Girls Morning Out

This morning my hubby went to the Men's Breakfast at Church

So I had some free time to hang out with Auntie.

First we headed to breakfast.  We have the neatest little
place in Monmouth Beach called My Kitchen Witch.
It is decorated so cute !  I love their food too.
(Hubby calls it a "girly" place hah)

Here I am getting ready to enjoy my breakfast.

My inside photos got blurry but here is one from the internet.
It is just decorated so cute. Wish you could see it better.

 All things wizard of Oz.

The food is soooo good!
Here is what Auntie and I both had.
Trying to continue on my healthy eating plan.
Staying away from the potatoes and bacon etc

This is mulit-grain bread, fresh spinach, poached eggs,
 feta and grapes.  WOW so good !

They also have delicious baked goods.

They do catering for Film and TV.
Here are just a few they have done:

Worst Cooks in America 2010 2011 2012
Turner Upfronts 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Jazz at Lincoln Center 2009 2010 2011 2012
Project Runway 2009 2010 2011 2012
Cartoon Network Upfronts 2010 2011 2012

They have the cutest gifts:

Is this coffee mug adorable or what?

After breakfast we headed to Pier Village in Long Branch NJ.

When I was growing up we enjoyed going to the pier.
It had the best Haunted Mansion. So scary but so fun.
I remember laughing so hard with my girlfriends trying to
get to the outside.  The last part of the journey was a
smokey, cemetery with headstones and real live people
dressed as goulies, we ran so fast my friend lost her shoe.
And she was not about to go back in to get it.
Suddenly the door flew open and one of the "goulies" tossed it out to her. hah
We just about died laughing.  Great childhood memory.

Then sadly a fire in 1987 destroyed the pier and most  of the stores.
Including the Haunted Mansion.

Here's a photo of the pier fire.
It was so sad. A huge part of our local history gone.

Famous Max's Hot dogs gone.
Fortunately they reopened in a new location.

The pier sat vacant for a long time.
Nothing but the burnt remains.

Then they developed it into what is now Pier Village.
It is a large shopping area with very expensive condo's
Some folks were not happy with the redevelopment.
Others were happy it wasn't just wasting away.
I can understand both sides of the argument.

The ocean was beautiful this morning.

Volley ball nets.

Enjoying our day.

One of the shops we stopped in at Pier Village was
Carter & Cavero's.
Old World Oil

Here's Auntie shopping.

Then we visited the Armenian church in our area.
Hubby told me they were having a flea market.
It is such a beautiful building.

Saint Stepanos Armenian Church

This photo turned out a bit too blurry but you can see the many tables.

I purchased this beautiful cookbook from the church.

Hoping I can master cooking some of the dishes my

mother-in-law makes so wonderfully.

I really enjoy my husbands Armenian heritage.
It is so interesting to learned about his culture.

My family is a "Heinz 57" so we didn't really
have any traditions or special foods pertaining to
heritage. So it is really nice to be in a family like
my in-laws to enjoy their customs.

After the flea market we headed to Kohl's. I had to run an
errand for hubby. I got a nice little dress for our annual
Father's Day BBQ with my hubby's entire family.
It is up in Hyde Park NY.  Looking forward to it.

His cousin Mitch is an expert at the BBQ.
He is famous for his ribs !

Oh man, I am saving up calories all week to have some of those !



It was only about 1 pm by now and I planned on going home,
getting some "housework" done and maybe some office work.
First we stopped for a quick refreshment at McDonald's.

Oh my goodness,  the new cafe' drink with mocha,
carmel and chocolate chips !

A touch of Heaven in a cup ! hah

The food smelled so good. I will admit this girl use to be a
McDonald's junk food junkie. Hence the need for a diet.

Oh my, back in the day give me some of this:

And also some of this

Then you had one "happy" girl.

But fortunately,  I am older now and wiser ; )

And eating right feels like this:

Okay I need to get my mind out of McDonald's fast
 and back into blogging about my day. hah

We just finished our refreshment and were walking to my car to head home
to do my housework and office work, because hubby would be
gone all day right?

Suddenly, this rings:

It's hubby he is home early . . .

He wants to go out to dinner  . . .  ah let's see

housework - out to dinner with hubby

housework - out to dinner with hubby

What's a girl to do?

I just know you figured out the answer.


Off to Cornucopia Restaurant.
This is a great little place.
We go there often.
Great food, huge portions.
Great prices. Friendly staff.

Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
 

Ecclesiastes 9:7

Hard Work Paying Off !

Today I had a doctors appointment.

I had to get my blood pressure

and cholesterol checked.
I have had some issues with
both of them being too high.

And I am sooooo happy to report because I have been
putting on these:

 and on days like this

I did this

and on days like this

I did some of this

And I started to eat a lot of this

And a lot of this

And even quite a bit of this

And I am so happy to report !

That when I did this

 I was down 16 pounds !

My blood pressure was normal !

Looks like I won't need to take BP medicine.

I am waiting for the cholesterol results and hoping
I won't needs those medications either.



This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Proverbs 3:8

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.  
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

  

God's Always Has a Plan

My friend Lynette, after struggling with infertility is adopting
a precious little girl from China.
She named her Phoebe.

I had purchased this doll at the QVC outlets in
Lancaster PA about a year ago or more.
At the time I bought her, I wasn't really sure why
I was buying her. She was so cute she caught my eye.
She seemed so lonely just sitting on the shelf.
Something impressed on me to purchase her.

 Isn't she cute?

Lately every time I walked past her in my apartment,
I thought about Lynette and sweet Phoebe.
I just knew she needed to belong to them.

Today I dropped her off to Lynette and here she is in her new home.
She is just waiting for sweet Phoebe's arrival.

And how awesome the day I drop her off, Lynette &
 her hubby get their TA.
Which is the final approval needed to go get Phoebe. 
So cool !

Now I understand the pull I had to purchase little dolly.

It was God working and preparing a sweet gift for a very
special little girl.

God had a special plan and purpose for little dolly.
Just like He had a special plan and purpose for Lynette.
Just like He had a special plan and purpose for Phoebe.
Just like He has one for all of us !

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

When Hubby Gets The ITCH To Go !

Woke up this morning and hubby said, "Let's go somewhere today!"

I said sure what do you have in mind . . .

And away we go . . .

Headed south west so first stop had to be nourishment.

Guess where I am.

Hint:

Eggs, chicken, grits, fried apples & biscuits.

 

 

If you guessed Cracker Barrel you are correct !  hah

After breakfast we headed over this neat bridge.

Where were we headed?

From Lambertville NJ to New Hope PA

First we stopped at Peddler's Village in Lahaska PA
We had no idea they were having a nice craft show.
It is such fun walking around all the specialty shops.
They also have outlet shopping.

Here are several of the shops we visited.
Canterbury Tales Forever - this book store had
the most unusual bookmarks.

The Nut Kettle - walk inside and the smell of  nuts is soooo good.

The Mole Hole - tried to get hubby to get a photo with this

sweet gal in the photo but he passed on the idea. hah

Grandpa Hicks - Cheese and Gourmet

Oh my goodness so many things that tempted me.

Walkers Shortbread, all kinds of dips, coffee etc

Country Accents - being a lover of all things "Country"
I told hubby I could die happily in this store.

Some very talented and creative folks at the craft show.
Jewelry, paintings, wood working.

Here I am in front of the Old Mill.
I love it and it still works too.

Isn't this a great hot dog truck?
The hot dogs tempted me also hah

They have Lighthouse Gallaries with Thomas Kinkade paintings.
It was very sad walking around looking at all
his beautiful paintings of "Light"

On the way home we decided to stop at Washington's crossing.

Here's a little history from Wikipedia

Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a surprise attack organized by George Washington against the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey on the morning of December 26. Planned in partial secrecy, Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River in a logistically challenging and dangerous operation. Other planned crossings in support of the operation were either called off or ineffective, but this did not prevent Washington from surprising and defeating the troops of Johann Rall quartered in Trenton. The army crossed the river back to Pennsylvania, this time burdened by prisoners and military stores taken as a result of the battle.
Washington's army then crossed the river a third time at the end of the year, under conditions made more difficult by the uncertain thickness of the ice on the river. They defeated British reinforcements under Lord Cornwallis at Trenton on January 2, 1777, and defeated his rear guard at Princeton on January 3, before retreating to winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey.

The crossing site.

A surviving kitchen and ice house wing of a larger 19th century structure.

 

I love these old Flags !

On the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware is the Washington Crossing Historic Park and on the New Jersey side is Washington Crossing State Park.

On the Pennsylvania side they have beautiful historic homes like this one.

And this amazing statue.

 It was given to the "People of the United States" by the citizens of Bedford, Indiana and the Indiana Limestone Industry in the Bicentennial year of 1976.

Here's a better photo of it from the internet.

The two areas are connected by Washington Crossing Bridge.

Let me tell you, I was freaking out crossing this bridge.
I have no fear of bridges but this one was so TIGHT.
I mean you had to trust the other drive to stay so close
on their side and you on yours to fit. I was very
happy when we reached the other side.
I bet I was driving Gary crazy hah

They have this footbridge that takes you over Route 29.

From the side where we parked our car to the park itself 

was all up hill hah  - Oh Lord, I was working it. 

Beautiful view from the footbridge though.

Here I am so happy to be at the top ready for the down hill side.

I enjoyed learning about the Durham Boats.

The very type used by George Washington.

They have these replica's of the boats George Washington would

have used to cross the Delaware.  I thought they were so interesting.

 

I understand they do reenactments.

Like the photo below.

 

Well, for just "waking up" on a Saturday morning

 and hopping in the car -  it was such a fun day.

Food, shopping, history and at the cost of a breakfast and 1/2 tank of gas.

Can't do better then that!

Got back home rested a bit then headed to one of

our favorites for dinner.

  

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.        James 1:17