Tired Tuesday Tails...

I'm ok, just a little tired.  A lot tired actually.
 Today was a very busy day.  I went to the clinic, and we stopped at Tuesday Morning for some glassware, new slippers for me, and some little pnk storage  boxes - found while foraging the shelves- for, as the checker said, "my happiness".  He made me smile, and DH handed them over....

 But here is a Wilson's Warbler that never fails to come to the yard for a snack. Can you find him?  

Wilson's In the barely alive Jade Plant.

Mr. Z got this snap and actually about a dozen but that bird never stopped moving!  I wish I had the energy of this little bird!

The Allen's hummingbird is also illusive, so I'm thinking of sewing myself a hide, or even a survivalist's suit as seen on TV, so that I can get a drop on this also fast moving little fellow!   We have also a regular visit from a Nashville Warbler but that one is here as soon as the sun is up, along with all the Lesser Goldfinch.  They all come to visit the water pans - while those are still cool enough - and the blossoms. 

Wishing you are good rest of the week, and more energy! 

Impressionist Cape Honeysuckle and Sunday Stealing.

In the effort to make habitual the sketching and color use, I've tried to do this everyday but sometimes other stuff gets in the way... But, for Elle and Bee, here is another pen drawing.  Pens are somewhat dried out but they still work for this:

Cape Honeysuckle
I've given it a Gallery Frame just for fun.

And now, the great and very fun to do meme:  Sunday Stealing!

September 27, 2014

Ask Away!

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.
Let's go!!!

From Stronger

Ask Away!

1. What is your zodiac sign?   I'm tucked just out of one by a couple of hours, so, in the cusp between Sagittarius and Capricorn.

2. What is your favorite color?  Green is the top of the list, but Yellow, Blue, Brown and Pink are right there justling shoulders with it.  Color vision is worth living for I tell you!

3. What’s your lucky number? 37.  

4. What talents do you have?  I like to draw and paint and seem to have a talent for that.  I used to sing very well,  I can still design and build a house but now would need a crew to do all work!    

5. Are you psychic in any way?  Somewhat.  I can predict when the dog is hungry.. all the time.  hahahaha

6. Favorite song?  "You've Got A Friend", by Carole King.  

7. How many pillows do you sleep with?  Three, a very phat king sized pillow to rest my bionic knee on, a fat little arm pillow for that cranky bit of anatomy, and a tiny pillow that is really a decorative pillow in the shape of a butterfly.  It replaces the neck roll one and is great.

8. What position do you usually sleep in? On my side

9. Have you ever tried archery?  I was a top archer in GAA intramural sport.  I still love archery just can't  pull a bow anymore.  I don't like anything but a long bow.  Those sissy arse things with wheels and sights are not my cuppa.

10. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?  3 days was common back in the day.

11. Do you have any scars?  Are we speaking of things to be ID'd with?  By the Feds?  One on my wrist and one all over my scabrous knee, from metallic implants.

12. Have you ever had a secret admirer?  If I did (or do) it is a mystery to me.

13. Can you do any other accents other than your own?  I can do Spanish, French, Texan, Alabaman (deep south), Georgian, Canadian, and New Jerseyan (sometimes).   I love accents.

14. Are you a good judge of character?  No.  

15. Can you curl your tongue? Yes

16. Are you a clean or messy person?  I'm clean but messy looking.

17. How long does it take for you to get ready?  Two hours.  First I have to wake up.

18. Do you have much of an ego?  That was kicked out of me in my youth.

19. Do you talk to yourself?  I've been known to mutter, yes.

20. Do you sing to yourself?  All the time.

21. Can you name all 50 states of America?  Yes, and even some of their capitols.  Rote teaching has it's special effects.

22. Have you ever been scuba diving?  Nope, and I really wanted to.  Bad ears.

23. What makes you nervous?  Gun shots, nearby.

24. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?  Never, the kids, yes, when they were small, it was part of their education.  

25. Are you ticklish?  Living on your last nerve, after awhile, makes you immune to being ticklish, right?  So, No.

26. Have you ever been in a position of authority?  Only once.  And it was a shock when everyone turned around and listened to me intently, and then we all ran.

27. How many piercings do you have?  Do we do these in pairs?  I have three pair.

28. Can you roll your Rs?  Yes, I can roll them all the way to Spain and France and back.

29. How fast can you type?  PDQ.  I'm a touch typist.

30. What are you allergic to?  Many things.  

31. Do you keep a journal? Just this blog.

32. Do you like your age?  Yes, everyday above ground is a good day.

33. What makes you angry?  Cruelty to Animals and Kids, and State Malfeasance and Brutality.

34. Were your ancestors royalty?  Yes.  The Duke of Marqués, but just try to find that dude.  He came over with Cortés, that rat bustard.  The Duke's unlucky younger brother was a French Franciscan and suffered the fate of being killed by the Native Americans in Maryland, in probably the year 1620, but I forget the exact year.  There, now you all know far too much about me.  

"A Day in the Life" but what day? Saturday 9

A Day in the Life

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: A Day in the Life (1967)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) According to Rolling Stone, this is the greatest Beatle song of all. What's your favorite Beatle song?    My Favorite Beatles song:


2) "A Day in the Life" took 5 days to record. Looking back on the last five days, what did you accomplish?

I got two occasional tables moved and rearranged, picked out another place for the drum table, and picked out a design technique for the one of the other ones that I've wanted to do for ages and now set to with a WILL of IRON!

This is to show the technique, my table is very small.
This is from an old magazine article that
I saved and uses paints and resists on an undecorated piece, which essentially what I have.
  

The table I have was an old kidney shaped, pine table that use to have swing out arms and a glass top before the top was cut into a rectangle and the arms removed. It's served as an end table all these years.  Now it will be booooteefooool!

I also got the weaving yarns separated and bagged to go north, and the cone yarns, and one or two other little messy things cleared up.  Spent an afternoon with my sister and Bro in Law, and, I went to get a flu shot, which is quite a trek for us.  Planned three butterfly bushes for the side yard, and by the STARS they WILL be planted this winter unless I am dead.     heehee  I'll be pushing up butterfly bushes!

3) This song is the highlight of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, the first album released after the Beatles gave up touring. Critics predicted that, when they abandoned live concerts, their creativity would wane. Obviously this wasn't the case. When has someone underestimated you?  Critics always want to be right.  They make their living from that.  I hope that I understood the question... This is my point of view.  I think people have most likely underestimated me my whole life.  I am completely focused in a different direction than they.   Nowadays, I just don't care anymore what people think about my life. If they want to talk about my eccentric little ways, it's fine.  If they don't, still fine.   I know who it is that I wish to please, and I am focused on that "mission", so to speak.

4) The song says our hero "woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head." How is your hair right now? Are you prepared to go out and face the world?   I get up in the morning and drag a brush through my hair, put it back with a scrunchy, and wash my face.  I don't have to face the world all that often and believe me, after all the hyperactivity in my past life, I am enjoying this a whole lot!

5) The lyrics tell us he had to hurry to catch the bus to work. When is the last time you rode public transportation?  Years ago.  We have a trolley here and if the seats weren't made of the hardest plastic known to science, I'd ride it a lot more.  I'd love to go down to Mission Valley or Old Town on the trolley.

6) "A Day in the Life" was a true Lennon-McCartney collaboration. Conventional wisdom is that Paul is easy going while John was edgy. Is your temperament more Lennon or McCartney?  To be honest, I think that John was the rocker, and Paul was the balladeer.  Paul was a little too bossy, and I'm not like him at all.  John was a mystery muse with a heart; temperamentally, I'm more in John's camp than in Paul's.

7) "A Day in the Life" came out five years after the Beatles replaced their drummer. Taking over for Pete Best was undoubtedly the biggest break of Ringo Starr's career. Tell us about a time when fortune smiled on you. 

When I met my husband those many long years ago. Annnnd.....  Speaking of Pete Best, HERE is a very good interview of Pete by Zachary Stockill.  Pete Best is still playing his drums, and is still very good at it.  I like to think of the saying, "The best revenge is to have lived well."  And though he's not the vengeful type, he has.   I am a guitarist and a slave to the drums.  LOVE drums!

8) It would be hard to overestimate the Beatles' impact on popular culture. Their story and music have inspired a Broadway musical, a Las Vegas show, two movies and, according to Amazon, 900+ books. What's the most recent biography you read?  I Am Hutterite  but most recent, I suppose, is Three Wild Swans .

9) The Beatles are an ongoing boon to England's tourism industry. Fans from all over the world visit Liverpool each year to see where the Beatles grew up and got their start. If you won a trip to England, tell us what you'd like to see.  I'd like to see, and spend time in, most of England from the White Cliffs of Dover to the West Country around Liverpool.  Hadrian's Wall would be interesting, and Scotland, absolutely!  Definitely, I still want to see Ancient Wales and maybe even the Hebrides if there is time.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Thankful Thursday: Grannie, Get your gun?

I'm thankful for every little thing.... This is the upper part, now comes the downer part:

Well, not maybe everything little thing I'm watching on Netlfix.  National Geo actually had a hand in this show? What were they thinking?  I am speaking of "Doomsday Preppers"    Some of it makes good sense, and always has made good sense,  like growing a big garden and putting up a lot of it into jars and cans, storing water, and getting these things stored in safe places.

One thing I'm really not happy knowing that there are, sadly, true hearted Christians, living in the most Militarized Country in the Free World,  who are so scared of an Apocalypse, and that they are preparing for it, storing food, as well as BIG guns and ammo enough for their little "armies".   What about St. Michael's Army?  

I've not seen all of the peeps in this as yet, but so far in the program there is only one Southern Gent I respect who is preparing.  He's adorable and funny.  I'd like to know him in real life.  He reminds me of a sweet, Santa Claus, except he has no beard.  I am so glad to know that he, and some others like him, are out there in this world.  It's not all bad, you see.  Just a bit shocking.

What ever happened to the Rapture?  I mean that's something I remember as being a cornerstone of the Believer's Holy Grail of options incase of any Apocolypse.   It sort of disheartening, this low level of trust.  I think we need to remember that we will ultimately be the strongest when we make good communities out of the people who are around us.  Share with the neighbors and care for whomever God sends our way.  He's the judge, not us.

Wordless Wednesday: "Salad, in Fall", and Flickriver "June Flowers", by Chibitomu - Gorgeous!

Salad, in Fall

Chibitomu: "June Flowers"

Tuesday Tails.... Beautiful, beautiful findings about Yellowstone's reintroduction of Wolves

We are really destructive to Nature.  Nature can take care of itself in more ways than we've even been able to fathom...

Thanks to Pina....  

Coming Home, to Amish Hell?... Sunday Stealing

September 20, 2014

Alphabetty 2

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.
Let's go!!!

From Pepperstrings

Alphabetty 2

A) What does the last text you sent say? And to whom?

 It doesn't say anything, a little heart eyed smilie that implies "You're Welcome", and it was to a friend. 

B) What does the last text you received say? And from whom? 

My friend told me thank you.
C) What time do you wake up most mornings? 

4 am, and if I'm lucky I get back to sleep again.
D) Are you afraid of walking alone at night? 

I will walk some places alone at night.  My neighborhood, no.  Lots of through traffic from God Only knows where.
E) What do you do to relax at the end of a stressful day? 

Watch a comedy on Netflix, and then go to sleep.  Sometimes we watch "Law and Order" but sometimes that's a mistake. hehe
F) Where did your last kiss take place and with whom? 

Yesterday, with Mr. Z  

This page has printable things for Hershey's Kisses.

G) Do/did you get into trouble a lot at school? 

I was pretty frank with my teachers at one point.  I don't think it got me into trouble; it did get me some respect.  Times were changing, and they knew what they were doing was not ethical nor was it morally supported in a diverse society.  Martin Luther King and all that... you know.. that stuff.
H) Do you enjoy your job? If unemployed, are you content being so? 

I'm very happy to be permanently retired.

AARP

I) Do you often pick up on double entendres and innuendos? 

In this way I'm a total bone head.  I've only gotten better at it in old age which didn't help much when I was young and being hit on by married men!
J) Have you ever been offered drugs but declined? 

No, so I've never had to decline.  I can't even smoke cigarettes without gagging.  Anyway, when we moved here, the drug local teenage dealer's parents thought we were into selling but it was their own son.  We apparently got blamed for a lot of stuff, probably because I wore bib pants and DH had a beard.  We *gasp* grew a vegetable garden!  I'm still not sure I like it here, frankly. Maybe they thought we were Amish or maybe Mennonite??  We rode bicycles, too.  And, gasp, cured olives!  Were we Gypsies?  Mon Dieu!  

K) Have you ever met someone who has completely altered your way of thinking? 

Oh yes.  
L) Have you ever been offered drugs and accepted? 

Well, I think this was covered by J.  And by the way, what HAS the alphabet got to do with this? Just Sayin....
M) Tell us something weird that turns you on. 

An honest Politician?
N) When did someone last admit romantic or sexual feelings for you? Was the feeling mutual? 

A few weeks ago, and the feeling was mutual.
O) What is something you have given a lot of thought to lately? 

Just who gets all this stuff of mine.  Like what do I pitch or what do I save for the kids?
P) When did you last swallow your beliefs to avoid an argument or confrontation? 

I "eat my own bitterness" quite often when in a group.  I see things normally called by some very bad names and with some uber serious consequences arising, and they see some sort of hero.  I'm past it.
Q) Do you usually initiate hugs? 

I married into a family of huggers so, I'm not the one usually doing it first.  It's mutual now, and it's very pleasant and a great thing for families and friends to do.  
R) Are you a very affectionate person? 

Yes, or at least I think so.  I hug trees for heaven's sake.  Hmmm?  Animals and cute teddy bears.. hmmm?
S) Can you roll your own cigarettes? 

I can roll them and learned when I was tiny.  My grandpa did so many things for me but one thing he did that was truly fun was let me roll his cigarettes.  Then he got a little machine and taught me how to use it because it fascinated me so much.
T) What are you looking forward to? 

A visit with the kids. 
U) Do you have any tattoos. Do you want any/more? 

No, and yes, I do want one but it's too late.  It might not heal!
V) Are you mentally strong? 

Oh yes.  

W) Are you physically strong? 

Pretty much, but not like before I got sick for the first time 30 years ago.
X) Do you think you’re a good person? 

I try to do what is ethically and morally right so that other people don't suffer.  And I try to love everyone, even someone like Henry the 8th who was apparently a victim of an accident that radically changed his personality.  I've forgiven him, if that means anything to him or not.
Y) Name one thing you wish you could change about your life right now. 

I would move in a heart beat to be nearer to my daughters - not in their back pocket but nearer.  I love Central Coast, California, ad nauseum, I know.
Z) What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Protein of some sort, fresh fruit of some sort, and brown rice cakes, tea, and on the weekends, a little more chocolate.

LIttle Wren Drawing; Basket of Pens; organizing chit chat; Saturday Komeekz; Maeve's "last book", and the movie "Clue"

I know, two posts in a day... *sighs*  But I hope you will forgive me my little brain fart in not doing these two Saturdays together.

Sketch for today:

House Wren: Isn't she sweet?

I did the quick sketch from a photo by Brian L. Sullivan, who is just amazing!  His photo is on the Cornell Site from my phone.  You can see that after I drew the outline I wanted to fill in with these pens:

Next to try are the colored pencils

They are nice pens, the black is really a thick felt tip that gives amazing control for it's size, almost like the tip of a Sumi-e Brush.  But they're just not the same as a water wash.  Since I've just started this enterprise, I realize it's best to have your own photos so that you have a multi sense memory as well.  There is something about drawing from life that can't be duplicated as the eye sees so much more when watching something that is alive and hopping around doing it's "thing".  If you don't believe me, just try to draw a Passenger Pigeon from the last photograph.

Organizing:

I'm keeping the bins but the yarn is going to the Craft Co-op in Santa Cruz, along with all the cone yarns (except for the big gray one that is a blend for socks).  This activity will free up some space in my sewing/card making/catchall of a studio in the front of the house.  The one in the back remains semi organized but is for another time and story.......whatwasithinking?

Source

Saturday Komeekz:

Dear little kitty, you won't like camping.  The only cats I've seen "camping" were in motorhomes, which they did NOT have to drive, and in which they had their own pull out food trays and beds!

The movie "Clue"



This thing is a literal scream!  I laughed myself sick and will most likely watch it again on Halloween!

I am reading a book that is a compilation of Maeve Binchy's  writings, her hubbie's and her publisher's.  You can tell the difference, but the book is still interesting and well written.  Parts have already been published elsewhere, and those are hers, as well as things she was compiling for a book she wanted to write about Chestnut Street.  I'm enjoying it, though it's sad to think she is already gone so long.   Chestnut Street


I have a migraine and plantar fasciitis at the moment so I'm just going to go rest awhile.  LOL!  Woohoo!  Trouble from Top to Bottom, er, the Foot Bottom that is.  Have a great Sunday!

Updated: Legalize it already! Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Margaritaville (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song Jimmy sings of "booze in the blender." What do you prepare in your blender?
Being such a goody goody girl now I make smoothies in it, with protein powder, juice and bananas.  Yummmm! Long ago I made Cadillac Margaritas in it.  Double Yummmm!

2) As the song opens, Jimmy is sitting on his front porch swing. Describe the front porch of the building you're in right now.
There is no front porch, nor for that matter is there a back porch.  I've longed for a Craftsman House since I was 10 years old, with that nice house-wide porch in the front.  But, alas...

3) Jimmy sings of being able to smell boiling shrimp. Do you prefer your shrimp boiled, glazed or breaded?
When I was able to eat them, I liked my shrimp boiled and cold- to dip into a cocktail sauce, or else breaded then deep fried.  We bought them shell on, and had to clean and butterfly them. And how could I forget Shrimp Scampi???   Lovely things!
4) During the song, he mentions his flip flops. Have you put your flip flops and sandals away till spring? Or is it still warm enough to wear them?
We wear them all year long when we wear shoes at all.  Aren't the new decorated ones terrific looking?  I like the little fuzzy ones that have been wrapped in fun fur yarns.  HERE is a whole page of photos of the little beauties with even some links on how to make them.

5) Jimmy Buffett had hoped this song would be recorded by Elvis Presley, but The King died before he could perform it. What's the first Elvis song that comes to mind?  This is really weird.  I was trying to pick out a song by Elvis to use on Monday, and this great forbidden music phenom lept to mind:  "You Ain't Nothing But a HoundDog!"   

source

Pycho Dad had threatened to break my little transistor radio if I listened to any more rock and roll, especially sleazy Elvis, and he overheard it. I figured he should know what sleaze was and ignored him.  My mother just let us listen to it when he wasn't around.  

6) Buffett fans are known as Parrotheads. Concert attire for a well-dressed Parrothead often includes a Hawaiian shirt and a foam fin hat. What will you be wearing tonight?  You mean besides my Hawaiian shirt and my foam fin hat?  

7) Loyal Parrotheads paid between $500 and $5000 to see Mr. Buffet at a fundraiser for Barack Obama's 2012 Presidential campaign. What's the most you would pay for a concert ticket?  Well, not that much.  We did pay around $40 to see a concert by Neal Diamond.

8) Jimmy is an outspoken environmentalist and supports causes like ocean conservation, saving the manatees and expanding the Dallas Zoo. What steps do you take to help save the planet?  A lot.  I'm not kidding.  A lot.  As much as we can afford and then some.  There are kids on this planet, besides all the other earthlings who have done nothing to deserve what is rolling down the pike.

9) Uh-oh. When Jimmy and the Coral Reefers played in Wisconsin this past August, more than two dozen concertgoers got tickets for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Do you believe pot should be legalized?  Pot?  Hell yes!  It should be!   Take the freaking MONEY out of it for the deadly gangs.  What's happening is senseless.

Update:  But, taxing the sales is ok.  The states that legalized Pot are already making some money, which is good when you think about that aspect.  HERE  And, Calvina Fay, alcohol and cigarettes are not really drugs.  They have almost ZERO use for anything but killing a person yet they've been legal for years.

I suppose I'm just too old to beat around the bush anymore.  I think that the powers that be made a HUGE mistake when they started calling Cannabis a controlled substance and put it in a class with some really BAD stuff.  What is that saying?  Double Dumass U?




Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Five Minute Friday: Hold

The rules are over at the base jumper's blog... yes, I mean the button on the side bar.  I'm not taking part in the October challenge but will hang on here with a post, once a week, with a word chosen for that friday ON the FMF blog site.

Today, "Hold"....

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."

Hold to, grasp it, that fact and remember that even though it was used against some people, females for one, and other MALES, now we have arrived at the true expression of these inalienable rights!  We have come a long. long way forward, even though it's evident, from other writings, that the original author of those words did not exactly adhere to them either.  But, miracle of miracles, the people have prevailed, and we now have these inalienable rights spread across the whole spectrum of human beings, color and gender regardless.  That is evolution!

Evolution that is a very good thing for us all.  It's not Revolution, which hurts, but evolution that empowers.  Not only that, subsequent democracies have stabilized and stood through some amazingly frightening denials of rights by the very first country to have these rights guaranteed!  Amazing!

I think I see the Hand of God in this, that it could still be true that the callings of the heart of every human to be free has been heard and sanctified.  It has not only been heard, it's been fortified by generations born into wealth, as well as those suffering under poverty, or generations suffering under dictatorships, ruthless emperors, demagogues,. and other powerful people intent on denying liberties.

Democracy, the very human solution to the problems of malicious intent.  Hold to your inalienable rights, and guard them as you would guard your family or your life.  Hold in your mind that you will do this with tenderness, and with a mind that you are equal to the task.  Hold is a very powerful little word.
done

Thankful for birds.....

I am so thankful and grateful for God's gift of all the birds of this World.  And I have a plea.... and a little education for a very big (but preventable) disaster if we do everything right in the next 35 years.
We have to try to do this or the birds WILL proceed us into Heaven.  What will God think of us if this happens?  Those of you who read the bible know the quotation that I am alluding to.

HERE's the page...
Here's the report, and I hope you can get an issue of it......

And it's a little cross over to the two sorts of Art I would have loved to make.   Maybe we all paint in Heaven.  I wonder if there are painters in Hell?  I guess I better brush up on my fireproof techniques!  Just a little musing here.  Forgive me. hehehe  

Not a Wordless Wednesday: Rain!

Here comes the Thunderstorm.
I took a video too, but can't find it.
 I'll plug it in when I find out what Picassa did with it!

The rain and thunder started about Noon maybe.  It rained for about five minutes, and then never came back.  But we were glad for what we did get.

But it's been so HOT!  106°F yesterday and just a little cooler today.  To think that an actual Hurricane gave us a little rain after pounding poor Mexico and heading up into the Southwestern Deserts.

Way back Wednesday...

3 and a half year old Elle with Mr. Z. and a little pet whose name I don't recall

We've had a few bird pets over the years, Fred and Finneus Finch, who were no bigger than hawk moths, a couple of parakeets; this one, and Pépe, my dearly belovéd and very last Parakeet.  I would have had hundreds of birds if I wasn't allergic to them.

After the Birthday Party, with Gumby and Pokey.
Elle is 5, Bee is 4

Most of the pictures of the late 60 and all of the 70s are tied up in slides, and this is nearly the whole span of Elle's and Bee's early childhood.  I am going to "untie" them this year.

The reason we started making slides is that I'd taken a beautiful picture of Elle when she was just two years old, with a little sparrow perched on her shoulder.  We had rescued this baby bird earlier in the day.

Elle was seated on our lovely brown horse hair chair, the one that matched the couch in the first picture.  These were two beautiful pieces of vintage furniture, with wooden carving on the fronts of the arms.  But that's a story for another time.  You could find that sort of thing in the local junk yard in those days.  Very 20's.  The sun was coming in the window behind her.  It was a portrait quality photo, and taken with an Instamatic.

I sent my only copy to my Aunt B because she was dying, and I wanted to give her some pictures of the girls, quickly.  Bee is named for her.

I then had attempted to have some copies and an enlargement made but the people making it,sadly, had mishandled the negatives and had put a HUGE slash across Elle's face in it.  The negative was ruined.  My Auntie, who lived back east, could not see well enough to sort her photos and look for the original.

When we told the nice man in the camera shop (where we bought our first truly good camera) what had happened, he told me that the problem was negatives was that they were pretty fragile, and I should use slides for my photos because these were handled a with a lot more care than were negatives.

I still can remember the moment that the picture was taken, the golden light coming in the window, lighting up the baby sparrow and my little daughter's face.  I knew that the inside light was right at the edge of being too dim and the sun rays coming in where angled very low.  But, it was a perfect snap, and the picture was sort of a little miracle.  It was so magical when we saw that first print.

I'm a Grandma, I like to tell long family stories.
Thanks for going down memory lane with me.

Tuesday Tails, Baby tort report, bits of knitting blah blah, Accidental Art, Drawing blah blah

Next week I want to share a story about three animals friends that Pina sent me, but I can't figure out, in my slightly addled and timid (meaning not bold) state, how to capture and present the story in a blog format.  It's a gorgeous story of what happens when babies grow up together.

Tort Report:  Milagro and Dusty discovered the "Hand of Human" had thrown something Yummy into their path.  This is the first time they've ever had watermelon rind and they tucked right in!  The older torts got more but it was given them farther away so that they wouldn't come and horn in to the little ones' feast.


Some very teensy "fish" provided this Fisheye view of South America, or maybe it's Africa.  That must be it.  Anyway, I think of this process, too, as feeding the wildlife but they better stay out of my books!:

This has been Lomished, Cross Processed
and to think the artists were actually fish.
Silver Fish. hehe

Optometrists, avert your eyes.. the pupil is oblate!

I'm working on the pink Stardust sweater today.   I'm determined to have it finished by November. It's for Elle, and she's waiting not quite as long as Gee but long enough.  The Manly/Beastly sweater is awaiting sleeves so maybe I'll just chicken out and knit them before finishing the body front and back on straights.  I know there are instructions somewhere for this maneuver but where????

And I'm reading the last of Gail Tsukiyama's book, The Samurai's Garden.  This beautifully paced book about everyday life while recovering from tuberculosis in a small village in Japan is just what I need right now.  I'm recovering, too.  There's just enough intrigue going on to make it interesting.  There is some sort of surprise coming and I hope it's not a bad thing.

Enjoy the Week!

Monday Knitting Blues blah blah

Many blues...

Sometimes phone cameras are just a blog reader's nightmare, eh?

And my little morning snoozy mate....  Wolfie is a morning nap taker and it doesn't bother him at all that the chair is too narrow for the both of us.  Maybe this snuggling brings back happy memories of the babyhood Puppy Pile.

He's mostly black.  Something tells me I've posted this snap before!

Knitting blah blah:  This is mostly for my notes.  There's nothing to brag about with my knitting:

So far, a few rows of the cast offs for the sleeves.  My problem is that I don't remember how to knit such a complicated pattern, back and forth, on straights.  I'm going to have to research it.

No sleeves yet.  I just found the rest of the yarn in with other yarns.  Phew!  Trying to re-order that amount would be truly a Bear to do so it's good to have found it!

All three sweaters, one of which, top left, is finished except for sewing up.

This is sort of a kick in the rear post aimed at myself, so as to get jump started on sweater knitting. 

Dear Fellow Knitters who still read here,

Please feel free to boo and hiss if any more excuses are made.  I also hope that all that bobbling around on the cables will go away when I put this on the sweater blocker after it's finished.

Sunspots, Aurora (Northern Lights), and Sunday Stealing.

Isn't this gorgeous.  Our sun sent us this.  I wonder what else it has sent us with it?

From the Guys, HERE at Twitter.  Thanks!

If you'd like to view more, go to the site and follow the Hashtag Aurora.. etc. there.
Sunday Stealing:

September 13, 2014
Celebrity Obsession
Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme.
Let's go!!!

Celebrity Obsession

Celebrity: a famous person From Wednesday's Alice

01. First Celebrity Obsession or Crush : Richie Valance.  I cried for several days when he died.  He didn't get much press.

02. Favorite Celebrity Encounter : I never encountered my favorite because he died so young, but I did see Robert Taylor at the Santa Monica bus station one year picking up an older lady.  Most actors in the 50s were still normal human beings in their down time.

03. Most Cherished Celebrity Obsession :  Do you mean something you collected from your  most cherished Celebrity,like their used cocktail napkins or tooth picks?  What does this question MEAN please!

04. A celebrity you’d love to hang out with:  That would be Sandra Bullock, as a hands down favorite.

05. A celebrity you’d love to sit down and have a conversation with:  Will Smith and hopefully we would talk a little about how he prepares for a role like the one of the future stockbroker in, "The Pursuit of Happiness."

06. An artist you’d like to see live:  That would be stellar cellist, Yo Yo Ma.  I love the cello,  and Yo Yo Ma  is arguably the best player right now.

07. A celebrity you respect purely for talent:  The singer, Tony Bennett.  You can keep Sinatra.

08. A celebrity you feel you’d be good friends with.  Sam Elliot as it just seems like he is good friend material, on the whole.

09. A celebrity you dislike that others seem to love: Ben Affleck, though he is changing a little as he gets more roles.

10. A celebrity you respect for what they’ve been through in life:  Dolly Parton

11. A celebrity you share a birthday with:  Lady Bird Johnson.  That lady is dear to my heart.

12. A celebrity you find annoying  I can't even watch a movie with Woody Allen in it anymore.

13. Favorite under-20 celebrity:  Oh no, not this... I have no idea if anyone I see in film or on stage these days is still under-20. This is especially if they are in a movie that might be 8 years old already.

14. Favorite over-60 celebrity He's Dead!  He is so very dead.

15. The celebrity “fandom” that means most to you:  See. I have no IDEA what this means.  

Saturday 9, Good Books, Drawing Blah Blah, Saturday Komeekz

Saturday9:  The Link button for this is in the side bar with more memes.  Come join the fun! 


Saturday 9: Hey, Soul Sister (because John suggested Train). If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) The video was shot on a street corner in Echo Park in central Los Angeles. If you saw a film crew making a video in your neighborhood, would you stop to watch? Or would you just keep walking?  

For any sort of Music, I'd stop.  Anything else, I would just kept walking very fast, running even. Who knows the plot?  Maybe the next thing is where the perp,on foot, starts tearing down the sidewalk and trips on a root, and there you are?  One broken collarbone later, in the ER, you get an autograph for your cast.  Hmmm? Maybe I wouldn't run.

2) The singer says he remembers his girl in every dream he dreams. Do you remember if you dreamed last night? I did dream, and most of the time I remember enough to get by, but not all the time. Senior Dreaming.

3) The band Train is from San Francisco. Have you ever visited The City by the Bay?  We've been there several times.  If I could, I'd live closer to it; somewhere just below or just above it probably.  I love that part of the California, central coast and north all the way to Canada, to be honest.

4) Lead singer Pat Monahan got his start in a Led Zeppelin cover band. Can you name a Led Zeppelin song? "Stairway to Heaven", and "Black Dog". I hate "Black Dog" but I'll never forget it nor will I ever listen to it again.  We were having dinner at a little restaurant somewhere, and I put "Stairway to Heaven" on to play at the Jukebox, with it's flip side to follow, which I'd never once heard.  It was "Black Dog" What a mistake!

5) In doing research for this week's Saturday 9, Crazy Sam discovered a publication called Trains, The Magazine of Railroading. What's the last magazine you flipped through?  Something at my sister's house, to get directions for a wreath you make from an old book.  HERE is a link to a page that has it, and it's a lot like the one below the pink one on top.  In fact, I like it better than that one.



6) Do you consider yourself a leader or a follower?  
I'm definitely a different drummer sort of gal.  I'm not a follower.

7) Scholars tell us that "To be or not to be" is Shakespeare's most quoted line. Give us another one. 
I like this one the best: "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt  of in your Philosophy."

8) How do you listen to music on the go? Car radio? CD changer? iPod/mp3 player? Your phone? 
The car tweeters need replacing so I can't listen to anything at all inside it.  A tweeter has cut loose and rattles if the stereo is turned up above a whisper.

9) Are you a convincing liar?

No, I'm really not, so I just tell the truth when it seems like it must be done, or, do a lot of tongue biting, or pretend I didn't hear.  Usually that ends it.

Happy weekend Sam!  Thanks for hosting this fun meme!

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend.







Drawing in the Abstract:

"Seed Queen" - an Abstract

Someday I'll just have to use better Media! Bee gave me beautiful paper and colored pencils- so many colors!  I'll have to recopy this one because I actually like it a lot!

Breakfast, in bed, with reading......

This came with a cuppa

I've been reading a lot.  I'm trying to catch up on some historical novels about China and Japan that have fallen into my hands.  If you ever get a chance to read the oldest novel ever written (though not published earliest), give The Red Chamber a spin.  I'm going to read it once more, but I'm buying it as a kindle version.  It's so long! 

And now, the Komeekz!  I got a big kick out of this Pickles!

DH has bragging rights.  He can cook just about anything, and he's also lots better at the BBQing.

Have a great Weekend, m'friends!  Stay cool if you are in the Southwest.  It's going to be a scorcher!

friday5

And, to start the weekend with a BANG!, I am doing to friday meme's back to back.  I like them all but only do these two.  That way I can keep track of them!

Friday 5 for September 12: Spending

Hello, and welcome to this week’s Friday 5! Please copy these questions to your webspace. Answer the questions there; then leave a comment below so we’ll all know where to check out your responses. Please don’t forget to link us from your website!

1. What crowd-funding projects have you supported? If you haven’t supported any, were there some that really intrigued you?  Frankly, I just don't know what that is. 
2. How much of your monthly bill-paying is done online?  I used to pay all the bills and do the taxes every year, but that has been taken over by Mr. Z once he retired.  So, that's the long and the short of it....  I do not know.
3. What are some of the more memorable things you’ve bought or sold in online auctions?  I've bought yarn on auction, and once bid on a dozen tea cups with saucers, assorted, but chickened out when it got up to a hundred bucks.  I only give things away on Craig's list because I can't stand selling things anymore.  I've done my share of it, and it's very tiring indeed!
4. What experience do you have with purchasing digital entertainment (music, movies, TV shows, or live web shows, for example) online?  Other than the odd song here and there around Christmas when it's 99 cents for a lot of Choirs singing beautiful Christmas Hymns from the heart of Africa or something, I don't do it.  Except that we do have Netflix.  This is a marketing thing, isn't it?  Do you want to hear about my shoes?  I buy shoes on line.
5. What kind of stuff have you bought or sold from personal online craft stores, such as are found on Etsy?  I've bought wax molds on Etsy but I've never sold anything there.  I have a shop name, and they send me nice little helpful reminders that they will lead me through it, but it's gotten so HUGE that it's,frankly, a bit Scary!  Also, there is the fact that I've been a great slacker at getting something up to sell.  Someday, MAYBE, I'll sell on Etsy.

Thanks for participating, and have a wonderful weekend!

Five Minute Friday

The directions are under the FMF button in the side bar.  I hope you will join this because it's fun and challenging and you just never know what fellow blogging people will come up with.

The prompt word for the week is: Ready.
Go:

I'm not ready to write for rive make that five minutes every day in the Month of October, so I won't be doing it.  It's hard enough to think of things that will take five minutes of unadulterated consciousness stream writing and typing just once a week.  I'm ready to cheer on anyone who is ready to do it.  That said, I am ready to go home.  I think this time I'll ask to be able to stay there.  I ready to just enjoy the last of life, for which the first was made, according to a poet whom I cannot remember at the moment - probably Yeats who is one of my favorite ones.  I am ready to read everything that I've put off reading in order to stay informed when people I think of criminals have taken over my beloved country.  I am ready to be disappointed that they were not punished which is God's job anyway, and I'm ready to give it up to Him to do.  Try THIS with nine inch nails when you forgot to cut them.  I just wasn't ready to give up the last pretty thing that goes on my face and body, namely, polish.  Hope you enjoyed this even if you weren't quite ready to hear a rant.  But, I'm not ready to become chained to my keyboard if I want to run off to the hills, screaming.  hehehehe

End

Thankful Thursday: Our Family Tree is HUGE.

 Me?  I'm grateful to have such a big family!  I'm also so thankful for animators and this project is why.  It's a human cell.

Now, whether anyone wants to believe it or not,  we all really do need to know that the whole human race is one very big family.  The DNA says so, especially the internal mtDNA of the Mitochondrial body.  It makes us all one big family from about 70,000 years ago.  We descend from one mother, probably somewhere in Ethiopia.

This is an animation of a cell.  I love this YouTube!  To me it weds music and science in a beautiful dance.  So listen, Sigh a bit, and then dance along! 

I posted this some time ago, several years ago, but it may be time to do it again.  This is a tribute to our First Mother of so long ago..... 



The Body in Question:

Picture Source

Enjoy being in a great big family.  You have brothers and sisters all over the world!

Wordless Wednesday- Looking out, as well as looking back....Way back Wednesday

Alphabetty

September 6, 2014

Alphabetty

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme. 
Let's go!!!

From FYeahSurveys



Alphabetty 

A. What are your favorite smells?  I love how the ocean smells when the surf is high and breaking fast.  I also like the smell of cookies baking, and poppyseed bagels, too.  I like the way a horse smells.  I like how a little baby smells, or puppie's breath.  I love the smell of Pine trees. 

 B. Can you go a whole day without caffeine?  That's generally how I do every day.  The exception is chocolate for the three days of the weekend.  I love chocolate!

 C. Who knows more about you than anyone else?  That would be Mr.Z.  He is the keeper of my secrets, such that they are. 

 D. What song did you last listen to?  Baba O'Riley:   It is, in part, the intro do CSI-NY

 E. Do you have a crush on anybody?  Nope - although there is one rather tall Nordic type that I see in my dreams fairly often.

 F. Do you like The Beatles?  Yep

 G. If you could choose one color to wear for a whole year, what color would you choose?  Blue

 H. Do you cook often?  No, seldom do I cook anymore.

 I. What was the last film you watched? Did you like it?  "Troublesome Creek, a Midwestern".  And yes, we liked it. 

 J. Can you sew?  I can sew, make alterations, and build patterns. 

 K. What is your favorite fruit?  I love Navel Oranges

 L. Are you health conscious?  Yes, and if I were not, I would be dead already.

 M. What is your middle initial?   H.  It's to honor my mother's Dad, who taught me how to sing.

 N. Do you curse a lot?   Almost never, until I really REAAAALY get mad about something.  That doesn't happen that much anymore.

 O. When was the last time you had a beer?  I don't drink beer except for sips to try a new IPA or some other silly thing that someone else is trying.  I do drink Non Alcoholic beer for the non-sugar fizz.

 P. Are you pro sports fan?   I've probably said before that I like Basketball, Tennis and Soccer.

 Q. Is there a certain food you often crave for no reason?   No.  I think there is a reason for all cravings.

 R. What was the last book you purchased?   I just bought Three Wild Swans for my tablet.  I loved it! And to think I'd never find anything to use that thing for.  I am now officially addicted to "Candy Crush".

 S. Where was your last vacation?   We went in May to see our daughter graduate from University.

 T. Do you share your fries?  DH and I always split fries, as the only time we have them is at Point Loma Seafood, and they give us a LOT!

 U. Did you ever play seven minutes in heaven?  To be honest, I don't know what that is.  Is it something like charades?

 V. Girls, when was the last time you went out without a bra? Guys, when was the last time you went shirtless in public?  I go bra-less at home.  I never go bra-less in public but I do wear shelf bras then sometimes.

 W.  What's the longest you've gone "unplugged"?  A five week trip into the southwestern high desert lands of four corners, with the Rockhounds.

X. Have you ever broken a bone? If so, how did it happen? I broke my wrist and a couple of fingers most recently, 2006 I think.  I tried to jump out of a raised flower bed and fell.  Also, I broke some vertebra in my back when I was thrown from a horse when I was 26 or 27. 

 Y. How do you like your eggs?  I like them any way, including shirred, especially shirred.

 Z. What was your last argument about and who with?  Mr.Z and I had a hullava argument. and he really made me mad.  See "N". Boy he really twisted my tail yesterday.

Picture Source

Have a very nice Sunday!