Mosaic Monday: 4th of July

Mosaic Monday is hosted by the lovely Mary. Be sure you visit to see the other mosaics.

I'm jumping the gun a bit for the 4th of July.

Maybe that's because Mr. Dragon wanted fried chicken and corn on the cob for lunch on Sunday!

Can you say *Kentucky Fried*? !!!!

He needs the calories and it's been ages since we've had either! It was a tasty treat.

Lily makes the Sugar and Cream cotton yarn. They have a nice newsletter and always include free patterns for crochet and knit goodies for various holidays. The last newsletter had these wonderful crochet goodies for patriotic holidays ... even the apron is crochet! You can sign up for the newsletter and see the free patterns here.

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How about a recipe for the Red, White and Blue -- featuring blue!

Blueberry Cobbler with Sugared Star Shortcakes

This is straight out of the July issue of Southern Living. Doesn't it look good?

Here's the recipe:

Makes 10 servings. Hands-on Time: 10 min. Total Time: 18 min

2 pt. fresh blueberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. almond extract

2 (12 0z.) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 Tbsp. coarse sparkling sugar

Sweetened whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until bubbly and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

2. Separate biscuits, and flatten each into a 3 1/2 inch circle. Cut with a 3-inch star-shaped cutter, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet; sprinkle with sparkling sugar, pressing to adhere. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Place 1 biscuit on each serving plate. Spoon blueberry mixture over half of biscuits; top with remaining biscuits. Serve with whipped cream.

Note: Tested with Pillsbury Grands!Jr. Golden Layers Buttermilk Biscuits.

Have a wonderful week.

Joy to You!

Blog Love

First, let me say that I love awards. But they embarrass me.

I enjoy blogging. It brings me pleasure. I've met so many wonderful folks and made some very good friends through the blogging world. Friends who have been very loving and supportive throughout our recent adventure with the Big C.

Debra at She Who Seeks sent me The Versatile Blogger Award awhile ago.

I did thank her when I received it, but didn't post. I had to think about it!

I love the idea that my blog isn't just about one thing. That I do try to post on different things -- books I've read, things I've crocheted or knitted, photos I've taken, spots in the Houston area that we really enjoy, some of our real life ... the cancer ... our enjoyment of the zoo ... our furbabies, THE grandson.

I'm supposed to list a bunch of things about me that you don't know ... it was hard coming up with a list ... I've shared just about all the interesting stuff!

My favorite movie may be Enchanted April. It has no blood and gore, no swearing (that I remember). It has beautiful scenery, nice music, a fun story about 4 women who rent a villa in Tuscany for one month after the Great War. It's about change, friendship. For me, it is a magical movie. I loved the last scene when the older woman drives her cane into the ground and then, as the seasons change, we see the cane sprout into a tree. YeeHaw!

My favorite musical score for a movie has to be The Last of The Mohicans. It brings tears to my eyes.

I don't care much for dark chocolate. Of course, that's the chocolate that's good for you. When I was growing up my Granny gave my Mother a box of chocolate covered cherries every year at Christmas. I looked forward to the gift almost as much as my Mother. When Granny died, my Daddy took over making sure there was a box of chocolate covered cherries under the tree. And when he died, I made sure Mother had her box of cherries. Both of my parents have been gone many, many years and last year I felt the call of chocolate covered cherries once again. Good thing CVS is just across the street!

That's all I could come up with that was, perhaps, new and different!

The hardest part about awards is the passing them on part. I'm not good at that. I don't want to hurt anyone's feeling by not picking them. In fact, I think all of you should share this award. There are many of you who don't receive awards and I understand that. So, here are a few of my favorite blogs that I think are worth a visit from you and should have the versatile blogger award. Please take some time to visit them and say Hello.

Jinksy at Napple Notes

Kelley at Dragonfly Reflections

Sarah at Cottage Garden Studio

Noni at Peacock Blue

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For a little more Blog Love, have you visited with the Country Girl? If you haven't, you a missing a good time. She had a meme on her blog this last Friday. Here it is for you to do or pass on ....

"And now, folks, because it’s Friday night and because inquiring minds need to know, here’s a few questions for you:

1. When is your usual bedtime?

2. In the past month, what was your biggest OOPS?

3. How many relatives do you have named “Bob”.

4. Tea, or coffee, or juice in the morning?

5. Right now, I hear __________________ ."

Here's what I said:

1. When is your usual bedtime? We wonder up the stairs about 9.Get settled in by 9:30 (have a new kitten), a little weather on the news and perhaps some Tonight Show. Sleep by 11.

2. In the past month, what was your biggest OOPS? Amazing! I don't think I had one ... does that mean in July I'll have a real whopper?

3. How many relatives do you have named “Bob”. One ... brother-in-law

4. Tea, or coffee, or juice in the morning? Tea, juice or just milk.

5. Right now, I hear the shower running.

Happy Blog Love Everyone! Here's to All Of You!

Postcard Friendship Friday

Postcard Friendship Friday is hosted by the lovely Beth. Be sure to visit!

More postcards from Fibber McGee and Molly's closet!

"In the Gardens of San Jose Mission, San Antonio, Texas"

"San Jose Mission. Outstanding among the old buildings which link the modern city of San Antonio with its glamorous past is Mission San Jose de Aguayo. This mission called "Queen of the Missions" its Rose Window is considered a masterpiece of sculpture."

"The End of Guadalupe Range, The Highest Point in Texas, Elevation 10,000 FT."

"The End of Guadalupe Range, The Highest Point Texas"

"The Signal Peak, as seen from highway to White's City, N. M. and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the highest oint in Texas and is just across the New Mexico state line on El Paso - Carlsbad Caverns Highway."

(I love that there is no highway number ... just the El Paso-Carlsbad Caverns Highway ... times have certainly changed. Note the highway has two lanes.)

Linen postcards were printed from 1930 through 1945. They have a unique and appealing look. The thick paper was embossed on the picture side to give the card a “linen” texture, and the cheap inks created vivid colors.

The postcards I've been sharing with you were printed by Curt Teich & Co. (Chicago). They used a color printing technique they called “C.T. Art-Colortone”. Until it closed in 1978, The Teich Company was the world’s largest printer of view and advertising postcards.

Vintage linen postcards have become prized by some collectors, and there’s even a book about them. The linen postcards usually portrayed landmarks, landscapes, and roadside attractions from photographs, but some were more illustrative. They were printed on a lithography press using color separation.

Beginning in the late 1940s, linen postcards fell out of fashion when polychrome printing was invented. However, Curt Teich still used the C.T. Art-Colortone technique on smooth-surface “French Fold” postcards from 1951.

Edit:

There was a question about French Fold ... here's what I found:

"French Fold" postcards where a number of images were printed on a long strip. These were then folded "concertina" style.

Good Morning!

(Image from Catalog Favorites)

Watery Wednesday

Back to the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park!

Be sure to visit other Watery Wednesday posts.