ABC Wednesday - X is for XX

X is for XX..........




 

I am really stretching it this week - after nine rounds, my "X" vocabulary has dwindled considerably.

My youngest will be turning twenty years old this year, leaving the teens behind to begin a new decade.

And to represent the number twenty in Roman Numerals, one uses the capital letter "X" two times.

Ten for each "X" equals twenty.

XX = 20.

Really stretching the X for this week, and I hope it qualifies!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

The Happiest of Holidays to All

Happy Holidays!




 

However you celebrate this holiday season, here's wishing it is a happy one!

Season Greetings and Happy Holidays to our friends all over this big wide world.

Hope it is special for each of you in it's own way.

 

ABC Wednesday - W is for Winter Solstice

W is for Winter Solstice..........




 

Winter doesn't officially arrive until 12:30 am on 12/22/11.

On this Winter Solstice day, the Earth's northern axis, or North Pole, is pointing the farthest from the sun as it will get.

That makes it the shortest day of daylight in the year - the area above the Arctic Circle will have 24 hours of darkness.

Then, the next day, the day's light will start getting longer.

Granted, it is only by minutes, but I bet those who reside in the Arctic Circle region are awfully happy about that!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Summer Ocean View - Our World

  Summer Ocean View - Our World



 

It is different in this spot each time we visit it at the ocean.


Different flowers for each season, and even though they are wild flowers, they change each year.


Which makes me think that someone must clear them out.


A couple of summers ago, it was overrun with milkweed and thistle.


There have been none of these plants there since.


I kind of miss the fluff and little Goldfinch birds that love the thistle seeds.


Glad we were able to see it when it was there!

ABC Wednesday - V is for Verdant

V is for Verdant..........




 

So green and lush is this field in the spring.

Quite a contrast to the brown of the fall that has yet to be covered in snow.

The hope of the spring is what keeps those of us, who are not too fond of winter, going.

I will say, it has been nice to not be covered with that snow yet.

But it will come as it always does.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Rocky Shore

Rocky Shore




 

New England has some beautiful sandy beaches.

But this scene of rocky shoreline becomes more the norm as one travels further north up the coast.

Maine is known for it's rocky coast, and this is a typical view of a Maine beach.

Still quite beautiful.

Hopefully we will be able to retire to a spot such as this in the next few years.

Surely looking forward to it!

 

Not the Same Old Slim-Fast

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Slim-Fast has been around for many years.

I first tried it almost 25 years ago when all that was available was the powder that was added to milk to make a shake.

From what I remember, it was pleasantly tasting, and I did loose weight.

But like most people who are constantly fighting the weight issue, it didn't  stay off.

I have been up and down with the weight over the years, and at this point in my life, as long as I eat right and keep up with my exercise routine, I feel that is what is important.

But, sometimes, the urge to loose weight comes back around, especially at this time of the year when a few extra pounds are sure to find their way to my hips.

So when I received a coupon in the mail to try the new Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Plan, I thought I would give it a shot.

I purchased the Chocolate shake drink, and was surprised to see they were already premixed and ready to use.

That certainly makes it much easier than the powders I used to use.

The 3-2-1 Plan includes eating three of the Slim-Fast delicious snack bars, fruit, nuts, or veggies.

Two of the shakes or meal bars are also consumed.

And by eating one 500 calorie balanced meal that includes half a plate of veggies, and a quarter each of protein and grains, the food consumed provides the necessary nourishment for the day.

I found my Slim-Fast 3-2-1 products in my grocery store, but they are also available at Wal-Mart and Target and online at Amazon.com.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the extra holiday goodies won't find their way to my hips with this diet plan.

"Like" Slim-Fast on Facebook and check out their sweepstakes to win $10,000.

Pile of Leaves

Pile of Leaves




 

Mother Nature sure made someone's job pretty easy.

She blew all the leaves in the park right up against the fence.

Ready for the leaf vacuumer to come and get them - with little effort on their part.

They are all gathered around a cleat for large boat to tie up to.

I have not seen these cleats used in years, but I remember while growing up they always had a thick rope around them, keeping a large boat in place.

Not much has changed at this place since those days, but I suspect that someday, those boat cleats will be removed and sold for the heavy metal that they are .

.

 

ABC Wednesday - U is for Unblinking

U is for Unblinking..........




 

He stares straight ahead.

Unblinking.

Totally ignoring the black clicking thing that sometimes gets too close for his liking.

 Not letting anything get to him, he held this pose as I closed in on him.

He could only stand it for so long though.

After the click, he just had to get up and leave.

I do appreciate the cooperation that he so sparingly bestows on me though.

Every once in a while I can get a decent photo of our feral cat, Rusty.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.