The HENDERBALZ

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!” – Joey Adams

“New Year’s Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.”- James Agate

“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” – Unknown

“Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.” – Brooks Atkinson

“New Year’s Eve, where auld acquaintance be forgot. Unless, of course, those tests come back positive” – Jay Leno

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

NOW…

I ASK A FAVOR OF YOU…

A NEW YEAR, AND HOPEFULLY,

A NEW **FREE** WARDROBE FOR DAWN!

PLEASE Click on the following link and vote for me!

It it kind of a popularity vote, so if you could vote for me I would appreciate it!

Oh, it’s for facebook members only unfortunately, but this is a good reason to finally join!

LINK: NEW WARDROBE FOR DAWN

NOW HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, AND YOU AND YOU…

AND REMEMBER…

I KISS YOU!

From Christmas 2011

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MISH-MASH CHRISTMUSH!

HenderBalz — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:56:39 +0000

First off…

MERRY CHRISTMAS MY VERY APPRECIATED BLOG READERS!!

MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS AND NEW YEAR BE HAPPY, HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE!

Now for a bit of Mish, a bunch of Mash, and maybe even some Mush!

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My teal blue and shiny shell Christmas Tree…shell ornaments and garland proudly made by me me me!

From Shell Christmas Tree 2011

Diana visiting a local Hutchinson Islander!

From Diana’s Tiki Bar Tour!

Jim becoming a Florida Local!

From Diana’s Tiki Bar Tour!

Florida Christmas Trees!

From Shell Christmas Tree 2011

And now some Mish-Mash!

Some have asked for photos of our new abode…but it is not ready yet for a full photo shoot!

So, here are some decorating vignettes!

From Decorating Vignettes

AND NOW…THE MUSH!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

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TURKEY + HOT RODS = THANKSGIVING!

HenderBalz — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:57:44 +0000

ONLY IN DAYTONA BEACH CAN YOU MIX HOT RODS AND THANKSGIVING!

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AFTER THE BIG DINNER, FAMILY TIME AND EVEN THE LEFTS OVERS THE NEXT DAY…

CAME THE HOT RODS!

THE CLEAN OLD LINES!

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THE ROARING ENGINES!

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OH, THE CHROME!

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NOTHING BETTER THAN A BEACH BUG HOT ROD!

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WIND IN YOUR HAIR IN THE BIG OLE’ BELAIR!

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THE WORLD IS AT YOUR WINGTIPS IN THIS LOVELY OLDIE!

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‘CUDA BABY!

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PACKARDS ARE NOT JUST FOR YOUR GRANDMOTHERS!

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THE MORE LIGHTS…THE BRIGHTER!

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WITH THIS BEAUTY ON TOP!

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MY FAV…OLD CUSHMAN SCOOTER THAT COULD OUT RUMBLE A HARLEY!

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ODE TO MY CHILDHOOD LIVING WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE RAT FINK STORE ON MAIN STREET!

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WHO KNEW A BRONCO COULD BE A HOT ROD?

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OG CHEVY!

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FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PLASTIC AND CHROME HOOD ORNAMENT ON THIS ONE!

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HOT WHEELS!

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TO END THE HOLIDAY WE GOT A FEW SURPRISES!

A SHUTTLE BLAST OFF FROM MY PARENTS FRONT YARD!

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A CLOSE UP SHOT OF JUST ONE OF THE MANY BEAUTIFUL FLORIDA BIRDS!

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AND A WONDERFUL PEACEFUL SUNSET!

AND NOW SOME BONUS PHOTOS FROM OUR FIRST FLORIDA ADVENTURE WILDLIFE BOAT TOUR!

THE ELUSIVE JIMATEE!

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PELICANS RULES THE SKIES AROUND HERE!

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CONDOS, FISHING & DOLPHINS!

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From First Florida Adventure!y

YES, I SAID DOLPHINS!

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GOOD TIMES UNDER THE SUN IN THE WATER AND SAND!
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Vermont Sends Us Off With Snow!

HenderBalz — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:13:13 +0000

AND HELLOOOOO, FLOR-E-DAAAAA!!!

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From Farmer’s Marketing Opening/May Day – Brattleboro

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ENOUGH OF THAT…

WE MADE OUR WAY SOUTH!

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HALLOWEEN IN JERSEY CITY!

From Trip to FL

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SUNNY NO SNOW JERSEY CITY!

From Trip to FL

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MANHATTAN, JERSEY CITY STYLE!

From Trip to FL

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From Trip to FL

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AFTER AWESOME CANDY BAR CAKE IN VIRGINIA BEACH, WE GOT MOMMASON HUGS IN DAYTONA BEACH!

From Trip to FL

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5 DAYS OF TRAVEL,

4 BIRTHDAY CAKES,

3 OVER NIGHT FRIEND/FAMILY VISITS,

2 HOLDS OF NEW BABY C,

AND

1 TRAVELING CAT MISHAP…

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO OUR NEW HOME FOR NOW…

HUTCHINSON ISLAND, FLORIDA!

From Trip to FL

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FAREWELL MY FRIEND

HenderBalz — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:29:51 +0000

Vermont you have been a great friend to us and we thank you. Farewell our friend.

And I am thinking, there is no better way to say good-bye through the so many awesome Quotes, Comments and Proverbs about Vermont and all of New England.

The best…as in fuuny…are about the weather:

“It won’t be warm till the snow gets off the mountain, and the snow won’t get off the mountain till it gets warm.”

From The Drive to Quebec, Canada

“We have two seasons: winter and the Fourth of July.”

From Go Fourth July

“In New England we have nine months of winter and three months of darned poor sledding.”

From Winter 2011

“Take off your flannels before the first of May, and you’ll have a doctor’s bill to pay.”

From Our 1st Snow Weekend in Brattleboro

“Thick and blue, tried and true. Thin or crispy, way too risky.” (proverb about the safety of ice)

From Snowmobing 2011

There’s an expression in New England: “If you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes.”

From Our Brat. Back Yard

An old Yankee joke:
To the European, a Yankee is an American.
To an American, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To a New Englander, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
To a Vermonter, a Yankee is someone who eats apple pie for breakfast.
And to a Vermonter who eats apple pie for breakfast
A Yankee is someone who eats it with a knife.

New England Proverbs by New Englanders

“You can’t keep trouble from coming, but you don’t have to give it a chair to sit on.”

“Small circumstances produce great events”

“Wishing isn’t doing.”

From Farmer’s Marketing Opening/May Day – Brattleboro

“You can’t always tell by the looks of a toad how far he can jump.”

“Talk less and say more”

“The world is your cow. But you have to do the milking.”

From Strolling of the Hieffers 2010

“He who feels the benefit should feel the burden.”

“One today is worth two tomorrows.”

“A good word now is worth ten on a headstone.”

From Concord, Mass

“The hardest work is to do nothing.”

“Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.”

“A deaf husband and a blind wife are always a happy couple.”

From Trip to Greenfield & Deerfield, MA

“The quickest way to do many things is to do one thing at a time.”

“Cut your sail according to your cloth.”

General Quotes by Famous New Englanders:

Calvin Coolidge:

30th President of the United States, (1872-1933) – Born in Plymouth, Vermont.

“We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”

From Last of Vermont Fall Colors

Norman Rockwell:

Painter and Illustrator, (1894-1978) – Lived and Died in Stockbridge, MA

Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable.

From Strolling of the Heifers 2011

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

Author and Philosopher (1803-1882) – Born and Lived in Boston, MA

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”

“Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing on one’s own sunshine.”

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.”

“Life is a festival only to the wise.”

“Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. “

“We become what we think about all day long.”

From Blueberry Pickin’

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (AKA Mark Twain):

Author and Humorist (1835 – 1910), Lived and Died in CT

“The funniest things are the forbidden.”

“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”

“I haven’t a particle of confidence in a man who has no redeeming petty vices whatsoever.”

From Brat. Brewers Fest Weekend!

From Side trip to CT, USA!

Jay Leno:

Still Alive and From “NNE” as in “NOT New England”..but I had to add this one:

“The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 9 out of 10 doctors agree that 1 out of 10 doctors is an idiot.”

From Corn Couple Contest

Oh, New England, especially Brattleboro, you have been wonderful to us with your unending beautiful views, freakin’ cute villages, varying shades of old red barns, oh so nice people, explosion of leaf color in the Fall, yum-o-licious seafood, rolling green hills, great old homes, adorable farm animals, amazing art culture, and over the top community spirit!

We love you, thank you, and we will see you again.

Now, Florida…Are You Ready For Us?
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FALL INTO COLORS!

HenderBalz — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:46:29 +0000

Fall colors, that is.

Fall colors in Vermont. Period.

Enjoy.

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From Cayos Cochinos – We made it to Land – May 09

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That is all I need to say about that!

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MAKING THE BEST OF EVERYTHING

HenderBalz — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:42:55 +0000

“The Happiest People Do Not Have the Best of Everything, They Just Make the Best of Everything.”

Facebook is good for a lot of things, but it is best for some of the messages that pass over its pages every minute of every day of every week and year.

The above was one of them.

The quote reminded me of my, as I lovingly refer to her as, Mommasan.

I think she was the Queen of Making the Best of Everything during my Childhood.

She is not perfect, but she has made the best of her imperfection.

And to me, my friend, that, is pure perfection.

Here is to My Mom and Making the Best of Anything, Everything and All.

From Mom Photos

And now a bit our “Making the Best of EveryThing”. Or at least, we made the best of the situation at hand.

Come on, we all have them. Think and remember…and maybe, just maybe, we will all start to…

MAKE THE BEST OF EVERYTHING!

I am in a quote mode too…so just a few on the subject for your viewing pleasure.

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When we finally made it to Alegria, El Salvador, a tiny town on top of a mountain we were told there were no more hotel rooms. The town drunk stumbled upon us and instead of ignoring him when he greeted us, we told him of our situation and in the end he found us a room, a great room in deed, and one with a view.

From Oct 2011 Blog

Life is a grindstone. But whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. - Thomas L. Holdcroft
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Our Bus from a small town in El Salvador, Perquin, to a small town in Honduras, Marcala, did not show up. But we did not give up, neither did a bunch of other people. We pooled our money together and then talked a local guy with a pick-up truck into driving us! And even when it rained, sopped to the bone, we laughed and laughed. Best transport ever!

From Blog2Oct11

Even the worst haircut eventually grows out. - Lisa Kogan

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On our cross-country USA trip we missed our turn-off. We ended up on a very long lonely mountain road, and we made the best of it by stopping the car to pick flowers and dance to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody!

From Blog-10/11

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.
– Abraham Lincoln
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When on a road trip around Lago, Yojoa in Honduras in a borrowed truck, these cows caused somewhat of a country road traffic jam. The cutest traffic jam ever!

From 2009_05_03 – Lago Yojoa

Never overlook the good in a bad situation. - Zig Ziglar
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Jim wanted to go to the Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge outside La Ceiba, Honduras on his 40th birthday, and no torrential downpour was going to stop him. We had a wet, but very memorable fun day!

From Oct 2011 Blog

From Mom Photos

From Oct 2011 Blog

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. - William Arthur Ward

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While on a ATV ride with Jim in Corozal, Belize we ran into an icky dump, but also enjoyed this view.

From 2008_12_26 Corozal

Believe that life is worth living, and your beliefs will help create the fact. - William James
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Oh, the day of all days. Being left at sea for 45 minutes after a scuba dive, once on a boat we were happy. But little did we know, we still faced the most harrowing experience ever. And then after surviving that, we kissed the sand beneath our feet. Throughout the whole ordeal, we asked fate if that was all it had and laughed in the face of the circumstance. Take that wind, rain, 7 foot waves and anxiety-ridden sea captains! Ha Ha Ha!

From 2009_05_09 – Cayos Cochinos

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” -Bill Cosby

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And one last “Make the Best of” experience…during recovery from sinus surgery and a thrown out back, I wrote this post.

Thank you Facebook for bringing that message to me. And thanks to the person who posted it!

May you too…

Make the Best of Everything in your Life.

PS…That is my Mom in the shirt in the Header! ;o)

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HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!

HenderBalz — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:22:15 +0000

I love this man…and he makes me happy!

What is happiness?

I like this quote on happiness by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Ellen Kenner:

“Happiness is a long-lasting enduring enjoyment of life, it is being in love with living.”

I feel being “in love with living” is seeing the beauty and wonderment that is all around us at any given time. That is MY being “in love with life.” Part of being” in love with living” to me is accepting that everyone has a different “love with life.”

Happiness is the easiest emotion to feel, the most difficult to define, and the hardest to create intentionally. ~Norman Cousins

People put their definitions of happiness on other people all the time. Living up to other people’s expectation or desires will never be YOUR or THEIR happiness.

If happiness is standing on street corner saying “Happy happy happy.” all day long, then so be it.

From Hey Hey Labor Day 2011

If happiness is taking pictures and blogging them, then so be it.

From Die’s Visit to the Country!

If dancing with friends, sucking on lollipops and smelling flowers makes you happy, then so be it!

From Time with Our Sobrinos in Sac-Town

If happiness is volunteering, then so be it.

From Turner’s Grad Weeknd Extravaganza

If doing unexpected things for co-workers to make them happy makes you happy, then so be it.

From Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island & Little Italy, NYC

If happiness is learning to golf, then so be it.

From Corn Couple Contest

If happiness is researching your genealogy, then so be it.

From 2010_05_29

If happiness is n afternoon spent taking a nap with your partner, then so be it.

From Key West – Facebook

If happiness is helping others, then so be it.

From Alegria

If happiness is staying at home to raise your child, then so be it.

From My Favorite Photos of My Boys

If happiness is getting a job, then so be it.

From My Favorite Photos of My Boys

If happiness is wanting to see friends in person, then so be it.

From Surfing Day – San Juan del Sur – Nic Trio – June 90

If happiness is floating in perfect watery wonderfulness (aka your own pool), then so be it.

From Selin – March09

From The SF Conservatory of Flowers

If happiness is writing about ”What is happiness”, then so be it.

From Panama – Bocas del Toro – March 2009

I think you get my point and I will leave you with this:

Happiness does not consist in having what you want, but in wanting what you have. ~Confucius

I am happy that you are happy, now go on with your happy self!

PS…the photos in this blog make ME happy.

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WE’VE SEEN IT ALL…

HenderBalz — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:16:26 +0000

…in New England that is!

Okay…we have seen ALOT of New England and a couple of weekends ago we put the final touches on our exploring adventures here in the Great North East.

We went to Cape Cod and New Bedford, Massachusetts, and then to Newport and Providence, Rhode Island.

Places steeped in history and spotted with wonderful coast line beaches and ports.

And here is what we saw!

Our first Cape Cod Beach, Sandy Neck!

And here is cute little Barnstable, Cape Cod, MA!

The cute kite above our beach hotel, Dennisport, Cape Cod, MA

On our way to Provincetown we stopped in Chatham, Cape Cod, MA

Marconi Beach where the first United States Transatlantic Wireless Telegram Station used to be…where Roosevelt sent the first Trans-Atlantic telegram to the King of England in 1903.

Provinctown (P-Town) nearing sunset, Cape Cod, MA

One of the tips of Cape Cod, Woods Hole, where you catch the ferry to the famed island of Martha’s Vineyard.

The Whaling Museum in New Bedford, MA…where whaling was once the big thing there.

Sailboats, a common scene in Newport, RI…As well as great buildings and architecture!

And then there was Providence, RI where the State Capitol building is way bigger than California’s (California = most populated state / Rhode Island = 8th least populated)