I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by my buddy The Bodhi Chicklet and because she's my friend and because this tag *called to me* (it's the culture thing), I'm playing!

This tag thing comes with an award called, Premio Dardos, meaning "prize darts.” This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day. Here's what it looks like:



And here's what you have to do:

Step 1: Respond and rework — answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

Step 2: Tag other bloggers to do the same.

Here are the questions:

What are you wearing right now? A purple National Zoo (Washington, DC) t-shirt. Black Lands End trousers. No shoes.

What part of your house never gets cleaned? Behind the fridge.

Do you nap a lot? I nap on occasion. With summer coming, I’ll nap more ... just like the furbabies ... in the sun!

Who is the last person you hugged? Mr. Dragon.

What websites do you visit when you go online? Blogs, email, Rue La La, Rice U., Amazon, Powells, garden/seed catalogs.

What was the last item you bought? A candle (snapdragon scent)

What’s the last book you read? Runner: A Jane Whitefield Novel by Thomas Perry

If you could visit anyplace in the world, where would you go? Kyoto! I want to see the temples.

What is your favorite comic strip or character? Hagar, Snoopy, Garfield

Has a celebrity’s hair cut ever influenced your own hairstyle? No, but I loved Dorothy Hamill’s hair ... it just seemed to fall perfectly no matter how she moved her head!

What is one skill you wish you had, but don’t? I wish I could speak other languages.

What was the last movie you watched? I’m not a big movie watcher ... probably a rerun of the original Star Wars.

If you had a whole day to yourself; no work, commitments or interruptions what would you do? Sleep as long as I like. Sit in the garden with a glass of ice tea. Read a book. Love on the fur babies. Send Mr. Dragon out to hit golf balls. Mush some paint around!

Is there a major goal you have that you haven’t yet achieved? I like my life the way it is. If I have a goal, it is perhaps to meditate more -- get more in touch with my spiritual side.

Where did you meet your spouse/partner/bf/cat? I met the two youngest fur babies at our vet’s office. I just had to bring them home. Poor little feral kitties.

What is something that those in blogland might not know about you? I was part of a hot air balloon crew.

What Countries have you visited as an adult? Canada, Spain, Germany, France.

What do you do to relieve stress? I work with my hands ... knit, crochet. When the weather allows, digging in the garden is a great stress reliever.

What music are you currently listening to (radio, ipod,etc)? I reloaded the CD player today with: Dance To Your Shadow (Kim Robertson), Celtic Meditation Music (Aine Minogue), Dog and Butterfly (Heart), A Wonderful World (Tony Bennett & K.D. Lang) and others.

If you could change one physical trait about you what would it be? I want to be taller (then maybe I’d be thinner).

What was the last publicly embarrassing thing that happened to you? I’m really good at dropping food on my chest. I need a bib!

As this is supposed to be a cultural award, what is the most recent piece of painting or sculpture that really impressed you? This one is easy. I just did a presentation on a magnificent bodhisattva from Gandhara. He takes my breath away.

What is your favorite book? War and Peace

I'm not going to officially tag anyone, but if this interests you (and I hope it does), feel free to play along! Tag! You're it!

We are off to the Livestock Show again today. More to see. More photos to take!

Food!

Another post title that catches your attention -- Food! This is a continuation of our adventure last week to the Livestock Show and Rodeo. I thought I should get these pictures posted before our adventure to the Livestock Show continues!



We traveled to the Livestock Show on the train. We love it. I wish Texans would get over having to have a car. Golly, we'd train everywhere if they were running!



Mr. Dragon suggested that we lunch after our visit to the Livestock Show. I have to admit, the corn dogs were calling to me at the show! I haven't had a corn dog in ... well, I can't remember when I last had one (which is probably a good thing). He also suggested that we dine somewhere that we hadn't visited in awhile. A restaurant that we wanted to stay in business in these hard times. So we went to the Raven Grill. It was conveniently on our way home. Mr. Dragon had his usual - the pot roast.



I had the grilled vegetable plate. After being at the livestock show and looking at the big brown eyes of the cattle (I'm a sucker for brown eyes), I just couldn't look beef in the face! The veggies were wonderful ... grilled portobello mushroom, grilled sweet potato, spinach with garlic, squash casserole, and green beans with red pepper. The green beans were the only things I didn't love -- mainly because they didn't have any pizazz!



This was one of the art works for sale hanging on the restaurant walls. I loved it. Looks like something a mixed-media person should do!

In other news, I've finished my project for the museum within the deadline and was given another assignment. I love researching. It's back to the books! I'll be happy when the new gallery is open!

Monday Morning

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher."

~Pema Chodron
I love Pema Chodron and had to share this quote from Big Happy Buddha. It was in this morning's email. There is, of course, a story to go with the quote. There is a man who attends the college baseball games that we go to who just drives all of us nuts. Thankfully, he doesn't come to every game -- just enough so that you hear a collective groan from our section when we see him coming up the stairs. I decided this year, I would not let him *get to me*. I would even smile when I saw him. He's been to one game, was loud and obnoxious as usual, calling one of the men he talks with by the wrong name for the second year in a row, tapping me on the shoulder to ask who was catching our game (why doesn't he do his homework and read about the team??), and on and on and on. He always sits in one of the season ticket holders seats. He knows she sits there. He sits there anyway and when he sees her coming moves. You get the idea.

This year, I smiled when I saw him coming up the steps and we greeted each other with a *it's baseball time!* He hadn't changed at all (groan), but something in me had. I told Mr. Dragon that I was going to be more *Buddhist* this year! Now, I'm not sure that is what I'm doing, but, with just one game down in his presence, it was much more bearable and laughable! If I learned anything it was to laugh!

Now I have to learn to laugh at the calls the umpires make.

Thank you, Ame Pema Chodron.
You always teach me something

And so, dear readers, I hope your week is full of laughs and lessons learned!

Shopping!

I'm sure the post title got your attention! However, this is not the usual shopping. It is shopping at the Livestock Show and Rodeo (see previous post for some critter photos). We didn't take photos of the usual Livestock Show shopping stuff -- boots, cowboy hats, cattle trailers -- just the fun stuff and we aren't half way through! Good thing we had a good time and are going back next week!




How about starting with some words of wisdom. My two favorites are "Neatness and Organization Kills Creativity" (hope for those with a messy studio) and "I'm Still a Hot Babe ... only now it comes in flashes". The one with wine isn't bad either!



I've found one booth with quilts. I figure (by the price) that they aren't handmade in the USofA, but I didn't ask! They had some cute baby quilts and aprons. Colorful photo!

I got a real chuckle out of the night lights made with bottles of all sorts.

Mr. Dragon wanted a photo of the gun lamp. There is a small sign on the bottom that reads "Don't play with guns".


This booth was just too tempting. We stayed behind the little white fence. They advertise themselves as the largest traveling candy store! There was candy here that we both remember from childhood --- a very long time ago!

Furniture? You name it. This booth had it. The heron was quite spectacular.

Wonder what we'll find next week?

Camera Critters 48

Time just seems to fly!

It's Saturday and Camera Critters time!

The livestock show and rodeo has started.

We went to the livestock show last week for the first time in 25 years and had a ball. In fact we had so much fun, we are going back next week. If you want to see more of our adventures, you'll have to visit on a day other than Saturday for the rest of the pictures!

The first critters we met were the two legged variety. They were everywhere! Mostly inner city kids who had no idea what/who livestock are.

I'm sure they had never seen a live turkey.
They are lucky if they see a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

I feel in love with these little guys -- stubborn but cute!

You can't imagine just how huge the brahmans are.
Take it from me -- HUGE doesn't begin to describe them.
And they have the most beautiful brown eyes.

Happy Weekend Everyone!