Sunday, August 30, 2009

This and That

I'm posting early again. Busy Monday morning, but I can't leave you without some Monday Mullings!




I was presented with the MeME award by Barbara over at A Bird In My Hand. Barbara is a writer, mother, sister, new blogger and just plan fun. Go visit her and say HI! And, Barbara, thank you again. I hadn’t decided what I was going to write about today. You made my decision for me!

I’m supposed to mention seven things you may or may not know about me and then pass the award along to seven other blogs of my choice. I worked on this list all weekend and only came up with six things!

1. I’m an only child. My parents were not young when I came along and I’m sure I was a surprise. Poor things. Looking back, I don’t think they ever quite knew what to do with me! That meant that I learned a lot about what was acceptable and not, by watching other kids and their families. My birthday gifts and holiday gifts were what my cousin received. She was 5 years older and so the gifts were not age appropriate. One of my grandmothers would take me shopping and was very good about buying me a stuffed lovie. Something I COULD play with!

2. I had singing and dancing lessons from a very early age. It got me out from under foot! When I was five, I was on television in Dallas. That was when televisions were small and black and white. (Remember those?) I don’t remember much about it except that the dress I was wearing was very scratchy and I think it was green with tiny white polka dots. I had on my patent leather shoes and white socks with lace around the cuffs. Dressed to the nines for my singing debut on television! Let’s see: “How Much is That Doggy in the Window?” and “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Has Anybody Seen My Gal)”. I also took gym classes. I enjoyed them, I think! I gave up singing at university, something I am now sorry I did. Singing is good for you. Increases lung capacity!

3. I love Kool-Aid. My mother saved S&H Green Stamps, saved the coupons off of General Mills and other things. She ordered a Kool-Aid pitcher. It was plastic and had the Kool-Aid man on it. I loved it. The mascot of Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid Man is a large anthropomorphic frosty pitcher filled with Kool-Aid (usually cherry, though other flavors have been used). He was introduced in Kool-Aid advertising shortly after General Foods acquired the brand (according to Wikipedia). Now, when I get a grape urge, I buy one packet and make a pitcher full of Kool Aid. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, its FUN!

4. I graduated from the University of New Mexico and worked to pay my way. It took me five years, but I did it! Later I went back and did some graduate work.

5. Mr. Dragon and I, while we lived in New Mexico, were part of a balloon crew. I had my first hot air balloon ride in Taos, New Mexico. It was spectacular. It was so calm, peaceful (except for the burner blast). I was hooked. The landings could be a little rough -- depending on the winds. The balloon pilot was someone I worked with. We became part of her crew and to this day count her as one of our very best friends. None of us fly balloons anymore.

6. I was THE llama lady at Moody Gardens when they had a petting zoo. School kids from Galveston would come and we’d introduce them to pigs, sheep, snakes, guinea pigs (they made me itch), turtles, chinchillas, some other small animals and the llama. I had been off for awhile (I was a professional volunteer and got too busy with other things). I received a phone call saying would I please come in and see what was wrong with the llama. Seems he had started to spit. I went in and right away had a good idea what was wrong. They had moved him into a smaller stall and he was mad. I would have been mad too if my living quarters had been changed from the suite to the efficiency. Once we changed that around and I started walking and talking to him everyday, he was fine. Moody Gardens quickly outgrew the petting zoo and it was closed. The llama went to a farm with other llamas.

Passing on the award is always the most difficult part. Everyone deserves to be special. So, if you are one of my followers, and you need a lift today or you just feel like playing along - grab yourself the MeME award and tell us a little about yourself!

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I’m making a list of Snap’s Rules. I started writing them down because I forgot them almost as soon as I thought “that should be a rule”. So, every now and then, I’ll throw some out. Here are the first two:

Rule #1: When having guests over for dinner, any fancy new golfing equipment should be removed from the dining room table.

Rule #2: I love bubbles. You know, the kind that come in the jar with the little wand and you dip and blow and there go the bubbles. Or, you can dip into the jar and swing around and around holding the wand out from your body making bubbles. I also enjoy blowing bubbles (chewing gum type) and I think Double Bubble makes the best kind. Bubbles make you laugh. They make you joyful. They loosen you up. They remind you of what it was like to be a kid and that’s not bad. (Bath bubbles are pretty good, too.) Add bubbles to your life.

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Better Homes and Gardens is getting ready for their free 100 Days of Holidays e-newsletter (YIKES). Starting September 24, you’ll get “daily inspiration with scrumptious recipes, festive decorating ideas, easy entertaining tips and more”. You can sign up here: BHG.com/100days

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One last thing. You have to go visit Ashley Anna Brown and her Fern animals. All I can say is HOW CUTE ARE THEY?!!!

A little something to remind you of childhood!


I am thankful for another day on beautiful Mother Earth.

Joy to You!


Saturday, August 29, 2009

Camera Critters 73



Camera Critters


Everyone seemed to like Theodorable (Teddy) so much last week, I decided to post some more Teddy photos. I was lucky to get these. He was sunning himself, cat-napping. The light was just right.



Sweet innocent little guy!



Yep. Here I am with the camera again.
Poor Teddy. Too gorgeous for words!

Remember, you can click on the image to enlarge.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Critter Day to You.

Joy!


Thursday, August 27, 2009

Postcard Friendship Friday 29

First, a big welcome back to our postmistress Marie! We missed you!

For more participants in Postcard Friendship Friday go here.






This postcard is dated 1906.
This is Houston’s produce area, looking east on Congress Avenue from Milam Street.

This area today, with City Hall (on the right), is in a park area known as Market Square.
Many events are held near and around Market Square including the Bayou City Art Festival (coming up in October).

(This postcard is from An Album of Old-Time Postcards From Houston and Galveston.)

I've Been Reading...


I have three books to tell you about. All of them brain candy for me, one more than the others and I’ll start with the most candy!

***

Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn is the fifth book in the Otherworld Series. It is urban fantasy and Berkley calls it paranormal romance. Each book features one of the the D’Artigo sisters: sexy, savvy operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Being half-human, half-Fae means their supernatural talents always go haywire at the wrong time. Camille is a wicked-good witch who attracts men like honey attracts flies. She has three husbands. Menolly’s a vampire who’s still getting the hang of being undead. Delilah, is a werecat who’s been marked by the Autumn Lord as one of his Death Maidens.

Night Huntress features Delilah. Her boyfriend, the human Chase, mutters another woman’s name in his sleep. Then the Autumn Lord has very special plans for her. Karvanak - the Raksasa and really, really bad guy returns. In order to get his greedy hands on both the fourth spirit seal and his former associate, Vanzir, he kidnaps Chase.

Did I mention one of Camille’s husbands is a dragon?

If you are at all interested in this book, start at the beginning of the series to keep all the characters and ins and outs straight. First book is Witchling and features Camille. Galenorn has several other urban fantasy series.

***

Next is the novel Turning Angel by Greg Iles. The first Iles book I read was Quiet Game. We read it in preparation for the trip to Natchez that we made last year. Both books, Quiet Game and Turning Angel are set in Natchez and Iles really does justice to Natchez as a place. The turning angel really is an angel in the cemetery that looks as if she turns to watch you. Iles is from Natchez and he gets it right -- even the folks living there say so!

“After winning the most dangerous case of his career, prosecutor Penn Cage decides to remain in his Southern hometown to raise his young daughter in a safe haven. But nowhere is truly safe - not from long-buried secrets, or murder. When the nude body of prep school student Kate Townsend is found near the Mississippi River, Penn’s best friend, Drew Elliott, is desperate for his counsel. An esteemed family physician, Drew makes a shocking confession that could put him on death row. Penn will do all he can to exonerate Drew, but in a town where the gaze of a landmark cemetery statue - the Turning Angel - never looks away, Penn finds himself caught on the jagged edge of blackmail, betrayal, and deadly violence.”

Mr. Dragon and I both enjoyed Quiet Game and The Turning Angel. Set in Natchez, Penn Cage is in both novels.

***

Lastly, another book in a mystery series I finished last night: the sixth Jane Austen Mystery, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House by Stephanie Barron.

“On a raw February morning, Jane Austen first learns of the case of Captain Tom Seagrave, who faces execution for a murder he swears he didn’t commit. Together, she and her brother Frank, a post captain in the Royal Navy, set out to uncover the truth.

It is a journey that leads from the troubled heart of Seagrave’s family, through the seaport’s worst sinkholes, and finally to the prison of Wool House. Risking contagion or worse, Jane comes away with more questions than answers. Did one of Seagrave’s jealous colleagues frame the unpopular captain? Was a veiled political foe at work? And what of the sealed orders under which Seagrave embarked that fateful night on his ship, the Stella Maris?”

All of Barron’s Austen novels are filled with history and written in the style of Miss Austen. This one is set in 1807. Lots of naval history. I admit that this is not my favorite in the series, but I must have enjoyed it as I finished it in two days! If you like historical mysteries set in England, you should try one. Again, it’s probably best if you start with the first one in the series: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor. There are some repeating characters and you don’t want to miss any of Jane’s relatives!

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Joy To You on This Thursday!

Read a Book.

Any Book!


Monday, August 24, 2009

My World

Visit My World to see more of our world or to participate yourself!

Today I'm taking you to The Path of Tea.




You can see all the teapots in the window.
They were everywhere inside.




This is the sniffing bar.
133 organic teas to pick from.



You pick the tea cup you wish to drink from.



Here's Mr. Dragon with his red velvet cupcake.
We need to go back to more pictures of the TEA!
We had such a good time, we forgot all about the camera!


They had wonderful goodies to pick from.
Here's my cupcake.
Several bars and cookies were made with tea.
We picked a green tea called Jasmine Dragon Pearl.

The girls had a black tea flavored with Lychee.

What made this tea drinking special were our two guests.
The one on the left is the curator for Asian Art at the museum.
The one on the right used to be her assistant, Vivian.
Vivian may look familiar to those of you who have followed me for awhile.
Vivian went temple trekking with us before she went to China to study.
Now she's off to Michigan to work on her Ph.D.
This was a farewell and good luck tea.

Click here to view all participants of My World Tuesday.