Daughter set a perfect table
Apple and low carb pumpkin pie with pecan crust.
mochi balls
Greenbean casserole, mashed potatoes, yams, rolls, stuffing and a PERFECT turkey, out of this world tender and moist
Baby’s dinner
A perfect day in paradise!
He may be looking serious in the photo but he is beaming with pride!
I stood there shoulder deep in the pale green sea, my feet on soft white sand, the sky as blue as it could be and jumped the waves as they came. It came to me as I looked down on my arm, the contrast of my browned arm against the light green water:
That I never thought I would ever have a tan again.
That I never thought I would spend my winter birthday in my swimsuit in the warm sea.
That I never thought I would be on a tropical island or see the sea again.
That I never thought my daughter would have a daughter after all the boys.
That I never thought I would return to Europe.
and as my thoughts touched over all these incredible things that have happened to me I also realized the truly amazing journey I have been on in my life:
I never thought I would live in an 18 wheeler truck.
I never thought I would be able to be job-free before retirement.
I never thought I would have a child, let alone 5 grandchildren.
I never thought I would own a home.
I never thought I would own a new car.
I never thought I would be totally and utterly debt free.
I stood there in the sea, feeling the sun on my back and the warm swells and wave of the salty water and marveled at how grand it all was right now, in this moment in time. I shall remember this day, these feelings of happiness. I have come a long, long way and while most of these grand things happened late in life, it is such a blessing to have experienced them at all when I was so sure none of them would ever come my way before I died.
The rest of my birthday was even more delightful with grilled steak and mushrooms, a low carb cheese cake that was out of this world and being in the company of my daughter and her children. My daughter really made my day so special. Lots of photo’s!
I loved this old Japanese couple, holding hands, pant legs rolled up and handkerchiefs on their heads, enjoying their special moment too.
What a fab time! Surely a once in a lifetime kind of memory!
This is my first experience in it being hot and muggy on Halloween. When I think of all the children bundled up in snowsuits in Minnesota during my daughter’s childhood Halloweens, I am just amazed at how different it is here. Not only for the weather, but I did not see one single Frankenstein, Dracula or Mummy. No axe murderers, no bloody, wounded or scarred faces. Instead, there were tons of princesses, various bugs, anime characters, and many unknown things.
We started with dinner before trick or treating:
Bloody Guts (macaroni in blue tinted cheese sauce and red food colouring).
Mummies. I used little sprinkle candies inserted for eyes and they oozed when baked…appropriately.
Then the witch helped the others get ready. I missed getting a photo of Joseph, he is an Australian character called the Sniper. He took off to hang out with his friends.
The bird was getting his face painted.
The flower got a lady bug painted on.
The anime character will be mad that I cannot remember the name, but he is this one:
There was no keeping the flower petals on, nope, not no way, not no how.
and off we went…..
Now there was this one house that went all out….it was fabulous!
There was a very long line in front of the house, everyone wanted to go here, it was so fun hearing the children…
The Viking 