Author: Rose

Rosehttp://www.phoenixrosedesign.com/

National Adopt a Dog Month

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Hi, Riddick Here. Did you know that it’s National Adopt a Dog month? This is a picture with me and my Human best friend this summer at the Giant’s Causeway in N. Ireland. I picked out my human back in 2003 from Best Friends Animal Society. We started out in Salt Lake City, and she made a promise that I would be hers to love forever. We have been together for 9 years and moved in 2005 to live in Germany and now live in Ireland. I’ve seen lots of Europe and been on planes, trains, boats and automobiles – and lived quite the life – and I have fans from all over the world. I’m now 13 years old and despite slowing down because of some arthritis in my old age, I know I’m truly blessed because I have found my forever home in my “Mom”. I hope others will learn from my human and take a chance on adopting a shelter dog or cat. We all have so much love to give and deserve to have forever homes. Remember, A pet is not just for Christmas – we’re love for a lifetime!

Riddick Smiles

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Laura Lynn Charity Ball

Laura Lynn Charity Ball

As if the bake sale last week, Wednesday, wasn’t enough, I bought tickets to a formal charity ball held at the Crowne Plaza (about 5 blocks from where I live) here in Blanchardstown, Ireland. The charity ball was in support of the Laura Lynn foundation. They run the first hospice house for terminally ill children, which was opened here in 2011. (In the USA, these are usually run by the Ronald McDonald House or the Shriners Club.)

You can find out more about the Laura Lynn charity, hospice house, and donate here: http://www.sunshinehome.ie/lauralynn-house.html

Laura Lynn Charity Ball

Tickets to the ball were very reasonable at 50 Euros each (30 Euros for those of us where I work because we were offering some prizes for the raffle) and included a 4 course meal. There was also a fabulous singer, dj, and a raffle the night of.
Laura Lynn Charity Ball

Thing is that despite telling the guys on my team that they’d get some massive brownie points if they took their girlfriends, they all declined. When I arrived at the Ball (with 3 other lovely ladies) I had to giggle. The place was about 10 beautiful ladies dressed in ball gowns and looking gorgeous – to 1 man per table! Above you can see me, Diana and Sylvia; Below it’s Me, Jacqui and Sylvia.
Laura Lynn Charity Ball

We had a great evening (Men out there – really, if you wanted to meet women – this is for sure the place to do it – as they all wanted to be Cinderella for the eve!) despite the drought of men – eating, dancing, and laughing at the fact that none of our “yellow” book raffle tickets were drawn. (They had different color tickets that were drawn from all over the crowd. for prizes worth up to 500 euros!)

Laura Lynn Charity Ball

By the time I got home at 3am, my feet hurt, and I was ready to climb out of the restrictive garments that make us all look so good – and into my PJs, have a cup of tea, and head off to dreamland.

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Cake Sale – 2012

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, not because I have forgotten but because I’ve been so busy. I’ve taken my friend Jules advice, and signed up for the 31 day blogging challenge – to blog for all 31 days of October, once a day on average. (31 posts / 31 days). We’ll see how it goes.

Last week there was a Cake sale here at work, in aid of one of the local schools for the disabled / differently abled children. As the autumnal chill was in the air, and I didn’t want to yet turn on the heat in my apartment, I decided that I could contribute best by baking items for a few nights. The key here is that I don’t make cakes. So, I emailed the team sponsoring the sale and suggested that I might make a few other goodies.

On Sunday night, I made brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Monday night, I made a triple batch of gluten free Peanut Butter cookies, a lemon Drizzle cake, and mixed up the pie crusts.

Peanut Butter cookies

Lemon Drizzle Cake

On Tuesday night, I made a Summer Berry & Apple Pie, a Mince Pie, and a proper American Apple Pie (with 10 apples, cinnamon, etc.)

Mince Pie in the Oven

Mince Pie

Summer Berry & Apple Pie

By Wednesday, the day of the cake sale, I was pretty well baked out. However, the sale went very well. We raised 725 Euros for the charity. All in All, I ended out with 4 pieces of pie left – which is just fine with me.

And today?

Well, today I found out I won the prize of the “best cake” at the sale, for my ginormous 6 inch thick in the middle American Apple pie – which was auctioned off for 25 Euro! The winning pie is below:

American Apple Pie

American Apple Pie

So, what’d I win? A week of coffee and lunch in the work canteen, a bunch of company swag, and well, the joy in knowing that I am a stereotypical American – I can make Pie! 😛

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