Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Postcards on Parade ~ Colorado
Top Left: Capitol Peak, remote, precipitous, 14,000 foot monarch of the Elk Range, near Aspen, Colorado. The view was in Autumn, across Capitol Creek Valley.
Top Right: Downtown Denver (1979).
Bottom left: Steamboat Lake and Hahn's Peak, elevation 10,839 feet above sea level, and located 27 miles from the village of Steamboat Springs. Bottom right: Ski Town, USA, as Steamboat Springs is known. At an elevation of 6,683 feet, located on US Route 40, at the foor of Rabbit Ears Pass in the Yampa River Valley. The town is known for its Winter Carnival and skiing, of course. Mt Werner is in the background.
In late April of 1979, we were going to La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, CA for a company trip. We had friends in Steamboat whom we had not seen in ten years. So we decided to stop off in Steamboat on the way to CA. We flew into Denver, and then hopped a small plane to Craig, CO., the nearest airport to Steamboat. The airline was called "Rocky Mountain Scareways" (by the locals) and I had to agree with that name. During that flight, I saw my drink lift out of my cup about 10" and then fall back into the cup without spilling a drop. Flying over the Rockies in anything smaller than a 747 is a no-no in my book. Once we landed, I very nearly kissed the tarmac in Craig. Our host met the flight and settled us into his car for the 90 mile trip to Steamboat.
The scenery was wonderful even though spring had not quite arrived there at that time. I was used to the Appalachian Mountains and they cannot compare with the Rockies, in either size or scenic beauty. I am aware that some might disagree with me on that. There are many lovely vistas in the Appalachians. We had a good visit with our friends; they took us to the health club attached to the ski lodge, and there I used a sauna for the first time. The dry heat nearly made me pass out at first, but I gradually got used to it. The hot tub and pool were real treats to have in April, as we were not yet members of any health club, and swimming was something we only did in the summer.
We did some sightseeing around the area, and we drove up to an elevation of 13,000 feet. The views were fantastic snow topped mountains and the valley still dotted with the snows of the winter. Most of the snow was gone, but the piles made by the snowplows were in some instances 8' tall. The town of Steamboat was charming. I am sure it must have changed a lot since I was there, but the small shops were wonderful for browsing. The restaurants were good too; both in the ski resort and on the main street.
We were there for 2 1/2 days and on the second day, we awoke to milder temperatures. The hillsides and meadows had blossomed overnight with wild flowers in shades of yellow, purple and blue. I was amazed that they could appear so quickly. We walked that day, and I got short of breath very quickly. We were used to elevations of either sea level (in VA) or 600' (in my home town), so the elevation didn't sit well with my lungs. I was still a smoker then, so I am sure that had something to do with it.
The next day, we had to go back to the airport to catch our flight to California. We got out of Colorado just in time; on the second day of May, they got 5" of snow. It started snowing just as we left there and by the time we had arrived in California, the whole 5" was on the ground. I hated to think of all those wildflowers, blooming their pretty little heads off, now buried in fresh snow. I vowed then and there never to live anyplace that could have snow that late in the season!
Got Some Time to While Away?
Head on over to http://gvod.blogspot.com
This is Google Video of the Day, and you can probably find something to tickle your fancy.
This is Google Video of the Day, and you can probably find something to tickle your fancy.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Make-ahead Mashed Potatoes ~ So Good!
I emailed this to YellowRose,http://yellowrosesgarden.blogspot.com
in answer to her request for delicious recipes.
Then I thought, why shouldn't you all have it?
I cannot remember where I got this one, but I think it was in a magazine. It is a wonderful dish to take to a pot-luck dinner, or to make in advance and I can guarantee you will not have any leftovers. This recipe is supposed to serve 10 people, but I wouldn't count on that.
You can enlarge (click on it) and print; if not, let me know and I will email it to you.
P.S. Part of the directions got dropped: the recipe said not to make it with a food processor or a blender, but a regular mixer is best.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Word Verification is Still Off
I told you 24 hours ago that I was turning off the word verification on the site to see what would happen. I can happily report that I received only one spam, and it was sent to email, but never appeared in the comments, for some reason. Unless that changes, I am leaving the verification off for good.
Did You Know?
Good morning, everyone! Welcome to JustAskJudy.
Sweet Michele
www.micheleagnew.com
has made me her site of the day, so hang around, read as much as you can, and come back often.
Here is something I received in email: full of interesting, but perhaps useless information. ENJOY! Edit: Utenzi says that half of these are incorrect, so you may want to see his comment and click on the link he provided to prove it. Thanks, Utenzi!
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds.
Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Fli ntstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
Now you know nearly everything!
Sweet Michele
www.micheleagnew.com
has made me her site of the day, so hang around, read as much as you can, and come back often.
Here is something I received in email: full of interesting, but perhaps useless information. ENJOY! Edit: Utenzi says that half of these are incorrect, so you may want to see his comment and click on the link he provided to prove it. Thanks, Utenzi!
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds.
Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Fli ntstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
Now you know nearly everything!
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Have You Noticed........
Have you noticed how much longer it takes to read and comment on blogs now that we have to type in the word verification?? Doug,
http://www.dversteeghblog.blogspot.com/
likes to make a game of it, by coming up with a sentence using the letters to form words. Some of them are next to impossible to do. There are only so many words that begin with x or z that one can use in a sentence. Maybe I just don't think fast enough, but Doug always seems to come up with a funny sentence.
Word verification is sort of driving me crazy, so I am trying to decide if I want to give up verification on my blog and just deal with deleting any spam comments I get. What do you think? Is it driving you nuts too?
http://www.dversteeghblog.blogspot.com/
likes to make a game of it, by coming up with a sentence using the letters to form words. Some of them are next to impossible to do. There are only so many words that begin with x or z that one can use in a sentence. Maybe I just don't think fast enough, but Doug always seems to come up with a funny sentence.
Word verification is sort of driving me crazy, so I am trying to decide if I want to give up verification on my blog and just deal with deleting any spam comments I get. What do you think? Is it driving you nuts too?
For at least the next 24 hours, I am removing comment verification. I may decide to put it back - but for now - enjoy the freedom and speed!
Remember Burma Shave Signs?
Trains don't wander
All over the map
'Cause nobody sits
In the engineer's lap
Burma Shave
She kissed the hairbrush
By mistake
She thought it was
Her husband Jake
Use Burma Shave
For those who never saw the Burma shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930s and '40's. Before the Interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream. Here are more of the actual signs:
DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
Burma Shave
DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
Burma Shave
BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING NURSE
Burma Shave
SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT
Burma Shave
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
Burma Shave
AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
ITS A BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
Burma Shave
NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU
Burma Shave
A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave
AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT ITS HARD TO PLAY
Burma Shave
BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL DRIVER'S CODE
Burma Shave
THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON THE CAR
TO DO HIS THINKING
Burma Shave
CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave
PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW
Burma Shave
Deadly thoughts
About lights that shine
If he won't dim his
Then I won't dim mine
Burma Shave
And the all time favorite:
Don't stick your arm
Out the window too far
It might go home
In another car
Burma Shave
Do these bring back memories?? If not, you are such a child. If they do, you're older than dirt, like me!
All over the map
'Cause nobody sits
In the engineer's lap
Burma Shave
She kissed the hairbrush
By mistake
She thought it was
Her husband Jake
Use Burma Shave
For those who never saw the Burma shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930s and '40's. Before the Interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream. Here are more of the actual signs:
DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
Burma Shave
DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
Burma Shave
BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING NURSE
Burma Shave
SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT
Burma Shave
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
Burma Shave
AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
ITS A BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
Burma Shave
NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU
Burma Shave
A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave
AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT ITS HARD TO PLAY
Burma Shave
BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL DRIVER'S CODE
Burma Shave
THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON THE CAR
TO DO HIS THINKING
Burma Shave
CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave
PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW
Burma Shave
Deadly thoughts
About lights that shine
If he won't dim his
Then I won't dim mine
Burma Shave
And the all time favorite:
Don't stick your arm
Out the window too far
It might go home
In another car
Burma Shave
Do these bring back memories?? If not, you are such a child. If they do, you're older than dirt, like me!
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Kauai Beckons .........
Part one:When frosty weather comes to town, Kauai beckons me. Too bad I cannot go at will.
The menu from our flight to Kauai in 2001. On the cover is a painting by Kerryn Carland, a Passenger Service Agent for American Airlines. She is a member of the Hawaii Watercolor Society. If you can read the detail of the menu selections, you will see that we ate very well on that flight! Photos are: an aerial view of Kalapaki Bay. I took that pic during the wonderful helicopter tour. Below that is a post card from the Kauai Marriott, also showing Kalapaki Bay and their fabulous swimming pool, the largest in Hawaii. Too bad it wasn't heated. I spent most of my time in one of the seven hot tubs surrounding the pool. If pool water isn't at least 85*, I don't want to be in it!
The photos on the top are: another view of the pool, and two views of the lagoon or pond in the lobby atrium of the Marriott. It was filled with tropical flowers and foliages, as well as koi, other tropical fish, ducks, swans and other birds. A beautiful place! The last item is a business card from a fun store in Kauai, named "Two Frogs Hugging". Try saying that 3 times fast!! Being a frog collector, I could not resist visiting that store and seeing all their wares. They have statues for sale, both small and large, of two frogs hugging. I know Ribbiticus would love it! Be sure to scroll down to the post below - it is Part 2.
Kauai Beckons......Part 2
Left: The Marriott site map. Sorry, I cannot scan it in the proper direction, or I would lose too much of it.
The resort is very large and offers many amenities. We enjoyed our time here very much; the 2-room suite we had was huge and nicely appointed and the restaurants were excellent. We had Mother's Day Brunch here and I think it was our best ever. The selection was certainly more varied than any other place I can remember. The buffets were laden with papaya, guava, pineapple, kiwi, mango and all the tropical fruits I love. And the shrimp were overflowing their trays!
I have rhapsodized about the helicopter ride before on the blog, so I won't mention it again, except to say it was the trip of a lifetime and I was in Heaven all during the one-hour flight!
How Many Fans?
Some have asked how many fans I have. The answer is 32. One or two of them are reproductions, and a few are from more modern times, but most are from the 20's to the 50's.
My husband says I am posting too many of them; that most of you will be bored with the fans before I get finished posting them all. Is he right? Or would you like to see more?
My husband says I am posting too many of them; that most of you will be bored with the fans before I get finished posting them all. Is he right? Or would you like to see more?
Friday, November 25, 2005
Collections: Ephemera ~ Paper Fans
Top Left: A very handsome young boy and a cute terrier dog are used to advertise "Dr. Thatcher's Mixture" for "Diarrhoea [sic] Due to Dietary Indiscretions", by the Thatcher Medicine Co. in Chattanooga, Tenn. There is no mention of the artist, unfortunately. 
Bottom: A charming girl with a red ball and her chubby brother, holding a cocker spaniel, are advertising Hobby's Grocery and Market in Cary, N.C. Note the Phone number: 21. That had to be in the 1940's or before. This fan is not signed by the artist either.
Old Greeting Cards ~ 50's Kitsch
My mom kept these greeting cards all her life. The birthday card was from me and the small note was from a friend, congratulating her on her successful tenure as the Worthy Matron of the Tiskelwah
Chapter of the Eastern Star. I have too much of her memorabilia, but I cannot bring myself to throw it away. Maybe one day I will find someone who collects this type of ephemera and will take it off my hands. Thursday, November 24, 2005
Beauty and the Beast
This photo was taken in Norfolk, VA in
April, 1963. We were attending a party to celebrate the winning season of the basketball team on which my husband played when he was in the Navy. We were married about three months after this photo, at the Catholic Chapel on the Norfolk Naval Base.
I hope that each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with lots of good food and fellowship. We had "turducken" at my daughter's home, and it was a nice change from the usual turkey and ham. We brought two of our grandchildren back home with us, and on the way, we stopped to eat hot Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. It was a great end to a good holiday.
Edit: several people asked about the turducken; it is a de-boned chicken, inside a de-boned duck, inside a de-boned turkey. Each cavity is stuffed with dressing, and the whole thing is roasted for hours. My son-in-law cooked it in their convection oven for about 4 1/2 hours. The turkey was delicious!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! Here's hoping you will have bounteous tables, full of turkey and all the trimmings (or your family's favorites) and a good time had by everyone. For those of you who are missing a loved one this year, may your good memories sustain you through the holidays, and help to fill the emptiness.
I drew this pilgrim while in elementary school, probably 6th grade, at a time in my life when I had little knowledge of what gratitude was, or whether I had anything for which to be grateful other than the latest toy or a new pair of shoes.
As the years passed and I matured, the realization of all that I should be deeply grateful for sunk in and remains:
My family (all generations), my home, my talents, the opportunities I have been given in this life to grow and prosper, my friends (on-line as well as real-time) and mentors, the animals I have cared for and loved, for the beauty of our planet, for my daily bread, and for whatever is my lot afterward.
Take some time, this Thanksgiving, to reflect on those whom you are thankful for - and tell them. Tell your Maker also. Tomorrow may be too late.
Thanks to all of you who frequent these pages, both lurkers and commenters, and know that you are appreciated beyond measure. Happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. This post makes 300 since January!
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Cancun ~ The Rest of the Story
When we were preparing to go on the trip to Cancun, we had to have our official birth certificates, not necessary to enter Mexico, but to assure our re-entry into the US. I began hounding hubs about 3 months early, to make certain he had the proper papers. I got mine and the two children's papers together.
In the Atlanta airport, as we were about to board the plane, the airline people were checking our papers to make sure we had everything we needed. Hub's papers were in order; he had gone to the birth records office in NYC and stood in line for hours to get his. The children's were in order, I had collected their stuff. Then, we came to mine. Would you believe that for all the years since I left my parent's home, I thought what I had was an official birth certificate. No, no, what I had was a "certificate of live birth". What the exact difference is - I cannot tell you - but I was told it was not good enough to be able to get back into the US. I could not get onto the flight unless I could prove I was who I said I was.
In the Atlanta airport, as we were about to board the plane, the airline people were checking our papers to make sure we had everything we needed. Hub's papers were in order; he had gone to the birth records office in NYC and stood in line for hours to get his. The children's were in order, I had collected their stuff. Then, we came to mine. Would you believe that for all the years since I left my parent's home, I thought what I had was an official birth certificate. No, no, what I had was a "certificate of live birth". What the exact difference is - I cannot tell you - but I was told it was not good enough to be able to get back into the US. I could not get onto the flight unless I could prove I was who I said I was.
So, tell me.......how does one prove who they are in the middle of an airport in Atlanta, when that person was born in WV and resided in NC? At that point, my husband was red with anger and frustration, and I was red from fear and embarrassment. We looked like Mr. and Mrs. Santa, and it was August.
The flight attendant said I would have to go to some office, I can't remember the name of it, and let them take a photo of me and affix it to an affadavit, which I would fill out and sign, swearing that I am who I am. Now if you are familiar with the Atlanta airport, you know that NOTHING is close to ANYTHING there. I was at the extreme end of Concourse C and this office was in Section A, which was about 3 miles away. I had to run to the end of the concourse (past about 30 gates), run down an escalator, catch a train to the other concourse, run up an escalator, locate the office, get the photo made, write the affadavit, get it stamped, and run back to the original gate - all within 15 minutes - or I risked being left behind. Mind you, I was doing all this while trying to run in thong sandals, through crowds of people hauling luggage, who were not the slightest bit interested in getting out of my way! I had the extra problem that my hubs was so mad at me he threatened to go to Mexico without me, and I believed he would!
As you know from the previous post, I did make it back to the gate in time, running all the way. I thought my heart would give out before I got there, and I was staggering and gasping for air. The photo that the officeworker took with a Polaroid camera, is barely recognizable. I was so drained of energy after all that running, my face was as white as snow. I don't think I have ever been that colorless before, and I am typically pale anyway.
As soon as we boarded the plane, I asked for a Bloody Mary. For a person whose only form of exercise prior to this experience was lifting a cup of coffee to my mouth, I was exhausted from the run. Oh, I forgot, the thong sandals I had on were so bad for running that I took them off and completed the run to the office and back barefooted. I wonder what all those people in the airport thought about me that day; running wildly through 2 concourses, hair flying, clothing disheveled, no shoes and no luggage. Actually, I don't think I want to know what they thought. I just hope no one else remembers!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Postcards on Parade ~ Cancun, Mexico
The top two cards are views of the place we stayed, the Hotel Calinda. The lower left card is a building at Chichen Itza, and the other one is "El Castillo", or The Castle Pyramid, also at Chichen Itza.I have written a little bit about my experiences in Cancun, and if you are so inclined, you can read about it here: http://justaskjudy.blogspot.com/2005/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo.html
The story of our catamaran charter to Isla Mujeres bears telling. The hotel concierge said this was a good day trip for families; on Isla Mujeres (which means Isle of women) there would be a picnic, swimming with giant turtles and snorkeling near a reef just off the island coast. Two of our children were with us on this trip, so we signed up for this day trip. I had never been on a catamaran before, and I was leery of it - seeing as how I get so seasick. I was assured that this boat travels so fast that the motion of the ocean is not a factor. Yeah, right. If you believe that, there's a bridge in NY I'd like to sell you!
We had only been on board for about 10 minutes when my stomach began to churn. Luckily, the trip was over soon, without time for me to become fully sick. The waters in that area are so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom sand. I thought we were in water no more than 5 feet deep, but when I asked one of the crew, he said the depth was 30+ in that area. I was astounded, since we could see fish of all types as clearly as if they were on the boat with us. Especially populous were the barracuda, which the crew were fishing for off the back of the boat. They had a large barrel with ice in the bottom, and after catching the barracuda with lines in their hands (no poles) they would club the fish to stun it and throw it in the barrel. Seeing that was not the best part of the trip, I can tell you!
Once on the Isla Mujeres, we donned our snorkels and masks and were led out into a channel. About 20-30 yards off-shore, we spread out over the reef to see the fish. This was my first time with a snorkel, so I didn't venture below the surface. Actually, I have a very hard time getting underwater, as I am not a strong swimmer and I float so well. There were probably 8-10 different types of fish to see, and it was interesting, even from the surface. After that adventure, we dressed for the picnic, or what passed as a Mexican version of one. In an open air buffet/cafeteria line, we were offered many different types of Mexican foods. My stomach was tenuous at best, so I played it safe with the offerings. My son was in HEAVEN! He ate some of everything, but then he has a cast iron stomach, while mine is made of hardware cloth.
We sat down on redwood picnic tables, and were soon joined by macaws and other birds, looking to filch a morsel of something. My son, who has always been good with animals of all kinds, had the macaw on his shoulder in no time. Later on, the monkeys appeared, and true to form, he had one of them sitting on the crook of his arm in short time. The monkey was loving the bits of watermelon he was given.
Some people wanted to swim with loggerhead turtles, who were in a fenced-in-area specifically set aside for this. The swimmers were warned not to try and ride on the backs of the turtles, because they whip around to try and fling you off. Of course, you know what happened. There's always an idiot in the crowd. One guy (about 25 years old) just had to cling to the back of a turtle, who showed his displeasure by veering back and forth in a rather violent manner. At one point, the man's foot grazed a nail that was sticking out of a fence rail underwater, and when he emerged from the water, he was dripping a huge trail of blood. No one had any sympathy for his, as he had blatantly disregarded the warnings by the tour guides. They bandaged his foot as well as they could (they were not prepared for this) and we boarded the catamaran for the trip back to Cancun Beach. I don't know what happened to the guy, but he did have to go to a hospital for stitches. I am thankful to this day that I didn't let my son swim with the turtles, else he might have been the one with the slashed foot.
Maybe soon, I will tell you about the fiasco in the airport that preceded this trip to Mexico. It's a long one.
Go Say Happy Birthday to My Friend
Which Are You?
I shamelessly stole this meme from Alessandra....... http://www.ajuchem.com/
Are you more…
01) Uptown or downtown?
Downtown, for certain.
02) Country or rock and roll?
Rock and Roll.
03) Extrovert or introvert?
Extrovert
04) Top or bottom?
Uh, bottom, I guess.
05) A cool cucumber or a hot pepper?
I can be either one!
06) Slow and drawn out or fast and furious?
Whatever suits the occasion.
07) Pitcher or catcher?
Catcher
08) Lefty-loosey or righty-tighty?
Your guess is as good as mine here.
09) Into singin’ in the rain or feelin’ no pain?
Singin' in the rain.
10) Prone to bark or meow?
Meow, definitely.
11) Spider-Man or Wolverine?
Spiderman
12) A bowler or a golfer?
Bowler.
13) Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate.
14) Meat and potatoes or haute cuisine?
Meat and potatoes.
15) Catch of the day or the house specialty?
Catch of the day.
Meme from scratchingtheitch.com
If you want to do the meme - feel free to steal it just as I did!
Are you more…
01) Uptown or downtown?
Downtown, for certain.
02) Country or rock and roll?
Rock and Roll.
03) Extrovert or introvert?
Extrovert
04) Top or bottom?
Uh, bottom, I guess.
05) A cool cucumber or a hot pepper?
I can be either one!
06) Slow and drawn out or fast and furious?
Whatever suits the occasion.
07) Pitcher or catcher?
Catcher
08) Lefty-loosey or righty-tighty?
Your guess is as good as mine here.
09) Into singin’ in the rain or feelin’ no pain?
Singin' in the rain.
10) Prone to bark or meow?
Meow, definitely.
11) Spider-Man or Wolverine?
Spiderman
12) A bowler or a golfer?
Bowler.
13) Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate.
14) Meat and potatoes or haute cuisine?
Meat and potatoes.
15) Catch of the day or the house specialty?
Catch of the day.
Meme from scratchingtheitch.com
If you want to do the meme - feel free to steal it just as I did!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
The Dream Experiment
Read the post below this for an edit.
Back in the 80's, I was an active member of an organization in Va. Beach that promoted, among other things, dream study. They wanted to find out if people can direct their dreams and receive insights from them by the use of certain prompts. I agreed to participate in a study, which would use a piece of clothing, prayer and meditation. Here is how it was to work:
We were sent a small piece of fabric (cut from an article of clothing), and a set of instructions to follow for 30 days. We were to meditate on this piece of fabric, pray for insight into this person's problem and ask for a dream that would interpret what the person's problem was.
I was skeptical of my success, but I followed the instructions for the time period. At the end of the experiment, they asked that we write the details of any pertinent dreams we had and send them to the group. I did that, and months later, I received an update on the experiment which told the nature of the actual problem for this person.
Here is what I can remember of my dream:
I was in a car, on a dark road during a rain storm. There was much debris (leaves and branches) on the streets. I came to a long, long driveway of a home (also debris filled), and I drove around to the back door of this house. In the yard, there were large mushrooms growing, almost like tall cacti in the desert.
You may be as surprised as I was to learn that the male dream subject had a form of kidney disease. One of his major problems was infection that had been difficult to cure. Immediately on reading this, I was amazed that my dream had come so close to showing his problem. It seemed obvious to me that the rain storm and debris on the long road and driveway meant infection in the ureters and urethra. The back door refers to the kidneys, the mushrooms are phallic symbols, showing that the subject was male.
I have never participated in another experiment like this one, but it would be interesting to see if similar results could be achieved.
What do you think of this experiment?
Would you have interpreted my dream this way?
Does the very thought of this spook you?
The Thought Process Behind the Interpretation
When I began to attempt the dream interpretation, after I knew the problem that the subject was having, I took into consideration the physical areas covered by the dream. They seemed clear to me.
The ureters and urethra are long (relatively) and narrow tubular parts; much like a road or driveway, connected to the kidneys and the bladder, forming the urinary tract.
The presence of debris on the road and the driveway indicates infection of the urinary tract to me.
The tall phallic mushrooms are obvious, and stand for a male, which the subject was.
The kidneys are located in the rear of the body; hence the "back door" of the house. A house in most dreams will refer to the body (or the life of the person dreaming).
The ureters and urethra are long (relatively) and narrow tubular parts; much like a road or driveway, connected to the kidneys and the bladder, forming the urinary tract.
The presence of debris on the road and the driveway indicates infection of the urinary tract to me.
The tall phallic mushrooms are obvious, and stand for a male, which the subject was.
The kidneys are located in the rear of the body; hence the "back door" of the house. A house in most dreams will refer to the body (or the life of the person dreaming).
Postcards on Parade ~ Nassau, Bahamas
Top: Rawson Square, the starting point for your downtown sightseeing or shopping expedition. Directly in front of the Main Post Office is a statue of Queen Victoria and facing her on two sides are the Government Buildings, where elected representatives meet to carry on the business of governing in a tradition and manner that reflects the British heritage so ably carried on by today's self-governing Bahamians. (I am quoting the postcard, of course.)Middle: The Water Tower. After climbing the Queen's staircase (65 steps) visitors can ride the elevator to the top of the water tower to see a spectacular view of Nassau. The tower is built next to Fort Fincastle which was built in 1787, by Lord Dunmore, then Governor of the Bahamas.
Bottom: At the top of George Street, one can see the official residence of the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahamas. The Governor is the representative of Her Majesty, the Queen. On the steps leading up to the house is a statue of Christopher Columbus, who made the first landfall in the New World in 1492, in the Bahamas at what is now Salvador Island.
Part 2:
In a post below, I recalled our trip to the Bahamas by cruise ship. The night we went into town to gamble, we attended a show, in the style of a Las Vegas Revue, complete with topless showgirls. Our daughter and the other couple's son had never seen anything like it, and we wondered what their reaction would be at the tender ages of 12 and 14. There were red faces and giggles, but funny enough, after about 5 minutes it was as old hat to them as it was to us.
Far more exciting to all of us were the sights and sounds of the large casino; as bright and noisy as if it were the middle of the day in traffic. Bells and ding-ding-dings of slot-machines in the process of paying out were everywhere, and fueled our hopes of winning a small fortune, if not a large one. It was not to be; we went home with far less moolah than we entered with. No matter, we all had a nice time, and celebrated the good fortune of unexpectedly meeting up in such an interesting place.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Condolences Are in Order
Most of you who read my site know about Hoss. His wife died recently and I am sure we can offer our condolences and perhaps help Hoss through this transition. She was the love of his life, and while he didn't mention her on his site often, there have been a few posts which prove the depths of his devotion to Betty. May she rest in Peace, Hoss.
Please visit: http://oldhorsetailsnake.blogspot.com
Please visit: http://oldhorsetailsnake.blogspot.com
Sailboats + Kenju = One Sick Woman! And a Cruise to Nassau
Put me in a sailboat, and I am going to turn green. It doesn't seem to matter how 
large or small they are either. On one of our company trips to Hilton Head Island, we went together with three or four other couples and rented a sailboat for the day, complete with skipper and crew. All set for a gorgeous day on the water, we arrived at the dock in Harbour Town full of piss and vinegar (and some benadryl).
It was my first time on a sailboat, although I had been on motor boats numerous times. Our trip out into the channel between Hilton Head, Daufuskie Island and the mainland was to last 4-5 hours. The day was perfect for sailing; just enough wind to catch the sails, but not enough to cause problems. We had been out of the circular harbor about 10 minutes when I turned as green as a pickle, and my stomach began to protest the constant motion. Imagine my embarrassment at being the only person on board to get queasy.
The captain told me to lie down on the bench seat, saying that if I got my stomach parallel to the ocean, I would be okay. The trouble was, there were only enough seats for about 8 people and if I was lying on one side, at least 3-4 people would have to stand up during the cruise. They offered to go back to the dock and let me out, but I didn't want to cause problems for everyone else, so I managed to tough it out, flat on my back, until we got back to the dock hours later. It was the worst afternoon of my life!
large or small they are either. On one of our company trips to Hilton Head Island, we went together with three or four other couples and rented a sailboat for the day, complete with skipper and crew. All set for a gorgeous day on the water, we arrived at the dock in Harbour Town full of piss and vinegar (and some benadryl).It was my first time on a sailboat, although I had been on motor boats numerous times. Our trip out into the channel between Hilton Head, Daufuskie Island and the mainland was to last 4-5 hours. The day was perfect for sailing; just enough wind to catch the sails, but not enough to cause problems. We had been out of the circular harbor about 10 minutes when I turned as green as a pickle, and my stomach began to protest the constant motion. Imagine my embarrassment at being the only person on board to get queasy.
The captain told me to lie down on the bench seat, saying that if I got my stomach parallel to the ocean, I would be okay. The trouble was, there were only enough seats for about 8 people and if I was lying on one side, at least 3-4 people would have to stand up during the cruise. They offered to go back to the dock and let me out, but I didn't want to cause problems for everyone else, so I managed to tough it out, flat on my back, until we got back to the dock hours later. It was the worst afternoon of my life!
A few years after that, we decided to take a short cruise. I asked my doctor for something to help me with seasickness, and he prescribed Scopolamine patches. Before we got on the cruise ship, I applied the patch behind my ear, as instructed. The ship was wonderful; there was so much to see and do and after one full afternoon and evening at sea, I was fine and had not experienced any queasiness. The patch was making me sleepy, however, so I decided to remove it, so I could go to the casino and play the slots. Bad decision! Less than one hour after removing the patch, I was so queasy and dizzy as to hardly be able to walk straight. The rest of the night was spent in the stateroom, lying flat and clutching my belly.
The next morning, we were docked in Nassau and after breakfast, we debarked to tour the town. One of our daughters was with us, and she and I naturally gravitated to the shoe store on the main street. Hubs has no patience with shoe-shopping (ladies, can you empathize?), so we were quickly ushered down the street to a pipe and tobacco shop, something much more to his liking. Daughter and I decided to wait on a street bench, since we were no more interested in men's pipes than he was in women's shoes. While he was in the pipe shop, he was surprised by people from our own neighborhood here in NC, who had come to Nassau on another cruise ship, and had no idea that we would be here. We had no idea that they were going on a cruise either - so it was indeed a big surprise to run into them so far from home. Their son was accompanying them on their trip, so the six of us decided to go into town that night to the casino, for a show and some gambling.
Have you ever taken a taxicab in Nassau? Perhaps I should ask....."Have you ever taken a taxicab in Nassau and lived to tell the story?" We took our lives in our hands, and all six of us thought we might die that night. Taxi drivers in Nassau make the most money by making many trips from the cruise ship docks to the casinos and back. That means that they drive at breakneck speed, in order to complete the trip in as small as time as possible. I have never been so scared in my life, even on the most thrilling carnival rides, while upside down and hanging by a "thread". The neighbor we were with said that as a fighter pilot in Vietnam and he was not as scared then as he had been in that taxi. In the postcard on the right above, do you see the roadway on the lower left, leading to the large ship with the "C" on the smokestack? The taxi drivers enter that roadway at about 50 mph, and drive so close to the end of the dock that you are certain they will fly off it and lodge in the side of the cruise ship. I am not kidding!
All that made for some memorable moments though, and we certainly will remember our time in Nassau. Needless to say, I was careful to wear my patch for the return boat trip back to Florida. We had only one other incident worth mentioning.
To be continued tomorrow..........
Friday, November 18, 2005
Collections: Ephemera ~ Barbershop Sign
Some years ago I was watching a PBS program on Sunday morning in a hotel in Virginia Beach. The program was called "Collecting Across America". The guest that day was in the process of writing a book about barbershop memorabilia. I perked up to pay attention, since I had a barbershop sign that had belonged to my mom. After we returned home, I wrote to him, describing my sign. He asked me to photograph it and if it fit his criteria, he wanted to include it in the book. I had just had the sign framed, so I had to unframe it, photograph it and then put the frame back together.
The photograph I sent him is on the top left, and the page it is on in the book is on the right. The other photos are of the book's cover and a few representative pages from the book.
Since my sign was included, I was compelled to purchase a copy. Little did I know how interesting it would be, and I found myself reading that book (or at least looking at the pictures) from cover to cover. From this book and others, I have concluded that everyday items in general use were much handsomer in those days; they appeal to me much more than most modern items.
I decorated a whole bathroom around that sign, using the colors found in it, as well as a collection of hand-painted Tole tinware, given to me by my mother's sister. I may never tire of it! I don't know how long my mom had this sign. After she died, I found it in her basement. It is a wonder that it wasn't mildewed beyond repair, but I am surely glad it survived.
In case you are curious, Boncilla was a hair tonic. That was what I wanted to know most about the sign, after finding out it's worth.
Edit: OldOldLadyof the Hills asked: "What's a singe?" Singeing is still done sometimes; it is singeing off the ends of the hair by burning, instead of cutting. It is supposed to take care of split ends.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Guess What My Baby Did?
HOORAY! My baby just found out that she passed the New York Bar Exam (on the first try)!! I am one proud Mama!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Engineers Explained
Two engineering students were crossing the campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." "The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."
To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!"The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude!" The pastor said, "Hey, here comes the greens- keeper. Let's have a word with him." "Hi George! Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?" The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."The group was silent for a moment. The pastor said,"That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for them." The engineer said, "Why can't these guys play at night?"
What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers?
Mechanical Engineers build weapons and Civil Engineers build targets.
The graduate with a Science degree asks, "Why does it work?" The graduate with an Engineering degree asks,"How does it work?" The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with a Liberal Arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints."Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections."The last one said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"
Normal people ... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet."
An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both." "Both?""Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done."
An engineer was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to his pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do ANYTHING you want." Again the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, and that I'll stay with you for a week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool!"
To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!"The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude!" The pastor said, "Hey, here comes the greens- keeper. Let's have a word with him." "Hi George! Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?" The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."The group was silent for a moment. The pastor said,"That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. And I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for them." The engineer said, "Why can't these guys play at night?"
What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers?
Mechanical Engineers build weapons and Civil Engineers build targets.
The graduate with a Science degree asks, "Why does it work?" The graduate with an Engineering degree asks,"How does it work?" The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with a Liberal Arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints."Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections."The last one said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"
Normal people ... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet."
An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both." "Both?""Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done."
An engineer was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to his pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do ANYTHING you want." Again the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, and that I'll stay with you for a week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool!"
Angels Among Us.....Part 2
Since I posted recently about angels, I decided to continue the theme with this fan. It is titled "Heavenly Guardian" and was painted by Mabel Rollins Harris. Harris is best known for her pastel nudes, painted much in the style of Maxfield Parrish.
See examples at.........
She was active from the 20's through the early 50's, and I think this fan is probably from the 50's. The reverse advertises Jim Millner Plumbing Co. in Providence, NC and also Danville, VA. The presence of the letter prefix on the telephone number leads me to believe it would be the 50's.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Fat Cat
We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads.
So I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent and my head couldn't hold anymore so it started filling up the rest of me! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
~100 Years Ago~
The year is 1905. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1905 :
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education.
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1905 :
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.
With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home .Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education.
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
And I forwarded this from someone else without typing it myself, and posted it on the blog in a matter of seconds! Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. It staggers the mind.
Storm
Storm, in her usual pose. She sleeps on the floor by the computer, hoping I'll take a break and rub her belly. The white patch on her belly is where the hair was parted, and except for a small patch of white on her chest, she is totally black. 
Monday, November 14, 2005
The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
A bird's eye view of the huge area covered by the boat show.
Several years ago we went to Boca Raton to visit an old college friend of hubs. They invited us to attend the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, as his wife was affiliated with the company that produced the show or a magazine that publicized it, I am not sure which. To a person who knows nothing about boats, this show is an amazing view into the world of boating and the lengths to which people will go to own a boat (meaning the amounts of money they are willing to part with in order to obtain one).
Several years ago we went to Boca Raton to visit an old college friend of hubs. They invited us to attend the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, as his wife was affiliated with the company that produced the show or a magazine that publicized it, I am not sure which. To a person who knows nothing about boats, this show is an amazing view into the world of boating and the lengths to which people will go to own a boat (meaning the amounts of money they are willing to part with in order to obtain one).
I was astounded over and over at the numbers of boats at the show, at the hordes of people, and at the lavish displays of wealth on many of the boats. We had special access to tour two very fancy yachts and it was one "wow" after another. The first boat was about 350 feet long and had the most amazing furnishings (if you like modern styles). There was a large interior space, with leather couches, chairs, leaded glass windows, lush carpet and all the appointments one could wish for, plus larger than expected privatespaces. This boat was available for charter (to the right people). It came with a crew, a cook, staff and all the perks. I cannot remember the amount of money one had to plunk down in order to reserve it, but that amount did not include gasoline, foods or beverages, and it was equal to a year's wages for some people.
The next boat we toured was owned by Bert Sugarman, who is the husband of Mary Hart, the TV personality. This 395' boat is also for charter, sort of a time-share deal, where you pay beaucoups of millions for the privilege of using it for 2 weeks, and then $10K per week while you are on it. You might not believe the luxury on this boat. Nothing was spared to insure the comfort (and one hopes, the safety) of passengers. It had, in addition to all the usual living spaces, a gym with several pieces of workout equipment, a huge master bedroom and a bathroom for Mary with what looked like mother of pearl (or abalone) sinks and a mosaic tile bathtub surround. The mosaic (lapis lazuli, opal or copper and gold) theme, if I remember correctly, was a mermaid, and it was beautifully subtle. The thing that I noticed most about these yachts was that if you didn't look out the windows, you'd never realize you were on a yacht. They are all outfitted to look just like the inside of a home - granted a luxury home - but a home nonetheless. It sort of boggled my mind (which isn't hard to do).
The next best thing about the boat show was people watching, which is just about my favorite activity. I saw people from all over the globe and heard accents and foreign languages from numerous lands. Some of them appeared to be European royalty, or what passes for it here. I am sure I could be duped easily by some man pretending-to-be- pretending-to-the-throne, as I'd be a gaga-eyed over him and never realize he wasn't legit.
Back to Mary Hart: we were sitting on the deck of Mary's boat, sipping drinks and eyeing the hors d' oeuvres, when we were ushered off very quickly by the security personnel. Mary was on her way! Hubs was hoping she'd be dressed in a skirt, so he could see her famous legs, but no such luck, she was in pants. Her bodyguards flanked her, eyes scanning the crowds as though they were CIA men guarding the President. It was rather amusing to me. I was thinking who in God's name would want to harm Mary Hart at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show? But then, what do I know? Well, I soon found out why we were ushered off so quickly. Mary was there to charm potential buyers, and since we didn't fit the requirements, they wanted the chairs we were occupying to go to people who had the bank accounts necessary for the deal! No wasting drinks and food on the "tire-kickers", as we surely were!
Angels Among Us....
After I put up the previous post, about the drama in the strip mall lot,
I got a comment from Plumkrazzee, at
http://sissypie.blogspot.com.
She was prompted to write about something that happened in her life, and it is worth your time to go and read it.
When I read what she had written, I remembered something similar that happened to us in NYC, many years ago. I may have already written about this, but I cannot find it. We were there on vacation, with the children. One morning we went into the city to sightsee, and on our agenda was the World Trade Center. We had gone to the top floor and marvelled at the sights, had lunch, and were going back down to one of the underground floors to get to our car. My son was dawdling along, looking in the shop windows, and I was leading my daughter along the walkway, and moving rather fast. I turned around to look for my son, and my daughter did also. When I turned back to continue the walk, my daughter was still looking behind her and when she did turn around, she ran smack into a marble pillar and hit her face. The poor baby was eating a candy bar at the time and it took a few minutes to realize that she had broken one of her permanent front teeth. She was crying and wailing, tears streaming down her face, candy bits oozing out of her mouth and I could not get her to stop crying, no matter what I said.
After a few minutes, a small, older woman appeared out of nowhere, knelt down in front of my daughter and began to speak to her in a very soothing, sing-songish voice (with a German accent) telling her that everything would be all right and that she should stop crying. I was very surprised to see that she immediately began to calm down, she quit crying and I was able to clean the candy out of her mouth and off her face. That took only a minute, and when I turned to thank the lady, she was no where in sight. She just vanished into thin air. We discussed the incident on the way back to the place we were staying, and one of the conclusions we could came to was that she was an angel, who appeared for the sole purpose of calming my child. Whether angel or not, I am eternally grateful to her.
I got a comment from Plumkrazzee, at
http://sissypie.blogspot.com.
She was prompted to write about something that happened in her life, and it is worth your time to go and read it.
When I read what she had written, I remembered something similar that happened to us in NYC, many years ago. I may have already written about this, but I cannot find it. We were there on vacation, with the children. One morning we went into the city to sightsee, and on our agenda was the World Trade Center. We had gone to the top floor and marvelled at the sights, had lunch, and were going back down to one of the underground floors to get to our car. My son was dawdling along, looking in the shop windows, and I was leading my daughter along the walkway, and moving rather fast. I turned around to look for my son, and my daughter did also. When I turned back to continue the walk, my daughter was still looking behind her and when she did turn around, she ran smack into a marble pillar and hit her face. The poor baby was eating a candy bar at the time and it took a few minutes to realize that she had broken one of her permanent front teeth. She was crying and wailing, tears streaming down her face, candy bits oozing out of her mouth and I could not get her to stop crying, no matter what I said.
After a few minutes, a small, older woman appeared out of nowhere, knelt down in front of my daughter and began to speak to her in a very soothing, sing-songish voice (with a German accent) telling her that everything would be all right and that she should stop crying. I was very surprised to see that she immediately began to calm down, she quit crying and I was able to clean the candy out of her mouth and off her face. That took only a minute, and when I turned to thank the lady, she was no where in sight. She just vanished into thin air. We discussed the incident on the way back to the place we were staying, and one of the conclusions we could came to was that she was an angel, who appeared for the sole purpose of calming my child. Whether angel or not, I am eternally grateful to her.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Drama in a strip mall parking lot
Paul, at http://writingfromthehip.blogspot.com
recently exhorted us to repost our favorite stories. Here is one of mine, and since I don't know how to provide a link to it, I am reposting it in full.
recently exhorted us to repost our favorite stories. Here is one of mine, and since I don't know how to provide a link to it, I am reposting it in full.
I was a witness to a small drama being played out in the parking lot near a fast-food restaurant recently. As I sat in my car eating lunch, trying to read, a young couple caught my eye. There was only a hedge between us and though I tried not to pry, it was hard not to watch. A tall, willowy blond in the uniform of the restaurant was standing like a statue beside a car. An older guy standing close had apparently told her something that rocked her world. She stood stock still, the only movement her hair, as it blew in the wind, and the tears creeping down her cheeks. He continued to speak, sometimes cautiously caressing her cheek to wipe the tears away. She stared not at him, but into the distance, as though she was trying to fathom what he was saying, to make some sense of it. They were there for about 15 minutes, when he said goodbye and got in his car. He drove off slowly, watching her for a reaction; then parked the car and walked back to her. He started talking again, and she was still standing like a statue, not speaking or moving. I needed to leave, but they were so close I just couldn't start the car, and I confess to curiosity about what would happen next. Finally, he got in the car and drove away. She just stood there, still not moving, for about five minutes. I looked away for only a bit and when I looked back, she was gone.
This has crept into my mind many times since it happened. What had he told her? That he was breaking up with her? That he was married? That he was leaving her for another girl? So many scenarios danced through my mind, all of them evoking an empathy born of similar experience, of break-ups many years ago. I wanted to go to that girl and hold her, tell her that it would be all right, that she would soon forget that guy and her life would eventually turn out to be everything she'd ever dreamed it could be. But I knew she would not have believed me, as I did not believe the friends who tried to tell me all those years ago. Know this, young blond: he will become a distant memory; he will visit the recesses of your mind and be tolerated, if not welcomed. Because at some future point, you will forget the pain, and realize that this experience is part of who you have become and that without it, part of you would be missing.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Collections: Ephemera ~ Paper Fans
Edit: a wise person left a comment advising me to google Charlotte Becker. I did - and it is indeed Charlotte Becker who painted the children's fan. Thanks, Peruby!
Top: An idyllic old English cottage, in the Cotswolds, perhaps? I cannot fathom why that was used on a fan advertising a tobacco warehouse. It does have a good piece of advice on it:"Think clearly, Decide Wisely".
Right: Another baby and child fan, No. 729-Playtime Mother. This one has half of the artist's signature on it:
....rlotte ........cker.
I Googled Charlotte Tucker, Packer and Hacker and didn't find any of them to be an artist. The reverse advertises Haines Shoe Stores, purported to be the largest chain of shoe stores in America owned by an individual! Their main slogan was "Hoof-to-hoof and that's no bull!" The lower right hand corner slogan reads..."It pays to find us as we save you 25 cents to $2.00 a pair on your shoes". Makes me wonder what the shoes cost back then if savings of 25 cents was considered big money!
Friday, November 11, 2005
Old-Fashioned Grocery Stores
Tan Lucy Pez at http://tanlucypez.blogspot.com/ wrote recently about full-service grocery stores and how she misses them. I do too.
When I was young, my mom went to the butcher shop for meats, bones for the dog and suet with which to cook French fries. She went to the greengrocer for vegetables and fruits and a market for other necessary items, such as spices, canned goods and paper products. There was no such thing as frozen foods or convenience food or pre-packaged foods. She could charge her purchases and pay for them at the end of the month. She could request delivery and the foods would come to our home so we didn't have to walk and carry them if Daddy had our car that day. Nowadays, you can charge it, but with a national credit card - not an in-store program. You can get delivery, but it isn't free anymore. They may say it is free, but we all know it is built into the cost of the foods.
When I was young, my mom went to the butcher shop for meats, bones for the dog and suet with which to cook French fries. She went to the greengrocer for vegetables and fruits and a market for other necessary items, such as spices, canned goods and paper products. There was no such thing as frozen foods or convenience food or pre-packaged foods. She could charge her purchases and pay for them at the end of the month. She could request delivery and the foods would come to our home so we didn't have to walk and carry them if Daddy had our car that day. Nowadays, you can charge it, but with a national credit card - not an in-store program. You can get delivery, but it isn't free anymore. They may say it is free, but we all know it is built into the cost of the foods.
There is a certain beauty in the convenience of a modern supermarket, where you can buy almost everything you need in one place, including medications, birthday cards and lawn supplies. But to my mind, there is only one thing that makes them better than the stores of old and that is the deli (assuming it is a good one), where we can buy already prepared meals if we are too busy or uninclined to cook for ourselves. Oddities we might never make at home, such as hummus, tabouli, egg rolls and piroshki abound and tease our tastebuds with promises of exotic flavors. Good old-fashioned egg, chicken, tuna and potato salads in great supply; roasted chickens, turkey breasts, lasagnas and creamed spinach all ready at the drop of a hat (or a few dollars), homemade pimiento cheese to die for, and small toasted rounds of French baguettes to spread it on. Let us not forget tomato and basil or split-pea soup, and ready made Caesar salad!
This is the way my mind works lately; all I can think about is food: comfort food, snack food, dessert food, ad infinitum. This post was meant to be a paeon to the specialty grocery stores of old - and it has evolved into a song of praise for convenience foods. No wonder I have gained 10 pounds!
P.S. I know that to some of you, hummus, tabouli, egg rolls and piroshki are not oddities, so don't get your undies in a wad. I just meant they are things I would not make at home.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
How You Know Someone is Going Deaf
Recently I watched a wonderful program on public TV about the old-time entertainers of my era, including Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Bing Crosby, Sid Caesar, Lucille Ball, etc.
During one of the segments, they were interviewing Steve Allen about someone, and I remarked to my husband ......"He sure has a bad toupe."
The reply he gave me was......."I didn't know he was gay!!"
Once again, the link to comments is missing in the post below, about my birds. Leave comments here, please, if you have a response to that post. Thanks!
During one of the segments, they were interviewing Steve Allen about someone, and I remarked to my husband ......"He sure has a bad toupe."
The reply he gave me was......."I didn't know he was gay!!"
Once again, the link to comments is missing in the post below, about my birds. Leave comments here, please, if you have a response to that post. Thanks!
Bilbo and Belladonna
Back in the late 80's, one of my children worked at a pet shop part time while in college. She had always been a sucker for animals, particularly small ones. The pet shop had a macaw, which they allowed to roam the shop, though his wings were clipped so he couldn't go far. At night he sat on a perch, but was not in a cage.
On occasion, parakeets and other small birds would escape from their cages and fly wildly around the store, enjoying their small bursts of freedom. If they couldn't be caught before the store closed, no one seemed to care enough to try harder.
My daughter went to work one day and discovered a wounded parakeet; his foot had been nearly severed at the "ankle" joint by the macaw, who didn't seem to care for being buzzed and dive-bombed by the smaller bird. Since the store could not sell damaged birds, they offered him to our daughter, plus a small cage and some food. She brought him home, and we settled in to bird watching and learning about him (or maybe a her - we never knew). After toying with various names denoting a "peg-leg" , we scrapped that notion and I named him Bilbo, after my favorite character in "The Hobbit".
Bilbo was fun to watch; he developed favorite tricks and postures, and we did our best to see that he was not too lonely in that cage by himself. Many toys, mirrors, bells, etc. were proffered to him. On sunny, warm days, his cage was hung outside the kitchen window; where other birds and even a squirrel or two came by to visit and steal birdseed.
Before long, a bird with a damaged beak was sent to the shop and they offered that one to our daughter as well. He (or maybe she) was named Belladonna (which I think was the name of Bilbo's mother). They quickly decided who was Alpha and who was Beta, and each had their own territory within the cage. They would "talk" to each other, in bird language and it was fun to see them interacting.
One day I came in the house after being gone all morning, and I heard loud bird squawkings and other raucous noises. I found Bilbo dead in the bottom of the cage, and was surprised and sad to see it - as he had not been ill that we knew about. Belladonna could not stop "talking" about it; she was obviously distraught about Bilbo. I removed him from the cage, prayed over his little body and gave him a rather unceremonious burial. Belladonna finally got used to the idea of being alone, or at least she stopped squawking about it, and settled in to be the one and only parakeet at Chez Kenju.
I think we had the birds for a total of about 4 years, maybe more. Belladonna got old and started losing her feathers, more than just the natural molting that birds do. One day I came home to find her shaking and obviously weak. I called the vet, but was not given any definitive answers as to what was wrong. Before long she was unable to stand on her perch without help. I placed her bath, lined with a soft cloth, into the cage so she could lie on it and not have to try and support herself. She was failing fast and getting colder by the minute, so I took her out of the cage, wrapped her in a washcloth and held her on my chest for a long time, talking softly to her and trying to get her to stop shaking. After what seemed like hours, she grew still and I had hope she was rallying and getting warmer, but that was not the case. She died there, on my chest.
Who knew I could get so emotional about a small bird? It took a long time to get those little birds moved out of my memory and my heart. Since then, I have had a dog and a few cats. The dog is gone now, and two of the cats have left us as well. When these last two go, I may not replace them. The older I get, the harder it is to contemplate losing anyone or anything on whom I have lavished love and had it returned in full. Better to live on the memories than to risk the pain of loss anew.
Collections: Ephemera ~ Paper Fans
This fan shows an obvious art deco influence, and possibly dates from the 20's. It is another "self" handled fan, older than those with applied handles. Sadly, this one does not credit the artist. It is simply titled No. 229 - Mother's Delight. I love the look on the baby's face as she beholds her image. Looks like the baby is delighted too. The reverse advertises Dauby's Department Store in Tell City, Indiana. Tell City is in southern Indiana, on the Ohio River. I wonder if Dauby's still exists? A Google search shows several listings for Dauby's, but does not mention if the store is in operation. Maybe one of you will know.
The only shoe brand I recognize is Poll-Parrot Shoes for Boys and Girls. They were being sold when I was a child. I probably wore some of them, but the brand I remember most is Buster Brown. Buster Brown was a cartoon, and eventually became a radio show on Saturdays. There was a character named "Froggy" and Buster was always saying "Pluck your magic twanger, Froggy", and they would instantly go off into another world, or something, I cannot remember exactly what the magic twanger did. Do you remember, Hoss? I do know I always wanted a magic twanger - and still do!
You can read about Buster Brown here:
and hear a recording of the phrase here:
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Grrrrrrr ~ Again!
Once again, there is no link for comments on the post below! Blogger, why is this happening?? All my settings are fine - I checked them all twice. I'm seeing red!
Postcards on Parade ~ Hilton Head Island
Top left: Harbour Town. The lighthouse and marina are surrounded by shops, villas and the 18th hole of the famous Harbour Town Golf Course. If you follow golf, you have seen this course on TV many times.
Bottom left: the lighthouse at Harbour Towne, on Sea Pines Plantation. There are many good shops and some restaurants here; one of my favorites was Cafe Europa, which had great food at what passed for reasonable prices (on this island, nothing much is reasonable!). Outdoor dining allowed one to see passing boats and yachts leaving and entering the harbour. Here is where we saw Franklin D. Roosevelt's yacht, the USS Potomac, moored by the side of the walkway near the shops. It was nearly all mahogany, and at night when all the lights were on, it gave us a good view of how the other half lived.
Top right: A view of the Heritage Villas on Sea Pines Plantation, where we once stayed. Don't let the sleepy lagoon fool you, there are alligators around. It is not a good idea to let small children or pets roam while on this island! Hubs decided that we should rent bikes (the whole family) while we stayed here. I had not been on a bike in at least 10 years when we did this. We explored the whole plantation, a bike ride of about 3-4 hours. By the time we arrived back at our villa, I was shaking all over, my legs were jello and my bottom felt like......well......never mind. Suffice it to say that I lay abed for 3-4 hours and then walked bow-legged to dinner. If I am ever on a bike again, it will be an old ladies tricycle, with a basket and a great, big, wide, wide seat!
Bottom right: The Hyatt Hotel on Palmetto Dunes Plantation. All these cards were bought in the 80's, when we visited here frequently. The view of the ocean front and this hotel do not resemble what you would see there now, as in the past 25 years, the island has been developed on nearly every inch of it. I have not been there in a good while, but I am told it has changed considerably since the 80's.
We owned rental property here back then; and it was an experience I won't soon forget. I had a hard time separating myself from a feeling of personal ownership, and apparently you need to be able to do that when you have rental property. For example, golfers would wear their cleats into the condo and walk on the beautiful wood floors, leaving small, deep pits in the finish. Over the course of 2 years, we had nearly everything in the condo stolen, from a toaster to a large TV. Nothing that isn't nailed down is safe. I was irate, of course, but then to add insult to injury, the property managers will replace items for you - but at a very inflated cost. If you cannot get to the condo in time to replace the missing items yourself, they do it, but you'd better believe they make it worth their while!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
You Be the Judge
Let me set the scene:
Thirdly: another waiter comes by the table and asks if I want another soft drink. I reply no, thank you.....I only want water now.
Fourthly: the Maitre d' asks if I want a refill. I reply, no gracias, pero agua frio, por favor....with a smile. (my Espanol is very limited)
Fifthly: Our waiter asks once again if I need a new soda. I start to answer no (still smiling) and my dinner companion loses composure. This person tells the waiter, in a rather loud voice, "No, she doesn't want any more soda - now quit asking her if she wants it and take the glass away.
Since none of those servers knew that anyone else had asked about the drink, I was astounded at this person's impatience and anger. I told this person that I would think he/she would be happy that the restaurant personnel (even those who had no responsibility for our table) were aware enough to notice I might need a beverage, and that he/she should have kept his/her mouth shut - since it was my drink and my problem.
I realize if they had taken the empty glass away, there would have been no question about it. Do you agree that my companion should have kept quiet? What would you have done or said? Would you have turned beet red, as I no doubt did?
Because someone is sure to ask: I ate 2 shredded chicken chimichangas, with refried beans and a wonderful white melted cheese, and a lettuce and tomato garnish. I do not eat sour cream, and guacamole does not agree with me, so I left those off. In spite of everything else that happened, I did enjoy the meal. It is one of my favorites.
Mexican restaurant known for good food and service, two people dining together (surrounded by a host of others, as this place is nearly always full). I first choose a soft drink for my beverage and when that is gone, I request water. They do not remove the first glass.
Firstly, the waiter comes by the table and asks if I want a refill on the Dr. Pepper. I reply, with a smile........ no, thanks, I'm drinking water now.
Secondly, the bus boy comes by the table and asks if I want a refill on the soda. I reply no, thanks...... I'm drinking water now.
Thirdly: another waiter comes by the table and asks if I want another soft drink. I reply no, thank you.....I only want water now.
Fourthly: the Maitre d' asks if I want a refill. I reply, no gracias, pero agua frio, por favor....with a smile. (my Espanol is very limited)
Fifthly: Our waiter asks once again if I need a new soda. I start to answer no (still smiling) and my dinner companion loses composure. This person tells the waiter, in a rather loud voice, "No, she doesn't want any more soda - now quit asking her if she wants it and take the glass away.
Since none of those servers knew that anyone else had asked about the drink, I was astounded at this person's impatience and anger. I told this person that I would think he/she would be happy that the restaurant personnel (even those who had no responsibility for our table) were aware enough to notice I might need a beverage, and that he/she should have kept his/her mouth shut - since it was my drink and my problem.
I realize if they had taken the empty glass away, there would have been no question about it. Do you agree that my companion should have kept quiet? What would you have done or said? Would you have turned beet red, as I no doubt did?
Because someone is sure to ask: I ate 2 shredded chicken chimichangas, with refried beans and a wonderful white melted cheese, and a lettuce and tomato garnish. I do not eat sour cream, and guacamole does not agree with me, so I left those off. In spite of everything else that happened, I did enjoy the meal. It is one of my favorites.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Collections: Ephemera ~ Paper Fans
The elephant fan
is dated 1936, just above the handle. It was painted by Lawson Wood, and published by Brown & Little in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lawson Wood was born in Higate, London in 1878 and died in 1957. He was a prolific artist and if you Google him, you can see many images of his work. The theme of this fan is political, as can be seen by the elephant and the donkey racing toward either victory or defeat; cheered on and actually "driven" by monkeys. Just like today, huh? I love this whimsical art work. The reverse of the fan advertises Ful-O-Pep Poultry Feeds. I need some Ful-O-Pep foods myself!The other photo shows part of the wall of my den, on which the fans are hung. They are interspersed with family photos (which had to be disguised here, covered with stickers, per my children's request never to be shown on the web) and other pieces of art or collectibles. eventually, I will post all of the fans here, and I hope you continue to enjoy the evidence of my "pack-ratness"!
Blond Girl's 24-hour Meme
Edited below!
The 24 Hours Meme.....as designed by Blond Girl:
http://blondgirlrants.blogspot.com
Blond Girl says:
"If you haven't figured it out yet, I love memes. Not sure why; I just think they're fun. So, I decided to create one of my own and see how far it spreads. Here's how it works: I'm going to list each hour of the day and then a reason why that hour (anytime in the 60 minute block) is significant. You can cut and paste the basic template and then fill in your own times. Then, comment here to let us know you've posted yours. Sound like fun? You know it! Challenging? Of course! Buckle up, here we go":
Blond Girl tagged me, and here's my answer to it; however feeble, because I don't usually remember specific times. I am leaving some of the hours blank, as I cannot think of a thing to put there, and if I did, I would just be making it up.
12 midnight: I remember this time because it was when we got a call from the hospital saying my mother-in-law had died. We had just left there about 10:30 pm, and we went to get a bite to eat. Just as we got back home, the phone rang. We had to go back to the hospital and sign papers so the funeral home could take her away. The nurse told me that the roses I had brought my mother-in-law that evening had been a delight to her and that she talked of nothing else. The nurse had spoken to her about 11:30 pm and then found her gone just 30 minutes later. She and I did not have a very good relationship, but it made me very happy that I had given her those roses and made the last hours of her life more pleasant.
1 am: my water broke with my first child. I was watching Johnny Carson's Tonight Show when it happened. We rushed to the hospital, and the woman who admitted me wouldn't quit talking about cats, for some reason. I could have slugged her! There I was in labor, and she kept babbling on and on about her cats and my cat, etc. Somehow I think she was more scared than I was, and talking was the way she kept the fear at bay.
2 am: I once rode a NYC subway at 2:00 am, after a midnight feast at a Chinese restaurant on Mott Street in Chinatown. That night I ran into a high school classmate of mine, who had abandoned her husband and children and "run away" to the Big Apple. But that is a long story, and a fit subject for a whole post by itself.
3 am
4 am
5am (4:50 am) My first child was born after only 4 hours labor. (*Don't hate me because I had short labors!)
6 am: I was born at 6:20 am; putting me in the rising sign of Scorpio, according to some astrologers. But a psychic once told me I was a classic "Libra rising", whatever that means.
7 am: Alarm time, most days. Hate it!
8 am: I once had a car wreck at 8 am. I had just taken my daughter to school because she missed the bus. As I left the school, trying to turn left onto a busy road (with no stoplight) I pulled out into what I thought was a clear lane. My view had been blocked by a school bus turning into my street, and too late I saw the truck barreling down on my left front fender/door. Seat belts were verboten to me then (I hated to wrinkle my clothes). How purely stupid that was! I was not badly injured, but my left leg hit the window handle and it was blue/purple from the hip to the ankle. My whole body had been thrown upward into the window frame (the window was open) and so my shoulder and back felt like they had been hit by a concrete wall. My head had hit the roof of the car, and it was very sore the next day. It was luck that I didn't have a concussion. Please believe that I never again got into a car without fastening the seatbelt, and you shouldn't either!
http://blondgirlrants.blogspot.com
Blond Girl says:
"If you haven't figured it out yet, I love memes. Not sure why; I just think they're fun. So, I decided to create one of my own and see how far it spreads. Here's how it works: I'm going to list each hour of the day and then a reason why that hour (anytime in the 60 minute block) is significant. You can cut and paste the basic template and then fill in your own times. Then, comment here to let us know you've posted yours. Sound like fun? You know it! Challenging? Of course! Buckle up, here we go":
Blond Girl tagged me, and here's my answer to it; however feeble, because I don't usually remember specific times. I am leaving some of the hours blank, as I cannot think of a thing to put there, and if I did, I would just be making it up.
12 midnight: I remember this time because it was when we got a call from the hospital saying my mother-in-law had died. We had just left there about 10:30 pm, and we went to get a bite to eat. Just as we got back home, the phone rang. We had to go back to the hospital and sign papers so the funeral home could take her away. The nurse told me that the roses I had brought my mother-in-law that evening had been a delight to her and that she talked of nothing else. The nurse had spoken to her about 11:30 pm and then found her gone just 30 minutes later. She and I did not have a very good relationship, but it made me very happy that I had given her those roses and made the last hours of her life more pleasant.
1 am: my water broke with my first child. I was watching Johnny Carson's Tonight Show when it happened. We rushed to the hospital, and the woman who admitted me wouldn't quit talking about cats, for some reason. I could have slugged her! There I was in labor, and she kept babbling on and on about her cats and my cat, etc. Somehow I think she was more scared than I was, and talking was the way she kept the fear at bay.
2 am: I once rode a NYC subway at 2:00 am, after a midnight feast at a Chinese restaurant on Mott Street in Chinatown. That night I ran into a high school classmate of mine, who had abandoned her husband and children and "run away" to the Big Apple. But that is a long story, and a fit subject for a whole post by itself.
3 am
4 am
5am (4:50 am) My first child was born after only 4 hours labor. (*Don't hate me because I had short labors!)
6 am: I was born at 6:20 am; putting me in the rising sign of Scorpio, according to some astrologers. But a psychic once told me I was a classic "Libra rising", whatever that means.
7 am: Alarm time, most days. Hate it!
8 am: I once had a car wreck at 8 am. I had just taken my daughter to school because she missed the bus. As I left the school, trying to turn left onto a busy road (with no stoplight) I pulled out into what I thought was a clear lane. My view had been blocked by a school bus turning into my street, and too late I saw the truck barreling down on my left front fender/door. Seat belts were verboten to me then (I hated to wrinkle my clothes). How purely stupid that was! I was not badly injured, but my left leg hit the window handle and it was blue/purple from the hip to the ankle. My whole body had been thrown upward into the window frame (the window was open) and so my shoulder and back felt like they had been hit by a concrete wall. My head had hit the roof of the car, and it was very sore the next day. It was luck that I didn't have a concussion. Please believe that I never again got into a car without fastening the seatbelt, and you shouldn't either!
9 am: the time I go to work, two days a week, for another florist. Love it!
10 am: snack time - or early lunch, usually at Bojangle's for a chicken biscuit. I really do have to quit that. They taste wonderful, but they are adding pounds and inches to my waistline!
11 am: my second child was born, after 2 hours of labor (*see above)
12 noon
1 pm
2 pm: my third child was born, after 1 1/2 hours of labor (*see above).
3 pm: General Hospital! I have been watching this ever since my children watched it when they were in school. Luke and Laura were all the rage back then. Nowadays, I have to catch it at 10:pm on the Soap Channel, if at all. My kids don't watch it anymore, but I still do.
4 pm: Oprah. I do enjoy Oprah. I liked it best when the programs were all helpful and uplifting, not prurient, with sleazy subjects. She seems to be sliding back into some of that stuff lately. I don't get to see it often, and if the subject matter is depressing, I turn it off. There is too much misery in the world anyway, and I don't like to feed that monster anymore.
5 pm: down time, when I am my lowest point of the day.
6 pm: dinner time, most evenings.
7pm: Seinfeld on TV, we seldom miss it. I have seen some of the Seinfeld episodes 5-6 times and there is always something new we didn't catch the first few times.
8pm
9pm
10 pm
11 pm: bedtime, or it should be. Too many nights I am up blogging or writing at this time and beyond. But the enjoyment I get from writing and reading your writings far surpasses the benefits of sleep!
Blond girl mentioned in her comment to this that it must have been a comfort to me to know that I helped my MIL's transition. You have NO idea how justified I felt. Just before going to the hospital that Saturday evening (Father's Day eve), I had returned from delivering flowers for a wedding. I had about eighteen roses left over - all different colors - but beautifully coordinated. I said to my husband that he needed to wait a moment, so I could put the roses into a vase for MIL. He was in a hurry (and very hungry) and he tried to talk me out of the flowers. He said "She won't know the difference if you don't bring them, there's no room in the hosp. for them, when she comes home it will just be one more thing to have to worry about carrying", on and on ad nauseum. I persisted, and I said "I AM going to take her these roses, no matter what you say!". When we arrived, and I placed the vase on her bedside table, she was obviously pleased and surprised. I was happy with her response to them. After we left to go get a bite to eat, she mentioned them to every RN/MD/LPN, and room cleaner who walked in. She bragged about how pretty they were and how her daughter-in-law had brought them, and didn't they smell good and wasn't she lucky. When the nurse told us this after she passed, I looked knowingly at my husband and said "See, I told you so!! I knew it would make a difference to her".
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Grrrrrrrrrr....Blogger is Messed Up!
I don't know WHY no one can comment on the post below; I checked all the settings and somehow they had changed (even though I had NOT made the changes). Comments are enabled on all posts, even the new ones, I republished the entire blog twice and still the comment link does not show up.
What gives, people?? Anyone have any ideas why this is happening?
See? the comments are back for this post, but not for the one below. It is maddening! If you'd like to comment about the fan, etc. below, please do it here. Thanks!
What gives, people?? Anyone have any ideas why this is happening?
See? the comments are back for this post, but not for the one below. It is maddening! If you'd like to comment about the fan, etc. below, please do it here. Thanks!
Collections: Ephemera ~ Paper Fans, etc.
This fan is among my favorites, as I prefer those with babies or small children as subject matter. It is titled "Lunch Time" and was painted by Maud Tousey Fangel. Fangel was born in Boston in 1881 and died in 1968. As you can see, it advertised Paschall's Bakery in Durham, NC. I have no idea of the age of this fan, but an antiques dealer once told me that fans with a "self" handle are older than most that have survived. I estimate it is from the 30's.
The next piece is a card I got in April, 1962 at the Metropole in NYC. In college at the time, I was participating in a school trip to visit museums in New York. Some of us loved jazz and were directed to the Metropole as being the premier place for it back then. We saw Dizzy Gillespie play, and his group alternated with Jack Teagarden that night. Between sets, Dizzy worked the crowd, and I got his autograph. If you had ever seen Dizzy play his trumpet, you would immediately have noticed his full cheeks, which "puffed out" into his neck when he was playing. I think that no one in human history had as well developed a set of neck and face muscles as Dizzy did.
The night that we went to the Metropole, I ordered a daquiri, it being just about the only drink I was familiar with at the time. It was so small that in spite of the fact I only sipped it, it was gone in no time. The servers kept coming back to the table asking for more drink orders and my budget was very limited at the time, so I declined. After the 4th request for my next drink order, I was told (by one of my friends) to order a "Singapore Sling", since they were much taller, and would last all night. Little did I know how potent a Sling was for a non-drinker! I was reeling after the second sip. We had not eaten dinner either. At 1:00 am, we had plans to meet up with the rest of the group at a Chinese restaurant on Mott Street, and we went by subway. That was my first experience on the subway, but all was well and we encountered no weirdos or criminals. The last time I rode a NYC subway, in May, it was crawling with weirdos. I don't know about criminals, but a lot of them looked as if they might have done a little time behind bars....LOL!
As for Dizzy, I once called a guy on a radio show who was telling people what their collections were worth. At that time, Dizzy was still alive. He said this card was worth approximately $30 to a Dizzy memorabilia collector, but that I should hold it until after Dizzy's death, when it would climb in value. He's been gone a few years, so I guess it's worth a bit more now.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
He Needed Spellcheck!
When I was in the fifth grade, the school had a policy of having the classes draw names and give presents to each other at Christmas time. One of the boys in my class got my name. He knew me not only from school, but from church too, as we had been in Sunday School classes together for years, along with his twin brother. So his whole family knew me and my parents.
They teased me unmercifully all the time, and earlier that year they had begun to call me a name they thought was funny. Naturally, they howled with laughter and nearly rolled in the floor every time they called me that - as little boys are wont to do. I now realize that they must have liked me a lot to show me so much attention, but at the time, I was miserable over it.
On the day we were to exchange gifts, the teacher chose one classmate to read the gift tags and hand out the presents. Everyone was breathless with anticipation to see who got their name and what the present would be. Soon, the child called out my name, reading "This card says, 'To Judy the Cutie' from L_____C_____. "
Everyone in the class burst into explosive laughter and pointed to LC with derision. He was so embarrassed that he turned red as a beet in the face - and so did his twin. I blushed a little too, somewhat confused at the terminology he used. You see, his usual epithet for me was "Cootie".
A few days later, his mother told my mother that she knew what he was planning for the card, so when he asked her how to spell "cootie"- she told him "cutie". Served him right, don't you think?
Years later, at our 25th high school reunion, I told him and his wife about that card. He claimed no memory of it at all, and blushed when I mentioned it. Huh, just like a man to plead innocence!
See post below for the gift card!
Here is part of the gift card; I had to block off his name.Friday, November 04, 2005
A Fabulous Dinner ~ with Special Decor
Recently I attended a dinner held by the National Association of Catering Executives, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel near the Research Triangle Park.
Would you have enjoyed being there? I offer for your gustatory imagination, the menu for the evening:
Piedmont Salad: baby red oak (lettuce), buffalo mozzarella cheese, teardrop tomatoes and pine nuts, mixed in Spumante Vinaigrette.
Portuguese Dinner Rolls with whipped butter.
Tuscan Style Ballontine: roasted semi-boneless quail with porcini, pancetta and pheasant forcemeat served with shallot confit and a tian of potatoes and grilled vegetables.
Parfait with Moscato: Parfait of mango sobreto served with tropical fruit cheesecake and sprinkled with muscat wine.
All of it was excellent, except I am no fan of quail. I could have, however, eaten several portions of the salad, rolls, potatoes, vegetables and the dessert was divine (and I do not use that word lightly).
The highlight of the evening was the decor. I will kick myself in the shins often for deciding not to take my camera. I was afraid that they would not allow photos, and I didn't want to carry the camera needlessly. Each of the 15-20 tables was decorated by a different designer, planner, caterer or florist. The theme was celebration, be it a wedding, rehearsal dinner, anniversary or other type party. Most of the tables were fantastic in their perception and their execution. The one that won the contest was a "Dinner in Tuscany", under a grape covered vine gazebo, with butterscotch gold and terra cotta dinnerware and linen which complemented the flowers, in all shades of an autumn sunset. It really was magnificent. They even made a slate floor, with mosses growing in the cracks!
Another winner was a wedding reception table with a bird nest theme, in the popular current color scheme of brown and light blue. A concrete bird bath held lush flowers and corkscrew willow; which was hung with many small bird nests, replete with robin-blue eggs. The table appointments were in brown speckled, light-blue plates, copper colored napkins, bird's nests holding photos of the happy couple and place cards. It was wonderful.
My host supplied a theme party table featuring Harry Potter. A wrought-iron tree was hung with pumpkins, spiders, owls, ravens and candles. Sprouting out of the top of the tree was a host of calla lilies, curly willow and monstera leaves. The backs of the chairs held banners from each section of Hogwarts School, and white owls held a copy in their beaks of the menu for the evening. More pumpkins and witches and candles completed the look, along with small bags of the jelly beans made popular in Harry Potter books - Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (including vomit and ear wax)! The napkin rings were eyeglass frames like those worn by the main character (complete with masking tape). I cannot believe it didn't win a prize!
These are only a few of the fabulous tables, at which we got to actually sit and eat our wonderful meal. This is just one of the perks of the business I am in. Can you understand why I might never retire? Again, I apologize for not having photos to share. If they become available later, I will definitely re-post with illustrations.
P.S. No real birds, bird nests, owls, pumpkins, etc. were harmed in the execution of this event. Only the candles expired!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Utenzi's Meme
The One with Three. Utenzi, at http://utenzi.blogspot.com tagged me for this triple meme:
Three names I go by: Judy, Judith, Jude
Three screen names I have had: kenju and floradora are the only ones.
Three physical things I like about myself: my height, my health, my eyes.
Three physical things I don't like about myself: belly, teeth, crooked legs
Three parts of my heritage: English, Scots, Irish
Three things that scare me: spiders, snakes, things that go bump in the night.
Three of my everyday essentials: coffee, iced tea, Bojangles biscuit
Three of my favorite musical artists: Beatles, Clay Aiken, Harry Connick, Jr.
Three of my favorite songs: There are too many to name - and I cannot remember anything right now - maybe Black is the color of my True Love's Hair, Mood Indigo, Hey, Jude.
Three things I want in a relationship: Companionship, trust, love.
Three lies and truths in no particular order: I am shrinking in height. I was a model. I have travelled all over the world.
Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to me: teeth, hair, smile
Three of my favorite hobbies: reading, crossword puzzles, Scrabble
Three things I want to do really badly right now: Win the lottery, write a book, get my bills paid.
Three careers I've considered: Architect, Florist, Model
Three Places I want to vacation: Australia, Egypt, Italy
Three kid's names I like: (not my kids or grandkids): Hannah, Rachel, Mackenzie
Three things I want to do before I die: climb the Pyramids, cruise down the Nile, watch my grandbabies get married.
Three ways that I am stereotypically a boy: I love toy trains, Tinker Toys and Legos.
Three ways that I am stereotypically a girl: I love shopping, I love jewelry and I love candelight and romantic jazz.
Three (plus one) celeb crushes: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Robert Redford, Mel Gibson
Three names I go by: Judy, Judith, Jude
Three screen names I have had: kenju and floradora are the only ones.
Three physical things I like about myself: my height, my health, my eyes.
Three physical things I don't like about myself: belly, teeth, crooked legs
Three parts of my heritage: English, Scots, Irish
Three things that scare me: spiders, snakes, things that go bump in the night.
Three of my everyday essentials: coffee, iced tea, Bojangles biscuit
Three of my favorite musical artists: Beatles, Clay Aiken, Harry Connick, Jr.
Three of my favorite songs: There are too many to name - and I cannot remember anything right now - maybe Black is the color of my True Love's Hair, Mood Indigo, Hey, Jude.
Three things I want in a relationship: Companionship, trust, love.
Three lies and truths in no particular order: I am shrinking in height. I was a model. I have travelled all over the world.
Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to me: teeth, hair, smile
Three of my favorite hobbies: reading, crossword puzzles, Scrabble
Three things I want to do really badly right now: Win the lottery, write a book, get my bills paid.
Three careers I've considered: Architect, Florist, Model
Three Places I want to vacation: Australia, Egypt, Italy
Three kid's names I like: (not my kids or grandkids): Hannah, Rachel, Mackenzie
Three things I want to do before I die: climb the Pyramids, cruise down the Nile, watch my grandbabies get married.
Three ways that I am stereotypically a boy: I love toy trains, Tinker Toys and Legos.
Three ways that I am stereotypically a girl: I love shopping, I love jewelry and I love candelight and romantic jazz.
Three (plus one) celeb crushes: Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Robert Redford, Mel Gibson
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Oh, the Places We'll Go....
Top: Montreaux, Switzerland. Mailed in 1953 to my mom from a friend. She said," This is a wonderful country. We have had only one day of rain and that was the day we drove 180 miles into the Alps. " Cheery greeting, no?
Middle: Mailed June 1992, from my friend in Ireland. She said, "I can't wait to tell you of this most wonderful week. This country and its people are just incredible! I'm re-JOYCE-ing at this International James Joyce Symposium. Get to hear Seamus Harvey read poetry tonight! " I found out when she returned that the reason for her rejoicing was an Irish guy she met, not the symposium or the poetry!
Bottom: The Pembroke Hotel in Pembroke Parish, Bermuda. Mailed in April 1980, from our brother and sister-in-law. They said, "Having a lovely time.......going sailing on a yacht Tuesday." Several years later, we stayed at the Southampton Princess, but I don't have a card for that one. Too bad, as it was lovely, and had the most wonderful beach. It was a bit too cool to swim when we went (May), but the sun, sand and breezes were warm and the clouds formed little animals just for me.
Postcards on Parade ~ Fourth in a Series
The Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University.The Harry E. Widener Memorial Library at Harvard.
The Lotus Restaurant, 727 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. On the reverse, it says:
"The Lotus has the distinction of being the first Cabaret Restaurant established in Washington. It presents three Stupendous Revues daily. This feature coupled with its superb cuisine and its fascinating music played by the Lotus Broadcasting Orchestra undoubtedly constitutes the outstanding place to Dine, Dance and enjoy a delightful Floor Show. There is no cover charge at any time."
I wonder why it no longer exists.
The Hospital Trust Building and Post Office, Providence, R.I.
None of these cards has any writing or date on it. from the looks of them, I'd estimate 1940's. This is not the most exciting set of cards I have - but hey - they deserve their day in the sun too, don't they?
Pearls of Great Wisdom from an Old Farmer
* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with.
looks at you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience.
and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with.
looks at you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience.
and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Postcards on Parade ~ Moscow
Top left: Church of the Protection of the Virgin in Fili,1693-1694Top right: Church of the Trinity in Nikitniki, 17th century
Middle left: a residential building in Moscow, 19th century
Middle right: Izmailovo. Cathedral of the Protection of the Virgin, 1672
Next to last: Sherementev's Hostel, 1792-1807
Last: Andronik Monastery of the Saviour, Cathedral of the Saviour. 15th century.
This packet of cards was sent to us by my brother-in-law, who had gone to Russia on business. Ever since I saw "Dr. Zhivago", I have wanted to go to Russia. At least I can take a visual tour (of churches) with these cards.
