Country Scene
Posted on July 25, 2008 - Filed Under Around Here, General Living
This photo was taken in Springfield at the home of a man and his wife that asked me to help them sell their property and their business. The man is called Popeye by everyone in town, where they have lived all their lives. They are moving to a new home being custom built for them on the same property but farther down the state road from their home and business. It is a beautiful farm and country property. I wish I could find the rest of the photos I took while there to share with you. I’ll keep looking.
Shoe on the Other Foot
Posted on July 23, 2008 - Filed Under Opinion
So the New Yorker’s rival publication, Vanity Fair, has come up with a political satire cover to complement the cover depicting Obama and his wife. The Vanity Fair cover depicts McCain and his wife, also doing “the bump” imitating Obama but with totally different expressions on their faces. Notice the Constitution burning in the fireplace and the portrait of Bush over the fireplace, and McCain’s walker.
Satire or Slam?
Posted on July 14, 2008 - Filed Under Opinion
The cover of the New Yorker magazine really makes me wonder about the abuse of political candidates, accused criminals, and even regular citizens by the press. The way people are depicted in photos, such as smiling or scowling, and the tone of the article, such as critical or supportive, can have a huge influence on the public’s perception of someone’s guilt or favor. One reason I dislike reading the Wall Street Journal is the obvious mysogynist slant of the articles. If you read and hear constant bashing, at what point do you start to believe it?
“They” say the cover art is satire. What do you think?
Swinging and Thinking
Posted on June 28, 2008 - Filed Under Around Here, Environment, General Living
This is Saturday, the end of June already. The days have turned hot and muggy, and the only breeze is from the jet blast effect of th cars that drive by. I’m swinging and thinking for a bit while the household sleeps in for a little longer. I’m enjoying the quiet time - a rarity these days.
I brought out two of the dogs to sit in the front yard with me. I tie each of them to a long cable and they find a sunny spot to lie down and watch the cars go by, with me perched on the swing nearby.
I hear locusts today - that’ a first. They were forecast to appear this year in various spots around the state, so I guess we are in “one of those” spots, although I haven’t noticed the dozens of small holes in the dirt around the base of the trees like I saw last time they came.
Sock Obama
Posted on June 17, 2008 - Filed Under Around Here, General Living, Just for Fun, Opinion
I think the sock monkey of Barack Obama was cute, and that everyone screaming rascist is over-reacting. Too bad the Binkley Toy Company knuckled under to the pressure to stop making it.
The mistake the toy company made was in just making this one toy mocking Obama. What they should have done is made a stuffed toy to make fun of McCain, too. It would have been easy to do. I think of McCain as an old, bedraggled rooster missing feathers and half blind, stomping around the barnyard crowing in a raspy voice.
But that’s just me.
Squirrel Issues
Posted on May 18, 2008 - Filed Under Around Here, Environment, Just for Fun
Sorry I can’t remember where I got this picture but it made me laugh and I wanted to share it here with everyone. We have dozens of gray squirrels in our neighborhood and I like to watch them bury the acorns in my yard every autumn. They come to get them later, too. But they aggravate the hell out of my dogs when they come in the yard!
If the picture is yours and you have a problem with me putting it on my blog, shoot me an email and I’ll take it down. If it’s yours and you like it on my blog, then thanks!
Mother’s Day
Posted on May 11, 2008 - Filed Under Celebrations, Family
I’ve read a few things about Mother’s Day that I never knew, by poking around on some of the cards and florist web sites. I think it is a nice holiday, very American, and appropriate to honor mothers this month and then fathers next month.
I wanted to send a nice gift to my mother and decided on a nice fresh flower arrangement. Small enough that she can keep it on the counter at her shop, or she might prefer to take it home and put it on her dresser. The Teleflora arrangements were really pretty this year, and ordering it on the internet was very easy. I could even select the florist shop that i preferred from a list that served the area where she works.
I liked this flower arrangement so much I almost ordered one for myself! I did receive flowers on Mother’s Day, our grandson brought a nice little pot of yellow mums that he picked out, just for me. He insisted on yellow because he knows that yellow is my favorite color. What a sweetie at just 5 years old!
Would have been nice to be able to visit with my mother on Mother’s Day, but this year it was just too complicated to get away. And word got back to me that she didn’t really want to have all the children come visit. She had made plans with my youngest brother and his family, and she said that the rest of us would have been too much on her. So the rest of us enjoyed the day with our own children and I’m sure we all had a nice day in our own ways.
Ride On
Posted on May 6, 2008 - Filed Under Around Here, Opinion, Wheels or Wings
Got your Harley yet? I figure we’ll see a big increase in the number of guys on motorcycles this summer. With the price of gasoline rocketing upward, this gives every middle aged crisis guy the perfect excuse to buy a motorcycle using the excuse of great gas mileage.
A lot of guys ride the Japanese made bikes that tear through my neighborhood on Saturdays and Sundays on their way to the Lake. Those guys are the dummies who ride with sandals instead of good leather boots, and ride shirtless instead of a leather jacket or vest. They ride too fast for the road conditions, dart in between cars, burn rubber at stop signs, and eventually get hurt because they are reckless and stupid.
Harley riders are different. Guys on the Jap bikes are the ones who ruin it for the rest of us. These idiots are the reason we have helmet laws. The serious bikers know to protect themselves and how to handle a motorcycle. But the idiots don’t even have enough sense to wear a helmet unless we force them to do it.
May Day
Posted on May 1, 2008 - Filed Under Celebrations, General Living, Memories
Way back when I was a little girl, we celebrated May Day at my school. It was a huge event that all the classes prepared for with weeks of planning and practice. The entire school campus was turned into a festival for the day.
We bought special costumes and I’ll always remember mine. It was a darling dress and bonnet with a Victorian floral pattern. I had to wear a special hoop slip and pantaloons with rows of lace ruffles. We also had to carry a matching parasol, and all of us were all dressed up for our Maypole dance in front of all the other children, their parents and all the teachers and staff.
Southern Cooking
Posted on April 30, 2008 - Filed Under Around Here, Foodie, Shopping
Flipping through the cable channels I came upon the Food Network. Have you seen Paula Deen’s cooking show? She is a wonderful cooking show hostess - a great personality and charming in a totally Southern Belle way. I’ve bought two of her cookbooks and one of her magazines. I think I’m going to just subscribe to her magazine - I love the recipes and the photographs that show me what the finished dish is supposed to look like. And everything turns out yummy!
Paula’s two sons cook, too. They have a couple of cookbooks out on their own. I bought one at Sam’s Club and will go back for the other one next week. I bought the one called “Recipes from the Road,” which features the local recipes from famous eateries on their road trip across America. I can’t wait to try some of them after I shop for their ingredients!