spring flowers. Crocus flowers have been blooming everywhere here. I picked this purple and white beauty one evening walking Sierra. This crocus was blooming along a creek near a huge maple tree. I put the crocus in the leaves of my poppy plant, which is also coming along soon! I love the fine lines on the petals!

First daffodil has graced my flower bed with white petals and yellow center! Great to have flowers which come back on their own every year!

More yellow growing by our pool. Nice too see yellow and green after our long cold, snowy Winter! I've many tulips, lilies, dianthus, and poppies coming! I can't wait for them to bloom. What Spring flowers are blooming in your area! The baby bunny in my header I took late Spring last year! I was surprised how close the bunny let me come, to get this great shot!

Our Newest Critter ~ Possum or Opossum Photos!

2010-03-17T15:08:00.010-04:00

Living out here in the country has many advantages, but also some disadvantages. My husband has a business, and over our long cold Winter he's had some critter guests move in underneath the trailer building. My husband was especially concerned about a skunk who has been spreading his lovely perfume everytime someone walks near the trailer. The skunk smell is literally coming up through the floor inside the building!

So needless to say my honey went out and purchased a humane cage to trap the skunk! He didn't realize that there were also Possums living under there too. So far he's caught a feral cat twice and two possums. The photo above is the second possum he caught, the first one was smaller possibly the spouse or baby to this one! The other critters were caught with food bait, but this guy just wondered in on it's own, maybe smelling it's buddy from the day before!

I approached the cage with caution, and this cute thing was sleeping like a baby. He wasn't even a bit concerned at my presence! He was just so cute sleeping there, I almost wanted to pet him, but didn't dare!

The possum was not at all pleased to be awakened from his deep nap! My husband had tied a rope to the cage to pull the cage out. The possum was growling and hissing not happy to see us at all! I told my husband to release him in the same spot as the other one, just in case they were related!

I'm always putting everything together as lovers, family, kids, even when it comes to animals! The possum was banging his head and nose against the cage, especially when the truck started moving. He bloodied his nose a bit trying to escape!

We relocated our big possum buddy in a nice wooded area, where the other one was released the day before. I was very apprehensive to get too close, as these are wild animals and you never know what they'll do. At least he was free and not a nuisance to our close home area! Still no sign of that dang skunk, but you can sure smell him! I've since quit feeding the feral cats near my home, because I don't want to attract other wild animals!

On another note the weather has finally broken here in Pennslyvania. The big snowmelt, and rain of last week is but a memory. A chance to dry out we're having the most beautiful early Spring weather after the hardest of Winters in many years. As I said we ran out of wood, and had an electric bill of $240.00 last month. I know my sister paid over $600.00 for her electric bill this cold Winter! We cut a lot of wood last Fall, but ran out due to the coldest of Winters. I was pissed that we had other logs, but they were buried under over 20 feet of snow!

So now we've a break in the Weather I've been bugging my husband to cut some wood. Above is the first pile I stacked today. The sun feels wonderful and it's a great way to work off some Winter weight! At least we'll have some ready to burn, in case the weather turns cold once again. I wouldn't put it past this global warming!

One last note, I've been following the Tiger Ranch story for almost two years now. Yesterday Linda Bruno was back in court again. with allegations that she violated terms of her probation. Just when you think it's over, the saga continues on! They were saying that the Defend Tiger Ranch site was soliciting for cat litter, and T-shirts. The website was taken down as of last night!

Linda Bruno is to have no contact with animals, and is said to still have two horses and not paid any of her restitution. Her lawyers say Linda wasn't aware of any wrong doing. There's still much controversy for and against this case. I'm still receiving comments on my Tiger Ranch posts from the past, read all the controversial comments and my Tiger Ranch posts!

To be continued another court date is scheduled for May!

Edie Poodle Dog Rescued In Her Last Hour! Edie's Video Will Inspire Your Heart!

2010-03-14T20:37:00.013-04:00

Edie's video is a must see, and be sure you grab a kleenex!! If you're an animal lover you'll be inspired by Edie and her rescuers. Millions of shelter dogs are euthanized every day, most are evaluated and judged to be put down by their indifferent behavior. Edie a poodle dog, was to be put down because of her defensive behavior. Eddie was rescued an hour before she was to be euthanized.

Edie appeared scared, cautious, and her fur was terribly matted! You'll be amazed at what a little love, perseverance, and patience brings out in poor Edie. Her rescue is captured in video by rescuers Eldad Hagar and Bronwyne Mirkovich! Eldad Hagar is the founder of Hope For Paws Animal Rescue Organization. Eldad and Bronwyne shot this video to create awareness of sheltered animals all across the world.

Most of these dogs are frightened and defenseless creatures, often thrust in a new and totally different environment. On many occasions the dogs are dropped off at shelters by owners, who just simply don't want them anymore. The dogs are taken from a familiar enviroment and thrown into a strange new place coming in contact with strangers.

How would we feel to be taken from our home, and put into a jail like setting? How would we be expected to act? Others come from abusive homes, and don't know whether to trust another human again! Majority of shelters are overcrowded and understaffed. Many shelters do the best they can. Yet if they could just take that extra time to evaluate new animal arrivals, it could save a sweet life like Edie's. How many Edies are passed over, simply because the dogs are plain scared, and need a hug to know it's ok!

I've had the pleasure of meeting animal lovers, rescuers, shelters, and animal groups on facebook, along with featuring Dogs on Death Row here on my blog! Hope For Paws Animal Rescue is trying to make a difference, one animal at a time. The animal crusade goes on everyday, and there are thousands just like Edie who are desperately waiting for just one more chance, and a little human compassion!

View all Eldad Hagar's videos, they speak a thousand words in the faces and demeanor of the dogs. The videos will leave you speechless, victorious, and full of animal inspiration!

Become an Avian Advocate!

2010-03-08T14:19:00.006-05:00

Have you ever heard the smack of a bird flying into your window? Spring migration season is upon us, and birds will soon be making their way Northward! A billion birds have a collision with windowpanes every year. The Wisconsin Humane Society with help from the Jeff Rusinow Family Foundation, are giving away Window clings.

To help with the prevention of birds flying into your home or office, these Window Alert clings will be available free from March 1, 2010 - April 30, 2010 while supples last! Order your free window alert clings on the Wisconsin Humane Society website, and read more about how you can help birds flying toward lighted buidings at night.

Read the story about Peabody, a white throated sparrow who collided with a lighted building. Learn how you can help in the prevention of bird collisions in your home, workplace, and protect birds at night all on the Wisconsin Humane Society Website.

I love to hear the songbirds in my front and backyards, bringing back life to the world around us. Now the snow is finally slowly melting, and I know the birds will be back in no time to build their nests. The hawks like the one in my photo above will be returning to our woods to roost!

Now if I could only keep those pesky blue and red birds from fighting their own reflections on our car and truck mirrors parked outside our home! We use small rags to cover our mirrors, otherwise they scratch the mirrors up!

Dried Tulips Resemble Asian Flair

2010-03-03T14:42:00.006-05:00

Within

Time strips life from us
Our true beauty still remains
If we search within

©Jo A. T. B.

We still have a lot of snow here on the countrysides of PA. We ran out of wood last weekend! It's melting slowly, and has finally stopped snowing! My Valentine tulips however are fading beautifully. They resemble Asian flowers now, taking on a whole different perspective.

I played around and added some backround color. Haven't had much time to dable in my manipulative photo art. Too many things going on at one time! Hope you like my haiku! We're headed for a meltdown the end of the week! Stay warm and Literally In The Moment!

Desperately Seeking Spring ~ Valentine Red Tulip Photos 2010!

2010-02-15T16:25:00.015-05:00

Hoping everyone had a good Valentine's Day. My Sweet Valentine of many moons presented me with a beautiful red tulip plant pictured above. He included a nice cat card, and my favorite chocolates ~ dark chocolate M&M's, and Hershey's special dark chocolate kisses. I've been basking in dark chocolate Heaven since, and gazing into my deep red tulips pining for Spring! Dang he still loves me!

Along with many Pennsylvanians I'm more than ready for an early Spring, wishing for mild Winters we're accustomed to here! We're expecting 4-6 inches today and tomorrow on top of the almost 3ft of snow we already have since the blizzard of Feb 6, 2010, and it's snowed everyday since! Snow keeps freezing into ice as temperatures remain in the teens, and roads and sidewalks remain very slick! I'm glad to have my silky Cuddl Duds, and Land's End winter boots. We've put our winter clothing to very good use in this record breaking snow and cold, in fact this is the 2nd snowiest snowfall per month in history!

The snowy weather is taking it's toll on everything and everyone! Our snowplow is broken, moving icey snow in piles of up to 4ft -5ft. Our huge wood pile stock is almost depleted, and we'll be lucky to burn what we have the rest of this week! The artic blast has continued for almost two months, leaving many folks with high heating and electric bills. Snow piled on homes and buildings are on the verge of collapsing, and our schools were closed all last week! Mail and garbage pick up has been delayed, boo hoo!

I think red tulips are as pretty as red roses! I looked high and low in search of the perfect backround for these lovelies, and it finally dawned on me the snow on my front patio! The light contrast of white snow against bright red tulips was so captivating!

On the bright side, Spring is almost on the horizon hopefully only a month away! I'm longing to see my gorgeous tulips growing around my home! When my tulip plant fades, I'll save the bulbs to plant in my flower garden in the Fall. Aren't these red beauties just stunning? I'll be admiring them for awhile!

My camera is up and running for the moment thank goodness! Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and stay ~ Literally In The Moment! xo xo xo ~

Fourth Largest Blizzard Blasts Pennsylvania Region ~ Cool Record Snowfall Photos Feb 6, 2010!

2010-02-07T14:51:00.038-05:00

We're still digging out from the 4th largest snow storm in history, which hit Pennsylvania and many other boardering states Febuary 5, & 6th 2010! I measured 20 inches of snow here in the country and notice the amount on my snow gage patio table pictured above! The storm has literally paralyzed cities, here in our region!

I like many other Pennsylvanians had already hit the grocery stores, as soon as we heard of a storm coming. I did my grocery last Thursday, and my store was absolutely packed, and of course the two day meat sale was going on! When a storm is remotely imminent Pennsylvanians hit grocery stores first, and many store shelves are almost cleared bear. We're always well prepared to be hunkered down, and for good reason as many roads are still impassable!

Plowing our driveway of almost 2 feet of snow was a feat in itself. Our friend had his utility truck stuck in the icey slush which was underneath the piled up snow! Took two trucks to pull his truck out, which was a very common occurance all across residential, and state roads. In fact they called for a state of disaster and in many counties including ours, where only emergency personnel and workers were allowed to drive on public roads! Anyone caught driving would pay a hefty fine! We remain in state of emergency as I type this post!

I call these my weeping pines. Alot of the snow had already fallen from these babies! Hundreds of trees in surrounding cities were pushed beyond their brink with snow, and downed thousands of powerlines. Some folks were under water conservation, because waterplants had no power! There're thousands of people without power in our county and counties statewide! We were fortunate to have all our power and utilites in working order!

The snow piled up and was blown to almost the height of our 5 ft fence. The snow was so deep I had to take the photo from the side of our house! Snow is above knee deep in most areas!

The tree above bending all the way down to the ground on the road behind our home! The snow this time around was a heavy wet snow! We only shoveled the back entrance to our home, which was backbreaking enough. I'm still sore from lifting heavy shovelfuls of snow! I tried to build a snowman, but the snow would not pack together!

I took a brisk walk after we finished our driveway and sidewalk! All my neighbors were digging out! I came to the tunnel at the end of our road and shot my photo ~" snow tunnel vision!" Isn't it gorgeous! I love walking here, becoming one with all the tranquility. The sun graced us with her beautiful presence on this gloomy day!

Snow piled along the road up to 3 and 4ft with a glaze of icy slush beneath! Reminded me of driving up to the Laurel Mountains a couple weeks ago! Trees majestically filled in with layers of snowfall, giving the landscape a whole new vision of beauty. The white snow adds more definition and dimension to bare tree limbs!

Our tree with the child swing was picture perfect when I made my way back home. Sun hitting the treetops and the sky turning a stunning blue! The fallen snow also had a pretty blue tint to it!

A fun one for all you basketball players this is my "Snow Dunk," photo! Gave me a smile as I walked beneath it!

My honey on the roof was worried about the amount of weight stressing our roof! He decided to do this after we shoveled off the sidewalk! So gave me more shoveling to do! Check out the guy and the blue sky! The last time we had a snowstorm like this one was in March of 1993.

The last photo here is my favorite I call "Snowlimbs," I took on the way back from my walk as the sunbeams lit the light blue sky. Chunks of snow were falling off everywhere from everything! I find beauty in everyday, it's all right before my eyes!

Everyone was in a rush to get their plowing done, our temps went down in single digits last night with windchills of zero. Another storm is only a couple days away, and we're going to be in the arctic blast for some time! All this wonderful mess is hard frozen now!

My camera is on the verge not sure what the problem is, may have to beg hubby for a new one for my birthday at the end of the month! I've taken hundreds of pictures, so my camera has done very well. I genuinely wore it out!

Hope you enjoyed the visual world through my eyes! Thanks for stopping by! Until next time stay warm, safe, and Literally In The Moment! xxoo ~ Jo

Gratify Your Chocolate CRAVE ~ M&M’S Dark Chocolate!

2010-02-02T14:35:00.007-05:00

Looking to “Gratify Your Chocolate Crave?” Heads up dark chocoholic lovers savor a few dark chocolate M&M’S, and these delectable coated morsels will absolutely leave you craving for more! The new Valentines day Cupid Mix contains colors of red, pink, hot pink, and white coated irresistible dark chocolate M&M’S.

Dark chocolate M&M’S are blowing off the shelf, and many stores are finding it hard to keep them in stock! I know because I’ve had to search high and low to satisfy my own chocolate fix!
Chocolate has long been linked to be an aphrodisiac, and I can only speak for myself that chocolate can sure spice up your sex life. You can imagine the possibilities!

Recent research studies have indicated that dark chocolate can actually be healthy for you! Flavonoids found in dark chocolate are higher than milk chocolate. Flavonoids help to produce nitric oxide in our bodies, which in turn can lower blood pressure, aid in blood flow, and even may help to prevent blood clots!

Ongoing studies of the wonderful benefits of cocoa and dark chocolate are still being analyzed today. Finally something that tastes so good which may be good for us at the same time! We all must remember however, moderation is the magic key to good health.

Hooked ever since I tried these babies in the Fall, I’ve always possessed a refined taste for good dark chocolate. If you desire expensive dark chocolate taste for a reasonable price, grab yourself a bag of Dark Chocolate M&M’S today!

In search of an extra sweet gift idea for your Valentines lover? Be sure to include a bag of Dark Chocolate M&M’S, along with your special Valentines gift. Your Honey will absolutely love you for it!

©Jo A. T.B. 2010

PA Winter Flooding ~ Kingston Dam 2010

2010-01-29T21:36:00.010-05:00

We've had a mixed bag of weather here in Pennsylvania, for the last week in January 2010. All the snow we accumulated last 2 weeks melted, with warm temps and rain past weekend caused snow melt and flooding to occur. Many rivers in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas were overflowing their banks, and some roads were actually closed due to flooding!

The mild air quickly turned cold with yet another artic blast of extremely cold air engulfing our region again. I made my way across the busy highway and stood on the icey bridge to catch the above shot of Kingston Dam Spillway which was brimming over.

This shot taken from the center of the bridge. Here my old stomping grounds, where I used to party in the summer catching a suntan on the cement slab. The view is still quite breathtaking with the rushing Loyhanna lake, and hilly trees along the skyline! These shots were taken yesterday on our way up the mountain again!

This morning we woke to 4 degrees, and we're expected to remain very frigid for the next week. Presently all the water from our thaw has frozen, and turned into a thin sheet of ice on everything! I can't wait for Spring, let's get Winter over with already!

Have a great weekend! Thanks for visiting, and stay tuned to Literally In The Moment!

Ligonier PA Icefest 2010 ~ Photo Featured Ice Sculptures!

2010-01-23T22:41:00.029-05:00

Once again the professional ice carvers from DiMartino Ice displayed their awesome ice sculptures, in the 19th Annual Ligonier Icefest 2010. Today was an unusually warm 40 plus degree and sunny day, which was causing the beautiful art pieces to slowly melt!

I call these two birds above "lovebirds," as my hubby and I posed behind them! The lovebirds were displayed outside a restaurant Casa Chapala. Click on any photo to see them even larger!

We started our tour on the town diamond, and the skier caught my eye immediately. There were so many people visiting the ice sculptures, I couldn't get a shot without the public walking into them!

The alligator was so gorgeous, with his raised head and immaculate jaw reaching upward. The scales on his body were so defined. One of my favorites!

The dolphin riding the wave was a big hit with the children. A towel was placed on his back so the kids could sit and pose for photos! The reason for the black snow surrounding the scuplture! Another one of my favorites!

Woody the woodpecker made quite an entrance here at the ice show, even though he was on meltdown! A few other sculptures were hit by the sun, but managed to stay in tact!

I captured one of the professional ice carvers here, adding his final touches to the Stanley Cup. It's amazing the amount of ice which is carved away, you can see discarded on the left side!

The finished carved Stanley Cup is displayed with pride for our Pittsburgh Penguins! In the backround you can see the back of the huge unique piece displayed inside the gazabo!

I call this one "The Guardian Angel." The sunset in the backround just adds a touch of beauty and glow to the whole sculpture. The definition of fine lines and detail outstanding!

We took a walk and there were a couple sculptures displayed along the storefronts. The one above represents our Pittsburgh Penguin hockey team. Go Penguins!

Last was a "Sunman," who was just adorable. His cute face and sunrays just automatically bring you a smile. You can see he was melting a bit from the days sun, yet still managed to keep his main composure.

Well this ends our ice sculpture tour for the year! I hope you enjoyed my photos as much as we enjoyed the icefest. If you're in the Pennsylvania area, the icefest is worth the trip to Ligonier, and will continue through January 24, 2009!

The talented professional ice carvers never fail to impress with their wonderful ice sculptures. Can't wait to see what they'll create next year!

You can view my last years photos of the 2009 Icefest Here: Ice Sculptures Ligonier PA Icefest Phots 2009.

Pennsylvania Snowfall 2010 Phenomenal Photos ~ Laurel Mountain & Derry Ridge!

2010-01-13T20:00:00.027-05:00

Finally a break from all the snow we've had here in Pennsylvania for the past two weeks. I swear we had at least 15-16 inches of snow piling two to three inches at a time every single day! I shoveled snow almost twice daily.

Found this cool site which calculates how many calories you burn, when you shovel snow by hand here: Fitday.com I burned 286 calories per hour! At least I was burning off some holiday calories. You can see my front patio table snow gage above, where over a foot of snow piled like a snow cake!

We've a long driveway at least an 1/8 a mile coming from our top road. The snow kept piling up and we had trouble keeping up. My car sat for a couple days when we had a layer of sleet on top snow becoming too hazardous to drive! You can see how high we had to plow the snow in my header above!

Eventually the snow slowed a bit, then we were hit with an artic blast. Got so cold ~how cold did it get? Well cold enough to freeze our burning logs together! Dang I had a heck of time trying to bust those logs apart! In fact we've put such a dent in those logs, we may have to cut more very soon! You remember how huge our log pile was! The snow kept coming and my hands froze within minutes of shoveling, so I had to double glove!

Spectacular icicles formed like the ones in my photo above. Icicles are much like stalicites formed in caves or caverns, except for the fact that stalicites take thousands of years to come into formation!

Last week we headed up over the ridge, and I was so awestruck over the snow scenery on the ridge. I was terribly upset that I didn't have my camera, so my hubby took me back yesterday to catch some awesome shots on Derry Ridge as seen here in the photo!

It's as if we walked right into winter wonderland postcards. Snow covered the trees for miles, begging me to capture the beauty!

The further we went the deeper the snow and heavier the snow appeared on the scenery! Like we were driving into a totally different world!

As we approached Laurel Mountain, you could imediately notice the difference in snow coverage! It was as if someone had taken a frost gun and frosted the whole area. Totally breathtaking as the towering trees stretch on for miles, looming high in the sky with every frosty branch!

These pines reminded me of my friend Nazarina who posted a photo of the snow in Colorado on her blog last year! Pine branches were so heavy they touched the ground, and even worse were broken from the weight! Many tree branches were bent to the brink of breaking!

We could hardly see the road as we drove further up the mountain, even the powerlines were covered in snow! Still the trees were white glazed in such granduer, drawing us further into it's frozen world!

Each mile more magnificent than the next! Laurel Mountain is an incredible landmark to experience all Four seasons here in Pennsylvania. Each season simply exordinarily capitivating to envision.

Afraid of venturing any further, we decided to turn around when we saw only snowmobile tracks! Hardly anyone in sight but one skier, close to the entrance!

The astounding view was ever breathtaking as we made our second visual round down the mountain. This exemplary shot taken from our truck's front windshield!

Lastly but not leastly we caught one final glance as we exited the mountain. Looking out across frosted treetops lining the mountain as far as you can see. Here dusk was approaching fast, and the snow was still falling. Glad to head home to alittle warmer climate!

Hope you enjoyed looking at the snow world through my eyes here in Pennsylvania! The sun has made her entrance today, a gradual thaw to melt the ice tundra on my driveway!

Stay tuned until next time, remain focused and Literally In The Moment!

Tiger Ranch Linda Bruno Will Not Face Jail Time ~ Update 1-8-10!!

2010-01-08T19:33:00.007-05:00

Linda Bruno previous owner of Tiger Ranch was sentenced today and will not face jail time. She's to serve 2 years house arrest, after which she'll be responsible for paying $200,000 restitution and $12,000 in fines. After serving house arrest, Linda Bruno is to serve an additional 27 years probation! Although she received no jail time, Linda Bruno could face jail if she violates any terms. She's still to receive physchiatric evaluation and treatment, and have no further contact with animals.

The prosecution provided evidence that 7819 cats were accepted at Tiger Ranch between 2006-2008. There were 486 cats taken in the Raid on Tiger Ranch in March of 2008. A total of 6484 cats were taken in the year 2007, I cannot even fathom that many cats being dropped off! There were 7333 cats that were missing or unexplained for. The total number of cats taken in and missing is a phenomenal number of cats!

The Tiger Ranch case has taken many turns since I've followed from the beginning, and I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Tiger Ranch! Anyone interested in adopting the remaining Tiger Ranch cats may find information here on my previous blog post: Adopt A Tiger Ranch Cat For The New Year 2010 , or click on the Tiger Ranch Sabrina cat photo on my right sidebar! Linda Bruno looked thinner as she faced her sentencing, surely the trial has taken a toll on her.

I agree with the one Vet who was interviewed that we should never let another Tiger Ranch happen. I still believe that if Linda Bruno had some help or had asked for help, especially the year she had taken in 6484 cats that she wouldn't be facing these charges today. Had she made an appeal to the recues and to the public, maybe the situation could've turned out differently. I truly hate to see an animal lover be beaten down.

Please read additional interesting comments and observations from actual witnesses of Tiger Ranch made to my blog post here scroll down comments: Tiger Ranch Linda Bruno Jailed Today ~ Sentencing Delayed ~ Update Oct 5, 2009. It's amazing how the support for and against Tiger Ranch has teetered back and forth!

Let us all be united in one thing Animal Welfare, and bringing the plight of these innocent critters to the forefront of our hearts! I may not have the money to help, but I do have the means to feature stories and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves! If you're in the market for a dog or cat, please check your local shelter or even better yet check a kill shelter in your surrounding area to adopt a pet on deathrow today! Don't forget animal shelters and rescues can sure use our donations in these tough economic times! Stay vigilant and keep to the cause!

Read all my Tiger Ranch blog posts here: Tiger Ranch ~ Literally In The Moment

Big Cat Rescue Inspiring Tiger Video!

2010-01-05T20:11:00.004-05:00

I've been a fan of Big Cat Rescue for years! I love the work they do to protect and rescue abused Tigers. Snorkels story will absolutely touch your heart. Recently I became a member of the Big Cat rescue community. This site is not only for Tiger lovers, but all animal lovers in general. You can join Big Cat Rescue, and look me up under hugecatlover! Big Cat Rescue is also on facebook! Nice to find so many animal lovers out there who are eager to support a great cause! It takes a lot of work to take care of these magnificent creatures.

Adopt A Tiger Ranch Cat For The New Year 2010!

2010-01-01T19:17:00.007-05:00

Photo: Sabrina A Rescued Tiger Ranch Cat Courtesy Of Tails Wags N' At Site!

Keeping up with the Tiger Ranch Case, I found that the original Clarion shelter which took in Tiger Ranch rescued cats has since closed. Tiger Ranch cats are available for adoption at: Tails Wags N' At Shelter located at 728 Allegheny River Blvd, Verona PA.

Sabrina pictured above is only one of many Tiger Ranch cats rescued from Tiger Ranch Cat Sanctuary in Frazier Township. Needless to say which ever side you may be on, these beautiful felines are in need of a loving forever home. If you're looking for a cat, you'll just fall in love browsing through the photos of these cute and cuddly creatures listed here on these links from the Tails Wags N' At Site check them out~ You can see all their wonderful and different personalities:

TR Rescues Petfinder Listings -1

TR Rescues Petfinder Listings -2

Tails Wags N' At has also posted photos of the rescued cats who are fortunate to have found a home! Refer to their website for hours of operation.

In my atempt to report on the Tiger Ranch case, I missed posting links for the adoption of these poor sweet cats. So for my first post of the year, in honor of my own shelter cat OP, I wish to feature the Tiger Ranch Cats here on Literally In The Moment. I'll also put a permanent link on my sidebar so they'll be featured for anyone who is interested in a Tiger Ranch Cat adoption in the future!

A super benefit in adopting a shelter cat is they're already Litter Trained. Cats will love you unconditionally, and are very low maintenance in care. They're great companions and fun to have around your home! Adopt a shelter cat today and you'll be showered with a lifetime of love!

Looking To Adopt A Dog In North Carolina?

2009-12-19T15:37:00.012-05:00

Virginia is the true face of a dog in need wishing for a forever loving home! If you're in the North Carolina area, Viginia a hound ~ yellow Lab mix is waiting for you. I've been featuring Virginia on my blog and facebook along with other dogs on deathrow.

The more exposure we can give to dogs in kill shelters, the greater the chance they may find a home before it's too late! Virgina grabbed my heart with her sad red eyes just reaching out to pull you into her grave predicament. Virginia is at the Blade County Animal Shelter in Elizabethtown, N.C. Here's Virginia's link on Petfinder: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14875487 and also her link on dogs in danger: http://www.dogsindanger.com/dog.jsp?did=1255607766000

Virginia has been granted extra time, but unfortunately she's in a kill shelter! If you're near to the area, and are thinking of adopting please consider Virginia!

I'd love to see Virginia in a new home for Christmas, and witness laughter beaming from those beautiful eyes. If you happen to adopt this sweet girl, please let me know!

I can say from experience that shelter animals are very loving. I adopted my OP cat from a shelter, and after the deaths of our first generation pets, OP has filled our hearts with daily joy!

You'll never find a deeper love than from a shelter pet or one who is is abandoned! You'll be blessed with loyal and unconditional love until their dying breath! Many shelters are in need of our help, especially during our tough economic times! Seriously consider adopting from your local shelter today, and truly make a difference in the life of a shelter pet!

Happy Holidays from Pennsylvania! We've had a total of five inches of snow falling yesterday and today! We just might have a white Christmas! More photos to come when things finally slow down! Stay tuned!!!

Tiger Ranch An Even Broader View ~ Update December 11, 2009!

2009-12-11T14:22:00.008-05:00

I've recieved many replies to my Tiger Ranch Blog posts here on Literally In The Moment! Dividing animal lovers from one end of the spectrum to the other! I welcome your comments defending or opposing this controversial and widely publicised case! Comments are from folks who actually witnessed the conditions at Tiger Ranch!

I believe there is not a right or wrong to this story, but a real need to help in the plight of the feral cat population! I also believe if we stop pointing fingers and try to come up with attainable solutions, only then we can truly make a difference! For me I'm sorry a Tiger Ranch had to exist in the first place. I see feral cats openly living everywhere here, they are sickly, beautiful, over breeding, and wild.

As we await the fate of Linn Marie Bruno and her sentencing, read the comments on my blog post: Tiger Ranch Linda Bruno Jailed Today ~ Sentencing Delayed! Update Oct 5, 2009! Very interesting comments which elaborate and offer further information about Tiger Ranch!

Open your mind and your heart to the real picture of the feral cat plight.
Let one thing unite us all ~ animal awareness, and our ongoing fight for animal welfare!

Walking In Full Cold Moonlight!

2009-12-01T21:50:00.005-05:00

As we've done in the past I walked my sister's dog this 1st of December evening in the full moonlight. I shot the photo above at twilight just before the sky turned black and as it was just starting to rise in the sky! The night was clear and she sure was a beauty to behold!

The moon in December is called the Full Cold Moon, when the nights are the longest and darkest! Decembers moon is also called the Full Long Nights Moon meaning the moon appears in the sky for a long period of time.

Since darkness arrives so early, we often walk in the dark. Tonight the farmfields were lit by the glow, and the moon provided much light to the back roads we walk on.

Hunters have been out in full force here the past two days scouring the woods for deer hunting. Many deer have met their fate on our local roads especially in the last month.

The holiday spirit is coming alive with folks putting out their Christmas displays and lights over Thanksgiving weekend! The brisk air makes me feel like Winter is fast approaching! A full moon can bring out the romantic in anyone!

A Crime To Hang Laundry Outside?

2009-11-22T22:08:00.005-05:00

I hung out my laundry today, as we've had a string of unsually warm weather for the month of November. I am reminded that other Pennsylvanians may not have the luxury of hanging their clothes outside. I take well advantage of nice sunny decently warm days to air dry my laundry outside! There is no better way to than to dry laundry than in the fresh air and natural sunlight!

Growing up in a poor family, I remember my own mother hanging clothes on the line. I always loved the smell of bed linens, taken straight off the line and put onto my bed. Have you ever wrapped yourself in a crisp bath towel dried outside? There is nothing fresher than laundry hung on the line!

With the whole world focused on everything GREEN, there is nothing more greener than hanging your Laundry OUTSIDE! The energy savings is none the less a great money saver, let alone the reduction of electrical usage and air emissions. I can't believe folks are actually being fined for stringing clotheslines.

Residents are complaining about seeing laundry on clotheslines. They need to get a LIFE and not worry about someone else's laundry! It a free country and we ALL have the right to hang our laundry out to dry if we desire. It's my yard and I'll hang my clothes out any time I wish! I never hang personal undergarments out, but all my other stuff is hung on clotheslines and will continue to be as long as I'm alive! Besides don't folks have anything else to do but gauk at the neighbors yard, on a beautiful sunshiny day? Go for a nice walk, even better yet walk your dog, or go for a nature hike!

Old fashioned ways are making a comeback, and hanging laundry is beneficial all around! When you see someone's laundry on clotheslines, consider the energy savings which this deep rooted tradition could be benefitting you!

My article is in response to: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry

Fiery Final Fall Color Photos 2009!

2009-11-10T11:24:00.013-05:00

I couldn't resist pulling over on a busy intersection, to grab a shot of the last red maples lighting up the horizon on my way to work! This beauty caught my eye and finally I gave in to my temptation to capture the colors laid before my eyes!

Many of her leaves were still intact, while the majority of the trees in the area are already left with naked limbs. Colors of gold, orange, and red, explode in the early November Fall sun! Brings back childhood memories of jumping and running through huge piles of raked leaves! Almost makes you want to dive right in!

Frosty mornings have left a toll on the blemished leaves shown here in the close up. Their beauty even more immacualte, as the sun shines through their transparent colors. The last of Fall is upon us, and we've been spoiled experiencing some awesome Indian Summer days here in Pennsylvania!

Knowing and dreading Winter is just around the corner. Yet every season celebrates a unique beauty of it's own, and I'll be waiting for the chance to catch the next great still frame!

Autumn Along Farmlands Of Pennsylvania Photos 2009!

2009-11-02T21:44:00.015-05:00

The photo above is about 1 mile from my home downhill. Bountiful farmlands surround the area, even the cornstalks add a nice contrast to Fall tree colors!

I took this shot on the otherside of the road. I love looking out at the hills and farmlands as far as you can see!

I walk my sister's dog along this wonderful farm 5 nights a week! Going up a steep hill my farmer friends have planted huge maple trees next to their cornfields! The golden, deep orange colors are a beautiful contrast to the baby blue sky!

When I look into a sky like this, I almost feel as if Heaven is gazing down upon us! Luckily I took these photos the end of last week, tonight the leaves have about disappeared already!

Cow manure is spread on the fields Fall and Spring. You can tell how fertile the ground is here with the lush green grass! Deer graze in the cornfields, and hang close to the treelines for cover!

I like when they cut their fields down, so I can cross over to the otherside to visit the ponds! The trees are many colors here also.

Crossing the cut fields, we can head down toward the ponds! Notice the hills upon hills looking out into the horizon. Stunning scenery which is a trademark for our Pennsylvania landscape!

Lastly here is a photo I took at Twin Lakes along the canoe dock one day last week! Fall's peak colors are mirrored on the lake.

Sadly the leaves are coming down fast, as November's early morning frost lays on the ground. Fall exits with beautiful memories of brisk walks and crimson colors that are picture perfect! I enjoy every minute of my walks, and often carry my camera to capture the beauty!

Walking In Moonlight!

2009-10-30T22:51:00.008-04:00

The moon almost full heading home from my usual evening walk with my sister's dog, Tonight my hubby decided to join us! I hike along one of the most beautiful farms here in PA. The deer were taking advantage of the extra moonlight, munching corn stalks along huge planting fields.

Moonlight danced through the trees, some of which the branches resembled spider webs! The full moon just in time for Halloween tomorrow! Our walk was fast paced yet romantic and invigorating, with temperatures holding in the 6o's. A beautiful ending to an incredible warm Fall day!

Happy Halloween! More Fall photos to come! Stay Tuned!

Done In!

2009-10-19T19:10:00.003-04:00

Woke up this morning to a killer frost, my beautiful flowers are now shades of black! The photo above was the last photo of my hot pink zinnias with frost! We've been cold for days, but last night was in the upper 20's. I could've covered some of them, but I decided it was time to let go. The nights have been cold off and on for over a week! I wish I could capture their beauty and keep them alive forever!

Goodbye To Our Little Boarder!

2009-10-16T12:33:00.004-04:00

We said goodbye to our visitor Beagle Snoopy today. Snoopy stayed with us the past 10 days, while my Brother-in- law went Elk hunting! Snoopy was originally my Father-in-laws dog, until he passed almost two years ago! We had taken care of Snoopy a good bit when he was a pup, when my Father-in-law took ill. Isn't he just the cutest little beagle boy!

I always thought Snoopy had the most gorgeous markings, and his long ears just make him so adorable! We didn't keep Snoopy because at the time I had my Delilah, and he kept jumping on her back. The age difference between the two was just too much! Snoopy has wonderful woods to run and chase bunnies where my Brother-in-law lives up on the mountain! Snoopy was a good boy for us, and we'll miss him! OP cat is happy however to have his house back in order.

Michael Jackson's "This Is It' hits music airways!

2009-10-12T14:45:00.004-04:00

Michael Jackson's song "This Is It" sounded on the music scence late Sunday night to welcoming Fans! In Michael's one of kind stlye we hear his voice come alive again in this beautiful song! This Is It is also part of a Michael Jackson movie with the same name, which will appear in theaters October 28, 2009. His incredible talent will always live in his art. A double CD is scheduled to be released October 26, 27, 2009. His music so uplifting!

Here's the link to the video:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid43635036001?bclid=43205433001&bctid=44135350001

Smiley ~ Stolen Florida Pittbull Terrier Bull Dog Still Missing!

2009-10-10T17:20:00.004-04:00

My friend's dog Smiley still hasn't been found. A cool new video of Smiley has been made! Reward is up to $5,000 now! Anyone with any information please contact 813-230-3128 or doglostflorida@yahoo.com. More information can be found at www.myspace.com/doglostflorida
My friend will not give up trying to find her baby! Do you know where Smiley is?

Related Posts:

Puppy Stolen From Tampa Florida Home! $1,000 REWARD! Please Help Find Smiley

Smiley Tampa Florida Pitt Bull Mix Puppy Still Missing!! Do You Know Where Smiley Is?

Attention Pennyslvanians ~ Give Your Support to New Kennel Regulations! 10-07-09!

2009-10-07T14:51:00.007-04:00

Support the New Kennel Regulations by sending an email to the Pennslvania Department of Agriculture. You can use the form on Savingpuppies.com to send your email. I already sent mine!

Let's help to stop animal abuse in puppy mills here in Pennsylvania, in fact I don't want our state being known for being the puppy mill capital of the world anymore! A copy of the regulations appears here on the PA Bulletin.com site: http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol39/39-37/1682.html

Please help support the regulations today, we can all make a huge difference in the lives of dogs in commericial kennels. We are the voice which cannot speak, and the heart which keeps on beating for the righteous! The regulations will ultimately change their lives for the better!

Everyone knows there're a phenomenal number of animal lovers right here in Pennsylvania!

Related Post:
Puppy Mill Laws Finally!!! Attention Pennsylvania Animal Lovers Take Action!!!

Tiger Ranch Linda Bruno Jailed Today ~ Sentencing Delayed! Update Oct 5, 2009!

2009-10-05T21:22:00.005-04:00

Linda Bruno has violated her bond by having come in contact with animals on her Tiger Ranch in Frazer Township. Under her bond she was ordered to have no animal contact or their care.

Cat food and litter were found by deputies sent to investigate the property. Proof that cats were still being cared for and cats also found on the Tiger Ranch property.

Linda Bruno was to face charges for animal cruelty and record tampering today, but she was instead ordered to jail by Judge Jill Rangos, allowing Ms. Bruno to find another place to live! She had also lived with her mother who had animals, which was also a violation! Her sentencing has been postponed until Dec 4, 2009, pending a mental evaluation!

Tiger Ranch was raided in March 2008, and 240 of the cats were put up for adoption by the ASPCA ~Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on August 31, 2009. Anyone interested in adopting the cats can find them on Route 322 in Shippenville.

Another twist as the Tiger Ranch saga continues. I can't help but feel sad for Lin Marie! I had high hopes of her vindication. Seems she's now become a victum of unfortunate circumstances! I've been following the story since the very beginning, and I do believe one thing: anyone who helps animals has a good spirit! What will happen next!

Read all my Tiger Ranch Posts Here

How Romantic Are You Quiz!

2009-10-02T14:35:00.006-04:00

I found a cute quiz on Are You Romantic. com which tests how romance fits into your life! You can take the quiz here: What's Your RQ!

The quiz rates you between zero through four, four being over the top, and zero rating you the least romantic! The sweepstakes to the Poconos ended in September however! Dang I missed it!

Here are my results:

(3) Warm and Fuzzy (and totally normal!)

You and your partner take the time to be romantic, but you also know the importance of bonding over bill paying and laundry. Not always glamorous, but the reality of everyday Couplehood. You hold hands, get frisky and have fun just spending time with each other—the yin to their yang, if you will.

Romantic Recommendation: Make sure to keep your everyday routine from getting boring. Send your partner cute text messages, plan weekly date nights and once in while go crazy with re-enacting your favorite romantic movie. Thirsting for champagne? Craving caviar? Have a hankering for a heart-shaped hot tub? Go for it!

The website seems fun and informative! Take the quiz and let me know how you did! Have a great weekend! :)

Adopt A Pet.com ~ Find Easy Online Pet Adoption!

2009-09-29T12:56:00.023-04:00

If you're looking to adopt a new pet presently or sometime in the future, Adopt a Pet.com is a great place to start. Initailly you"ll be able to preview, screen, and shop for your pet online before even stepping into a shelter! I used an online service in my area to pick out my own cat OP. You"ll find adorable online photos and each unique pet story, which is an invaluable aid in choosing your new pet.

I've teamed up with Adopt Pet.com to bring more awareness to homeless pets, and their new online adoption services available across the nation. The website is very easy to navigate, and a cool feature I found they also list dogs in breed resue! Here are some excellent insights to this wonderful non-profit online pet adoption organization:

What is Adopt-a-Pet.com ?

Adopt-a-Pet.com is the world's largest non-profit pet adoption website. We are like an ad agency for shelters and shelter pets. Sadly there are 4 million healthy adoptable companion animals killed in shelters each year due to overcrowding. We do our best to relieve that problem and put pets from shelters in the homes of pet seekers all over the country.

Our website makes it easy for anyone with an internet connection to find profiles and pictures of adoptable animals by location, breed, gender, age, size, and color. Over 8,000 shelters posts pets on our website displaying over 125,000 pets available for adoption at any given time. We also help volunteers connect with shelters, and currently host over thousands of people listed in our volunteer database for shelters.

What Makes Adopt-a-Pet.com Unique:

- On our website, people can use something we call “Search Saver.” This feature will notify users by e-mail when a particular pet of their specifications in available for adoption. For example, I can tell “Search Saver” where I live, and what type of breed I am looking for. When that animal is available, I am notified the next time a pet matching my search is added on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

- As of this summer we have now made it easy for our visitors to find pets and then recommend them to friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and other social applications. We are calling the idea “Social Petworking.” Here is how it works; once you have searched and found a pet in need, on the pet details page simply hover over the button labeled “SHARE,” there you can send the pet details page to any of your friends. For more information visit this page http://www.adoptapet.com/socialpetworking/signup.

- In addition to dogs and cats, we now feature all kinds of pets for adoption, including rabbits, farm animals, ferrets, hamsters and other small animals, horses, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even fish. This was a major initiative that took many months to research and program into the site, and it is being well-received within the shelter community.

- By teaming up with the renowned street-artist Shepard Fairey, who designed the iconic Obama "Hope" image, we have available a number of stylish ways to promote pet adoption. Shepard was able to translate his work with Obama to an image that can be used to represent pet adoption support. Merchandise can be found at http://www.muttslikeme.com/

- We have begun blogging and created a Twitter Page along with a Facebook Page. Our blog is located at http://blog.adoptapet.com/ there you can join our Facebook Group, or follow us on Twitter.

Blog Highlights:
Adopt-a-Pet.com has recently begun blogging, and every week we publish posts from two separate columns. On Tuesday we blog about pet care tips, and on Fridays we do our best to find heartwarming stories about adopted pets all over the country. Here are a few highlights from our blog:

10 Ways To Help Homeless Pet, Even If You Can’t Adopt
What To Ask Your Veterinarian
Good News In Pet Adoption – A Weekly Post
10 Things To Consider Before Adopting

I'm very impressed with the Adopt A Pet.com website. Thanks to Jeff Howard author of the blog adopt a pet.com for sending and allowing me to share with you vital information about their tremendous online pet adoption service. If we all work together, we may one day erradicate homeless pets, I'd love to live long enough to witness that day! If you're an animal lover like me, you'll want to adopt them all!

Interested in placing an Adopt A Pet.com link or banner on your blog or website you can find them here:

http://www.adoptapet.com/public/links/index.html

The shepard fairey one which I love and have on my sidebar can be found here:

http://muttslikeme.adoptapet.com/get_image/index.html

Literally in the Moment is a non-profit Arts and animal advocate website!

Fall's Sutle Color Emergence Photo!

2009-09-25T15:24:00.007-04:00

Peering out into our woods, you can see Fall is making a suble entrance. We've had a hot dry spell most of September. A lot of leaves are just turning black mostly due to the lack of water! I can't believe that I've had the chance to wear my shorts all month long! Our luck will be changing with the wind in the next few days!

The skies have been very loud and crowded overhead with all the military planes flying around for the Pittsburgh G20 Summit! Yesterday three black military helicopters were flying pretty low. I didn't grab my camera fast enough! Makes me glad that we don't live right in the city. I could hear the planes flyiing over all night long! I'm sure it was much louder in the city! A quiet weekend planned around home! Have a great weekend! Enjoy the sights!

My Zebra Ornamental Grass Blooms Photos!

2009-09-14T15:36:00.014-04:00

If you're looking to add great height and color to your landscape, Zebra grass will fill a bare spot perfectly. The green foilage is very popular in Japanese gardens, and becoming a quick favorite here in the U.S. Zebra grass a low maintenance perennial can grow 5 to 8 feet tall, loves the sunlight, and thrives in dry conditions! My sister gave me a small plant two years ago, and it 's now at least 7ft tall! Just plant and the grass will take off on it's own! I do water mine when the weather gets too dry!

The yellow stripped bands on the long fronds give the leaves a nice patterned color, as seen in the photo above. The long blade like leaves are also a bright green color, and the plant itself can grow to width of around 5 feet! You'll want to plant your zebra grass with enough space in between or they'll grow into each other.

The pink and bronze flower tips reach for the sky, resembling wheat tips! The blooms usually come in early fall and turn completely brown in winter. Torrential hard rains have plowed these babies down, within a day later there're back to their wonderful form!

I usually prune old fronds in the Spring, to welcome new growth for the season! Along with my rhododendrons, zebra grass is the tallest plant I have in my flower garden. One of my favorite decorative plants which come back year after year so beautifully, with so little care! You can't go wrong with zebra grass, they never disappoint the eyes!

Summer's Close~ Summer Poem And Photo!

2009-09-09T14:59:00.009-04:00

Summer’s Close

Lone endless roads I walk along,
lay always outstretched to greet me.

Sweet Summer enshrined in all her green,
bounty enraptured warmth and beauty.

For her brief encounters pass by swiftly,
wild bitter Winter winds will soon blow.

I’ll yearn for life’s sounds to bide me,
reflecting my world within her sun’s glow.

Season upon season relentlessly ceasing,
gazing on nature’s flawless exuberance.

Year after year my eyes never grow weary,
eagerly waiting capturing one more glance.

Lone endless roads I walk along,
radiance withering closing shadows dispel.

Witnessing Summer’s incessant rebirth,
reluctantly I bid a melancholic farewell.

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2009

My photo "Summer's Endless Road," I shot of the road beside my home before Summer season is gone! I'm sure going to miss the hot weather! We put the winter cover on our pool. The weather is in the upper and middle 70's, but the nights are too cold to keep the water temperature warm!

I caught a cold from my nephews, so it's my first Fall cold! Time to check for remnants from my vegetable garden! Tomatoes are still turning slowly!

Grand Funk Railroad Rocked Pittsburgh Ribfest 2009!

2009-09-08T14:33:00.008-04:00

We drove for an hour and a half and arrived in Pittburgh last Saturday September 9, 2009. A beautiful Pittsburgh sunset greeted us as we headed toward Heinz Field to the Ribfest!

Jill West and Blues Attack was rocking out the Blues as we walked through the enormous Heinz Field entrance. I shot the photo sign above last year during the Ribfest 2008! Last year it was stifling hot!

The SIX Pittsburgh Steeler Lombardi trophies were on display for everyone to photograph in the exibit! Here are photos of them building the huge super bowl replica trophy exibit!

Grand Funk Railroad an old favorite rock band of ours appeared on stage at 9:00 P.M. They rocked the huge crowd and summerlike air with their trademark songs: Locomotion, I'm Your Captain, Shinin On, Some Kind Of Wonderful, many more and lastly their signature song We're An American Band. Was a great trip into my past remembering listening to these songs on the radio! 2009 marked 40 years for Grand Funk Railroad. 40 Years Of Funk! We had a great time good eats and entertainment! There's a lot of rock and rollers in the Pittsburgh area!

Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Pollinates My Zinnias Awesome Photos!

2009-09-01T10:51:00.016-04:00

As the hint of Fall arrives here in Pennyslvania, a beautiful tiger swallowtail pollinates on my Zahara scarlet zinnias. My zinnias have finally grown fuller, a whole 28-30 inches wide. Took all summer for them to reach maturity, due to all the crazy PA weather! Seems I see monarchs in my area usually in the Spring and Fall! This fellow was the first yellow monarch I've ever seen!

I shot several photos of the yellow swallowtail fluttering against flowers, and the wind blowing his delicate wings. His stunning colors were beautiful against my bright scarlet zinnias. I was surprised the closeness he let me come within! My header displays the yellow monarch on my Double cherry zinnias. I thought very fitting for Fall! Isn't he just awesomely equisite!

Fall has descended quickly here in PA, especially the past few evenings. Lows have been in the high 40's. I do fear swimming weather is over in our region. We'll still experience Indian Summer, but the night air cools the pools temperatures even with a solar cover on! Sadly it'll be time to close our pool! School has started, back to an earlier schedule!

I've been busy freezing vegetables from our garden. We've had an abundance of green beans this season. Our corn did well, and I'm still picking salvaged tomatoes saved from the blight. Our cherry tomatoes did well, I love them in salads, and they're good in soups too!

Looking forward to Labor day weekend, we may catch a rock concert in Pittsburgh! We haven't been to a concert in awhile, love outside rock concerts!

Enjoy the beautiful Fall sights,stay tuned for more exordinary photos to come! :)

Late Blight Devastates Westmoreland County Pennsylvania! Late Blight Tomato Photos!

2009-08-19T22:59:00.015-04:00

Late Blight has destroyed at least half my tomato garden, and I heard through the great tomato vine devestation has hit my area hard! We experienced a wet Spring, which helps to spread the fungus! Many tomato gardens have been totally obliterated by the pesky rapid fungus many sources say originated in Florida. Counties all around us have been widely infected with late blight.

Most folks in my area take great pride in their huge gardens, and depend on their canned or frozen stock of tomatoes to prepare homemade sauces, salsa, chili ect.. throughout the winter months.

The photo above of our big boy tomatoes are only a handfull of at least 50 or more ruined by late blight, not even including the tremendous amount of tomato stems which will yield no new tomatoes!

I spent a whole day yesterday removing all the dead tomato leaves and stems around each tomato plant. My husband grew these big boys from seed, and we planted 3o big boy and roma tomato plant seedlings on our hands and knees. I had previously used a sulfur powder, which seemed to help against total devastation. I then switched to a copper powder called Dragon Dust recommended from a friend.

By the time I removed all the dead stuff, there was only half a tomato plant left! You can really see the dead leaves on the plant in back of this one! Click the photo above to see the brown leaves and stems devouring our precious tomato crop! I took the liberty of removing yellow tomatoes to ripen on my windowsills, for fear they would just die on the stem!

My cherry tomatoes were the first to pick up the disease. Our plants were likely purchased with the fungus, and it spread throughout our whole tomato garden! A tremendous loss as you can see on the cherry tomato plant above. The stems turn yellow orange, and come off with little effort! The leaves turn brown and black and die within a short period of time!

On the bright side I do have a lot of green tomatoes, I'm hoping to possibly salvage! But with more rain expected the next few days, chances could be very slim! I learned you must dust often, especially if you experience a rainy season! Prevention is the key to keeping your tomatoes healthy!

On another note, I've been enjoying the summer weather we've been having, last weekend was beautiful humid and hot the way I like it! We hung by the pool the whole time! Taking advantage of all the good weather, and working hard to keep up my flower and vegetable gardens. I even made my sunflower seeds from my grown sunflowers sooo good! My best friend is home from Florida, hoping to catch up with her while she's here!

Go soak up some summer weather, we don't have much left!

Church With Many Steeples!

2009-08-06T11:25:00.008-04:00

Often we drive up the mountain delivering work to my husband 's clients. The Presbysterian Covenant Church in Ligonier PA sits right beside the office. I love the unique gothic architecture design of the church, which catches your eye right away!

There are many steeples adding to the church's beauty, along with all the angled roof tops! Crosses add a nice finishing touch!

Lastly the stain glassed windows give bold color to the brick design of the church's structure! What do the church's look like in your area?

Are you enjoying your Summer? The Summer here in Pennsylvania reminds me of Indian Summer we usually have in the Fall!

Hoping to lounge by the pool this coming weekend may get hot!

Hot Pink Stargazer Lillies And Gazania Photos!

2009-07-22T15:26:00.013-04:00

My stargazer lilies have finally bloomed! They're an eye catching pink, with green star centers! We've had a record low July so far here in Pennsylvania! My flowers are finally perking up! We had a 4 inch deficit of rain, and now catching up with all the rain we've had. We are expecting rain everyday for the next week !

I picked up a six pack of Gazanias for only $1.50 at a nursery near my home! They remind me a lot of daisies! Gazanias do well in dry conditions! Plus they caught my eye, because they were in dire need of planting! I loved the color of the one above!

Mid summer is a good time to buy annuals, and perennials at a bargain price. I needed some flowers to fill in an empty area! I planted a total of 66 flowers this year!

Last week my pool turned green! I mentioned the cooler than nomal July we're having! The nights have gone down in the 50's, and days only in the 70's. Great for those who like Spring and Fall like weather, but I like it hot for swimming! The lack of people in the pool, and stagnant water has left our pool to collect algae! The chlorine has also dissipated really fast. We've since cleared it up! It's very expensive to keep up a swimming pool, all the pool chemicals have skyrocked in price!

I've had my Ester Williams pool for 15 years now, and I love it! My husband and I like to do laps back and forth, the main reason we chose an oval pool! We have a deep end where you can jump in and get wet, 6ft! Today is really humid, but the water is cool from the cold nights!

I've been keeping busy painting my house since the past weather has been ideal for painting! We've only one big wall left to do! How is your summer going so far!

Tiger Ranch Owner Linda Bruno Pleads Guilty! Update 7-13-09!

2009-07-13T23:38:00.010-04:00

See Updated Post Oct 5, 2009 Below!

As jury selection was to begin July 13, 2009, Linda Bruno plead guilty to 12 counts of animal cruelty, along with 2 counts of veterinary record forging!

Judge Jill Rango refused Bruno's motion to have charges dismissed, stating search warrants from ASPCA were illegal! Instead Judge Rango ordered Linda Bruno to pay $200.000 to ASPCA for providing ongoing care to hundreds of cats seized in the Tiger Ranch raid on March 13, 2008.

Linda Bruno could face up to 24 years in prison for all the charges, which they say is doubtful. She may however be forced to face some jail time in her October sentencing!

I was totally surprised at the outcome of this highly emotional trial. Expecting Linda Bruno to put up a huge fight,as she had in the past! Today Linda Bruno seemed somber and defeated.

Somehow I don't see Linda Bruno having $200.000, and if she had maybe none of this would have happened.

I agree with many others that feral cats are really the root of the problem! I see ferals everywhere, especially here in the country! We have a few right here in my neck of the woods, one a very cute black and white tabby. I can't get near him, to even try to tame him. They're too wild to give a home to! Ones down the road just gave birth to sick kittens, and the cycle just continues on, because they keep multiplying! Folks just keep dropping them off, here in the country if they decide on a whim they don't want them.

All of us animal lovers have to stand by and watch them suffer! Alot of folks just don't see or understand the real world of ferals, and dropped off cats.

I'm sad to see Linda Bruno got caught up in all this, possibly taking on more than she could physically do, and getting in over her head!

One person can't save the world, but many can certainly make a difference!

We now wait to see, what the sentencing will be for Linda Bruno in October 2009! I'll be watching!

New Updated Post Tiger Ranch Linda Bruno Jailed Today ~ Sentencing Delayed ~
Update Oct 5, 2009!!!

Read my other Tiger Ranch Posts

Keystone Lake Pennsylvania Photos! Mike Reese Responds to PA Park Closings!

2009-07-02T16:38:00.012-04:00

I shot some awesome photos on our fishing visit to Keystone Lake Pennsylvania in Derry township last weekend! My favorite the first one above of my husband fishing on the lake, as the sun sets after a brief summer rain! I often ponder if Heaven is right here on earth with us! Absolutely breathtaking! Click on any photo to see enlarged!

Upon our arrival at Keystone Lake dark clouds started rolling in, and let loose a cool light rain spreading on the surface of the lake! Beautiful green trees and grass light up the stunning countryside setting, as pictured in the photo above!

Almost as soon as the rain came the sun streaks peaked out again! A double rainbow appeared in the sky, pictured here between the trees. This is two of three rainbows, I witnessed this week. The other rainbow came on Tuesday while walking my sister's dog, and sadly I didn't have my camera! In fact we've had much cloudy and rainy weather since we returned from our VA vacation in the beginning of the month!

The last shot of an incredible sunset on Keystone lake. You only need to look and beauty is all around us, just waiting to be taken in! I'm always ready and willing to capture it! The fleeting moment is now, and I'm here on this earth for a reason!

Keystone park surrounds the lake with many hiking trails, cabins, campgrounds, and even a beach! Non gas powered boating is also allowed on the lake! People come from everywhere to enjoy the serenity of Keystone park and lake! We visit beautiful Keystone lake a few times a year!

On another note in response to my email sent on a previous post, Heads Up Pennsylvanians ~ Bill 850 To Close 35 Pennslvania State Parks, I received an email from State Representative Mike Reese, about the Pennsylvania park closings! Mike Reese was the only one to respond back! I was very concerned about Laurel Mountain Park, and Keystone Park! Here is Mike Reese's email response:

Dear Jo,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the closure of approximately 35 State Parks including Linn Run State Park This is a difficult process that needs to be addressed. I want to keep the park open and it will stay open. I would like to explain to you what this means. The park will not be gated shut; the public will still be able to access and enjoy the beauty of the parks. However, there will be a reduction in services such as garbage pickup. In these rough economic times, cuts are needed in order to not raise taxes.

If you should have any additional concerns on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Mike Reese
State Representative
59th Legislative District

I thank Mr. Reese for getting back to me, and explaining the situation. I'm concerned in these tough times we won't have free places to visit and enjoy! I encourage everyone to write their state representative to keep our parks alive. I don't think Keystone is on the list, and I've yet to see the list!

You bet I'll be watching, I love all our parks here in Pennsylvania! I hate to see our state parks not being maintained! I hope they never gate them shut! Can you imagine the beauty we'd be missing?

Nature is a major significant palette of my artistry!

Related Posts:

Heads Up Pennsylvanians ~ Bill 850 To Close 35 Pennsylvania State Parks!!
Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Excursion 2008
Post Gazette ~ Cutbacks put some state parks on shaky ground.
Ligonier Living ~ I'm stunned

Farewell Michael Jackson ~ Phenomenal Muscian and Song Artist!

2009-06-26T22:11:00.012-04:00

Michael Jackson a phenomenal musician and song artist, will forever live in the gifted songs he gave to the world. Michael Jackson was not only the King of Pop, but he could also Rock as seen here in one of my favorite videos Dirty Diana. Michael's performances absolutely sensational. I only wish I had the chance to see him in concert. Michael was so hot in this video, and at the top of his game!

The whole world mourns Michael, and I'll always be an avid fan of his great music and incredible dance moves. Michael Jackson's music and dance mesmerized generations, and will live for many generations to come. His influence on the music and dance world is unprecedented. Michael was also a humanitarian, and raised millions of dollars in aid.

Unfortunately Michael Jackson will never have the chance to make his big comeback! He had so much yet to offer us, his wonderful entertaining artistry unsurpassed! Michael Jackson's legacy will continue to endure throughout all time, and he'll certainly be missed in our music entertainment world. He's one of the greatest musicians in music history!

If only Michael knew the magnitude of love that surrounded his magnificent talent! Michael Jackson was and always will be the embodiment of cool!

Virginia Aquarium A Must See ~ Part III 2009 Vacations Series!

2009-06-21T17:03:00.019-04:00

You can’t visit Virginia Beach without touring the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. You’ll experience up close and amazing views of Aquatic animal habitat life. On the outskirts of Virginia beach along the marsh country like settings, you’ll find one of the most exciting displays of marine wildlife. Be prepared to walk and allow at least half a day to enjoy the scenic nature trail and gaze through all the cool and educational aquariums and habitats. With our love for wildlife in our own area, we totally loved our visit to the aquarium! I encourage everyone to visit Virginia’s Aquarium quality time the whole family will delight in, especially young children! Here’s a only a small sampling of the wonderful creatures we feasted our eyes upon! You can click on all photos to see them enlarged!

The otters took my heart with their close knit family colony. This adorable otter is so glad to be alive, basking in the sun. Look at his cute precious face.

I’ve decided if I could be reincarnated as an animal, the otter is what I would choose! The otters sleep all lumped up on top of each other, seen here in a photo my daughter took!

This otter is sleeping on his back with his buddy beside him! With the natural habitat setup they can take a swim whenever they want. My kind of life!

The sea turtles were my next favorite exhibit gracefully swimming through the water, and it was so cool to look at them up close in the huge glass aquarium. Wild to see a turtle swim, and we found it hard to get good shots cause they were constantly in swimming motion!

I was very leery to touch the stingrays in the giant touch pool. They remove the venom every 6 months, so you can actually touch them The stingrays swim like saucers through the pool, as if they like to be petted My husband described their feel as if touching raw meat! I just read on the Virginia Aquarium site one of the pool stingrays gave birth to 4 stingray pups, shortly after we left! Famous wildlife T.V. personality Steve Irwin was killed by a huge stingray!

The lionfish one of my favorite fish, has venomous spines which are primarily used to defend themselves. Lionfish eat their prey whole, feasting on shrimp and brine!

The sharks were extremely elusive, swimming around constantly as we tried to get good shots of them. You could tell they dominated the waters!

We enjoyed our vacation immensely, and I was anxious to get home to my OP cat! The Virginia weather was hot and humid the way I like it for the beach and swimming!

When we reached the PA line, we were greeted by a beautiful PA sunset and of course the wonderful ROAD CONSTRUCTION PA is known for! We had to fill up the car and found out in a week’s time gas had gone up 10 cents, Gas was 2.55 when we left on Sunday June 7, 2009, and 6 days later on June 13, it went up to 2.65! Now gas has jumped up to 2.69! Can’t even get a vacation break when driving by car!

Destination Virginia Beach ~ Part II 2009 Vacation Series!

2009-06-17T23:55:00.011-04:00

Last Tuesday June 9, 2009, we left Kings Dominion and drove down 64
to Virginia Beach. We stopped at a visitors center on the way and picked up coupons for motels, restaurants, and brochures to main attractions! Let me tell you the coupons can save you some money. The 5 lane highways flipped me out, as well as the 70 mile per hour speed limit. In PA the speed limit 55-60, with mostly 2 lane highways! We found a wonderful hotel called the Red Roof Inn on I-264 Exit 15A close to VA Beach. In our coupon booklet. we had a coupon for $49.99, which saved us $10.00 off the price of a room for four! We paid $60.00 a night for our 2 night stay at Doswell and the motel was not near as nice. We ended up staying at the Red Roof Inn for 3 nights. Rooms and beds were clean, pool was wonderful, and the personnel were great and helpful!

After settling into our motel, we headed to the beach. The first thing I noticed was a immaculate statue of King Neptune. You couldn’t miss the astounding 34 foot bronze statue towering the Atlantic ocean beach entrance! Neptune is the Mythological God of the Sea, the amazing statue is one of the largest bronze castings in the United States.

We found parking two blocks away for $5.00 a day, and walked to the beach. We no sooner laid our blanket down, a huge storm cloud thundered overhead. We had driven over 400 miles to get here, and the beach was closed due to the impending thunder storms. We hadn’t even entered the water yet! What better way to pass the time than to go shopping! The beach shops are not located right on the beach like the New Jersey boardwalk, but one block over from the beach. The beach was not reopened due to the nuisance rain!

Wednesday June 10, 2009 we finally enjoyed a beautiful hot 90 degree day at the beach. I felt so stupid upon entering the water, I left my sunglasses on and they were lost in the ocean waves! The ocean was cold, but felt good with the high humidity! I always forget the power of sunrays on the beach and my back received a pretty bad burn. I did wear an SPF 50, but forgot to reapply after swimming! Virginia beach was just like I remember from several years ago, still breathtakingly beautiful!

I was astounded by the Tons of stingray eggshells which were in the water and all over the beach! Makes you wonder how many live ones were in the water!

Restaurant wise, we ate at Kentucky fried chicken, Denny’s, and a seafood buffet, and there were sushi restaurants everywhere so I had the chance to eat sushi. I wish I could have gone to a couple mores sushi places! For my friend Ochi, a photo of a dish I ate called Mermaid roll. Inside sushi was seaweed of course, salmon, shrimp tempura, avacado and on the side they gave me an egg plant tempura over rice! The green dip sauce was not very good, I took a bite, and almost chocked it was so hot and nasty like horse radish which I don’t like! The sushi mermaid was excellent though!

I ’ve one more part to my Virginia vacation series, hopefully we’ll take another vacation! Stay tuned for some great photos!

Casualties Of The Economy ~ Part I 2009 Vacation Series!

2009-06-16T18:03:00.005-04:00

Constantly observant and in tune to my surroundings. I was very affected by the fact there were folks actually living in the 1st motel we were staying at on our way to Virginia Beach! Kings Dominion was like a halfway point to the beach, and a place my daughter simply had to check out! I’m not much of a rider, so I stayed back and relaxed by the motel pool. A pool is a must have when we stay at a motel, we love to swim any time of day or evening for that matter!

I befriended a upper middle aged couple, who had lost their home in Gloucester Virginia. They had been living in the motel since the beginning of May. Due to the turning economy they were unable to hang on to their home. They lost their cats, most of their belongings, and ultimately their humble abode! Stripped to one vehicle for transportation,the once music teacher was forced to find any job near the motel. I could tell they were good people, kind and surprisingly in decent spirits in spite of their dire situation.

A devastating sight to behold, for our America has always stood for the land of plenty. I wished them luck on their journey to reestablish a new real home! The home casualties are not limited to Virginia, but are on the doorstep of every city throughout the country. We only need to look out of our existing lives to be touched by the devastation!

We stayed at the motel for two days, and I left there very humbled! The fallen infrastructure of all businesses big and small, lost mortgages and family homes. Who will become the next casualty!

Ecological Footprint Test ~ How Do You Rate!

2009-06-04T21:15:00.007-04:00

Tough economic times has impacted the way we live in numerous ways! Your ecological footprint is a measurement of lifestyle resources, consumption, and your overall impact on the environment. I found the Ecological Footprint Test on my buddy Ochi's site! Ochi said the test is for UK citizens, but interesting nonetheless! I took the test and my ecological footprint is 3.5, and if everyone lived like me we would need 2.2 planets to support global consumption! Man and I thought I was a real conserver! What is your ecological impact! Here are different ways I've tried to conserve:

1. Out here in the country we burn garbage, mostly paper like napkins, paper plates, cardboard food containers, plastic bags including garbage bags. The rest is divided into cans and glass products, which go to be reclycled! We also have a compost bin where we throw all our egg shells, vegetable and fruit peelings, and coffee and tea grinds. This year we spread the compost over our vegetable garden to fertilize the soil!

2. My husband strung me clotheslines in the utility room, so I can hang my laundry to dry! I used lines only for the winter months when I couldn't hang laundry outside, the lines are used all the time now! I prefer to hang my laundry outside in the sunshine and fresh air anytime possible! I rarely use the clothes dryer anymore to conserve electricity!

3. Talk about electricity, I use very little lighting in the daytime. We always turn out lights in rooms we aren't in! I can say my computer is in use at least 50% of the day, and I haven't tried to use the new energy saving lightbulbs. We do however use very little electricity for heat, as we burn wood all Winter long. We have oil backup heat, but we hardly ever use it!

4. Shopping at budget grocery stores, I take my own bags, reuse my own small boxes, and pack all my groceries myself! We in turn grow a huge garden and freeze all that we can to consume all Winter! I drink my own homemade beverages and use the same squirt bottle to take with me when I go out!

5. Gas prices have gone sky high again, so I'm sure that everyone is conserving here! We make only necessary trips to purchase things we need. I do have a teenager that is on the run constantly, so there are trips for her pleasure outings! She also belongs to many activities which makes more trips than we would like, but hey what are kids for!

I tend to sway back to the olden times, where I learned from my mother when we were poor. She taught me a lot about survival in tough times, including how to make budget food meals. What are your ways of conservation? How were you taught to conserve by your parents, what example are you setting for your own children to survive in tough times? Most of all how can you change the global consumption you use to conserve our ecological enviroment!

Famous Actor David Carradine Dies!

2009-06-04T17:12:00.008-04:00

Famous Actor David Carradine 72 has died today apparently from suicide at his Bangkok hotel where he was filming a new movie! He was known for his martial arts role as Kwai Chang Caine . Kwai was nicknamed "Grasshopper," by his Shaolin master Po in the 70's movie series Kung Fu. I remember all the guys from that era wanting to be just like Kwai, carrying around Nun chucks to be cool! I always thought it was so neat that he could walk on rice paper without making a mark!

David Carradine is also well known for his most recent role in the violent massacre movie Kill Bill. David has starred in over 100 movies, and has maintained his raw handsome looks even as he aged! David Carradine will be sadly missed by all his fans old and new! Rest in peace Grasshopper!

Photo credits Yahoo ~Associated Press.

Trooper Kevin Foley Receives Life Sentence Today!

2009-06-01T13:28:00.008-04:00

Pennyslvania Trooper Kevin Foley was in court today for sentencing. The Judge gave him the automatic mandatory life sentence without parole! Trooper Foley was convicted of first degree murder in the brutal murder case of Dr. John Yelenic. Kevin Foley was living with Dr. Yelenic's wife Michele up until his murder arrest.

John Yelenic's family is happy to be done with this phase of the trial, having to wait 3 years for a conviction! They are continuing with their $1 million wrongful death suit against Foley, Michele Yelenic, and past friends of Foley's who helped to hold evidence in Dr. Yelenic's case.

Kevin Foley still upholds his innocence and plans with his defense attorney to appeal!

There is a beautiful photo of John and Michele on the channel 4 news write up. Unfortunately, not all stories have a happy ending! My husband and I are very content knowing justice has been served in our friend John's murder case. May his loving spirit now finally rest in peace! We miss John and his irreplacable smile!

My related posts on Dr. John Yelenic's Murder:

Trooper Kevin Foley Guilty On All Charges In Dr. John Yelenic's Murder!

Justice For Dentist John Yelenic

Money Pitfalls And Dreams ~ Poem

2009-05-29T15:29:00.003-04:00

Money Pitfalls And Dreams

Money for many a high status thing
may yield fruition to a lifelong dream

huge fortunes kill sometimes maim
thrust in the spotlight of unwanted fame

money only merely ink paper after all
bitter root of greed’s sudden downfall

money can offer future security
purchases important daily necessities

money given morally can help the poor
open wide new opportunities door

others cope as needed thriving without
while others drink from a pouring spout

society has governed we can’t survive
the wrath of green moolah to stay alive

but can money buy freedom or happiness
or garner the rich feeling of self respect

only you choose your destiny...

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2009

Response to Ozymandiaz: What is money? Thanks for the inspiration!

Eradicate Deficit And Extravagance On My Mind!

2009-05-28T14:46:00.010-04:00

Why can't we just totally eradicate the Nationwide deficit, forget about budgets and bailouts! Put everyone back on a clean slate including big businesses and banks! Instead of becoming a goverment run country, where peoples feelings are put aside, and pride is only stuck in a sinking economy! Small businesses are dwindling every day and no one is bailing them out! Let everyone be debt free, that will certainly boost the economy! Government yearns folks to spend, but how can we spend when the cost of living is going through the roof!

Politicians promises change, why can't we start over where everyone is equal. Health coverage for everyone, not just the best coverage for the rich who can afford it! Deficits and budgets are falling on deaf ears. Sick and tired of the rhetorical hype, and watching everyone sink in the pit! The American dream is still alive, but put on stranglehold until the smoke clears, if the huge ominus cloud ever clears.

Our economy has taught us one thing, do not indulge in extravagance! Growing up with bare necessities, I sure learned the value of a buck. Remember our folks always told us "Save for a rainy day!" How much wisdom they held in their words, especially today! We learned to live with less, and spent less in the long run! I never missed the absence of material things, because I always had what I needed! A well implemented upbringing, will get you through the toughest of times! We can't blame the government for our own overspending!

I just keep thinking about the mess we're in, and embracing simplicity of old ideals just might give us the change we need to forge ahead. I'm not a politian, but it appears clear and commonsence After all it's not about how much you own, but honest inner integrity which makes you great and brings forth the most happiness! What do you believe in, what are your ideals?

P.S. Just finished emailing Pennsylvania Representavies on saving our parks here! May prove fruitless, but in turn may save a few! Anyone interested see Heads Up Pennsylvanians ~ Bill 850 To Close 35 Pennsylvania State Parks for addresses!

Heads Up Pennsylvanians ~ Bill 850 To Close 35 Pennsylvania State Parks!!

2009-05-27T15:24:00.006-04:00

Laurel Mountain Hiking Trail taken Spring 2008!

The strong economic decline is not only hitting consumers hard , but will now affect our Pennsylvania State parks. Due to Senate Bill 850, 19 Million dollars will be cut from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources closing 35 of our Pennsylvania state parks, and 1,000 miles of state roads leading to them! We’ve 117 State Parks here in Pennsylvania, which means they could close nearly 1/3 of our State Parks by mid Summer 2009. Read full article here on the DCNR site!

Forests won’t be maintained against parasites which could eventually destroy them. This Bill could prevent preservation of our beautiful parks and forests for future generations! Another economic loss will filter down, with lost forest ranger jobs, forest maintenance jobs, and less clientele for restaurants and businesses which benefit from all the tourists who travel to enjoy our beautiful state parks and lakes!

I read through the grapevine that Laurel Mountain and Laurel Mountain Summit is slated to close! We hike the trail at least twice a year! We can’t let this happen folks, our region contains a multitude of awesome parks, lakes, and forest sites we must actively preserve! During these tough times many families can’t afford to spend a lot of money on vacations, and look to our natural outdoors for fun family entertainment.

State Parks and forests are the heart and pride of our Pennsylvania state and we need all of them! Many of our parks are free to visit.

I encourage all Pennsylvanians and tourists who wish to preserve the beautiful parks here in Pennsylvania join me to email and write our state representatives opposing the closing of all these parks. I was unable to retrieve the full list of possible park closings. Write to:

Governor Edward G. Rendell
225 Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Email ~ http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html

Senator Don White
Email ~ http://www.senatordonwhite.com/contact.htm

State Representative Mike Reese
Norvelt District Office
2230 Mount Pleasant Road
Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666
Email ~ Mreese@pahousegop.com

Related Articles:

Literally In The Moment ~ Keystone Lake Pennsylvania Photos
Post Gazette ~ Cutbacks put some state parks on shaky ground.
Ligonier Living ~ I'm stunned.
Literally In The Moment ~ Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Excursion 2008.

Late Frost, Landscape Mulch, And My Returning Gardner Snakes!

2009-05-18T17:42:00.013-04:00

Due to my busy schedule, I've been too busy to plant my baby flowers! Good thing because we had a killer frost last night, and we're expecting one tonight too! We did however over the past weekend, till my flowerbeds, put down some black plastic, and covered with my favorite dark mulch. The mulch helps to hold the moisture in the ground, and you can see the outside areas especially recieve much sunlight. Photo above is one side of my home, I plant flowers on the inside and outside too! There are five sides to plant on the outside, and three on the inside close to the house! On this inside, my red rosebush to the left. purple phylox, diathus flower plants, and lilies all bloomed from last year! Glad we didn't plant our tomatoes in our vegetable garden! Most folks have already planted around the neighborhood, and are having to cover due to the coming frosts! We did get some more wood cut and stacked! Hopefully I may try to plant a few flowers tomorrow!

When spreading the mulch around my rosebush, I found two of my buddy gardner snakes have come back. I kept trying to get him with his tongue out, it's wild because they have red tongues! I'm thinking they're male and female shacking up together. The weather has been beautiful the past couple days, we had so much rain last week! Sparrows have made a nest in our house lightposts, and they fly back and forth all the time! New life is blooming all around me, and I'm humbled by all it's beauty! Spring is such a welcome site, after a long cold Winter. I'm absorbing the sights and sounds every chance I get!

Related Posts: My Gardner Snake Buddy!
My Mother's Day Flower Planting Ritual!
Siberian Crabapple Blossoms!

Kicking The Smoking Habit ~ Tips For Diehard Smokers!

2009-05-12T14:21:00.004-04:00

First you must be totally committed to kicking your smoking habit . You may fall off the wagon a few times, but persistence will prevail if your mind is totally made up. Choose a special goal day to mark your occasion, I chose Mother’s Day. Think of all the reasons you want to quit, write them down. Here are a few:

Quit for yourself and your loved ones.

You know smoking is bad for your health! Quit because of all the health risks to your body and for others who are subject to inhale your second hand smoke!

Because you don't want to mingle around others, with your clothes and breath smelling like an ashtray. As a woman, I was always self conscious about the cigarette smell.

You'll have a cleaner house and car! Surprising the amount of yellow smoke film cigarettes and cigars leave on your white sheer curtains and walls. You can imagine the damage to your lungs, which can't be thrown into the wash!

Because you don't want to die prematurely, but instead live to see your children get married, and spend a good part of your life with the grandkids.

The high cost of supporting your smoking habit is getting to be ridiculous!

A whiter smile!

Somewhere down the line your children will learn about smoking and drugs in school. A major reason I decided to quit. Before my child reached early teens, I made my final choice to kick the habit. I didn’t want another generation of smokers in my family. My parents both smoked, and I could be the one to break the smoking generation chain. Plus you can’t stand there and tell your kids not to smoke, while puffing on a Marboro Light! My love for my child is truly deeper than my love for cigarettes.

The last thing you need is someone to preach to you, and tell what you should and shouldn’t do. I quit cold turkey, and believe me this was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. I truly enjoyed smoking, it was an exhilarating feeling. Smoking calmed me down when I was stressed or nervous. Pumped me up when I needed a lift. An upper and a downer all in one habit, almost as good as sex or chocolate. I still miss it’s euphoric effects today! Expressions only a diehard smoker would make! But here are some pointers you can focus on, when you decide to quit:

Remember those hot cinnamon toothpicks we loved when we were young? I use them to help with my cravings. Target sells them online, or you can make your own! I like the cinnamon ones, helps take the edge off!

Walk! Walking is the greatest and most rewarding of all exercises to me. You can take your dog or spouse on a nice hike in the woods. Especially after dinner when the urge to smoke is the greatest, and take a few hot toothpicks with you on your walk. Instead of concentrating on smoking, you'll see all the wonderful things in nature to live for! Plus your dog will love you for it, and you and your spouse may find a private spot to neck!

Clean rooms in your house or garage. You have more time to beautify your home, or now as they call it crib, making every room a tidy place to be proud of!

Always keep busy and active. I promise you'll have more energy, breath better, and be able to walk up stairs and hills, without losing your wind! Constantly moving around will help keep you fit!

My Ultimate Life Protocol Learn To Love Yourself! Even when someone puts you down, keep being who you are! You hold the greatest power over your demons! People who can't stand by you, aren't your friends!

We’ll all face our mortality at some point in our lives, but let it be much later than sooner! Like the quote from my favorite Pink Floyd song: “Breath ~Breath in the air, Don’t be afraid to care! Leave but don’t leave me.” My longtime friend and I have a special motto: Love yourself first and the rest of your life will just fall in place! Usually it’s the opposite, we love others before ourselves, and let ourselves go. Typical adult behavior especially of women!

Remember life is our most profound gift and there’s only one uniquely you! Mother’s Day 2009 marked four smokeless years for me. My daughter was amazed at her mother for quitting a longtime habit. I look into her beautiful eyes everyday, and know I made the right decision for the both of us!

I wish you much luck on your smoking cessation endeavors!

My Related Story Post: Prohibition Regression In Economic Recession!

My Mother's Day Flower Planting Ritual!

2009-05-08T21:21:00.011-04:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there! Every year my husband and daughter buy me planting flowers for Mother’s day! I prefer live planting flowers as opposed to cut flowers, because I can enjoy the lovely flower plants long into the Fall months. Ever since I became a mother years ago, I’ve received and planted flowers on Mother’s Day! My mom used to come and plant with me! Do you have a special tradition that you do on Mother's Day?

We always make the trip toward the mountain to Laurel Nursery, where I’ve been a loyal customer for many years. The flowers are always hardy, and I can always count on them to grow well when planted. Mostly I need flowers which do well in the direct full sun, because my flower garden surrounds my house. We receive full sunlight most of the day around my home!

I usually start out with two flats of annuals and perennials. Flat number 1 above is a fine collection of Reddy Salvia, Mix Portulaca, Double Cherry Zinnia, Zahara Scarlet Zinnia, Red & Deep Purple Petunias, and the ever beautiful Yellow Dahlia.

Flat number 2 is a brilliant collection of Blue Ageratum, Double Madness Mix Petunias, 3 packs of Montego Mix Snapdragons, Red Petunias, Big Boy Tomatoes, and Eggplants!

Lastly I picked a pack of Majestic Giants II Sherry Pansies. I’ve noticed a lot of the new packs have gone from six to four flower plants per pack! We went last weekend to pick these out, because there are slim pickens on Mother’s Day weekend. So I’ve had my baby flower plants for a week already, and can’t wait to get my hands in the earth to plant my gems. We’ve had rain almost everyday this week, so the ground is too saturated. Seems we may have a break after Mother’s Day!

I’m missing my mom so very much, and I think of her every Mother’s Day. She was a major part of my life, and I’ll never stop loving her! If you’re still fortunate to have your mother, cherish her and spend all the time you can making memories. You’ll never get back that time, when your loved one passes on! My Mother’s day weekend is very full, spending quality time with all those I love! Have a good one, and party down!

Siberian Crabapple Blossoms ~ Tree Sapling For Unique Mother's Day Gift!

2009-05-07T11:45:00.014-04:00

My Siberian crabapple tree has bloomed. The Siberian crabapple tree is so gorgeous with sweet fragrant white flowers, adding a special beauty to our yard!

The lovely buds are hot pink, and bloom fully to a beautiful white five petal flower with yellow pollen centers. The photo above reminds me of a Hawaiian Lei.

The white flowers add a special contrast to any backround, as seen above with the blue sky backround.

Our crabapple tree was a gift, and planted when we were first married 19 years ago. The tree planted as part of a tree conservation campaign taking place in Pennsylvania. If you’re looking for a gorgeous low maintenance tree, the crabapple will bring you many years of stunning Spring blooms.

We've lost many forest and city trees in our Pennsylvania region over the years. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources join in efforts to restore millions of lost tree coverage in our Pennsylvania region. Tree Vitalize endorsed by Governor Ed Rendell in 2004, is planning to plant 1 million trees in the next 5 years, which by the way will not replace all the lost trees to our area! Present count of Tree Vitalize planted trees 93, 885!

We’ve lost millions of trees due to modernization and mother nature, and wild fires, all across the USA. Plant A Tree USA is another dedicated organization reforesting lands throughout the USA. You can even donate land from your estate to be reforested!

Trees look beautiful in many areas, trees help keep our air clean, shade buildings and pavement, and controls storm waters on our grounds. Arbor Day has already passed in the U.S., but now is still an excellent time to plant a tree in your yard, along sidewalks, or on large property areas.

AmericanForest.org is another interesting site offering a huge amount of tree replanting information, including buying a tree for a Mother’s Day gift. What a unique idea, donate to plant a tree in your mother’s honor, which benefit different tree projects of your choice. Check it out! Or simply go to your local nursery, and pick out a couple tree saplings for your mom as a Mother’s Day gift.

Keep our planet beautiful, plant a tree today. Check your area for planting schedules, we just may help fill the deficit while beautifying our horizons for a future greener earth! A valuable gift to cherish which keeps on giving for many generations to come!

Country Living ~ Stacked Wood ~ Spring Fawn

2009-05-06T14:58:00.009-04:00

Out here in the country most folks are taking advantage of great Spring weather before the heat of Summer arrives. Cutting and stacking wood is an early Spring task, and also tackled in beginning of Fall. We're fortunate that when trees come tumbling down due to weather, people call my husband to cut and load the trees for free. I've gone on runs with him to gather up limbs, and huge trunks of trees. It's nice when they are already cut, but most of the time they're not! My husband does nothing small, I stacked all the wood he had cut into these rows above!

These are humongous logs, even when cut! Some I can't even get my arms around. I don't know how my husband lifts them. We almost need a forklift to help lift them, even when cut in half! Everything is done by hand here, especially all lifting labor work! We do have a log spliter to cut them!

The largest pile is 4 deep, and I just stacked another making it 5 deep! In fact I broke a vein in my right wrist lifting and stacking all these logs! But with the cost of heating, this is free heat in our woodburner! Woodburning is the only heat that keeps our house warm, in the cold winters we've had in the area!

We have two massive piles like the one above to cut yet! Our log cutting has been put on hold, because of the satuarated rains we've had over the last weeek and a half! Behind the log pile is an old railroad bed we call the tracks, and beyond that are miles of cow pastures! Spring is quite beautiful here in our world turning green, filling in all the bare tree spots!

Lastly this was taken three weeks ago, a doe and two fawns were taking a nice walk in our yard. My husband has a salt block, and the fawns seem to have no fear. They just walk through like it's their yard! See the difference a couple weeks make with the rain to turn things magically green! Notice how the fawn blend into their surroundings. Deer move so fast it's hard to get a shot! Hey country work is never done!

My Tulip Culprit!

2009-04-24T22:24:00.005-04:00

For the life of me I was flabberghasted at the reason why my tulips were not coming up! The majority of them look like the photo above, with the center flower bulb missing and the leaves in tact. I was even thinking we were having a late Spring, and my flowers were coming slowly.

A couple had the leaves sheered off like the photo above, also with no center flower bulbs. I counted TEN all together, that were like the two photos I've pictured here. I always wanted to have Spring tulips in my garden! Thankfully I took several shots of them last year, when they bloomed. The colors were magnificent, hot pink, lavender purple, orange and red, yellows, and bright red ones.

I just happened to look out my patio door yesterday and found my tulip culprit. He was chewing on some grass right near my flower garden. The groundhog made his way slowly around my garden, which surrounds my house. I shot this photo right from my window, I was surprised he didn't notice me. He just went about his business gnawing on the leaves growing in the grass.

My husband would've shot the groundhog, being so close to the house! I told him I don't care about the flowers, I don't want a life taken merely for flowers. I see groundhogs shot in the farmer's fields. They are a nuisance building their deep holes and the tractors get stuck in them. They are often hit on the roads around here too, tagets for idiots who try to hit them for fun! Groundhogs can sometimes become rabid, and bite so I try to stay clear just in case.

I believe every life has a purpose, and deserves to live it to it's fullest. Even though I love my tulips, I loved watching that groundhog enjoy his precious grass leaves. Scampering along the ground, on a beautiful Spring day. Happy to be alive, rejuvenated from a long cold Winter.

Hypermiling Cruising For Dollars!

2009-04-21T15:10:00.006-04:00

Hypermiling are you doing it! They call it coasting, I call it cruising! With the rising cost of gas in the past few years, many are trying to find ways to preserve their car gas suppy! Living in Pennsylvania with all the beautiful rolling hills, I‘m an irresistible Hypermiler. I remember as a teen hypermiling my 318 Dodge Challenger which had amazing coasting abilities. We used to see how far we could coast our cars down the many hills here in PA.

A lot of folks push hypermiling into the danger zone coasting in neutral. Coasting in neutral is against the law in some American States. Coasting in neutral can cause your engine to stall suddenly, possibly causing an unwanted stop in the middle of the road. So unless you’re an expert, I wouldn’t recommend the neutral tactic.

Other ways to maximize gas efficiency is to make sure your tires are properly inflated, and carry only necessary loads within the confines of your car! Plan your destinations ahead of time. Map out the easiest routes to follow, with the least amount of stops! Make sure to shut off your engine when parked. Excessive breaking and idling wastes gas, and emits more emissions into our air supply and ozone.

Another great idea has been implemented by UPS for years. UPS drivers have been mapping out routes with mostly right turns. UPS has saved millions of dollars in gas costs by using this technique. By limiting left turns, there's less waiting time at traffic lights, for traffic moving in the opposite direction.

Most of all, be a safe and courteous driver. Road rage has become an unwanted epidemic in our society. Don't we have enough crime and hate already? At least for the moment, gas prices have become bearable! Our gas prices here are $2.09 and still fluctuating daily! Happy Hypermiling!

Check Out My Other Related Articles:

U.S. Gas Price Comparison Checker

Drill Here Drill Now, Petition Reaches Over 1 Million Signatures. Sign The Petition Today!

Spring Garden Decor Cute And Affordable!

2009-04-17T15:59:00.011-04:00

I'm always looking for a bargain so Spring Decor is no exception! In fact Garden decor is a real weakness of mine! We drove into the city to the Wow outlet store, and I found these adorable bee and dragonfly decorations. The bee and dragonfly actually twirl back and forth on top of the springs! 4x4 1/2 inches these little cuties will add a special touch to my flower garden! Price $1.00 each!

My deep love for animals can be found in many of my surroundings! This one of a kind feline with wire whiskers stole my heart. His markings much like my own OP cat! He will be the perfect welcoming garden stake to bring a smile to my guests! He is all wood, not pressed wood! He was a bargain at Wow for a mere $5.00.

Lastly are my resin garden critters. These irresistable critters I purchased at the dollar store last year. Resin doesn't weather well, so I'll keep the critters and garden stones below my roof overhang where they won't get rained on. When they get wet they will disintegrate, so to prolong their use I keep them as dry as possible! Isn't the racoon too cute! Price was $1.00 each!

I'll be on the hunt for more garden bargains! Look around at the outlets and dollar stores in your area, for some excellent buys on Spring Decor! Spring is finally here. Happy Spring Shopping!

Prohibition Regression In Economic Recession

2009-04-15T14:40:00.006-04:00

Is the so called sin tax leading us back into the Prohibition era? The Price of tobacco has risen $1.00 a pack or $10.00 a carton. A of bottle of beer at a major concert event could run you $4.50 - $6.00. The drink tax has been debated numerous times with a proposed 10% increase. FACT ~ Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation, an organization against the drink tax wants to lower the tax to 0.5%. The drink tax last month in Allegheny county was 7%. Drinking and smoking may become a luxury of the rich. Are we not being taxed and governed to death? Will smoking and drinking eventually become illegal, and they're intending to raise taxes even more?

Congress proposes to raise 65 billion dollars within 10 years to fund coverage for uninsured children. The drink tax is funding mass transit here. Officials complain that hundreds of thousands of smokers die prematurely from smoking. Then why don't they put the extra tax into heathcare costs and smoking cessation programs for the SMOKERS? How about funding for lung cancer, or lung cancer prevention? Uninsured children are a problem, but why should smokers pick up the tab! The righteous must stand for something, and more often prey on the faults and sins of others! Smokers must dig deeper in an already slagging economy, or quit cold turkey. For the small tobacco retailers, business will get worse and theives could be on the rampage like back in the prohibition days. Folks forced to bootleg and grow their own smoking tobacco!

A reformed smoker of 4 years on Mother's day, I can say smoking was a very satisfying and addictive habit. I still miss smoking to this day! Loving something beyond myself, I didn't want my child to be the next generation becoming a slave to the nicotine habit. Scrounging around for change to buy a pack of smokes, paying a tax which breeds off of a persons addictive habit. I was a diehard smoker standing on the corners of buildings feeling like an idiot, on display like look at me "I'm a bad person," "I'm a a sinner!" Meanwhile folks who smoke and drink are some of the best people I know! It was my choice to quit but I know how hard that choice was, so I don't condemn others for their chioces! We're all going to die of something, some of us sooner than others. We can only make the right choices for ourselves and those we love!

I quit cold turkey, which is the hardest way to go! I'll compose another post in the future with tips on how I quit! Hey maybe you can trade those pack of smokes in for a beer even up?! The price of each is almost the same in some instances! What insane tax will they think of next!
My Black Rasberry Chambord pictured above is one of my favorite liquers.

Three Year Remembrance ~ My Tree Of Life

2009-04-09T20:02:00.009-04:00

The coming of Spring leaves me bittersweet. The season which brings vibrant life to the earth, brings forth memories of death to my heart each year. While robins fill the air with chirping song, my sweet mother lies six feet under the ground.

Death gives life, and life in return gives death. April 6th marked the three year anniversary of my mother's death. I still remember the last night I was with her, as if it were yesterday. We were very close. more like sisters than mother and daughter. Someone stole her small budda, I left there last Summer. Budda will bring theives much bad luck!

We decided on purple daisies, and yelllow daffodils this year for moma's black vases. The purple daisies have a yellow center. My nephew rolled his little red tractor on top of moma's shinny black headstone. When we buried moma that evening a full moon lit the darkness. I hated leaving her there all alone, yet it was as if the moonlight had welcomed her! In fact this week we had nights of glowing full moon!

The tree above was taken at our cemetary, which grows only a few feet away from our plots. When I die I'll be looking up at this big ole tree. Towering high to the sky, the tree of life barely makes it's branches in my photo. Much life scurries above thousands of headstones in this beautiful typical Pennsylvania country like setting.

I believe you can miss a person more, the longer they're gone! We hadn't even celebrated the first Easter when moma died. In fact holidays are the hardest without her presence. Yet her death brought the first two wonderful baby boys into our family. They've become our main focus now. Moma was the strong deep rooted tree, and we all continue to live on through her ever guilding loving spirit!

Read past tribute posts to my mother here:

A Poetry Tribute To My Japanese Mother

Two Years ~ A Tribute To My Japanese Mother

Update Your Computer Against Conficker D !

2009-03-31T14:31:00.007-04:00

The past week we've heard warnings about the Conficker D. worm virus, which could affect millions of computers worldwide possibly beginning April 1, 2009. Experts have been tracking the nasty worm since October 2008. Because the worm is so powerful in hijacking computers a $250.000 reward was offered by Microsoft back in February 2009, for information leading to the capture of the Conficker hackers! Computer experts are always trying to stay one step ahead!

They have identified four variants of the Conficker Worm A, B, C, and D.

Seven steps to protect your computer from viruses trojan worms, and spyware such as the Conficker:

1. Use a good Antivirus software. I use Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware.

2. I also use Webroot Spy Sweeper as a double whammy.

3. Be sure you're getting critical updates from microsoft. Go to tools and click on windows update to download the newest updates and patches!

4. Create a hardcopy backup of all your important files, program files, document files, and photo files ect.. My Webroot Spy Sweeper offers to do this online for me, but I'd rather make a hardcopy myself! You need to update this as often as you need to, depending on how much saved work you create!

5. Always be careful with emails don't open large file attachments, especially if you're not sure of the sender Don't Open The Email!

6. Be vigilant updating and running your software, daily, weekly, and monthly to protect your computer to the fullest compacity! My programs remind me, if a scan is not run! The protective software is no good if you don't stick with it! Remember hackers are out there constantly creating new viruses!

7. Pray you don't get a virus, trojan worm, or run out of memory! Like my daughter downloading millions of photos and all her songs to her ipod!

My new Windows Vista pretty much handles things in the backround automatically. My windows updates on a daily basis. But the experts are saying to update at least twice a day until the Conficker passes! Just in case they come up with new patches to the worm! I'm running my antivirus now as we speak to make sure my system is running smoothly.

I remember 9 years ago having a worm on my last computer, and it took me two months to get my programs back up and running! It was a nightmare! So far with all these products, my computer is well protected! Run all your protective programs and keep them updated at least daily until the virus issue passes!

If you have the Conficker worm you can remove and learn more about it on the Microsoft Site . You'll find a multitude of information there on any security issue you may have, and any New Security Information of interest!

I'm thankful for all the experts who fight daily to protect our computers. Many of us have become extremely dependent on our computers, for all our business and personal needs! Hopefully we'll all wake up on April fool's day without any computer headaches!

Interesting Art And Artists ~ Childrens Art!

2009-03-27T14:53:00.008-04:00

Part II of my Purple Bathroom~Home Decor, is some of my different art I've displayed in my bathroom. The photo above is called " Flower Music," by Richard V Goetz. My painting is 707/1000. Richard V. Goetz was a much acclaimed award winning oil painter born 1915 until his death in 1991. His wife Edith Goetz was also a very talented artitist, who won many awards for her exhibitions. Their daughter Mary Anna Goetz has carried on the family artistry in her own beautiful landscape oil paintings! I love this painting about 21 inches by 18, matted 2 by 3 inches displayed in a huge black frame. I shot photo sideways kept getting glare, and because of the glass, was picking up my own image too!

Many of you will recognize "Los Ninos," by Ted DeGrazia in the photo above. Ted DeGrazia received worldwide recognition as his painting was used by UNICEF as a greeting card which sold millions. Mine is a laminated copy about 5x7, but it still brings much joy to me when I look at it. Children representing world peace and unity! Ted. DeGrazia's Oils, watercolors, and pastels are remarkable, and carry a high price range. The children are my favorite, he had a special way of showing their innocence and beauty! DeGrazia became a legend in his protest against inheritance taxes on works of art. He burned around 100 of his paintings in the Superstition Mountains in 1976 in protest of the tax! His paintings are worth many thousands now, Ted DeGrazia died in 1982. Ted DeGrazia held a philosophy which Artists and Writers can relate to in the present day, at least I know I can:

"(My best painting) is the next one. I haven't painted it yet. I am in competition only with myself, and that's tough, because I believe each thing I do must be better in some way than the last." ~ Ted DeGrazia

The above art is by none other than my daughter. I kept a lot of her art from grade school. this one I have taped to my desk. The detail is awesome if a bias mother can say so! Reminds me of Spring! Childrens art brings tremendous joy into my life! Their imaginations are untouchable.

The Indian girl and red fox are displayed on my bathroom door, so anyone sitting on the throne can admire the rare artwork! I felt bad because when my daughter brought her home, I asked why she painted the dog red, and she said" it's a fox mom! "

I'm proud of all my art, these are a few of my favorites. I learned so much researching the lives of two classic artists, and will continue to admire their work in the years to come. My daughter receives A's in Art class today, she's also very talented!

My Purple Bathroom Remodel ~ Home Decor Ideas!

2009-03-24T15:55:00.013-04:00

Well it's been a busy couple months. painting the bathroom, picking out carpeting, and remodeling a couple rooms. We used a paint called Valspar signature colors in a color called ice crystal by Earth Elements. I just wanted to add a touch of purple to the walls, and it turned out beautifully. It looks almost a red tint here! I took photos before we added my wall art! I've also been doing some Spring cleaning and getting rid of some unwanted things we don't need.

We took OP for his first adult shots on Saturday, he did really well. While we were waiting out came a sleek black Labrador, and our hearts just sank. Just recently losing our Delilah, we are still missing her sooo much!

My bathroom is huge, I had to take my photos separately in sections. I chose a deep dark purple carpet in a Fraize since this is a very high traffic area. The last purple carpet was smashed to our foundation, didn't wear too well. We chose an 8 inch pad to use underneath, the pad makes all the difference in the overall feel of the carpet. We love it! Purple toilet set was purchased years ago in Kaufmann's before taken over by Macey's.

I had to take a photo of my dog and cat bath rug! Only an animal lover would pick such a thing, plus I've two nephews 2 years old! I purchased this at one of my favorite stores Ollies Bargain Outlet! They have so many nice bath towels, kitchen towels, and almost anything you need at real bargain prices.

The photo above is just a close up of the design on my shower curtain. Made by Saturday Knight LTD, 100 percent polyester and machine washable. My kind of shower curtain! I have an Artisian standard bone colored shower tub surround and toilet purchased at 84 lumber many years ago! They both still look like new, an excellent product!

My countertop is huge my daughter and I could both sit and primp up ourselves at this counter with room to spare. The curtains I special ordered from J.C. Penney many years ago. Purple is a very hard shade to find in bathroom products, especially curtains! There are as many shades of purple as there are in the rainbow!

The right corner of the counter I've a huge mirror I purchased when my store shut down years ago. We used these in the jewelry department for our customers. I wish I purchased another one, they are well made and very attractive. The butterfly is a flowerpot clip that I purchased at Walmart last year. I hate when you put stuff outside and they get rusted, weathered, and faded from the sun. So I just use them for inside decorations! The peacock feathers are real, a neighbor of ours actually has peacocks, and they gave my daughter a bunch of these feathers. I put in a vase behind the mirror to add height to the corner. Pansies in a vase with pot pourri, add more color.

OP was mad that I wasn't paying attention to him, this is one of his favorite spots especially looking out the window at birds! The purple butterfly was purchased fall of 2007 at Boscovs when they went out of business. Another outdoor ornamental piece, I couldn't bear to put out. OP likes to chew the butterfly attennas, and gets yelled at!

The wine glass is a rose color and slightly slanted at the top. I fill with pot pourri, and I buy a pot pourri fragrance to use when guests come to my home! You can also spray pot pourri with your favorite cologne! The roses are actually a lavender purple, excuse my lighting in these photos!

I brought in an additional lamp to get this shot. More accurate in color of the fraize carpet. It's like a grape. I've many corners in my home!

Lastly I just wanted to feature my origami birds, my mom made these for me before she died. She is always with me in many things in my life. She created beauty wherever and in whatever she touched. The rice bowl with purple flowers I purchased many years ago at the Ames store before they too shut down.

Well there you have it a purple bathroom in my style! I'm going to make a part two for my wall art! Happy Spring cleaning and decorating!

Related Posts: Interesting Art And Artists ~ Childrens Art!

Trooper Kevin Foley Guilty On All Charges In Dr. John Yelenic's Murder!

2009-03-18T22:48:00.008-04:00

Breaking news tonight, the Jury has concluded that Trooper Kevin Foley is guilty of all charges in the murder case of Dr. John Yelenic. Kevin Foley will be sentenced in June. First degree murder carries a lifetime sentence in the state of Pennyslvania. The defense plans to appeal!

Although justice has finally been served in the almost three year old case, it doesn't change the fact that a bright young life was taken well before his time. It's a relief to know that a murderer will not be walking the streets, and now our friend John can rest in peace the third anniversay of his death April 13th!

I had expected to hear more from the defense, including testimony from Dr. Yelenic's ex-wife Michele. But it wasn't happening. I just can't imagine anyone inflicting such a horric crime against another person. There was sure some incriminating evidence presented in John's trial. Now we wait for the next sequence of events which will lead us to the sentencing! There is also a wrongful death suit filed by John Yelenic's family, against Trooper Foley, and Dr. Yelenic's ex-wife Michele.

Read my latest article Update 6-1-09 on Dr. John Yelenic's Murder:
Trooper Kevin Foley Receives Life Sentence Today!

Read another past article I wrote here:
Justice For Dentist John Yelenic

Read 2nd week daily blog of the trial by Jennifer Miele

End Seal Slaughter ~ Sign Canadian Boycott Petition Now!

2009-03-13T22:56:00.008-04:00

Join me in signing a petition to end the Canadian slaughter of seals as young as 12 days old. Hurry the Canadian hunt is 2 weeks away, and these poor furry creatures will be suffering a terrible- painful death. I cannot bear to witness such a masacre. Take the pledge to boycott Canadian seafood, and in turn refrain from purchasing Canadian seafood products including crab, shrimp, cod, and scallops! The Shrimp I just purchased was from Illinois, another great reason to buy seafood products from the U.S.A.!

The petition campaign initiated by The Humane Society of the United States has reached over 600 hundred thousand signatures. Their goal is to reach 1 Million signatures! Join me and thousands of others from the United States, to alert the Canadian government we will not tolerate unnecessary killing of innocent animals! Only together can we bring an end to Canada's seal hunts! Click on the banner above, or go to sign the pledge HERE! Place banners and badges on your sites to keep everyone aware and bring this campaign to the forefront! We can be the difference in a hundred thousand Harp seal lives! Go for it animal lovers!

Justice For Dentist John Yelenic

2009-03-11T13:24:00.014-04:00

Justice is finally being served in a nearly 3 year old murder case of Blairsville, PA. Dentist Dr. John Yelenic. The trial began on Monday March 9, 2009, in Indiana county. Dr. Yelenic was brutally stabbed and attacked to death in his home on April 13, 2006. He was only 39.

State trooper Kevin Foley has been charged with the murder of Dr. Yelenic. Prosecution has connected a bloody footprint, skin from DNA samples found under Dr. John Yelenic’s fingernails, and a scratch on Foley's face which appeared after the murder. The murder took place the day before a divorce between John and his separated wife was to be final. John and Michele Yelenic also have an adopted son J.J. Trooper Kevin Foley was also living with Dr. Yelenic’s wife Michele at the time of the murder.

Kevin Foley’s defense claims that evidence is misleading and will be trying to prove reasons the jury should not believe in the evidence. Their key witness is Dr. John Yelenic’s ex-wife, who states Kevin Foley was with her the night of Dr. Yelenic’s murder!

Dr. Cyril Wecht gave graphic testimony on Tuesday March 10, 2009 describing the fatal wounds Dr. John Yelenic suffered including knife stab wounds, his throat slashed from both ears, and in trying to escape to the front door, the murderer put his head through a pane in the door. The force was so hard, it pierced his jugular. Dr. Wecht said he survived another 9 minutes before bleeding to death. They described the crime scene photos as "horrific!" Blood loss was so massive blood leaked from the first floor to the basement!

What a terrible way to die. Dr. John Yelenic was a client of my husbands. John was a friend and a nice guy. He did not deserve to be murdered in this horrible way. All John wanted was a family of his own. He was a very compassionate and giving man. John had a thriving dental practice. The photo I came across above was taken years ago, when John had joined us one Christmas eve. My husband and I are watching this case intently, hoping that justice will finally be served for Dr. John, his family, and friends.

My New Updated Articles:

Trooper Kevin Foley Receives Life Sentence Today! 6-1-09

Trooper Kevin Foley Guilty On All Charges In Dr. John Yelenic's Murder 3-18-09

March ~ Cinquain

2009-03-03T16:50:00.002-05:00

March

March brings
warmer sunshine
wind blown skyward kite strings
longer days promise sweet springtime
seedlings

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2009

Inspired by Terry from The Shamgar Report! He writes one every month! The flower above is actually green given to me from my sister on my Birthday last weekend. I forget what it's called, but I thought it was fitting for March.

My tulips and dianthus buds are already budding, with tips of green coming through the ground. Spring is just around the corner, can't come too soon! We were at 15 below windchill this morning, schools were delayed all over the area.

Loving Tribute To My Delilah Chocolate Labrador Retriever!

2009-02-19T10:33:00.015-05:00

It's with heavy broken heart, I dedicate this post to my chocolate Labrador Retriever Delilah! She suffered a stroke on Tuesday and had to be put down with her loving family at her side. Pictured above is my daughter who is the same age as Delilah, and our tabby cat Bones who passed away Christmas of 2007! Delilah had just turned 14 in January 2009!

Delilah was a gorgeous pup. I picked her out of a litter which had 3 chocolate labs. She grabbed my attention immediately with her dark chocolate coat! We had bred our Sampson with a friends black Labrador, and Delilah was my first pick! The Labs were all AKC registered!

At the time we had Delilah in our home, we also had her father Sampson, and a dropped off Tabby stray Bones cat. I had just given birth to my daughter. My house and heart were overflowing with love!

Sampson taught Delilah every trick he knew, like running away, rolling in cow patties, laying in mud puddles, and dousing themselves in the perfume of putrid dead animals!

Sampson and Delilah swam in our swimming pool every Summer! My husband taught them to climb up the ladder to get out. We would throw their toys in and they would retrieve them, sometimes actually going under the water to get them! The chlorine however, was very hard on their skin taking out their natural oils. But at least I knew the water was clean that they were swimming in. The past couple years, Delilah was unable to swim in the pool, due to her joint problems, and not being able to pull herself up the ladder. They loved swimming in the pool!

When Sampson died, Delilah and Bones were best buddies often sleeping together!

When my Father-In-Law became ill, we frequently took care of his beagle puppy Snoopy. Delilah tolerated his young playfulness. She was already 12 by then, so we decided not to keep Snoopy because he would jump on her back all the the time!

When my Bones cat died the Christmas before last, I was so sad. I went out and adoted my new Cat OP from a shelter in my area. Delilah once again opened her heart to let another animal into our lives. OP was so afraid of Delilah, but they soon became best friends sleeping together everyday beside my desk!

Here is the last photo I shot of Delilah, when we had our last snow storm. She loved to stick her nose deep down in the snow, adding more white to her graying fur! I'm missing her so deeply, and my walks will never be the same without my Delilah!

I gave my life to her, and she gave her life to me unconditionally! My babies are all buried together in the same spot, by my tree stand. Saying goodbye is the hardest part of living to me! OP is not sure what to do without his buddy sleeping beside him, and keeps looking toward the door for Delilah to come in! Our home is so void, and quiet without her! Most of all I miss looking into those big browns always greeting me with a wagging tail. Delilah was a true blessing to our lives!

I can't wait to meet my babies on the otherside, down Heaven's country road! Tomodomo "together in company," as my Japanese cousin says!

Read a previous post of Delilah's life here: An Autumn Walk With My Delilah Dog

Smiley Tampa Florida Pit Bull Mix Puppy Still Missing! Do You Know Where Smiley IS!!

2009-02-13T10:40:00.005-05:00

My best buddy is still missing her Smiley puppy, and she composed a video for him! She hasn't given up her search to find Smiley! I had the chance to meet the mother over the Holidays, and she's a real sweet dog! Smiley was stolen from his family when he was 3 months old on May 12, 2008, right out of my friend's backyard. Smiley is about a year old now, estimated weight 70lbs or more, and has distinctive markings as you will see in her video! My friend has gone to great lengths to find her puppy! There is up to a $5.000 Reward Now!! Here is her video!

If you find him or know where he is please call. 813-230-3128
email - doglostflorida@yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/doglostflorida

Read all my Literally In The Moment animal blog posts HERE

As always thanks for stopping by and have a Great Valentines Day!

My Sweet Valentine ~ Poem

2009-02-08T22:46:00.005-05:00

My Sweet Valentine

My sweet valentine,
our love has only grown in time.
A love which continues strong,
though the daily grind goes on.
I kiss your lips so fine.

We face the world side by side,
with you my perfect guide.
In spite of life’s storms,
you stay in my arms,
along for the ride.

My sweet valentine,
where the sun brightly shines,
down on our harmony,
together we are complete.
Remain forever mine,
my sweet valentine.

©Jo A. True-Burkholder 2009

A Valentine Poem for all you romantics out there! I've always loved all the romantic and mushy stuff! Love poems are what makes the world go round. "My Sweet Valentine," is one of my favorites from my poem archives. Read another classic favorite poem of mine here in my blog archives: A Day For Lovers!

Literally In The Moment turns a year this month, and after over 100 posts I have to say it's been a blast. I've met so many wonderful writers, and enjoy reading all your blogs very much. Thanks to all of you for your presence here!

We've finally had a break in the weather in PA! The thick ice is rapidly melting with temps in the 50's! With the sun, it almost feels like Spring. The geese were flocking today, and the birds chirping. I haven't heard many birds in the thick of the ice cold weather we've been having! The warmer weather makes me feel invigorated!

One last note, I'm so excited! I was finally able to download my photoshop onto my new computer! Yes I'm back in the photo creative saddle again, another one of my passions. You can see my newest creation "Dual Colorsplash," on my blog header!

Pittsburgh Steelers Win 6th Super Bowl! Our World NFL Champions!

2009-02-01T22:57:00.008-05:00

Right down to the wire, the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled out all stops to bring in their 6th Super Bowl win! Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes teamed for the last needed touchdown, to make the final 27-23 win against the Arizona Cardinals. The game was a long tug of war between two great teams, but our Pittsburgh Steelers fought hard right down to the 35 second win!

Mike Tomlin becomes the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl, as well as receiver Ben Roethlisberger being the youngest quarterback receiver to win two Super Bowls! Ben was asked what he learned from this Super Bowl, and he replied "Anything is possible." Just when you think they're losing, they come right back showing what they're made of! A great defensive team, working together as champions! Thanks to two great teams for an incredible game and Steelers for the win!

Steeler Nation is proud of our Super Bowl NFL Champions! Pittsburgh Steelers Are Number 1!

Word Catayst ~ Valentine Issue! Bring It On Home Pittsburgh Steelers!

2009-02-01T00:20:00.009-05:00

Word Catalyst has published their February Issue. The magazine never disappoints with all the wonderful writing energy delivered by well seasoned writers. I especially enjoyed the Love Lines section Editor Shirley Allard added in this time! Another one of my poems made the poetry section, here is a snipplet:

In The Shadows Of The Night

In The Shadows of the night,
our busy day is put to rest,
Beneath the soft moonlight.

Beautiful his vision to my sight.
I heed his beckoning call,
in the shadows of the night.

My caress to his skin of ivory white,

The rest can be read Here:

On another very important note:

Steeler Nation is extremely PSYCHED for Sunday's game! Pittsburgh Steeler merchandise is blowing off the shelves in record numbers. You can't find a fanbase more dedicated in supporting a football team, than the Pittsburgh Steeler Fans! We love our football team from the bottom of our hearts! A day of celebration, and partying will be going on all through Pennsylvania, and other states too! Pittsburgh even has a two hour delay for school Monday, in honor of the late night game!

Good Luck Pittsburgh Steelers~ Bring it on home Black And Gold!

Cool New Pittsburgh Steeler Song!

2009-01-28T14:36:00.005-05:00

Dr. Rob Fishman a Chiropractor from Monroeville Pennsylvania recorded his original song: "We All Bleed Black And Gold," for The Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase. Dr. Fishman and good friend drummer Lou Franconi call themselves The Basement Brothers. They make a new Steeler song every year. A great rowdy song for all diehard Pittsburgh Steeler Fans. Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!