This and That

1. I made a new friend last week.

His name is Bruno.
He belongs to a friend of mine.

Bruno is a three month old Mastiff.
He is a big teddy bear in a dog costume.
Like my kitties, he loves to have his chin scratched.


2. I'm working on another baby blanket.
Using my favorite pattern again.
It is quick and easy and looks complicated.
You can find the free crochet pattern here.

If I finish with time left before the baby shower,
I might try making one of these:

These little gems should be a good stash buster!

3.  I had a birthday at the end of May 
and all of my sisters-by-choice spoiled me.
They know all about my love for tea and I hit the jackpot.

One of my sisters is an accomplished needlepoint-er. 
She always has a project going on. 
The pillow is from her.
Perfect for her tea lover sister.

I love the Rosina teacup.
Very different with it's fluted tulip cup shape and high handle.
The saucer is fluted,too.
The blue design is very delicate.

The teacup sits on a Serendipi-tea Tea Box full of chocolate tea.
Sounds decadent, doesn't it!

Serendipi-Tea is a World Tea Awards Finalist for the Best Tea Brand.

4. In Musashi's Garden the plumeria is blooming.
Perfect timing: the gardenia just finished.
The garden has gone from one glorious scent to another.

5. When I put the crochet hook down,
I pick up Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick.
I heard an interview with Philbrick on NPR.
I enjoyed it so much, I decided I would have to read the book.
It isn't exactly what I would call Summer Reading,
but it is a fascinating look at the American Revolution,
especially George Washington and Benedict Arnold.
With luck, I'll have it finished by July 4. 


Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Five on Friday

Home Sweet Home

Potpourri

- I love daffodils!

- I love iris.
My Granny and my Mother grew the most beautiful bearded iris.
All different colors. They were amazing.
I have not been able to grow bearded iris here, although I do know folks who do.
Perhaps I'll try again.
But, I did try growing Louisiana Iris and have my first blooms.

- The Louisiana Iris is a native American iris.
This is Black Gamecock.
I planted the rhizomes 2 years ago and this is the first year they have bloomed.
Dark and dramatic, it's really hard not to touch the velvety looking petals.

- I've been walking into the village early in the morning to have breakfast.
The earlier the better as the heat and humidity are arriving.

- Time to have the AC serviced.

- Do you like urban fantasy or magical realism?
If so, I've found a new author for you ... at least he was new for me.
Alex Bledsoe.
I started with The Hum and The Shiver and recently completed Wisp of a Thing.
The Hum and The Shiver was named one of the Best Fiction Books of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews.
Set in the mountains of Tennesse. Who are the Tufa? Lots of music and myth.
You'll ask yourself if you feel the hum or the shiver!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

A big THANK YOU to Nancy for hosting Random 5 Friday.

This and That

- Got my hair cut and then had a lovely lunch at the Black Walnut.
I sat outside enjoying my salad, ice tea, and book.
And, I admit, I listened to some nearby conversations.
People are funny!

- I haven't found my Easter wreath.
I know I had one.
I looked in all the carefully packed bins marked Easter.
No luck.
So while I was out and about yesterday,
I found this little guy who now welcomes everyone at the door.
Better late than never!

- I'm becoming addicted to iced chai tea. Spending way too much time at Starbucks.

- Easter is just around the corner. I'm sharing a reproduction vintage postcard. Fun!

- I'm spending most of Easter weekend at the ballpark. The Rice Owls have a three game series this weekend. They always have an Easter egg hunt for the kids. It will be colorful and fun!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Happy Easter

A big thank you to Nancy for hosting Random 5 Friday.

Potpourri

It must be spring.
How can I tell???
I walk out into my postage stamp back yard (Musashi's Garden).
It smells like orange blossoms.

- My Satsuma, Clementine and Grapefruit trees are blooming!

- I love rain drops on blossoms.

- It's loud around here again. The guys working on the streets in the neighborhood have made it back to my street. I'm like a little kid! Sitting on the balcony watching them with their big machines tearing up more of the old street before they get to the oiling and then asphalt for the new surface.

- I've almost finished reading THE BOOK STOPS HERE, a Bibliophile Mystery by Kate Carlisle. It is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Brooklyn Wainwright is a bookaholic. She is a bookbinder and knows her rare books. She has been asked to appear on t.v. show as a rare book expert and appraiser. Her first subject is a first edition copy of THE SECRET GARDEN. A dead body can't be far behind when Brooklyn is around! 

- The weather has been nice. Coolish long enough in the morning (before the humidity gets to be too much) to walk up to the Village. I did a little shopping at Half-Price Books and then had breakfast.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Thanks Nancy for hosting Random 5 Friday.

Nana Stamp of Approval

Mini-Daffodil in Musashi's Garden

- Last year when I went daffodil hunting in the grocery stores, I found mini-daffodils in a pot at Trader Joes. When they had bloomed themselves out I took them out of the little pot and planted them in a big pot outside. I thought if they lived, maybe they would bloom again, but really didn't expect success. Surprise! I've been watching for weeks. Lots of green, but no bloom when WOW. All of a sudden there was one blooming mini-daffodil. Too cute! More on the way! 

- Did you know that the dandelion is one of the first spring foods for our precious bees???
I have a nice crop of dandelions growing in my little garden.

- I was hoping all the rain from last week was over. Alas, that isn't true. It's been raining again and this time with thunderstorms. The kitties don't like the thunder. Can't blame them.  The trees are doing their "thing". Pollen everywhere. Cars are covered with yellow dust. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

- When the rain ends the mosquitoes will be here in abundance. UGH. I guess I needed something to complain about!

- I'm reading A DRAGON'S GUIDE TO THE CARE AND FEEDING OF HUMANS by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder. It should be no surprise to anyone that my grandson likes dragons almost as much as his Nana. I, of course, have to read his dragon books first in order to give the Nana stamp of approval.

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

A BIG thank you to Nancy for hosting Random 5 Friday.

This and That

It's Friday the 13th.
I've always found those days to be lucky!

- The roads in my neighborhood are being resurfaced. They need it. In order to resurface the old surface needs to come off and the road evened out. Talk about a lot of noise and dust everywhere. I was singing Shake, Rattle and Roll and so was the house.

- It's been raining for four days straight. I'm not complaining. We seem to be moving into the spring rains and the more rain we get, the fewer really hot days we will have in the summer. Funny how that works! Not that I won't be complaining about the heat. August will still be Ughust.

- All that rain has turned our street into a lake. The drains have been blocked to keep the nasty street "stuff" from going down the drain and into the bayous. Thinking about getting the water wings out......!

Kito and Kiburi

- I had a behind the scenes tour with the cheetahs at the Houston Zoo. They are gorgeous animals. I gave Kito watered-down goat milk. He thinks that's a great treat. It's placed in a spray bottle and sprayed into his mouth. Close enough to feel his breath on my hands. I also met Taji, the Anatolian Shepherd that has been raised with the cheetahs. It was cold that morning and a chai tea latte at the Woodbar was in order after the tour. The behind the scenes tours also include an ride around the zoo to check in with some of my favorite animals and this day I got a sneak peak at the new Gorilla habitat. Oh, my! It is a jaw dropper! Amazing. Opening on Memorial Day to the public.

- I had my teeth cleaned and my eyes checked this week. Done and done!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Thanks, Nancy.

So happy to have you back in the Land of Blog!

This and That

The good news:
One of my favorite bloggers is back
Along with Random Five Friday!
YeeHaw!

Welcome back, Nancy!!!

- I am taking part in Liberate Your Art 2015. This is the third year I've signed up for the swap. It's lots of fun and I "meet" new folks. This is my postcard for this year. Do you see the fairies?!

- I think everyone is getting tired of winter. This week, I am sure, confused even the weather gods. The one thing that was constant -- the cloudy skies. Otherwise, cool, cold, damp except for two days in the middle that brought heavy fog and 80 degree temps. All I have to say is: Old Man Winter -- MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

- St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. I have my leprechaun flag flying from the balcony and Irish Luck hanging on the front door.

- Major League Baseball Spring Training has started. There were three games today on the MLB Network. I'm happy!

- For Downton Abby fans: the lovely young lady who plays Rose is the beautiful Cinderella in the new Disney movie.

And that's my Random Five for this Friday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Little Things

It's the Little Random Things:

-Comfort food like Mushroom Risotto with Peas.

- A trip to the bookstore -- browsing heaven.

- Lunch with my "sister by choice".

- Friends who wait with you while the locksmith drills out the locks so you can get into your house after you lock yourself out and can't find the key.

- A rose blooming in Musashi's Garden

It's the Little Things.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Thanks, Kim!

Thanks, Nancy!

Potpourri

Easter is just around the corner.
This is reproduction vintage postcard that the Lillian Vernon Corporation offered many years ago. I love the embossing. I happened on this cute card while cleaning out a closet. Wonder what else I might find!? A big thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

*

It gets quiet around Twisty Lane during college baseball season.

I try to keep up with posting, but I'm not always successful.

I've been watching ....

COSMOS and I'm loving it.

I remember watching the original Cosmos with Carl Sagan ... 

"billions and billions of stars".
Cosmos' "ship of the imagination" -- 
a vehicle to take viewers through wonders large and small -- 
now has a new captain, astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson.
I could listen to Tyson for days on end. 


I'm reading ...
JOY FOR BEGINNERS by Erica Bauermeister.
Kate has won her battle with a life threatening illness and has invited her six close friends to dinner to celebrate. At the dinner, her friends challenge Kate to go white water rafting down the Grand Canyon. Kate is reluctant and decides she will do it if her friends will do one thing in the next year that scares them. Since Kate didn't get to choose her challenge, she wants to choose theirs. It's agreed and the adventure to experience true joy begins. 
I enjoyed Bauermeister's THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS and hope I feel the same way about JOY FOR BEGINNERS. So far so good!


If you've been following the daffodil saga, I'm happy to announce
that I now have a house full of daffodils.
Trader Joe's came through again.
YeeHaw!
Spring can now officially begin.

I was determined I would not miss the azaleas this year.

They were late blooming with all the cold weather so I had no excuse.

Here's some of what I found at the zoo this week:

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

A big thank you to Nancy for hosting.

Potpourri

This vintage looking postcard was printed in China for the Lillian Vernon Corporation.

I think dancing sounds like a good way to welcome St. Patrick's Day!

A big thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

*

Sometimes ....
it's just nice to kick back and nap!
I was up early as usual, had breakfast, sat down on the couch with the kitties and fell asleep! After I hit publish for this post, I think I'll go back and try a nap again.


I'm celebrating....
the sun!
The sun is shining.
It's not too cold or too hot.
It's work in the garden time!

I love ....

Daffodils!

Every March I watch the advertisements waiting for daffodils to appear in the ads at the supermarket.

I was so excited when I saw them appear this week.

I went over and, talk about disappointment, no daffodils.

They hadn't arrived yet.

I almost cried! 

I'll try again next week.

Easter 2013

I'm sharing ...

Poppytalk.

I think I've shared the link to Poppytalk before,

but I want to share again.

I was visiting over the weekend and was reminded of all the 

beautiful colors and wonderful features.

Founded in 2005, Poppytalk is a lifestyle blog dedicated to supporting the beautiful, the decayed and the handmade. More about Poppytalk here.

Away ....
The Rice Owl Baseball team is away this weekend for three games in Florida.
Good luck Owls!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Thank you to Nancy for hosting.

Potpourri

St. Patrick's Day is coming, along with corned beef and cabbage.

This is a vintage reproduction postcard.

No artist or date was listed.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

*

I am creating...
Granny Squares!
The month of March is National Crochet Month.
YeeHaw!
Pictures coming when I have all the squares made. 

I am excited about...
being asked to taste test some teas from Tea Vivre.
I love Chinese teas and tea ware.
It will be fun to research and taste!

YiXing Tea Pot

I am hoping...
to win some handmade soap!
Nancy at a Rural Journal is having a give-a-way.
Get over there and sign up!

A favorite quote for today...
It's from the Walt Whitman poem  O ME! O LIFE!
"...The question, O me! so sad, recurring - What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here - that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."
It may sound familiar especially if you have seen the Apple commercials. 

One of my favorite things...

This is a Miltonia Orchid, sometimes called a pansy orchid.
When I brought her home from Trader Joe's she had one flower spike opened.
She now has two more spikes open and 2 more coming.
She is quite impressive and fragrant!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

A big thank you to Nancy for hosting.

Potpourri

On this last day in February
 I decided to go to my box of kisses to pick out a vintage postcard.

 

I laugh every time I see this postcard.

No artist or publishing date listed.

It is from a collection of postcards called 

A Box of Kisses published by Chronicle Books:

Charming vintage postcard reproductions of all sorts of smooches.

Mwah!

Thanks to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday. 

*

Outside my window...
It is cloudy today.
The last week has seen summer, winter and spring.
I'm not fond of guessing which season will appear each day
and would really like to enjoy a little spring before the dog days of summer arrive!

I am thankful...
for the nice soaking rain we got this week.
We need the rain. It's so easy to drop back into drought.

I am creating for...
Another postcard swap at June's.

The card on the left is from June and the one on the right is the one I made.
If you like swaps, check out June's blog, A Creative Dream.
She has a swap schedule for the year! 

One of my favorite things...
Is Terri Windling's beautiful blog.
Her name may be familiar to those of you who read fantasy.
Terri is a writer, artist, and book editor interested in myth, folklore, fairy tales, and the ways they are used in contemporary arts.
Myth and Moor is a daily journal for musings about art, myth, books, village life, and the world-wide community of folks who create and love Mythic Arts.
Full of beautiful words, beautiful art -- I could spend days there.

A peek into my day...

I'm missing my tulips.

A trip to Trader Joe's for flowers is in order!

Thank you Nancy for hosting!

Thanks for visiting.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Potpourri

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope your Valentine's Day is full of hearts and flowers.

Another reproduction vintage Valentine.

No artist listed, but this one had a suggested publishing date of 1910.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

*

Outside my window...
The sun is shining -- finally!
Highs in the 70s ... what to do, what to do!!! 
Celebrate!

In the kitchen...
Have you visited Estelle's? 
You must go visit. The blog is named after her grandmother and there is always something delicious cooking. Too bad we don't have smell-a-blog! Then again, it's a good thing we don't. I'd gain five pounds with every visit! 

I am reading...
I've just started THOSE ANGRY DAYS by Lynne Olson: Roosevelt, Lindberg, and America's Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941. I read Bill Bryson's One Summer: America, 1927 and decided I wanted to learn more about Charles Lindberg. I found The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin, a lovely historical novel that gave me more of an insight into Anne Lindberg. I heard Lynne Olson on NPR and decided I needed to read THOSE ANGRY DAYS. Isn't it fun how one book can lead to another. 

I looked forward to...
 The Westminster Dog Show.
I watch every year. I do love the dogs. I have three cats now, but when I was growing up we had dogs. The first dog I remember was named Brownie -- yep, a little brown dog. I was about 4 years old and I thought Brownie was huge -- she could stand on her hind legs and put her front feet on my shoulders. She wasn't huge, I was small. She also had a litter of puppies in my sandbox! I loved that the mutts appeared at the Westminster this year in the agility championships. 

A peek into my day...
The first camellia of 2014.

Thank you, Nancy!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Potpourri

I finished one postcard swap and can now show you the cards.

This is the one I sent:

and this is the postcard I received in return:

Isn't it fun?!!

I love the little feet.

It makes me smile.

Thank you, Deb!

You can meet Deb at Learning To Just Breathe.

**

Talking about postcards:

It's February and time for Valentine postcards.

A reproduction vintage Victorian Valentine postcard.

No artist or publishing date was given.

Cupid is in attendance with his box of hearts.

Take care, Cupid!

Thanks to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

***

I watched the first half of the Super Bowl and then switched to Downton Abbey.

In case you were wondering if the kitties and I had a favorite team

 -- this should answer that question.

My BSD (beautiful step daughter), her knight in shining armor and my amazing grandson live in the Seattle area. 

But I've been a Seahawks fan for a long time. 

I love the colors and the mascot! 

****

Not everything is baseball or football around here.

I attended part of the women's tennis match at Rice and came home with a new T-shirt.

A girl can never have too many Rice University T-shirts.

This one says Rice - Women's Tennis. 

The match was between the Rice Owls and the Stanford Cardinal.

Stanford is ranked #1 and the Owls #22.

Stanford won, but it was fun to watch the Owls give the Cardinal a good match.

*****

Still cold and damp and cloudy here.

A little sleet yesterday morning. 

I'm still doing some odds and ends around the house.

I was in bed, looking at the ceiling and the smoke detector and thought

"Yikes -- something else to do -- change out the batteries in the smoke detector!"

Do you do that, too -- have your best thoughts and ideas when you are almost asleep?!

It's always fun to visit with Nancy and the Random 5 bunch.

Thanks, Nancy!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Potpourri

First things first.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Welcome to the Year of the Horse.

I made several of these for a postcard swap.

**

I've spent most of the icy days catching up on the television shows I've missed.

I'm now caught up with CASTLE.

***

Speaking of icy - how about another Snowman?!

This little angel may be as tired of winter as the rest of us are.

I think she's helping them melt!

No artist listed but there was a suggested 1939 publishing date.

Thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

****

Do you have a favorite flower?

I love roses and daisies are such a happy flower.

But there is something about the iris.

It calls to me.

What is it about irises

in the garden

whether blue flag or yellow,

deep purple, white with red

why do they catch the attention, the imagination

more than lesser blooms?

A certain allure

that Georgia O'Keefe didn't taint

a beauty that draws you in to ponder and marvel on

a delicacy that is real

but a perennial that wears well

the seasons in New England too

bitter cold and short summers

whether in bog or flower bed.

~Raymond A Foss

*****

It's time for "Spring" baseball practice.

Even the umpires have to get their practice before the season starts.

The Owls will start the season in California against the Stanford Cardinal.

Go OWLS!

Thanks, Nancy!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!