Sunday, February 17, 2019

Mosaic Monday #15 - Life with you is a trip ...


I am feeling the love this month, and not just because February plays host to Valentine's Day.  You see, it's also my birthday month!  Cards, a few gifts and a shower of electronic birthday wishes made me as warm and gooey as a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.  Who doesn't want a little attention now and then?


Sometimes thoughtfulness arrives in a time and way we don't expect.  Like the day Spousal Unit presented me with this gem, a couple of days before my special day.  No, no, no - not a gemSTONE.  A folding utensil - a spork (spoon+fork) - with a long handle.  Why, you ask?  Well, imagine the scene.  You're backcountry camping, and when you are carrying everything you will use on your own little back, minimizing weight is the name of the game.  Who needs pots and pans?  Just reconstitute your chili con carne right in its bag.  But, the average spoon or fork is not long enough to reach the bottom of the bag, and soon enough your fingers are coated with chili as you endeavor to spoon up the goodies there.  


Enter the folding utensil.  Light.  Folds up to stow easily in your backpack.  And unfolds to go where no average spoon or fork has gone before - those corners harboring precious calories that you need for the next day. Does he love me, or what?







So I gave him my heart … my heart sugar cookie from Starbucks!
Speaking of hearts, I adopted a red theme for the house after the Christmas decorations were boxed up for another year.  A stroll around the aisles at the Dollar Store (incomparable source of inexpensive décor) yielded two types of red ribbon, a red/gold mesh, glittery hearts and plastic hearts that resemble hard candies.  I constructed my own bows, and added in natural resources such as red twigs and other flora from our back forty.  And one day, a delicate white doily arrived in the mail, a gift from a former au pair, who lives in Poland.  This hand-made crocheted doily from a nearby village became the piece de resistance on our dining room table.




For my birthday,  a neighbor brought me home-made granola, and a flower arrangement that I utilized as the gathering point for my birthday cards.





To top it off, Spousal Unit (a.k.a. Head Chef) prepared a masterpiece of a dinner.  I wanted a meal at home, so we could both enjoy some wine, not to mention the ambiance of a wood fire.  It was a delight from start (salmon with caper sauce on toasted English muffins) to entrée (three mushroom risotto) to dessert (key lime pie).  

His second gift was as practical as the folding utensil, and one that I had requested - a belt and scarf organizer for my closet.  Yep, folks at this age, it's the simple and useful gifts that matter most. The accompanying card had me in tears … (bold words he added)

Life with you is a trip.  And I'm grateful for every twist, powder turn, bend, detour, hike and off-road excursion, wandering aimlessly tour we take together.  Because no matter what, when I'm with you, I feel like we own the road.

Awww.  Lest you think he is only this romantic for my birthday, check out his FaceBook post from Valentine's Day.

Right back at you, babe, right back at you.  Life with you is the best trip ever.








Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
 

Inlinkz Link Party

38 comments:

  1. Such fun, the red is pretty and that dinner sounds amazing!

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  2. Happy Valentines Day
    Happy Birthday
    Happy February
    All good wishes rolled into one :)

    What a lovely post, and I love the red.

    All the best Jan

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  3. Again a great pleasure to read your Post...

    Happy, happy Birthday! My best to you 🎂

    Heidrun xxx

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  4. Happy belated Birthday, it looks like it was magical for you, including your Valentines. The dinner that your husband made looks and sounds scrumptious!!! You are certainly blessed. Have a HAPPY week my friend and thank you for all you do for us~

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  5. Happy birthday month!! Love the flowers and decorations. Looks like you have a wonderful Spousal Unit..a keeper!!

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  6. The doily is beautiful.
    You are now the fourth person I know whose birthday is Valentine's Day. Happy Birthday a bit late.

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  7. I'm so happy you had a great birthday - your meal sounds wonderful!

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  8. Awww, I am in love with your happy post! And that card I’d beyond perfect. I’m thankful to be back to MM ....don’t even know what I did differently from before, , but all of a sudden last week I was able to link (on another linkup where I also hang out.).

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  9. Hi! There are various kind of mosaic photos. Many of them are very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Me thinks he got a good one, too! How very sweet and delightful. So happy that you were and are celebrated well. Me thinks I need to invest in some snow shoes. Happy belated birthday to you dear Angie!

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  11. ...life is indeed a trip and the trip is more important than the destination.

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  12. Happy belated birthday, Angie! Two of my family members also have birthdays in February--you'll see who in my blog post. Your Valentines's Day card from your hubby is so lovingly perfect!

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  13. Happy Birthday Angie.You made me smile with the long spoon/fork thing. Maybe I should buy one for Sue's birthday in July but somehow I don't think she would appreciate it so I might stick to a romantic M&S voucher and a box of chocs?

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  14. Your red decorations look lovely and for sure brighten this white winter. The spork is a genius tool - your husband is so thoughtful! I wish you a lovely winter week.

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  15. Happy Birthday, Angie! The spork is perfect. I can see why he's a keeper. The 3 mushroom risotto looks likes something I'd like to try. I must go look for a recipe. :-)

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  16. Dearest Angie; Happy belated Birthday to you♡♡♡ I LOVE the present you had and the heart sugar cookie you bought♪ What a marvelous birthday you had: happy for you all the wonderful presents you had as well.
    I really admire your red theme decoration, so sweet and lovely. I thought I should think about something to decorate my tiny Japanese house when the special day comes ;-)
    Wishing you will have a wonderful new week and Thank you very much for hosting.
    Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*

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  17. Hi Angie, great photos of thats surround you.

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  18. So, a late Happy Birthday is in order :) Seems you had a great time. :)
    Love the mosaic of the snowy mountains :)

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  19. Many happy returns of your special day, Angie. It looks as though you thoroughly enjoyed your birthday and you received some lovely gifts!

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  20. Dear Angie - All of your mosaics are filled with love and happiness. I especially like the mosaic of the crocheted dolly. You look blessed with such a wonderful partner in life. Tied to the same track, wish two of you a fantastic tour ahead. Happy birthday! Happy Mosaic Monday!

    Yoko

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  21. Hello Angie, happy belated birthday. Your hearts and decorations are pretty. Wonderful gifts and birthday meal. I am glad you are enjoying life. Beautiful mountain images and mosaic! Thanks for hosting. Wishing you a great day and a happy new week ahead!

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  22. Birthday Greetings to YOU. Mine was last Monday

    Happy Mosaic Monday

    much love...

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  23. Sadly we somehow missed Valentines Day..... oh well, I guess my husband is my valentine any day of the year. Happy birthday to you. The folding utensil looks just the thing for hiking and camping.

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  24. awww, so many sweet memories here!! i am a card girl, it's all i want on a holiday...i want it to be personal and signed with love!! not many people send cards anymore, i enjoy the phone calls, text messages and Facebook messages but a card is so nice. my youngest son sends 2, every year for every occasion. on funny, one serious!! happy belated birthday, it sounds like you had a special day and a wonderful meal. and great gifts, things you can really use!!

    your birthday dinner looks and sounds amazing, LOVE the Facebook message too, he sounds like a keeper!!

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  25. Wonderful photos ~ all ~ Valentine's Day what a treat for you ~ ^_^

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  26. Happy Birthday to you! Looks like you had a special day...and month! How sweet you both are. Happy Mosaic Monday! I barely made it in time...whew! That's a story for another time! lol Hugs!

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  27. Lovely collages! Happy birthday!

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  28. Thise folding utensils look really practical and useful. Our standard fare on long treks is sandwiches, boiled eggs, trail mix and dried fruit, so we don't have a whole lot of use for utensils......but if we do! My birthday too is this month but years ago we gave up celebrating such events and it really is just another day in our household. Actually, I was standing in line last month to renew my driver's licence when Mary Ann (see my last post) came in and I found out that her birthday is on the same day as mine. She's a tad younger though.

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  29. Beautiful collages, Angie and a Happy birthday to you! I really like those folding utensils.

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  30. You certainly had fun! Terrific collages.

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  31. Happy Birthday to you, lovely Angie♥ That Spousal Unit of yours is a romantic, isn't he. How wonderful you can now get to all the best bits lurking at the bottom of your dinner bag. =) You do make me smile. Lovely vignettes. Your celebration of your birthday sounds perfect!

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  32. Happy belated Birthday,Angie.
    Your mosaics are pretty and so lovely laces!!

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  33. I'm curious about your trip this year? As far as I know, the reciprocal students who come to China for cultural exchange and study can also get some cultural trips regularly to help them understand China, which is how Edupal China is organized.

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