Birthday Bird

I got a nice surprise in the mail from my aunt last week. It was a birthday card and letter. She also included a birthday card that I had made for her 41 years ago! It was her first birthday since her mom (my grandma), had died and she had kept it all of these years. She thought it was time I had it back as a present for my 50th birthday. How very sweet! I love that it was a drawing of a bird! I guess I loved them way back then, too! Who knew, years later, I'd start incorporating them into my drawings for my blog!

Thanks, Aunt Doe.

xo

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What I Did Wednesday #9

1. Noticed Alex took all of his vitamins this morning but left one of his prescription pills behind. Stopped at school to let him take it. The whole school should be happy I did that. lol. Had a nice chat with one of the aides and his teacher while I was there. And yes, I parked in the staff parking. I always was a rebel. ha ha.
2. Watered and talked to my green shamrock. I think I may need to name him Monster Shamrock. lol. He must be related to Monster Fern! (who btw is of mammoth size out in our courtyard and sadly is too big to move inside. I'll be sad to loose him!) The shamrock must love this spot...diffused afternoon light and no breezes from ceiling fans. Or maybe he just likes to be by the kitchen sink where I keep him good company every day! ha. I've learned the hard way on location...the purple one isn't doing as well!
3. Looked down this side street while sitting at a stop light on the way to the grocery. How lovely is that?
4. Rows of corn drying. Don't worry, my eyes never left the road. Good thing, too, or I would have been dizzy! :)
5. Honey Crisp apples. If you're local, they were 79 cents per pound at Aldis.
6. Talked to Mr and Mrs Bird. Mr Bird sang a song for me!
7. Of course it rained while I ran errands. It's a weekly tradition!
8. Fed four little fur balls waiting for me at the back door.
9. Let the downspout fill the watering can.
10. Noted how my birthday bouquet is opening up!
11. Made myself some lunch. Scrambled egg and bacon sandwich with an apple.
12. Ironed some shirts.

Just beautifully ordinary things.

I hope you're having a wonderful day, too!

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The Last Butterfly

I snapped some photos of what is probably the last butterfly of the season today. I haven't seen many in the last week with the cooler weather settling in. She was enjoying the blooms from my garden lettuce that has gone to seed.

That is until the garden help caught and ate her!

Oops! LOL! Oh dear!

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Mrs Doolittle, We Have A Problem

So, I'm straightening up the family room today and notice Marmalade watching something with his ears perked up. I take a closer look to see that new black mother cat along with kittens on our back porch! Remember that double take Mustache was having last week? Five kittens to be exact, all having lunch! But wait...not five.. There is this little one that is too scared to come any closer. If six isn't bad enough, I could have sworn I saw another in the bushes. Seven kittens? I watched them later as they trotted home, two houses down from us. I wonder if that family knows they've been adopted. Maybe not, if they are coming here to eat. It's like going out to eat...down to Betsy's house....and to visit their half brothers and sister. LOL. And no, I'm not keeping 11 kittens. Don't even ask. ha. Besides, 5 of them look like Mustache. How could I possibly name them all? Although this little grey one is absolutely adorable!

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Morning Talk

please click to enlarge

The theme this time at Creative Tuesday is Morning!

Well, I love this one since I'm a morning person. Of course it helps to have your coffee maker on your bedside table and use it as an alarm clock! :) I remember very early in our marriage, I was sitting up in bed talking to The Mister as he was getting dressed and he said, "Do you always wake up so pleasant and talkative first thing in the morning?" hahaha. Well, yes! He hadn't uttered a word yet. Anyway, I thought I would draw the first minutes of a typical day as I'm getting my five men out the door each morning. These are the phrases I say, coffee cup in hand, of course.

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8.5 x 11 " , colored pencils and blue ink

Please visit Mr. Toast's blog to see more beautiful art.

Or if you want to join in, this theme is due on Tuesday.

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A Golden Anniversary Cake

click to enlarge

One of the favorite things about my little home business is when I get to do special orders for people I know. Our next door neighbors of 23 years celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this week. They were married the week I was born! :) They are also Jill's parents! Jill was nice enough to ask me to bake the cake for their celebration. It was so fun! Moist white cake with butter cream frosting. Candy pearls and gold dust were the finishing touches. If you want to see their 1961 wedding photos, click on Jill's name for the embedded link.

Happy Anniversary Mitch and Mary!

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Quiet Evening

It's been a busy couple of weeks! This evening I sat and looked out the window. Here is my few from my little nook where my desk is in the kitchen. Sure looks like early autumn! A few more weeks and this burning bush will all be red! Funny note, just after I snapped this picture, Marmalade walked by...on the roof along that gutter....wasn't quick enough with the camera to catch him. So far, they get down by themselves. Good thing! I'm not looking forward to climbing up there after them! Anyway, as I was saying, it had rained today and finally this evening the sun broke through. Nice long evening shadows. Can't wait to see these leaves turn color! From the back door I noticed the sun catching the tips of the wind chime. Then I heard someone knocking on the door. Oh, hello, Mustache!

On the back porch, looking around to my kitchen nook. I'm looking forward to sitting inside there with a cup of tea and doing some reading/editing for a friend tonight. Nice and relaxing.

Hope you have a relaxing evening, too!

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The Beginning of Autumn

I was out and about today running errands and noticed some color change for the very first time. It was as if the trees knew that yesterday was the first day of autumn and overnight they started with the transformation. I snapped a few photos while driving, both eyes on the road of course! :) I wish I could have gotten all of that vintage car in the photo!

Is that a manatee? A baby seal? George Washington's wig?

After the rain in the night, the sky was a beautiful deep blue with few clouds. The soybeans are turning gold, too! Being born on the first day of autumn, Autumn could have easily been my name. I wonder if my parents ever considered it. And since it's my favorite season, how appropriate it would be! I like my name just fine. But Autumn Elizabeth would be pretty, too! I wonder if it would be crazy to put in for a name change at this late date. Mrs. U says I'm just wet behind the ears....just starting out! ♥

Celebrating

Thanks so much, blog friends, for helping me celebrate my birthday today! You guys are the best! You made me feel young! :) The Mister had flowers delivered to the house. I've always loved that my birthday was the first day of fall. An autumn-themed bouquet was the perfect choice! Can't wait for the blooms to open up a bit more!

Earlier in the year I had seen a watch that I loved. Until I saw the price! lol. You know how it is...champagne tastes on a beer budget? Well, isn't the Internet great? I found it marked down a couple hundred dollars with free shipping!It's a Citizen Eco Drive. Gold, stainless and diamonds with a mother-of-pearl face. It's solar powered so no more batteries! And it's water proof up to 300 feet under water. I can scuba dive in this thing! ha. Not that I will, but I have been known to snorkel! I'm just happy to keep it on in the shower, helping the boys in the tub and doing dishes. I took it to have some links removed in the band last Friday and haven't taken it off since. Nice. And as I found out the first night, the hands glow in the dark. Love that, since the clock isn't on my side of the bed. I guess it's on my wrist til I die. haha...and no jokes about that being soon since I'm so old now. lol...

Tonight, The Mister and I went out to dinner with Taylor and girlfriend Lauren. Isn't she a cutie? Sweet, too. She even gave me a gift card to the local coffee shop here in the village. I think she's a keeper. :) We ate at The Cheesecake Factory. What a nice way to end the day! ♥

Fifty

Um, yeah. Whoa! How did that happen!?

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday Wednesday, all day!

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Please celebrate with me and have a piece of birthday cake!Now, let me make a wish and try to blow out all 50 candles

without burning down the blog!

♥

Double Take

About 2 weeks ago, I saw this new mother cat eating on our back porch. She's come around a handful of times since then. She's completely black with green eyes. She looked like she was nursing a litter of kittens, just by the way her underside looked. Our kittens didn't seem to mind her, except for Whiskers. Maybe it was a girl thing. ha.

Sunday afternoon I happened to look out and see her and then saw Mustache out in the yard with a new kitten. He seemed to be doing a double take like I did. Wow! It looked just like a duplicate, mustache and all!

Awww. Just look at that sweet face! Those eyebrows just crack me up! When the kitten retreated back through the picket fence, Mustache lay down to keep watch. This one looks a little scared! The Mister said he thought he saw a second one with the same markings. Hmm. Something tells me that the same tom cat is the dad again. The Mister said, "OK, Mrs. DooLittle! What are you going to do now?"

Here's Mustache back in May. Awww.

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Gladys Knight Live

1. Me, waiting for The Mister, who was fiddling with his bow tie. :)
2. The ceiling of the Schuster Center, Kettering, Ohio.
3. Ready to go.
4. The Empress of Soul herself.
5. Wishing I was in one of those box seats! ha. But we had great seats. Ground floor and about 12 rows back on the aisle.
6. Singing her heart out.

Wow. Very fun to see Gladys Knight sing live! She also seems like a genuinely nice woman, too. I loved her personality and sass. I have tunes like Neither One Of Us, Midnight Train To Georgia, and I've Got To Use My Imagination in my head today. Not to mention You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, If I Were Your Woman and Love Overboard. I was really hoping she would sing Super Woman. Maybe next time. :)

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Hanging Out With Dad

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You Just Have to Laugh

Earlier this week The Mister told me that we were attending a Gladys Knight concert on Sunday evening. It's part of a fund raising event where he works. I thought, "Great! How fun!"

Fast forward to today. I was out and about running errands and thought I'd call and see if maybe he could meet me for lunch. The conversation went like this...

• Me ~ Hey, are you really busy? I thought maybe you could meet me for lunch. I still have to go to the grocery, but I'll be done with my errands about 12:30.
• The Mister ~ That would work. I have to be over that way anyway to pick up my tux.
• Me ~ ... to pick up what?
• The Mister ~ my tux...for that concert Sunday night.
• Me ~ Really?
• The Mister ~ Yeah. It's "black tie".
• Me ~ When were you going to tell me that?
• The Mister ~ I don't know. Why? I didn't think you needed to know until you were getting ready to go.
• Me ~ You're kidding, right? I was going to wear dressy jeans and a sweater!
• The Mister ~ Well, you better rethink that.
• Me ~ Ya think? How long have you known me? laughing...
• The Mister ~ (ignores the question) We're attending a dinner before the concert, too.
• Me ~ Well, that's good to know, too!

Perhaps a little black dress in velvet would be more appropriate?

Maybe I'll pair that with my favorite antique amethyst earrings.

Sigh.

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The Big Bad Wolf

I saw these cloud animals as the sun was setting. Do you see them?

If not, maybe this will help a little....

The sheep and the wolf!

Or maybe you see something completely different!

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This is a Sky Watch Friday post!

Click HERE to see other amazing skies!

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What I Did Wednesday #8

1. Shooed Tiger away from my coffee. He and Whiskers seem to have a caffeine craving! Not really willing to share my cup with them. ha.
2. Clipped coupons.
3. Cleaned and sorted my shelf of canning jars.
4. Did some online shoe shopping for the boys. So thrilled to find $125 Reboks on sale for $35. Even the hi-tops Spencer needs for some ankle support.
5. Enjoyed a paper bag of tomatoes a friend gave us. Look at those purple cherry tomatoes!
6. Cleaned and sorted through the medicine/vitamin cupboard. Threw out two things that had expired. 2008? Oh dear. ha. And how do shelves get so dusty with the doors closed? ha ha.
7. Enjoyed this herb roasted turkey, colby-jack, garden tomato and mixed greens sandwich on whole wheat. Extra mayo, of course. :)
8. Bleached the porcelain kitchen sink.
9. Cleaned the coffee maker.
10. Received the September shipment of a Fruit of the Month from Harry & David we received as a Christmas gift. Nectarines, this time!
11. Took down the kitchen canisters, washed them and dusted the shelves.
12. Picked veggies from the garden. My lettuces are done and have gone to seed!
13. Watched the kittens wrestle.
14. Cleaned the ceiling fan above my desk. It had grown a layer of felt. ha.
15. Vacuumed all the books in the bookshelves.
16. Transferred the birdseed and sand grit for the parakeets to these two vintage canisters I picked up for free from an auction.
17. Made dinner early so I just had to stick it into the oven. Layered pasta, ground beef, homemade sauce and cheese in a pan. Yum. Made double so I would have dinner finished for tomorrow when I work an auction all day. Oh, I feel SO organized. lol.
18. Sat with Mustache on the porch swing.

A beautifully ordinary day!

Hope you are having a wonderful day, too!

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Fun With A Bag

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Big Foot

Hmm. Some boy sneaked out of the tub tonight and stood in the hallway, dripping wet, so he wouldn't miss his favorite part of a DVD. He can stand there and see into the TV room. Of course I know it was Spencer! Just look at those huge size 12's. Not to mention he's the one with flat feet. LOL.

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Kitchen ~ A Creative Tuesday Sketch

please click on drawing to enlarge

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Kitchen is the theme this time at Creative Tuesdays. I thought I'd do something a little different and show the view from the outside looking in! This cute little house is from my imagination. I love it's stone walls, pretty windows and it no doubt has a thatched roof. :) Like most kitchens, it's the heart of this home, with it's typical gathering spaces, delicious smells and warmth. Of course it would have a kitty peering inside, flowering potted plants on the sill, and something yummy from the oven cooling in the open window. And don't forget the bird singing to me while I do dishes inside! :) And can you hear the tea kettle whistling? OK...enough standing outside! Come in and have a piece of peach pie! Ala mode? :)

Click HERE to see other 'kitchen' art!

Do you like to draw, paint or doodle?

Come join us twice a month!

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September 11th

The photos of nearly all of those who died in the attacks of 9-11-01.

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~Never Forget~

God bless America, land that I love.

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Hiccups

I rarely get them. Good thing, too, since they are loud and obnoxious! Some people have cute little hiccups, just little quiet quivers that shake their belly. Not me. Amusingly, I have loud, body-rattling hiccups! They sound like a goose honking. It's SO embarrassing! lol!

When I was about 12 years old, I was told to take the biggest gulp of water I could to get rid of a bad case of the hiccups. I swallowed a huge gulp of water and immediately saw black as I passed out and fell backwards, hitting my head on the bathtub. The hiccups were gone when I came to, but I did have a bump on my head! ha ha.

I always felt like that was such a silly thing to have happened until President Bush did the same kind of fainting in 2002 after choking on a pretzel. It's a temporary stimulation or compression of the vagus nerve that can cause fainting, especially after someone chokes during eating. (or swallows the biggest gulp of water ever!)

So over the years, I could usually make them stop if I got a drink before the 3rd or 4th hiccup. Sometimes eating something helps. And most recently it's been an effective cure to stand up and try to touch the ceiling, stretching my diaphragm and stopping the convulsions. But last night I got the hiccups and nothing would stop them! I drank. I ate. I held my breath. I stretched. Finally, I ate ice cream. And that worked! Ah...what a pleasant cure! Much better than drinking vinegar. LOL!

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Do you honk like a goose when you have hiccups or do I get to keep that crown?

Do you have a good cure?

Here's hoping I don't need another cure for a very long time!

But next time I'm trying the ice cream first! ;)

♥

Sunset

From my front yard

September 2011

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The sunsets have been beautiful lately as summer gives way

to autumn. Loved this pink and gold one with purple clouds!

*****

This is a Sky Watch Friday post!

Click HERE to see more beautiful skies!

♥

Happy

The most wasted day of all is one in which we have not laughed!

Sebastien-Roch Nicholas Chamfort

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A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength

Proverbs 17:22

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