Tuesday, October 31, 2006
A Good Hair Day?
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head."Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-m-m, " she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything.
Have a Great Day! Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply and love generously. And have a Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 30, 2006
The Vatican and Fontana Di Trevi
Top photo: Rome from a window in the Vatican Museum.
Second: a view to the garden surrounding the Vatican Museum, and a few more of those trees I liked.
Third and Fourth: Trevi Fountain, scene of so many movies and TV shows. This fountain dates from 1732, and is located at the convergence of three streets. In movies, it appears to be a much larger area. The fountain itself is quite large, but the surrounding area is very small.
Edited below!
More scenes of the area surrounding Trevi Fountain.
Jay asked if it was always this crowded. I think it must be, since it is one of the first places that visitors to Rome want to see. The Spanish Steps are always crowded, as is the Colosseum, the Vatican, St.Peter's and all the major churches.
Most of these people were tourists, but I think some of them must have been locals who were out on their lunch hour. That day the weather was perfect, and everyone who could be was outside.
More scenes of the area surrounding Trevi Fountain.
Jay asked if it was always this crowded. I think it must be, since it is one of the first places that visitors to Rome want to see. The Spanish Steps are always crowded, as is the Colosseum, the Vatican, St.Peter's and all the major churches.
Most of these people were tourists, but I think some of them must have been locals who were out on their lunch hour. That day the weather was perfect, and everyone who could be was outside.
Happy Halloween!
My seasonal table. I call this my "lazy" table, when I don't want to put much effort into it.
The three sections of a card that was given to my son when he was nearly one, in 1966. The card stands up, in three sections, and we have displayed it every year since he received it.
I should have given it to him when he was here visiting. I guess it looks pretty good for a 40 year old greeting card, huh? The black parts are velvety soft.Two of my children and their families came to visit Sunday, to celebrate my birthday. Two of my granddaughters baked a devil's food cake (my favorite) and we all enjoyed a slice of it after dinner at a local cafeteria. I am sure you are thinking "A cafeteria? For a birthday dinner?" but I can assure you, that when 12 people go out for dinner, and 6 of them are children, a cafeteria is the restaurant of choice!
The cake was full of candles, but had fewer than the requisite 66. I would have never been able to blow them out! They had one candle of the kind that re-lights and it seemed destined to burn forever. I blew until my face turned red and I nearly fainted, before I realized it was a trick. The children laughed at me and their laughter was beautiful music to my ears......I am well and truly blessed.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Julie Andrew's New Favorite Things
To commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.
One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music."Here are the clever lyrics she used:
Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cadillac's and cataracts and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the pipes leak,When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.
When the joints ache,When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.
(Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation that lasted for over four minutes and repeated encores.)
I could sing that song for my birthday tomorrow, but there's one thing I know for sure: When your joints ache - you're still alive - and that beats the heck out of the alternative.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Scherenschnitte ~ Part 2
A short break in the vacation series is in order, so here are a few more pics in the series of paper cuttings.
Remember the original post about this? You can find it in the archives for October 7th. These pics didn't get into the post last time.
More St. Peter's Basilica
Miscellaneous pics; side altars and statuary, and at the bottom:
Michaelangelo's Pieta. I blurred it badly. The statue is now behind glass and elevated above the crowds. To get a shot of it, you have to hold the camera above your head, and you run the risk of flash glare off the glass. I guess a blurry photo is better than none at all.
A side chapel and an altar, and then from the graves under St, Peter's:
The sepulchre of Pope John Paul the 23rd
and that of St. Peter the Apostle.
Friday, October 27, 2006
St. Peter's Basilica ~ Vatican City ~ Part 8
I am going to post nearly all the photos I took inside St. Peter's. This basilica is opulent beyond belief and spectacular in every nook and cranny (and there are many). Much of it dates from 1506, and I thought to myself how truly amazing it is that people back then had the technical knowledge necessary to build something like this. Of course, I thought that about nearly everything I saw in Rome and Florence. We in America have the tendency to think that only we have brought such beauty and architectural genius to the world - and we can believe that even when we have studied European art and architecture in school or on our own in books. It is humbling, I assure you, to finally realize that most of it was here in the world long before we were.
I know that some of these pics are repetitive. It is too hard to decide which ones are best - and so you are getting them all. Everywhere you look inside the basilica there is either a painting, a sculpture, some gilding, marble and ornament of some sort. There is hardly a blank area on any wall or ceiling, unless it is some beautifully patterned and colored marble.
The color of the photos I took inside the building are somewhat muted, but except for the paintings and murals, most of the colors are paler than you might expect. I wonder if that is because some of it has faded over the years?
Comments under the post below.
Bernini sculpted the high altar canopy shown at the top; called a baldacchino. It is so gorgeous, and so large that it is hard to get a good photo of it. The area is somewhat dark and with the crowds of people, one cannot get a good perspective on the canopy.Sorry about the dome photo being blurry. I could blame it on someone jiggling my arm, but I probably just moved the camera too much, or zoomed in too far.
This third shot is one of the seeming hundreds of statues there, and I was struck by the fluidity of the marble. Truly, the fabric of her cloak looked as though it were being blown by the wind. And though she was clothed, the human form was evident under all the clothing. The mark of a sculptural genius
, I think. Thursday, October 26, 2006
Planes, Train, etc. ~ Part 7
Let's try this again, shall we? In the top photo: an ornate entry on an otherwise plain wall, to the Vatican Museum. There are 1400 rooms in the museum, so it is impossible to see them all. They have color-coded routes through specific eras and types of art, and you can choose the route that most do, which leads eventually to the Sistine Chapel.
Second photo: another of those sculptural trees which held my interest. They add considerably to the scenery in Rome.
Third and Fourth: sections of St. Peter's Square. It was impossible for me to get a photo showing the whole building and square at one time. Bernini's Colonnade and the statuary atop the building are both magnificent. In fact, that is a word I was heard to use frequently while in Rome.
The Sistine Chapel does not allow photos, and I didn't buy any postcards to show you. It is smaller than I had thought it would be, and with 400 people crowded in at one time, we felt rather like the proverbial sardines in a tin can. It is noisy, in spite of the fact that it is a Chapel, people talk out loud. At intervals, a guard is heard to shout "Silencio!" and I thought to myself, "he is making more noise than we are". There are benches built into the side walls, but there are too few seats, so we craned our necks backward and looked up, to the fabulous paintings which are Michaelangelo's masterpieces (at least in frescoes). My favorite of his works is the statue of David, but I will write about that when I get to the Florence portion of the trip. I think tomorrow I will begin the photos of St. Peter's Basilica, the opulence of which is not to be believed.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Planes, Trains, etc. ~ Part 6
When you stroll the Via Condotti and surrounding streets, this is what you see. Gucci, Pucci, Valentino
, and nearly every other famous designer has a shop on this street or near here.These photos were taken at night, around 9:30-10:pm, and it was dark. In the last post, someone commented about the light in the photos of the Spanish Steps. I had to lighten the photos considerably before they could be seen, and it is the same with these.
The reason I photographed the street sign of the Via di Bocca di Leone (the street of the mouth of the lion) is because we know a man whose name is Leone, and we thought he might like the photo.
The last pic was taken across the street from the Steps, and I had to crop it to get rid of the hundreds of people's heads.
We all strolled the area, looking in the shop windows and drooling at the clothes, purses and shoes which would be forever out of the financial reach of most. Can you imagine paying $1,200 for a purse? I surely can't! In fact, I wouldn't - even if I had the means for it.
I am SO ticked. I wrote a second post tonight, with photos from the Vatican and St. Peter's Square, and Picasa/Blogger LOST IT!
I will try to get it up again tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Planes, Trains, etc. ~ Part 5 ~ Spanish Steps
"Who can ever be alone for a moment in Italy? Every stone has a voice, every grain of dust seems instinct with spirit from the Past, every step recalls some line, some legend of long-neglected lore".
Margaret Fuller
The Spanish Steps - or Piazza Di Spagna E Scalinata Della Trinita Dei Monti - built in 1723. They get their name from the piazza, on which the Spanish Embassy once stood.
The fountain dates from 1627, and is referred to as "the sunken boat".
The monument below stands at the far end of the piazza, but I do not remember what it commemorates.
These photos were taken at about 9pm on a weeknight. Apparently, the steps are never without people on them; it is a favorite place to meet, for Romans and tourists alike.The building at the top of the steps, with scaffolding, is the church known as Trinita Dei Monti. We did not climb the steps, due to the construction on the church.
I did not know it when we were there, but the building to the right of the steps is where the poet John Keats died in 1821.
The street known as the Via Condotti, where all the famous clothing designers have their shops, enters this piazza perpendicularly. Tomorrow, I will show you some of their windows. Later in the week will come the Vatican, St. Peter's, the Sistine Chapel and the Fontana de Trevi.
Jack O' Lantern Ideas
I decided that I had better interrupt the vacation travelogue to give you some carving ideas for pumpkins next week. Not all of them would pop up in one post, so I'll try to add a few more later. My favorite is the one with the pumpkin hurling his guts. What's yours?
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Marriott Park in Rome
This was our hotel room in Rome. The bed was luxurious, the amenities numerous and the bathrooms spoiled me
! They were divided into two rooms; one with a deep, long tub and the other with a glassed-in shower, toilet and bidet. Both had big sinks with nice wide countertops and large mirrors. As you can see, polished marble was everywhere.The Marriott Park had only been open for a week when we arrived. There were a few details that had not been ironed out, such as the pool and spa area were not open yet and the restaurant could not give us coffee-to-go since no one had thought to order disposable cups.
But the hotel and the staff could not have been nicer. I recommend it, but you need to know the inconvenience it brings, if you are there to sight-see in Rome. The hotel is about 15 minutes north of the city center; in an area where offices and research facilities are rapidly being built. It requires a train ride into the city (and at present it is hard to get to the train station) or a cab ride, which will cost at least 20 Euros (when we were there, this was equivalent to $26, less tip). The inconvenience it presented was easily counterbalanced by the niceness of the rooms and public areas, but you might be better off to stay closer to the heart of the city.
Top photo: the ceiling of the hotel lobby (the part over the restaurant).Bottom: The main lobby.
Planes, Trains, etc. ~ Part Four
Miscellaneous photos snapped in the ancient ruins of Rome. The second pic is the area where Caesar's body was cremated. It has been roofed for protection from the elements, and people often leave flowers there.
The third pic is the plaque outside the area where he was cremated.
Unfortunately, they didn't also hang a plaque in English. If you know Italian, maybe you can interpret it for us.In the fourth pic, note the broken marble pieces laying about. They are prevalent in that area, and although they keep the paths fairly clear, you do have to watch where you are walking.
Laura asked some questions in her comment to yesterday's post. First: Was I in a tour? No, I went with mr. kenju and miss kenju (our daughter), who planned the whole trip. She has been there before, so she knew just what to do and where to go. I highly recommend that you travel with someone who is a whiz at the subway systems and train stations (staziones). She can go all over Rome and Paris in the subways and also knows how to travel easily by train in most of Europe. We were very fortunate to have her plan the trip and take us there!
Second question:
What would I do differently? I would limit any trip to just one or two countries at a time. We went to three, and it was a little too much travel for 8 days. We went to Rome, Florence, Zurich, Paris and Versailles. All of them were wonderful, and it would be hard to choose a favorite city, but it was too much in a short period of time for me to be able to digest all sights and keep them separate. Of course, I will be reliving that trip in my mind (and on the blog) for weeks to come, so it will all sort itself out in time, I am sure.If I had it to do over: I would travel in Italy exclusively; Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and several other areas I cannot remember right now without looking at a map. We flew over Pisa on the way to Rome (through Paris) and we saw the leaning tower of Pisa. I would love to see it from the ground too. I would go to Tuscany and stay in a villa beside the Meditteranean Sea. I would climb Mts. Vesuvius and Stromboli. I would cruise the canals in Venice and I would eat gelato all over the country and get fat and be perfectly happy!
I have never been a huge fan of Italian food in the US, but I can tell you that I have been persuaded to change my mind about Italian food in Italy. It bears faint relation to the stuff served here. There are little to no preservatives in the food; so I, usually challenged by IBS and milk allergies, was able to eat absolutely everything there without a problem. It seemed a miracle that I could eat cheeses, butter, ice cream and sinfully rich pastries and suffer no consequences, but I did. The only problem occurred because they apparently don't know about decaf coffee. I, who have been essentially decaffeinated for 25 years or more, drank their regular and very strong coffee everyday. On returning home and going back to decaf, I couldn't stay awake for more than 2 hours at a time, and I developed caffeine-withdrawal headaches. My solution was to drink some regular Coke, which perked me up very quickly, but I do need to taper off caffeine as soon as possible. That was the only downside to the trip.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Planes, Trains, etc. ~ Part three
The LAST photo of the Colosseum (I promise).Thanks to all of you who have left nice comments thus far in my vacation series. Yes, the weather was wonderful. In fact, Europe was having a bit of a heat wave. The average temp. for Rome in October is 71, according to most of the guide books, but we topped out at 80-83 the whole time we were there.
The temperature ranges for the trip were supposed to be 45-71. That covered all the places were were going, so we packed heavy jackets, scarves and gloves, along with silk long underwear and camisoles. It turned out to be just so much junk we carted everywhere, as none of it was needed until the last day in Paris, which was in the low 50's to start out. I had no short sleeve shirts either, so folding up the sleeves and pushing them up all day was how I spent my time. That, and making sure my Passport was still safe in my neck pouch, and dispensing gum to mr. kenju and miss kenju (our daughter).
Second photo: the doors of a temple, which is shown below. I wrote down that it was the Temple of Castor, but now I am not sure if this is it - or if the one below is (the one with only three columns standing). You cannot tell it from this photo, but the doors were at least 10' tall, maybe more.
I was fascinated by the remaining bits of the temple in the last photo, for some reason.
Above it, on the right side of the photo, is the Palatine Hill, where the emperors lived and all the wildest parties took place. We didn't go up there, but I hope to get back to it someday.Part of the reason I am confused about some of my photos is that when I loaded them into Picasa, they didn't remain in the same order as when I took them. I wish that hadn't happened! So, even though I took notes about what we had seen, I am unsure of some of them.
Before long, I will take the cards to the photo shop and have the photos printed, and if they come out in the proper order, maybe I can make adjustments to the posts then. But if you have been there, and you know that I have named something wrongly, please tell me so I can make corrections.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Part 2 - Planes, Trains, etc.
All these photos were taken on the grounds of the Colosseum.
The first photo is the Arch of Constantine.
The trees in the last photo, both the narrow, skinny ones (I think they are cedars) and the very tall, very sculptural ones, which are pine of some sort, are found all over Rome. I was fascinated by the taller ones; although this photo does not show it well, these trees formed lovely patterns against the sky and buildings.
The Colosseum was
started in AD 72, and it held 55,000 people. During the Middle Ages, the stones were plundered for other buildings, hence the missing sections.
The trees in the last photo, both the narrow, skinny ones (I think they are cedars) and the very tall, very sculptural ones, which are pine of some sort, are found all over Rome. I was fascinated by the taller ones; although this photo does not show it well, these trees formed lovely patterns against the sky and buildings.
The Colosseum was
started in AD 72, and it held 55,000 people. During the Middle Ages, the stones were plundered for other buildings, hence the missing sections.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Planes,Trains, Taxis, Subways, Trams, Golf Carts and a Wheelchair
Part One!
Top: the monitor in the seat facing me on our Air France flight to Paris and then to Rome.
Next: The Colosseum, which is much bigger than I ever thought it was, and was not, as I had been led to believe, overrun with cats. We only saw two while we were there.
The bottom: a view toward the Roman ruins next to the Colosseum, which all fascinated me. I could have stayed there for hours, looking at all the various temples and government buildings.
Top: the monitor in the seat facing me on our Air France flight to Paris and then to Rome.
Next: The Colosseum, which is much bigger than I ever thought it was, and was not, as I had been led to believe, overrun with cats. We only saw two while we were there.
The bottom: a view toward the Roman ruins next to the Colosseum, which all fascinated me. I could have stayed there for hours, looking at all the various temples and government buildings.
Our sight-seeing began in Rome, called "The Eternal City". Now that I have seen it, I can understand that appelation. The ruins appear to have been there for eons.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Back on American Soil......Whew!!
More news on Saturday.
I had no idea how jet-lagged I'd be when I promised a post on Friday. If I can stay awake long enough, I'm going to upload some photos tonight and try to write a post for tomorrow night or Sat. Thanks for all the good wishes and welcome back comments. I'll be around to visit all of you this weekend.
I had no idea how jet-lagged I'd be when I promised a post on Friday. If I can stay awake long enough, I'm going to upload some photos tonight and try to write a post for tomorrow night or Sat. Thanks for all the good wishes and welcome back comments. I'll be around to visit all of you this weekend.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Unavailable
From October 10th through October 19th, I will be unavailable to post, read your blogs or respond to comments.
Please come back after the 20th. I will miss you.
Edited to allow comments.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Quotes of Note and Two (Unrelated) Pics
I stole the photos from an email, just because they are terminally cute. Those black cats on the dog look just like mine did when they were younger and not so fat.
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He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)
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Those who know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories.
Polybius, historian (c. 205-123 BCE)
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I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
Author unknown.
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Words fascinate me. They always have. For me, browsing in a dictionary is like being turned loose in a bank.
Eddie Cantor, actor (1892-1964)
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Saturday, October 07, 2006
Scherenschnitte
or the art of paper-cutting. These are not the traditional designs of Swiss-German scherenschnitte, but more modern versions. You can read about it at:
http://www.jerilanders.com/new_page_3.htm
A friend sent these to me via email and I wanted to share them with you. Who knew scissors could be so intricate?
Friday, October 06, 2006
Banned Books
I just stole this post from Trinamick (who stole it from dreadmouse (see below):
Get The Lighters
"I am shamelessly stealing from dreadmouse here, because he was talking about missing out on Banned Books Week. I too had somehow missed this on my radar. There's a list of the top 100 books challenged over the last decade or so. So I am now going to copy him."
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
***I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
***The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
***Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
***Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
***The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
***The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
***Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
***A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
***The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
***The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
***To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
***Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
***Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
***James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
***Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
***Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
***The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
***Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
***Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
***The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
***Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
"Clearly, I've got some serious reading to do. Now as I commented on his blog, I'm of the opinion that banning books is a big ole crock. Sure, there are going to be books I find offensive. I choose not to read them. But who gets to decide which books should be banned? Everyone finds something different offensive. Before long, there won't be any books left. Personally, I think all stupid books should be banned. But stupid books are actually written by stupid people. So instead, I think stupid people should be banned. Who's with me?"
The books I have read are starred. I have some serious reading to do also - maybe you do too. I have only read 21 of the banned books and I'd like to up that number considerably!
Edit: I came back to say that I have NO IDEA why any of the books I have read were banned.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAR! (tomorrow)
Everyone please go see my friend Mar and tell her to have a good birthday tomorrow!
http://maremag.blogspot.com/
Edit: I just noticed; this is post # 800!
Everyone please go see my friend Mar and tell her to have a good birthday tomorrow!
http://maremag.blogspot.com/
Edit: I just noticed; this is post # 800!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Still More Frogs.......
See, I gotta million of 'em. I bet you thought I was finished showing my frogs
but I'm not!The top photo shows a frog that hangs on something. He was made to be a pot-sitter, or to hang on a potted plant, but here he is hanging on the top edge of a lamp shade.
The second one is a small brass frog that is attached to a lampshade with a pin-back. I found him in the drapery department at JC Penney's.
The bottom photo is a detail of my guest bathroom rug. It is just like the fabric on my dining room chairs, except the background is black, not white.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Frogs.......Again!
Top: the one that started the collection; the first frog I ever bought. It is a painted rock. I bought it in a gift shop in Carlsbad, CA in 1979, I think.
Two and Three: a set of candle holders
, given to me by my sweet daughter-in-law. I love the one with glasses. They get moved all over the house, and right now, one resides in the living room and one was on the dining room table, until I moved him to set up my Halloween centerpiece.Four: One of a pair of "wall-climbers", given to me by a friend. They hang on my dining room wall and I only light the candles when we have company for dinner.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
While we are honoring teachers, let's check our breasts, get our mammograms and persuade others to do the same. In Honor of Teachers......
"In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have."
Lee Iacocca,automobile executive (1924- )
World Teachers Day is October 5th. Let's celebrate the women and men who educate our children.
Lee Iacocca,automobile executive (1924- )
World Teachers Day is October 5th. Let's celebrate the women and men who educate our children.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Helpful Hints
I received these in email, and I cannot vouch for their effectiveness, but they sound good.
Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove. Set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.
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Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients and reseal. Keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
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Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.
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Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
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Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass. The fibers catch ones you can't see!
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Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
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Bike owner
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof of who owns the bike.
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Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
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Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place a pin in seam of slacks and the static is gone.
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Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
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Foggy Windshield
Do you hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! It works better than a cloth!
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Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. It unseals easily.
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Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth.
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Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Take baby powder to the beach
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you are ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.
Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove. Set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients and reseal. Keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass. The fibers catch ones you can't see!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bike owner
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof of who owns the bike.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place a pin in seam of slacks and the static is gone.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Foggy Windshield
Do you hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! It works better than a cloth!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. It unseals easily.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Take baby powder to the beach
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you are ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Last week I did flowers for the introduction of a new housing development about 25 miles north of here. The public relations company hired to do their marketing
wanted to introduce it to the local real estate
brokers and sales people, with a luncheon.
The mantel arrangement had to be silk, as it was to be used all weekend for open house. It incorporated pumpkins and faux berries. The table centerpieces and buffet arrangements were fresh flowers; featuring sunflowers, green calla lilies, cattails, solidago, and hydrangea, with corkscrew willow. They requested that I use flowers grown in NC, and stay within their color scheme of avocado green and goldenrod. The overlay linens were burlap, in shades of khaki and avocado, placed over goldenrod underlays.
The lower picture was taken from their company brochure; the lake, with the clubhouse, pavillion and boat house. The main dining area was in the outdoor pavillion, which was being buffeted by winds off the lake at about 25 knots that morning. I had no problem with the centerpieces, since they were in heavy glass squares, but the mantel arrangement blew off three times before I left the site, in spite of the fact that I had placed a plastic bag with 2 lbs. of sand at the back of it. We had to add rocks to that, and hope that the winds died down before the luncheon. I have not heard what happened after that. Maybe it's better not to know.....LOL!
wanted to introduce it to the local real estatebrokers and sales people, with a luncheon.
The mantel arrangement had to be silk, as it was to be used all weekend for open house. It incorporated pumpkins and faux berries. The table centerpieces and buffet arrangements were fresh flowers; featuring sunflowers, green calla lilies, cattails, solidago, and hydrangea, with corkscrew willow. They requested that I use flowers grown in NC, and stay within their color scheme of avocado green and goldenrod. The overlay linens were burlap, in shades of khaki and avocado, placed over goldenrod underlays.The lower picture was taken from their company brochure; the lake, with the clubhouse, pavillion and boat house. The main dining area was in the outdoor pavillion, which was being buffeted by winds off the lake at about 25 knots that morning. I had no problem with the centerpieces, since they were in heavy glass squares, but the mantel arrangement blew off three times before I left the site, in spite of the fact that I had placed a plastic bag with 2 lbs. of sand at the back of it. We had to add rocks to that, and hope that the winds died down before the luncheon. I have not heard what happened after that. Maybe it's better not to know.....LOL!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
My Buddy Hoss Turns Another Year Older!
Would you please go and tell him that Kenju sent you to tell him to have a Happy Birthday?
Oh, and you can say hi to Bonnie, too. I didn't want to cut her pretty face out of the pic. It was taken before Hoss married Scamp, whose birthday is October 4th, he says. You can give her your good wishes too!
http://www.oldhorsetailsnake.blogspot.com/
Broken, but beautiful nonetheless
What thoughts or emotions are evoked by this photo?Several weeks ago, we were delivering wedding flowers and we had to wait before we could enter the church because another wedding party was finishing photos.
We sat on benches in a small garden off the main sidewalk, and this pattern presented itself to me. I have begun to notice things more closely, as possible blog fodder. This one made me reach for my camera pronto.
The Mondrian-like patterns speak of stability and strength - even with cracks and stains. Perfection is not a necessary component of beauty. What does it say to you?
Disturbing, to say the least.....
and not one bit sexy. Whatever makes women think this is the way they should look? Who decided that skin stretched over bones is the paragon of feminine beauty?
I wrote a post - or maybe it was a comment to someone else - recently on the trend toward losing weight to the point of starvation.
If I can find it, I'll post the link here. A friend of mr. kenju's sent these pictures, plus a few more, in an email today. They sadden and disgust me. In my skinniest days, I never looked like this and if I had, I would have gone on an ice cream and cake diet! As it was, my mom tried to make me take "Weight-on"; a disgusting banana and cardboard flavored tablet designed to help you put pounds on quickly, and I was only 5 pounds underweight then.
How is it possible that these girls can look in the mirror or see photographs like these and think they look great?
I predict that the next big trend in modeling and fashion will be to parade the clothes down the runway on hangers. Why not? It would fill out and show off the clothing just as well as these girls do.
Your turn (with thanks and apologies to Carmi): What do you think of when you see these photos?
