My Roba Dolce Review

You may remember that I posted about a free sample of Roba Dolce products back in January.  Well, my family finally sampled the products and here is my review in order of preference:

• Lemon Sorbetto... this is my personal favorite!  I love lemon, and this is the perfect blend of tart with just a touch of sweet.  I couldn't stop eating this.  The rest of the family just got a "token" taste.
• Dark Chocolate Chunk Gelato... this was the overall favorite of everyone!  Creamy, dark, decadent, delightful... with chunky chocolate pieces!  My guys polished this off!  I was lucky to get a tiny sample bite of this luscious gelato!
• Mango Sorbetto... First taste, I wasn't sure.  I was still in my happy, lemon place.  I have to say, I really liked this flavor.  The mango was rich, without being too sweet.  A perfect dessert treat, especially after a spicy meal.
• Pistachio Gelato... This took me back to the 70's when everyone was making "Pistachio Pudding" for pot luck dinners.  It was sweet and creamy, with little bits of crunchy nuts in every bite.  Delicious!
•  Coconut Gelato... If you like coconut creme pie, you will love this!  It's the sweetest coconut flavor, so creamy, with bits of shredded coconut blended in.  Even my sons, who have never cared much for coconut, loved this!  It was wonderful served alongside a warm, dark chocolate brownie!   

Thank you to Roba Dolce for the opportunity to sample, and review, their excellent products!  If you want to find a store selling Roba Dolce products, visit their web site.  In my area, Roba Dolce is sold at Costco and Walgreens.  Roba Dolce also has a FaceBook Page Here.

Another big "Thank You" goes out to Karen, of This Old House 2 , for letting me know about this wonderful opportunity.  She has a lovely blog... please take a few minutes out of your day to visit her! 

Happy Birthday Dad...

I was about a year old when this was taken.

Grandpa & Grandma (who raised me) and my Daddy

I still miss my dad.  Today is his birthday.  My dad didn't play a big role in my life, but you couldn't help loving him.  He was funny, interesting, and well... I was always told I was stubborn, just like him.  It's true... I am! 

I loved to hear him sing... he sounded a little like Merle Haggard, and he had a great laugh.  He's been gone for almost 21 years... seems like only a moment ago.  Gone, never forgotten.  Sending love heavenward...

Chopped...

Well, I'd been thinking about donating my hair again and last night I chopped it off!  Twelve inches gone!  It feels so light and airy!  I haven't worn my hair this short in a long time. 

We took this first photo a few nights ago for our church's directory.  That's my hubby PJ,  me, and my youngest son, Lucky 13!  Aren't they cute!  You can't really see that my hair goes way down my back. 

 Twelve inches chopped off!

And the first result in a pic my son took.  A little blurry, but it gives you an idea...

I did the cutting after 11 pm last night.  Lol!  A bit jagged, but I did it!  Today, I had PJ straighten out the edges in the back for me.  It turned out pretty well for a non professional home hair cut.  Sorry about the surgery scar... haven't figured how to edit it out.  I'm hoping it will fade some day.

It's been a productive couple days for me.  Got some projects done, boxed up more goodies for the ARC to pick up, and gave myself a new do!  Feels grand!

My Valentine's Day... and Other Stuff

My sweet husband really made my Valentine's Day lovely.  I woke up to find a beautiful card and a gorgeous pink azalea plant waiting for me!  He had already given me Lindt Chocolates, and had baked me my favorite Gooseberry Pie!

 This pie was delicious! 

When he got home from work, he surprised me with three wonderful soaps I had on my wish list; Lavender and Ocean Rain made with Shea butter, and Cloister Garden, a floral fruity fragrance, made with goat's milk... they smell heavenly!  Plus, a beautiful Celtic Trinity Bracelet!  He is quite a guy, and I'm so glad he still puts up with me!  

Other stuff...

Tuesday we had the most beautiful spring weather!  It got up to 64 degrees, a record for February!  Then yesterday came...  Big hail, winds, lightening, then snow...  Needless to say, it was black ice this morning.  I drove Lucky 13 to school... as always, the High School parking lot is one of the most dangerous places to drive, and the only place I slid!  I was glad to get back to my nice, warm home!  Here is a look at what was coming down...

This is supposed to last for the next couple of days... Oh, how I'm looking forward to spring!

Reminder:  The due date for the Brenda Photo Challenge is coming up!  It's February 26th!  The category is "Red" and should be lots of fun.  It's not too late to sign up.  Just go Here!  My photos will be posted over at Nita Jo's Photos, my photo blog.

Wishing you a beautiful day... and stay hopeful, Spring is just around the corner!

Sunday Scribblings #253 - Story

Here is a  short piece of fiction for this weeks Sunday Scribblings.  The prompt is Story.


It was like any other afternoon.  The kids were at school, Tom was at work, and I was sitting at home wondering what to do next.  I have a to-do list about a mile long, but just didn't have the motivation to tackle any of the jobs.  I looked out the window.  What a beautiful spring day!  The sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze.

I stood there, undecided for about 30 seconds.  Then, grabbing a light sweater and my keys, I went out the door.  Walking briskly, I headed for the park about six blocks from my home.  It was pretty empty this time of the day.  There were a few young women with their toddlers or their dogs, and one or two senior citizens walking slowly along.  I made my way to my favorite bench, overlooking the water.  It was relaxing sitting there in the quiet, watching the ducks and geese.

A soft voice over my shoulder asked, "Do you mind if I sit for a bit?"  "No, there's plenty of room here." I replied glancing back.  The elderly man smiled as he came around and sat down.  We both silently looked out over the water.

After a few moments, he spoke.  "My wife and I used to walk down to this park every Sunday afternoon to watch the birds."  "That must have been nice." I replied.  "It was nice, now that I think about it.  When we were coming, it was just part of our routine."  I smiled, and he knew he had a friendly listener.

"Funny how you appreciate things so much more when they're gone." he paused, "My wife passed away a year ago in February, just before Valentine's Day.  We were together for 52 years."  His voice was quiet, unemotional.  "I hadn't even bought her a card yet.  I have a bad habit of doing those kind of things at the last minute."  He reached up, scratching at his slightly whiskered chin.  His eyes were lost in thought, so I turned my attention back to the ducks.  I wondered what their story was.  Were they very much in love, or was her passing a relief to him?  Did they have children?  What had their lives been like?

I glanced back over and noticed his eyes had misted up.  "I'm sure you really miss your wife."  I offered, wondering if he still wanted to talk.  "Oh, I do.  So much.  It was always just her and me.  We were never able to have children, and most of our family lived far away from here.  It was just us."  he said, with a slight smile.  "But, we were enough for each other.  I guess that's why it's so hard now.  It gets a little lonely at times."  "Oh, I'm sure it does!" I replied.  He waited a moment, then added, "The one constant is my walks in this park.  It's one of the few places that hasn't changed all that much.  It's full of memories."  The man and I, John was his name, continued to chat for about an hour.  He then stiffly stood, reached out his hand and shook mine.  "This was a pleasure.  Thank you for listening to an old man's stories" and he headed off.

I sat for a little while longer, happy that I'd ignored the lists just this once. I felt refreshed by the spring air and the lovely memories shared with a stranger, who was now an acquaintance.  I hoped our paths would cross again some afternoon.


© 07February11 ajj

Bird Songs...

Even with the freezing cold temperatures, my heart is light because I am hearing bird songs from outside my window.  I went to visit Joanne Heim's blog, and there was a post on birds, songs, and boundaries.  It was uplifting and joyful!

As you can see on my sidebar, there is a photo link and prayer request for Joanne.  She suffered a major stroke on January 11th.  Joanne, and each family member, is in need of our prayers.  Here is a link to her December 15th Post:

"Birds and Songs and Boundaries"

Three times a week, one of Joanne's previous posts is pulled out of the archives.  This one really blessed me today.  This is the scripture she shared... Psalm 16:

You have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance! 

I pray for the day that Joanne will be able to share her thoughts with us again.  In the meantime, visit her blog to read her archives, and updates, posted by Tobin, family, and friends.  Please continue to pray for her healing...

Believe in Miracles.

A New Look...

I have admired so many of your blogs since starting mine.  I finally decided to try an entirely new look!  I was visiting a new blogger, Karen of Todolwen, and I noticed how pretty it looked.  In the upper left-hand corner was the name of the designer, Itkupilli, and it said "Free" so I had to check that out!  You all know how I love a bargain.  Free stuff is even better! 

If you're thinking of dressing up your blog, visit Itkupilli by clicking on the photo link on my sidebar.  You can also get there by clicking on her name in the upper left-hand corner of my blog.  She has all kinds of free backgrounds, plus she posts easy to follow instructions on her side bar.  I am a slow learner for many of the blogger features, but hers was very easy for me.  Just take it one step at a time.

I am also playing with my photo blog, Nita Jo's Photos.  I used the "blog widening" instructions provided by Donna, of Cottage Days and Journeys.  I haven't finished tweaking it yet.  I'm not happy with my Tippy Kittycat photo in the larger size, so I'm looking for a new photo for the header.  I have hundreds to rummage through and it's going to take me a while.  I am excited to experiment with the new size. 

Now, all I need is someone out there to help me create an email newsletter template.  I have tried to find something that I can copy and paste into my email.  I don't want to send it as an attachment.  I have created the newsletter on a "Publisher" type format.  The photos and Logos will not paste!  I even opened up two different email accounts, just to see if they would accept my document.  I am looking for a free, or dirt cheap, "help" site.  Do you know of one?  I would prefer not to have to create a web site to get this done.  Can you help?