Dog Days of August

It was hotttt and I mean hotttt...down in the desert a few weeks ago! Heres my grandson having a good time keepin cool with the water..

The Band-Last Waltz-Forever Young

One of my favourite bands during High School, The Band...along with Bob Dylan,in the video production The Last Waltz



May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

Forever Young

I was surfing through Youtube last nite and came across an Australian band called Youth Group...listen to the video below, they've remixed the hit song, Forever Young, by Alphaville....awesome! hope you enjoy it! blessings, lauren

Main Street Oceanside

Living in Oceanside California has alot of perks...not only do you have the sandy beaches,beautiful sunsets,and pretty nice weather year round (minus a few weeks of rain); there are plenty of activities going on all over. As I was looking for fireworks displays for the upcoming Fourth of July, I stumbled on this new site for Oceanside,California. Main Street Oceanside. Every year Oceanside hosts the 'Oceanside Fest', which is a street fair lining the boardwalk,vendors, food, and live bands all day long! On PCH the town of Oceanside has banners on the lamp posts, the artwork, called 'Arts Alive', one will see these as they are walking or driving down Pacific Coast Highway...to see more, go to Main St Oceanside, at this link Main St Oceanside

Grandbaby-sitting

Yesterday I had a wonderful visit with my little granddaughter at her house in San Diego...she was cooing up a storm and trying to tell me her story...each week I go down to see her, she is changing so much! Shes got the most beautiful deep blue eyes and strawberry blonde wisps of hair...when she smiles she has the cutest little dimples in her cheeks. Grammie loves her soo...soo much!
enjoy, lauren

Heat Wave

Statement as of 2:00 AM PDT on June 20, 2008

... Hot weather to continue through Saturday...

More record high temperatures will fall today and Saturday as strong
high pressure aloft dominates our weather. Temperatures will be 10
to 15 degrees above average in the valleys... mountains and deserts.
Coastal zones will be spared the most intense heat from the cool
ocean breezes each afternoon.
An excessive heat warning is in effect today for the inland valleys
and the lower deserts.
High temperature forecasts today...
Beaches 70 to 80.
Coastal zones 80 to 95.
Inland valleys 95 to 110.
Mountains 80 to 95.
High deserts 100 to 105.
Lower deserts 112 to 118.
A weak low pressure trough will bring slightly cooler weather early
next week.

SEADOO SPORTSTER

Grammie & her grandkids

My very first grandchild,Dev,celebrating his first birthday last year...
he just couldnt get enough of the chips & dip that
Grammie was feeding him..he wore it well!

After having four sons and one grandson, GOD blessed me with my first granddaughter in March! Grammie is going to spoil her up rotten...I've been having a blast shopping for little girl clothes!

Mission San Luis Rey

Built in 1798,and tucked away in a quiet North San Diego County Valley, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and Oceanside, you will find a majestic jewel of early California history called Mission San Luis Rey,the largest of the California Missions.
Walking through the Sunken Gardens or along the arched colonnade, you will be transported to the past, imagining the everyday life of the Franciscan Friars and Indians who inhabited the Mission more than two centuries ago.Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, located in Oceanside, California, is the eighteenth in a line of twenty-one California Missions. Founded on June 13, 1798 by Fr. Fermin de Lasuen and currently operated by the Franciscan Friars of California, the mission provides both guided and self-guided tours, a museum, gift shop, Franciscan Retreat Center, and Cemetery as well as various functions and events.Visitors are welcome to stroll through the Mission Church and surrounding grounds and to attend weekend mass.

LORD OF THE DANCE

Michael Flatleys Lord of the Dance is a mesmerizing blend of traditional and modern Celtic music and dance; the troupe just recently appeared at the California Center for the Arts
in Escondido.

The story is a classic tale of good vs. evil based on old Irish folklore: the Dark Lord challenges the Lord of the Dance. It is also a passionate love story, expressed through dance numbers that transport audiences into a mystical and exhilarating world of intense passion. The action is played out on a grand scale with precision dancing, dramatic music, colorful costumes, state-of-the-art staging, and lighting.Everyone should see this show at least once in their lifetime and witness some of the most electric dancing of the century!
The California Center for the Arts is located in Escondido, California and has fabulous shows throughout the year...one of my favorites that appeared there, was "The Nutcracker" performed by the Moscow Ballet...

enjoy...

gg

Shaun White-Winter Olympian Snowboarder Gold Medalist!!!

Congratulations to Shaun White,winner of a gold medal in the Mens Snowboarding-Halfpipe of the 2006 Winter Olympics at Torino,Italy. Shaun is a 19 yr old resident of Carlsbad,California and has been skateboarding/snowboarding the majority of his life.
With a trampoline and a skateboard ramp in the backyard, Shaun also surfed and played soccer growing up. He started skiing on his family's trips to Mammoth, Calif., but by the time he was 6, he wanted to snowboard. Resort rules, however, said boarders had to be 12 to take lessons, so his father, Roger, took the lesson to learn how he could get on a snowboard with Shaun. Meanwhile, Shaun rode up the mountain with his older brother, Jesse, and came down the hill on an oversized board. The next year, when he was 7, White entered (and won) his first amateur contest, competing in the 12-and-under age group. The result earned him a wild card entry into the national championships, where he placed 11th. The following year, White won the first of five national titles.
White's snowboarding ambition didn't make for much financial flexibility early on, though, as his parents estimate it cost the family $20,000 a year. The Whites would drive six hours to Mammoth every Friday in their 1964 Econoline van, nicknamed "Big Mo," and instead of paying for a hotel room, Shaun, Roger, Jesse, Cathy and Kari would sleep in the van, cooking meals on a stove in the back. Should they happen to go out to eat, which was a rarity, everyone would drink water to save money. But as Shaun got older, the family started staying at Super 8 motels. He turned pro at age 13.
I personally met Shaun White 4 years ago,(where I worked at the time) along with his mother, Cathy....he was in the process of buying one of his homes in California; seeing that he was a minor, Cathy had to do all the legalities of the escrow for him. I mentioned to Cathy how my 4 sons were into snowboarding,skateboarding and surfing...she told me about their gargage full of snowboards,boots,bindings...etc, that Shaun's then sponsors had bestowed upon him for endorsing their products., and if I would like to stop by and pick some out for my sons...I gracefully declined..
Cathy is smart & has it together...she and Shauns father decided from the beginning that the money Shaun White earned in pro sports would go into investing in Real Estate.... at this time I believe he now owns 3 homes! And.....he's only 19!!

Congratulations....Shaun White, on your win of the Gold Medal!!

Read more here: Extreme-Snowsports

California Dreamin'-Oceanside

Oceanside, California is approx 35 miles North of San Diego......uncrowded beaches await you..
The Oceanside pier is one of the longest piers on the West Coast, people take liesurely strolls to the end and some even try their luck at fishing..

The Oceanside Harbor & Marina 'house' an assortment of private vessels....there are restaurants & gift shops for the tourists or locals to visit...you can rent sailboats, jetskis at the Oceanside Marina, or simply pack up a picnic and lounge on the uncrowded beaches,whilst soaking up the sun,listen to the mesmerizing calmness of the surf, then enjoy the fabulous sunsets to finish the end of a perfect day! People come from all over the world to visit Oceanside and San Diego...the perfect vacation spot to end those winter blues. Enjoy! lauren

Snowmobiling Experience

Six years ago, I had my first snowmobile experience in Yellowstone, Montana. Cooke City is surrounded by the mountains and located just 4 1/2 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park. It is a small Western town that is also known as the hidden gateway and only 4.5 miles to Yellowstone. The Beartooth Mountains are located between Cooke City & Red Lodge, Montana and is rated one of the top 5 most scenic drives.
Snowmobiling is popular in Cooke City, as well as the park and the surrounding areas, including Big Sky, Montana. You can either snowmobile the loops thru the park,which takes you more than a day to accomplish, due to the speed limit of 45 mph; or you can snowmobile outside the park on the trails, or snowmobile in the bowls. Highly recommend a snowmobile trip out here at least once in you lifetime..you wont regret it! These are pictures of the snow in Montana from Jan 21,2006

Gift Girl's Blog

Good morning!

Well, this is a first ....look at the temperatures to the right>>>>
Oceanside,California is in the 30's at 3 a.m. AND Pennsylvania is in the 60's at 6 a.m. Its January! Should be the other way around. Winds in Pennsylvania are howling at about 40-50 mph this morning...some wild weather for them! Later I will post some pictures of the high surf that Oceanside, California experienced. Waves up to 15 feet...

giftgirl

Unseasonably warm weather

Good evening everyone...

Well....looks like Pennsylvania is having some unseasonably warm weather for the region, considering its only the second week of January 2006. Pennsylvania needs snow!! The temperatures in Pennsylvania are warmer than the temps in California right now. California mountains will also be getting their fair share of a snow dumping in the Sierras this weekend, up around the Lake Tahoe area. Time to go snowmobiling! yiha! Then, head on down to the beautiful beaches of Southern California and soak up some sun...or as we say, catch some rays... go surfing, windsailing,boating,..etc.

Snowmobile Holidays

There are some fabulous pictures of snowmobile holiday resorts in Canada at Snowmobile Holidays in Canada

Check it out, the pictures are fantastic...besides snowmobiling, there are other activities such as cross-country skiing,dogsledding,ice-skating and skiing..