Finnley's Fund Raiser

Today was the day I took part in the fund raiser for the darling little girl from our neighborhood. If you'd like to learn more about her incredible story, please visit her Mom's blog here.

While it was disappointing that not nearly the number of people showed up that we were hoping for, the people that did show up dug deep into their wallets, and had a lot fun!

There were lots of great raffle prizes, including this hand-made baby blanket my Mom made and donated....
Buckets of hair-care goodies from Bear's salon...

...tons of gift cards for restaurants, Itunes, a massage, Starbucks, etc. We used this cute "fish bowl" to collect the monetary donations.
There was a ton of food.... including fresh carne asada and awesome marinaded chicken.
All in all it was a long, but lovely day....

And the best part? The best part of the whole day was being able to hand over well over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS to Finnley's family!

Big thanks to everyone that was able to contribute, and if you'd still like to make a donation, there is still time. I've added a widget to my side bar that links to Finnley's Give Forward site. Take a moment if you have one, read her story, and see if you are able to help. Every dollar donated will make a difference in this very special little girl's life.

Surf Practice

Not long ago we decided it was time for a little surf practice for Jill. We aren't sure when we'll be entering her in the next competition, but we didn't want her to get too rusty.

So...on the board she went! She sat like a princess and just enjoyed cruising back and forth...
"Hey! Someone give me a push!"

"Much better...thank you!"

Harley looks a little jealous, but has no interest in getting on the board herself. Believe me, we tried!

Kona says, "don't even THINK about getting ME on that thing!"

For Jack, it's all about the toys.

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

"Get away from me kid, ya botha me..."
"Yeah, what he said."

Dolphin Bubbles

This has been around for a while, but I've never seen it before. I thought it was certainly worth sharing!

Enjoy!

Winner, winner, crab leg dinner

It's been a whirl-wind of a couple of days. What's new?? Not even enough time to blog. One of these days I'll catch up, I promise, but in the mean time....here are a few pictures to wet your whistle!

I just got back from a little visit to Valley View Casino. They have the best buffet in town, and if you use your "club card" you usually get it free! Yahoo!

There is nothing (at least in my book) better than some hot crab legs and melted butter....

followed by a selection of chocolate!
I didn't win any money at the casino, but my tummy sure is happy! (And, by the way, I just had a taste of each of these, NOT the whole piece!) I also didn't eat any bread, any potatoes, or any rice. Other than a little melted butter, and a taste of a dessert or three...I pretty well maintained my self restraint!

It was NOT easy!

Pounding the Pavement

I've been able to knock out a couple of pretty decent training walks in the last couple of days. Hubby and I walked over 5 miles at Lake Hodges yesterday, and I finished up the day with over 7 miles on my pedometer. We got up super early this morning, met up with one of my team mates Jill, and got an 8 mile walk under our belts before 9am! It took us exactly 2 1/2 hours to the minute. That felt really good!


I find these training walks are good for me in more ways than one...of course there is the health aspect of them. (This morning so far I've walked 17,708 steps, of which 17,330 were aerobic steps. That was a solid 150 minutes of aerobic walking, meaning my heart was pumping nice and hard.) But I also find that these walks are good for my mind and spirit. I find myself thinking less and less about how far I am walking, and more about the reason I am walking, and those I walk for. I walk, of course, for my Mom, a 24 year survivor! I thank God every day that she was one of the lucky ones that beat this horrible disease. I walk for my Aunts Evelyn and Henrietta, also, thankfully, both survivors. I walk for my friend Anne who is currently battling...I walk for my friend Dave's Mom, who just recently was pronounced cancer free....I walk for these women and so many, many more who have survived, and battled and are currently struggling.


And I walk for Dena, who wasn't as lucky.... She lost her battle this past February. She was robbed of the long healthy life she deserved. Her family was robbed of the years they should have had together. Cancer sucks, it really, really sucks. For some reason Dena has been on my mind a LOT lately. Maybe it's because I've had more time to think of her along my training walks...maybe it's because I knew the Boston 3 Day would get underway this week and I know she would have been out there cheering the walkers on. Maybe it's because sometimes I just need a little nudge to get myself out of bed at the crack of dawn, get my shoes on, and get myself walking. Sometimes I feel like Dena is my nudge. This morning I woke up at 4:50am - exactly 10 minutes before the alarm was set to go off....and Dena was the first person I thought of. My mind went to Boston, and I thought "It's day 2 for the Boston walkers...the 3 hour time change means they've got 10 minutes left to get out on the route." I thought of the excitement they must be feeling, and of the long day they have ahead of them. I thought of the pride they must be feeling and the sense of accomplishment...it's a big, overwhelming feeling. It is life changing.

In 4 months that will be me, and my team mates. Out there, pounding the pavement for 3 days and 60 miles - feeling the pride and accomplishment that only someone who trains and works so hard to do something like this can understand and appreciate.


And I will have Dena with me for every step and every mile, nudging me along the way, reminding me why I walk.


I walk because I can't walk away.

Bridge over Lake Hodges

Break time at Lake Hodges. The arrow shows where we started.

Downtown San Diego, just before sunrise.

We are obviously going the right way!

Back at our starting point on Harbor Island. We walked to where the pink arrow is pointing.

Practically Torture?

This Wednesday we had a little get together with some of our Golden Retriever friends. We played in the park and once the pups were pooped, we went to a pooch friendly patio to grab a bite to eat.

It was a great time...there was plenty to sniff...
and cool water to drink...
and lots to look at!

We had a nice sized group for a Wednesday evening too.

Yup, everything was great.... great, that is until one of my friends showed up with this little doll baby!Don't you think this it is cruel and unusual punishment to bring this baby to show off and pass around, and allow me to hold her and not actually keep her? Hrumpf! I do! It was practically torture!

Four Chords, that's all

Check out this random video I came across. Talk about talented fellows! (Warning-there is a little "colorful" language-the "F-bomb"gets dropped- at the very beginning and at the very end, but it's a great video nonetheless!)

Wordless Wednesday - Wet Dogs!

Pickle Pampering Kona

Flash Mob with a Twist!

I know, I know, I can be a bit of a geek sometimes....(or so I've been told)...I was sent a link to this video and I LOVED it!

I think it would be such a blast to be a part of something like this, but I have zero dance talent, and even less singing talent, so both a flash dance mob, or singing such as this would be totally out of my realm of reality....but maybe something down the line...with a golden or two, or three hundred...hmmm, that's something to think about!

A quick explanation:
On Saturday, April 24, 2010, over 30 members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and principal cast members from their upcoming production of La Traviata converged on the Reading Terminal Market Italian Festival in Philly. Wearing street clothes and blending in with the crowd, the artists swung into action after the first orchestral strains of the famed " Brindisi " were piped through the market, giving a rousing, surprise performance for hundreds of delighted onlookers who were there to enjoy the Italian delicacies that the Market has to offer.
The four-minute piece won a thunderous ovation that included both laughter and tears from the audience.

Watch and enjoy! I love the first singer, and how he gives "eyes" to the lady he is singing to.

A-Z Mondays- the foodie version, "Z" is for Zucchini bread!

Ah, here we are...at the end of the A-Z Monday's Food game. What a delightful 26 weeks it's been!

For the letter "Z" I have picked Zucchini Bread. YUM! My Mom makes the best zucchini bread ever! I'm not sure what all she puts into it, I just know that it's great!

It's amazing to me that you can take something that looks like this....

mix it with some pretty basic ingredients, and come up with a delicious dessert (or breakfast, as the case may be...).

One of my favorite things to do with a nice fresh zucchini is to slice it up and mix it with the yellow squash I talked about last Monday...sauted in a bit of butter, some salt and pepper, a little garlic salt, and a slice or two of onion...oh my!

My friend Lori recently sent me a new recipe which I have yet to try, but sounds delightful. It's for "Zucchini Cakes" (along the lines of crab cakes...not chocolate cake!)

Zucchini Cakes
Makes 12—14 (or more)

4 cups grated zucchini—washed, trimmed & grated
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups whole-grain bread crumbs (Trader Joe’s Whole-Wheat Sourdough bread works well)
sea salt & pepper
¼ teaspoon powdered cloves
¾ cup crispy almonds—ground to a powder (Trader Joe’s Almond Meal also works—just brown it in a pan)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (I double this amount)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Mix zucchini with salt & let stand (at least) ½ hour. Rinse well with (filtered) water & squeeze dry in a tea towel. Mix with eggs, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, cayenne pepper, cloves & season to taste (with salt & pepper). Form into cakes & sauté a few at a time in butter & olive oil. Extra (if there are any) cakes can be frozen (after cooking).

Give it a try and let me know how it is!

If you'd like to see what other bloggers are drooling over for this last week of A-Z Mondays, be sure to check out Jen's blog here.

I hope you had a great weekend! Ours was busy, busy (what's new?) and I've got fun pictures to share....but I've got errands to run first!

A question for Jack

A Lovely Day with the Seniors in Poway

Kona and I had our once a month visit this morning with the seniors citizens at the assisted living facility we visit in Poway. These were the three teams that visited today....Me and Kona, Linda and Happy, and Jennifer and Ike.
Needless to say, there were smiles all around!

Kona loves a good chin rub!

I love his expression in this picture. I think it captures his goofy puppy look just perfectly!