Theme Thursday = Button

I want one of these buttons!

• Ease, expediency, encouragement
• Aid, assist, alleviate
• Support, service, salvation
• You have to push it!

• Backup, benefit, bail out
• Upper hand, update, upgrade
• Treatment, troubleshoot, touch up
• Take off, turn the corner
• Open doors for, order
• Nourish, nothing flat

The Singing Melon

I didn't notice this big hole in my melon until I got home.

It must have grown while resting on a rock!

I couldn't resist giving this mouth a nose and some eyes!

Now she looks like she's singing an aria! :)

All was fine with the flesh, though..and she tasted delish! Some of my long time blog friends may be thinking, "Oh, dear...that poor Betsy...remember last year when she saw faces in her bananas?" I know, I know....I think I'm slowing loosing my mind!

Christmas in July

Well, it seems that way in our house! The past few

mornings, I have been awakened to our DVD of

A Christmas Carol blasting through the house!

(sorry the embed has been removed...just click the link.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l1_82x2BO4

And to those of you familiar with autistic kids, they love to repeat

things. (Well, at least mine do!) So, it's been "Old Marley's as dead as

a doornail".... that one phrase....again and again and again.

It's been an interesting way to wake up, that's for sure!

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

The Mister, Taylor and I had a fun trip to Indianapolis today.

We're home....tanned, tired and the sound of 800 horsepower

ringing in our ears! Our favorite sitter watched the triplets

for us. She did a great job...as always. We were gone 13

hours...which is a long time to watch anybody's kids...

autistic or not! We're very thankful for her!

And the best part...we get to do it again up in

Michigan next month! :)

Blue

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue,

and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”

Lyman Frank Baum

Mexican Tile Coasters

A few years ago, while in Playa del Carmen, I picked up a few

beautiful hand made tiles in a quaint little shop. You know how

expensive hand made Mexican tiles are here in the US! Well,

these were only $1 each, so I brought a few home with me!

Last week I rummaged through my workroom and found pieces

of cork that I cut slightly smaller than the tiles and attached to

the backsides with my hot glue gun.

They make perfect coasters...with a wonderful vacation memory!

Theme Thursday = Shoe

• Flip-flops, footies
• Open-toe
• Orthopedics
• Tennis shoes
• Wedge, wing-tips, wellies, work boots, waders
• Earth shoes
• Ankle boots, athletics
• Running shoes

• Stiletto, snowshoes, sandals, slippers, sneakers, slip-ons
• High heels, house shoes, hiking boots, hightops
• Oxfords, overshoes
• Espadrilles

Actually, I prefer none!

A Vintage Bracelet

A few weeks ago I posted that I recently received some

jewelry that had belonged to The Mister's mother.

This one was actually his grandmother's.

Bracelets being my favorite item of jewelry, I

was immediately drawn to this one. It is a

series of scenes from Denmark, the ancestory homeland.

When I got it, the loose piece was attached to the end, but

as you can see, that would not allow you to connect

the clasp and wear it. The last piece doesn't have a loop

on the end and there wouldn't be the decorative holder

between the scenes. So, I'm a little puzzled as to what

the last piece is used for. Maybe it is a separate pendant

and was just attached so it wouldn't get lost.

Without it, it is a perfect size for my

wrist and a nice vintage piece. She must

have never worn it since the odd piece was attached at

the end. But I think I'll carefully wear it once in a while!

I'm a believer of using the beautiful things around you.

It makes them more meaningful than just sticking

them in a drawer.

There is the residue of a sticker on the back of each piece.

I'm assuming it was from a price tag or maybe the name of the

landmark featured in the picture. So it has come through

three generations now, and it's fun to think that I would

give it to a daughter Taylor may have one day and

tell her that it has be handed down through five

generations to her!

So, Protege, my friend....I'm hoping this may look familiar

to you and you can tell me a bit about it? Do you ever

see anything like this in the antique shops in Denmark?

Beautiful, simply

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself." (William Blake 1757-1827) ~~~~ "And I think to myself....what a wonderful world....."

Please can we get a "little" bunny?

That's what Taylor kept asking when we finally went

shopping for Nugget. The pet store wasn't sure what

kind of rabbit he was, so I searched for a look-alike

on the internet. He's a French Lop-earred Giant.

Giant? The chart says there is no maximum size! What

does THAT mean? LOL!! And they

continue to grow during their adult life!

Well, here he is sprawled out of the floor.

I laid the 12 inch ruler there for context.

Almost every evening when the house quiets

down and Nugget lays on the floor at our feet,

The Mister and I say,

"Oh, Nugget...you've grown today!"

I don't care if he keeps growing, but I would like

the shedding to stop!

My Favorite Drive-Thru

A sweet girlfriend and I went to lunch today and also

had to stop by my favorite sweet corn farm.

They pick fresh daily and have a drive-thru of all

things. I think it's the best corn in the area and

we were not disappointed at supper tonight!

2 dozen Bi-Color ears....thank you to The Mister

for doing the shucking!

I use the Martha Stewart rule of 6 minutes in boiling water.

It's perfect every time.

Real butter, kosher salt....yum!

So...here's a question for you....do you eat your corn left to

right in rows like a typewriter? Or do you turn the ear so

you eat around the cob before moving along?

Or are you like my Alex, who dives right into the center? LOL

Green

“But I was thinking of a plan to dye one's whiskers green!" ~~~~ Louis Carroll, 1832-1898

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Theme Thursday = Stage

Prima Ballerina Taking A Bow, 1877

E. Degas

~~~~

• Style, skill, standing ovation, starlet
• Talent, topliner, ticket
• Applause, audience, art, act, accolade
• Genius, gifted
• Entertainment, endowment

Oh Yuck!

The other day The Mister sat down at the boys' computer to trouble shoot a problem for them. He came out in the kitchen and said, "Have you looked at their keyboard lately?" I said that no, I hadn't...that I never sit down to that computer. We have a spare bedroom that has turned into the boy hangout....complete with all of their DVDs, videos, a TV and computer. I pick up the stuff off the floor and vacuum, but that's about it. This is also the room that lost the slats to the window blind a while back. It also needs the filthy wallpaper stripped and fresh paint all over....I have the paint and am ready to start on this project as soon as they go back to school! But....I went back and looked at that keyboard...oh my....I am embarrassed to say that something this cruddy is in my home! But no longer....as I bought them a new one and a new mouse yesterday. It was far too gone to take apart and clean like I have done to my own. And yes, I did the ceremony to throw out the old. Just Keeping it Real, here.... but may be a bit too real! ha-ha!

Choosing a Watermelon

My great uncle and grandpa enjoying a huge watermelon

way back when!

A stock boy at Trader Joe's told me that the best way to pick

a watermelon is to look for all the brown veining on the skin.

What? No sniffing or thumping? Actually, I just pick the

biggest one if they are all the same price.

He says the more veining, the more sugar..and the sweeter

the fruit. I don't know if this one was any sweeter, but

it sure was good!

Don't you just love the seedless ones? I'll never go back...even

if there won't be any seed spitting contests! And isn't it interesting

that you can still see the little marks where the seeds should be?

~~~~

Watermelon is rich in beta carotene, lycopene

and the amino acid citrulline. It's also 92% water!

Did you know that numerous watermelon seeds were recovered

from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun? Maybe it was his

favorite! Maybe Harry is related to him in some way!

Over-easy, Split and Soggy

As we were eating eggs "over easy" this weekend, I was telling my sister that one of the things I had a hard time learning to cook was a good fried egg when I first got married. The Mister would actually be visibly irritated if the yolk broke when I turned it, or worse yet... if I fried it too long and the yolk was solid instead of runny. Fortunately, I got better at the process, since those things still bother him! tee-hee! That got me thinking of little food obsessions that we all have. I have a cousin that would cry if the gravy started to run out of his mashed potatoes when he was very young. To this day, I still hate it if a hotdog bun splits completely apart so it can't hold the dog and fixins very well. ......I really hate it if my icecream begins to drip out the bottom of a waffle cone! Or...if I lay my hamburger down on my plate in a puddle of watermelon juice and the bun gets all soggy! ICK!

Some Time for Fun

googleimages.com

I'm off to spend some time at Willow Manor! There's nothing like spending a day with your sister. I'm sure there will be lots of chatter and laughing...

"The kind of gut-busting, tears-streaming-down-your-face, bordering -0n-hysteria laughter that still makes you giggle when you think of it days later." (jennifer lewis meyer)

Yes, that's the kind of laughter I'm talking about! I'm sure there will be some eating out and shopping, too, but it's that hysterical laughter that I'm looking forward to the most! And laughing is good for you ~ did you know that people who laugh often add 8 years to their lives? Have a happy weekend, all!

Theme Thursday = Ghost

Welcome to Theme Thursday!

googleimages.com

• G ~ odforsaken
• H ~ ollow
• O ~ ut-of-the-way
• S ~ olitary
• T ~ umbleweeds
• T ~ ragic
• O ~ ut-of-luck
• W ~aste
• N ~ eglected

Shopping With Alex

Today Alex went to Sam's Club with me! Just like his brothers, he did

really well. I was pleasantly surprised at Alex, who is my one autistic

child with that rage factor. I wasn't looking forward to a 15 year old,

180 pound boy tantruming in the middle of the store or laying down in

an aisle and refusing to get up! (yes, it HAS happened!)

He did seem quite anxious as we got close to arriving, but calmed

down when he saw where we were going. He was much better

at steering the cart than his brothers were and he was great at

helping me pick items off of the shelves! We had an extra long list,

picking up some additional items our

church needed, so we were there about an hour!

He had a smile on his face the whole time! He was especially

happy to pick out some of his favorites ~ a rotiserre chicken,

strawberries, and a huge box of toilet paper. (he loves to make sure

the rolls are stacked in the linen closet and he restocks the bathrooms, too!)

But his most favorite treat to pick was this huge thing of cheese balls!

It must have brought back some great memories......

.....from when he was younger! He has always loved them!

He looks just the same, doesn't he? Only bigger! :)

Weeds? What Weeds?

Some weeds are so beautiful, I've invited them to

stay in the flower garden! Actually, I'm not putting a lot

of time into the weeding this year. And these thistles are

beautiful when they bloom! Maybe it's my Scottish

heritage that draws me to them! Or maybe I'm

just feeling a bit lazy this summer!

The Wren Family

This afternoon I sat on the porch swing to watch Mr and Mrs

Wren feed the babies in my hanging flower basket.

When the parents were away,

I decided to water the basket, making sure I didn't get any

down in the nest. But when I started watering, both baby

birds fluttered out! Since they landed

around the porch, I just picked them up and

put them back in their nest. The parents came back and fed

them and I took another look....

They were both sitting on the edge waiting to be fed!

It wouldn't be long before they wanted to leave the nest....

and sure enough, by the end of the afternoon, they were gone!

I could hear them in the flower garden and their parents were

keeping watch. So very sweet!

15 days to hatch the eggs and another 15 days and they leave the nest! Of course, these babies will be cared for by their parents a few more weeks. Aren't you glad our babies stay a little longer than that? I'm so sad to see them go, but the front of my basket does need a little TLC...and water! I'm sure I'll see them around the yard!

Metamorphasis Monday = Back Porch

I found this wood sign last week.

I loved the soft, weather-worn look of it

and thought it would look nice on my

gray house. It would be perfect to hang

on the back porch with the pool towels!

I already had these heavy metal Pottery Barn

hooks. They had initials on them that didn't

go with our family, so I hot glued baubles

and shells on them and grouted with sand.

Bright, gaudy towels just wouldn't fit the theme,

so I opted for soft blue bath towels at just

$3 each...much less expensive than beach towels!

I love the soft, casual look!

Just a step away from the pool and firepit.... we're ready for a summer holiday weekend! Happy Independence Day, blog friends! I'm going to go make a s'more......