Roman Colosseum

My youngest daughter in Italy

Land of Opportunity=Mena, Arkansas

We had the opportunity to go 4-wheeling in Mena, Arkansas.  I highly recommend it.  It is the most beautiful place.  Mountains, fresh air, trails, cabins, good food.  We had a blast!  

Homecoming Flower Girl

Here's our little Homecoming sweetheart.  My

great niece, my brother's granddaughter.  She thoroughly

enjoyed herself at the football game.  Her uncle was

the Homecoming King too!  

Blue Madness

To say I'm fond of blue patterns and cobalt blue glass would

be putting it mildly.  Blue Willow, Blue Delft, Italian Blue

Spode, or any cobalt blue glass gives me a thrill.  See my

teeny, tiny cat in the basket?  The teapot in the middle is

actually from James Sadler of England.  The Oklahoma

plate is a present my mother bought for her mother many

years ago.  When I was a child I had a blue Fiesta ware plate

that my grandmother gave me.  I still have it.  I used to eat

all of my meals on this plate.  It must be over 60 years old.

Maybe that is why I like blue so much.  It gives me such

good memories.

Reasons to Love Being Over 50

"When you get older, hopefully you've developed the smarts to know that if you wake up in the morning and you're vertical and your kids are healthy, that's 90 percent of being happy.  That's it."    ~Judge Judy

“You can't be as old as I am without waking up with a surprised look on your face every morning: 'Holy Christ, whaddya know - I'm still around!' It's absolutely amazing that I survived all the booze and smoking and the cars and the career.” ~Paul Newman

Paul Newman~"Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?"

Because Our Music Rocks!

AARP The magazine's music critic, Richard Gehr, picks five

songs music lovers will still be listening to in 100 years.

The Beach Boys "God Only Knows"

Aretha Franklin "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)"


Booker T. & the MG's "Time is Tight"

Merle Haggard "Mama Tried"

The Beatles "Strawberry Fields Forever"

Interesting choices. I can certainly say they would not have 

been my first choices.  They are an interesting mix.  I do agree

the late 50's, 60's, and 70's had some of the best and classic

songs that will endure until time ends.  What do you think?

See, there are many reasons to love being 50+.  

I Spy

Calvin and Susie (Derkins)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof-Mendacity

The powerful odor of mendacity: (untruthfulness)

What a powerful pair of role models:

Two people who spent their lives helping others.

Two people who stayed together: (they loved each other)

Wordless Wednesday-New Toy

For more Wordless Wednesday look here.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? No, Cat in a Bread Box!

I took the lid off and she just jumped right in there 'cause

she's curious like that.  She was laying down completely

and I could have put the lid on, until I went to get the camera.

Yes, I purchased my Italian Spode bread box.  I bought it

off  Ebay, it was brand new though and came in its original

box unopened.  Kissa thinks everything is for her.  Every

box that comes in the mail is inspected for quality.  Our 

outdoor kitty Minny came running in the front door the

other day and walked past Kissa and growled at her.  But

Kissa decided she was mad as hell and wasn't gonna take it

anymore!  Kissa hunkered down like a panther, flattened 

out her body, and ran after Minny, pounced on her.  They

rolled around for a few seconds and Minny headed for the

front door which I opened and zoomed out.  Kissa looked 

rather pleased to have taken care of business.  I could only

laugh.  

Ziggy

Can I get a little Kitchen Aid?

Don't you just love Kitchen Aid appliances?  I have my

blender, toaster, mixer, and food processor.  They are

all so useful and well-made.  I first used to watch Julia

Child and then Martha Stewart using them.  I would long

to have one.  I got my mixer for Christmas as a present

from my husband many years ago.  I'll see if I can find a 

picture of me opening it.  I was thrilled.  I like practical gifts.

This is me and my mixer Christmas 1998.

Bubbly

We almost got to see Colbie Caillat in concert. We heard the last two of her songs as we entered the gate. The traffic in Dallas was unbelievable that night. Everyone must have been on the same road we were on and going to the same place. We were all late. But at least we did not miss John Mayer. But it was disappointing to miss Colbie!

My Blogging Style

I found this on Gattina's blog:

Your Blogging Type Is Thoughtful and Considerate

You're a well liked, though underrated, blogger. You have a heart of gold and are likely to blog for a cause. You're a peaceful blogger - no drama for you! A good listener and friend, you tend to leave thoughtful comments for others.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Well, I don't know how true it all is according to what other's might think but I like it!

Stinkin' Rotten Smelling Flower

5. The Foul-Smelling Starfish Flowers Of Africa

Some of the most notorious carrion flowers belong to the Milkweed Family (Asclepiadaceae), a very diverse plant family characterized by milky-white sap. Several South African succulent genera, including Stapelia, Caralluma and Huernia, resemble spineless, sprawling cacti with strange starfish-shaped flowers. The flesh-colored, hairy blossom of S. gigantea may be 8 to 10 inches across (20-25 cm), with a nauseating stench. Fringes of soft white hairs on the reddish-brown petals superficially resemble a layer of mold growing on rotting matter (at least through the compound eyes of carrion insects). Occasionally grown in southern California, the curious flowers attract flies and maggots when they are in full bloom. Another South African species, S. flavirostris, has strange blossoms that look and smell more like a furry, dead animal than a flower. The striped "zebra flowers" Huernia zebrina also produce an intensely fetid odor as they lie on the desert sands of South Africa. Another genus of climbing milkweeds (Ceropegia) produces striking, malodorous blossoms shaped like a wine glass, often with glistening cilia to attract flies. Like Aristolochia, they detain their visiting flies until the male flowers are mature.


The putrid-smelling starfish flower (Stapelia gigantea) is flesh-colored and covered with soft white hairs. It attracts flies and maggots to the central orifice where the male and female floral sex organs are located.  I found this information here.

These flowers start out as a big closed white plume.  But buddy, when they open you better be ready for the scent.  If you were a fly you'd be in maggot heaven, otherwise you are ready to clip that flower off and take it outside where it belongs.  With the flies.  I have had several blooms in the past but none lately.  I forget to water my cactus sometimes, so it has been a dry year for it.  Quite like a desert?

The first time we had a flower I couldn't wait for it to open.  Then one day it did.  I was walking by the laundry room and smelled a foul odor.  I got closer to the bloom and realized that it was stinking like rotten meat.  I took these pictures and then decided the blooms needed to take a little trip far away from our noses.  They do look just like a starfish.  

Helicopter Highlights

Did a little tree trimming yesterday.  Skeptical?  Oh yeah,

I was only taking photos.  It was kinda cool though.  My 

husband called me after he left our house at lunch and

told me to get my camera and drive down our road and

I would see a helicopter doing something.  He said it

might be a good picture.  

He's leaning out a little too far for me!  Here's my puny 

attempt at a video.  There are a lot of blades hanging from

this pole.  He is trimming the trees for the power company.

Wordless Wednesday-As Time Goes By

Time seems to fly by these days. 

For more Wordless Wednesday visit here.

Just Calvin

This is a new kitten named Calvin.  My brother has a mama

cat who has had six litters in the past year or so.  He wanted

me to take this little kitty.  He will live outside with the other

three cats we have.  One of my cats is named Hobbes, so I 

decided this one should be Calvin.  After I had him for a few

days I decided he needed one of his brothers or sisters to keep

him company.  So today my brother brought me his little 

sister.  I will show a picture of both of them soon.  Hobbes is

a year older and he hasn't gotten used to Calvin yet though I'm

certain they will soon be sleeping together this winter.  The

two big girl cats do not like kittens.  But it's ok as they live

mostly in the front yard.  And kittens stay in the back yard.

Ziggy

Washing Time

My new Maytag Epic front-loading washing machine was

installed yesterday.  I am pleased with the small amount

of detergent and water that it uses.  It only uses about 18

gallons of water compared to 40 with a top loader.  It really

spins out the water too leaving your clothes practically dry.

Which means less dryer time and less lint.  The service man

said it would probably last about 20 years.  Which is wonderful 

but they may invent a washer that dry cleans by that time.  And

I may just have to have it?