Tuesday, March 31, 2009

44

Can you tell that I am camera challenged right now? I'm resorting to text only posts, LOL. Here's a funny little odd-question quiz. Dare to copy and post your answers?

1. Do you like blue cheese? Not at all

2. Have you ever been drunk? Once or twice

3. Do you own a gun? Technically, yes

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? Grape and lemonade mixed together

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Very

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Best eaten out of doors

7. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story. I just smiled thinking about that leg lamp.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee with half and half

9. Can you do push ups? Probably not

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Wedding rings

11. Favorite hobby? Sewing/quilting

12. Do you have A.D.D.? It manifests as unfinished projects. See #11

13. What's your favorite shoe? Clogs

14. Middle Name? Carla, after my Dad Carl

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? My desk is a mess, I hope she calls, where is my husband?

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Coke Zero, iced tea, water

17. Current worry? The economy in general

18. Current hate right now? Mouth injury caused by dog claw

19. pepsi or coke? Coca Cola baby

20. How did you bring in the New Year? Annual neighborhood party

21. Where would you like to go? Italy, Spain, New York, Alaska

22. Which friends will complete this? Maybe Julie?

23. Do you own slippers? Yes

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? Sundress hubby bought me in Puerto Rico with blues and browns, tropical

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets? Not really

26. Can you whistle? I SO wish I could whistle

27. Favorite color? Peach

28. Would you be a good pirate? I get sea sick in rough weather

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? The songs from Oh Brother Where Art Thou

30. Favorite Girl's Names? Anakin, Jennifer, Mae, Annie, Laura, Ella

31. Favorite boy's names? Michael, Gregory, Byron, Carlton

32. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Funny misunderstanding, technical work thing, hard to explain, funny only to insiders

34. Best bed sheets as a child? No childhood recollection

35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child? When I was a toddler had pretty severe 3rd degree burns from coffee but I don't remember it

36. Do you love where you live? I like where I live

37. What did you want to be when you grew up? Forrest Ranger, Musician

38. Who is your loudest friend? I’m taking the 5th

39. How many dogs do you have? Two now

40. Does someone have a crush on you? Doubtful

41. What is your favorite book? Harry Potter series

42. What is your favorite candy? Hot Tamales

43. Favorite Sports Team? Arkansas Razorbacks

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Christmas music

Monday, March 30, 2009

NPR Sunday Puzzle

**update** Madagascar = Mazda + gas + car

Name a country somewhere in the world. Insert a 'Z.' The result can be broken up into 3 consecutive words. The first word is a popular brand name. The second word is something this product uses, and the third word is the kind of product it is. What's the country?

This one jumped right out at me once I Googled countries of the world and had a list to browse ;)

I'll give 3 hints: 1) News says Chrystler is in trouble, 2) I'm not crazy about animated films, 3) Watch out for the hatter! These aren't straight out clues - you gotta think about them so it might just be easier to figure it out on your own, LOL.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Green Thumb Sunday

It's raining, very windy, and I gave away my good memory card so I'm left with only 4 photos at a time. That's all OK though because I found the following blooming on my screen porch:



Saturday, March 28, 2009

Florida Snow

OK, not exactly frozen water but oak pollen has been "snowing"down on everything. These photos are from my driveway and I don't even have an oak tree! I cleaned the tree pollen sack debris off my car before I got the bright but late idea to photo. It was literally like brushing snow off the car except it wasn't cold, LOL. Bear in mind, I washed my car only 2 days prior to these photos.

I had to run the windshield wipers just to see through the pollen!


It even got inside the door hinge area

In addition to the pollen in the photo, you can see the grass smothered in oak leaves.



It's everywhere! Like someting from a horror movie!


My car is taupe in color. Looking through the window the hood is yellow-greenish. I could see it all over other cars too but the photos didn't really show it.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Family Quiz

OK, since the quiz I offered was a bit tough, I will tell a little more about each person. Oh, and don't be shocked if I don't look like my siblings because actually I am an only child. My Dad's late wife had 6 kids so really they are stepsiblings, stepnieces, etc. Here goes:

First photo: my dad of course

Second photo: Ann & Samantha are sisters, Johnathan is nephew, Phyllis is sister-in-law

Third photo: Eddie is brother-inlaw, Drew is nephew, Paul is brother-in-law

Fourth photo: Sommer is niece

Fifth photo: Judy is sister

Sixth photo: Michael & Jerrod are nephews

Seventh photo: Phyllis is sister-in-law & Terrell is brother

Eighth photo: Reba is sister

One sibling is deceased but there was a family member there to represent him ;)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Hospital Photos

Daddy-o in his hospital bed before his heart cath procedure.

Waiting room photos during the procedure - Ann, Samantha, Jonathan, & Phyllis.

Eddie, Drew, & Paul

Sommer

Judy

All the guys in the waiting room on my dad's floor - there were too many of us for his room, LOL.
Michael & Jarrod

Phyllis & Terrell

Reba
OK, that's the family. Now see if you can construct the families. Come on, give it a try! It will be fun. Here's some hints:
1 - There are 3 couples in these photos but they may not necessarily be sitting or standing together
2 - There are two step sisters pictured who do not have a spouse pictured (one not there, one is single)
3 - There are 4 grandsons pictured but only one grand daughter (somehow one granddaughter escaped being photographed)
4 - One couple has two boys and all four of them are pictured.
5 - One couple has 3 kids but only one pictured.
6 - One couple has only one child and she is the only granddaughter photoed.
7 - There is also a grandson there whose dad, my stepbrohter, is deceased so he has no parent in the photos.

On My Way Home

I'm at the Little Rock airport where there is free WI FI and I have bars on my cell. Dad lives in rural Arkansas so I've been in a techno void.

He's OK, thanks for your well wishes.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Stow-A-Way

I'm at the airport (in Tampa) doing the hurry up & wait thing.......I had to make double-triple sure that only my intended items made their way into my luggage today. Eddie was finding my partially packed suitcase a great place to nap. More than once I had to move him outta there, LOL. I think he wanted to go see his papaw.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Leaving For Arkansas

My Dad's Senior Photo
I am on my way to Arkansas tomorrow to be with my dad during his upcoming medical treatment(s). I will in Pine Bluff AR during the days because that is where the hospital is and probably Dumas AR at nights because that is where he lives. No internet at his house so I may not be able to post again until my return next Wednesday. Thank you for your thought and prayers. I appreciate your caring concern.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Prayer, Happy Thoughts, Positives Vibes.....

...for my dad, please. He was transported from his small town hospital to a larger city hospital by amulance and has been waiting hours in an ER exam room.

Monday, March 16, 2009

NPR Sunday Puzzle

From Sunday, March 15th:

Name a female host of a popular TV program. Rearrange the letters of her first name to name a god in mythology. Rearrange the letters in her last name to name a type of god that this god is not. Who is the TV host and what are the anagrams?

I have to admit that I wouldn't have figured this one if someone hadn't given me a clue that lead me to the God and then I figured out who she was (unusual spelling of a common name). I don't watch much television except for my HBO shows and I'm not up with the latest motivational speakers either. Oops! Did I just give it away ;)

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Green Thumb Sunday

I thought I would do a little something different for Green Thumb Sunday today. Instead of a residential garden, I thought I would honor the gardens that while seen, may go unnoticed as a garden - the boundary garden. These are the small plots you see that create entrances and seperations for commercial properties or neighborhood entrances. While they have a big job doing traffic control, broken down to the smallest denomination they are a collection of plants. In my book a collection of plants is a garden!
This is the entryway to a nearby neighborhood. This area seperates the driveways going in and out of the community. Too bad I couldn't get the top of the palm in the photo because it is a beautiful palm.

My hood. It's hard to photo our entrance because there is a giant ditch across the street and I was afraid to back up to get the widest view for fear of falling in, LOL. Notice in the very back of the photo is a gazebo. Mostly this photo catches the entrance and not so much of the exit side. At Christmas there are poinsettias in the bark area you see at the front of the median. In fall chrysantemums, etc.

The local fire station. Lovely, lovely old oak and lots of very healthy crynum lillies.

The street side garden of an apartment building. This is that sometimes difficulty to garden area between the street and sidewalk and they ahve done a great job. These areas tend to be dry and hot. In our neighborhood you have to have grass there.

Entrance to apartment building next to where my friends from Kodiak stayed. Looks much nicer in real life- photo just didn't catchit. Remember, this is winter time.

And finally the median garden into the hotel suites where Jim & Sandy stayed int he Rocky Point area of Tampa. This strip seperates the entrance and exit. The hot red color is striking.
These gardens I've featured are often surrounded by black top and don't always have the helpful shade of big tree to ward off the harsh Florida sun. Even in these tough environments they function as traffic managers and greets. Kudos to the border garden!





Saturday, March 14, 2009

Iditarod

I heard a short story about this year's running of the Iditarod on NPR yesterday. It reminded me of the times that I have witnessed the start in Anchorage, the restart is Settler's Bay and the end in Nome. I'm sharing some photos but if you know the recent history of the Iditarod, don't try to piece these together because I'm including different years together. One year I did actually see the start in Anchorage and the end in Nome - that was cool.
Me with Libby Riddles in Nome at the Gold Nugget. She didn't race that year but was in Nome during the Iditarod finish.

Me with Dee Dee Jonrow. You can tell by the frostbite that she did race that year. I believe this was 91 and Rick Swenson won but Dee Dee was right behind him. I should Google it to see.

This is the burlwood marker for the end of the race. I recall being in Nome for 2 race endings and one of them I stayed in hotel right about where this photo was taken - needless to say it was noisy as each racer came into town day and night.

This is a restart from Settler's Bay in the 80's some time. The ceremonial race began in Anchorage but the race is restarted the next day. I don't know if they still do this practice or not. Again, I should Google it and see!

This is a photo of the start of the race from Anchorage and probably taken the same time as the restart photo above.

Facebook

Sorry Bloggers. I have been ignoring you. I've been online but my time has been spent at Facebook. It is still new and I am learning and spending too much time there. The shine will soon wear off and I'll get over it. For now it's been fun connecting with my high school & Kodiak buddies. Bad blogger, bad blogger!

Monday, March 9, 2009

I Solved the NPR Sunday Puzzle

**UPDATE** "At A Loss For Words" is what I submitted. I believe it's correct ;)

It took a while because I assumed it was an idiom and couldn't get "Cat Got Your Tongue" out of my mind. Turns out it was a simple phrase. My hint, for those interested in solving it, is "misplaced lanaguage". In case you forgot the puzle, here it is again:

Q: Think of a familiar phrase in five words that means 'tongue tied.' One word in it has one letter, one word has two letters, one has three, one has four and one has five — though not necessarily in that order. What is the phrase?

I will leave more hints for those who leave a comment ;)

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Green Thumb Sunday

In honor of Green Thumb Sunday, I worked in my yard. NOT!!! My Kodiak friends Jim & Sandy are in Tampa and had a day away from their business so we went out. It was a BEAUTIFUL day - temperature perfect, very light breeze. You couldn't pay for a better day. We went to the Museum of Fine Arts then ate burgers & fries at Johnny Rocket. A very nice day on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg indeed.

Here we are in front of the Kapok tree in Straub Park. These trees can grow to 150 feet! Sandy commented on the smoothness of the bark. These trees are drought deciduous meaning they shed leaves during the dry season (they are a tropical rainforrest tree) and get these large flower pod on them.

Check out the size of the flowers! Granted, Sandy has a thin wrist and forarm but the flowers are big. They made a bit of a thud when they fell from up high too.

Here's two photos of the tree. It's impossible to get in it's entirety without giving up detail.

Sunday Puzzle on NPR

I got last week's right - it was Dallas-Ft. Worth! Apparently over 3,000 other people got it right too :)

Haven't started on this week's but thought I should write it down fore I begin to forget the details in my old age:

A common 5 word phrase for "tongue tied" that is unique in that it contains a 1 letter word, 2 letter word, 3, 4, & 5 letter words but not necessarily in that order.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Kodiak Friends!

Just got home from having dinner with Jim & Sandy Peotter from Kodiak, Alaska (I lived in Kodiak 11 years and loved every minute of it). Looks like I will seeing them again tomorrow too. It was very nice and I am looking forward to tomorrow.

We went to a good seafood restaurant called Landry's and everyone enjoyed their dinner and the conversation. Lots of catching up to do. As typical of the world's worst photographer, I had my camera yet failed to take a photo :( Oh, it was the typical Saturday dinner with mom and MIL but with the addition of Jim & Sandy. Don't worry - we didn't leave mom & MIL behind!

Friday, March 6, 2009

How I Spent My Friday Night

I believe I had a GREAT Friday night! First I fed and walked my:
Then I finally finished making my St. Patrick's Day wreaths. I kept procrastining the finish because I'm not crazy about them. I didn't care for many of the doo-dads available - I didn't want beer jugs on my wreath, LOL.
And finally I finished off the night by playing Wii. I did very well at the bowling training game where it keeps adding more pins - first frame is 10 pins and they increase up to 91 pins!. See the scorekeeper thingy in the upper left of the photo? The check marks indicates strikes. Just one more frame to go........
And STIKE on the last frame! I got all 91 pins down. It was my night.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I Missed It Again

I didn't get a call from NPR at 3pm today telling me my submission was chosen from among all the correct puzzle entries:(

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

I Gave Up Sweets For Lent

....and was doing quite well until today. Now I am obsessed with the thought of cookies or cake or something with real sugar. I like the idea of self deprevation - I believe it builds character. When I was a young bride I lived in a crappy house and had hand-me-down furniture. Now I see very young people in furniture stores starting out with nice stuff all on credit. In those days my cooking seemed to always include a cheap dish made with cream of mushroom soup like green bean casserole or pork chops & rice-not much eating out in those days except for special occassions. Sorry, I am rambling due to sugar withdrawl so I will get to the point....


My husband bought me this cookbook for Christmas about twenty years ago. Truthfully, I didn't know if I should laugh or be offended. I have to admit that I am a little touchy about the terms white trash, hillbilly, redneck, hick, etc. having been born and raised (partially) in Arkansas. I loved the photographs and many of the photos and stories brought back memories of the south. The funny thing is, my yanky husband has been crazy about every recipe I've ever made from this book! Every holiday he asked if I am going to make that sweet potato pone - he prefers it over those ghastly sweet potatoes with melted marshmallows. Here's the recipe direct from the book:

FANCY SWEET POTATO PONE

4 C raw grated sweet potato, 1 C syrup, 1/2 C sugar, 1 C milk, 1/2 C butter, 1/2 C chopped nuts, 1 C raisins, 3 well-beaten eggs, 1 tsp allspice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp salt

Add well beaten eggs, sugar, spices, and nuts to grated sweet potato. Melt butter in heavy iron frying pan; add potato mixture; stir on top of stove until very hot. Cook in same pan in moderate oven for 45 minutes, stirring from bottom several times. Serve with whipped cream. Whipped cream? I never did that!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Canine Educational Toys a.k.a. How To Keep Your Rat Terrier Busy

I had to stop at Pet Food Warehouse today and fell victim to the latest and greatest dog toys. Don't shake your head too hard - Eddie has been busy with this thing since I removed it off the packaging. I believe we have a winner.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Green Thumb Sunday

My first bloom on this young plant. Sadly, I have no idea what it is :( I sure seem to lose a lot of tags. Actually, I am just realizing that this may be a piece that broken off of a Bulbophylum that's never bloomed. Humm.....
Happy Cattleya blooms every year.

Another blooming Cattleya. This one is the one responsible for the nice auroma in my screen porch.

This bloom is fading fast. From greenish white, to white, to yelloish white, to yellow.
Next stop is brown.

Some new growth on my ghost. Maybe in a couple more years I will get a bloom.