Carol's Southern Spice

Happy Trails Pa

2012-02-19T04:33:00.000-06:00

Steve & Sandy

2012-02-18T11:06:00.003-06:00

After writing the last comment about my youngest son and his 1st dog, Sandy, I decided to find the pictures of them as both of them grew up. Here are 5 of the pictures from the time we got Sandy as a pup until she was older. Steve was 13 when they first met (1st pic) and the last was sometime after Steve graduated from HS. Sandy was probably 6 or 7 years old by then. You can see her face is getting whiter.

Anybody have anything for a new post?

2012-02-14T23:43:00.001-06:00

We ran out of room..over 200 comments. When we do that now..it's lights out. I had to come up with something in a hurry to have a place to continue to communicate so I asked little Vertigo to help out. Remember him? If anyone has anything..please put it up.

"Running Scared" earned new feather today

2012-02-11T15:27:00.000-06:00

Today the flood water was down almost a foot from yesterday. No rain and a strong north wind helped. I finally got the nerve to escape my island home. Cabin fever was setting in pretty good. I was flush with toilet paper and Coke but needed to see the mainland.

Neighbor drove my truck out to show me how to do it. Much of the drive..I could see the yellow line in the middle of the road. I took a few pics through the front window. There's a pretty bad glare but you can still see the water.

After I did my chores on the mainland..I came back. Now it was my turn to do it on my own. I waited for someone to come up that I could follow in. Still a tad on the scared side. Finally a truck came up so I cranked up my truck to follow. That truck left me way back in his wake. When I caught up with him..he was turning around. I still had the deepest water to go through but now I was on my own. I did it and I earned a new feather.

The first 4 pics are the trip out and the last pic is of my wharf. I can now see it through the water. It's cold out today but the sun is out.

God willing and da creek don't rise...

2012-02-08T08:51:00.000-06:00

The first two pictures are looking down the road in both directions. I think I have the only section of road that is still above water. The next picture is looking over at my neighbors new bulkhead. It's usually 3 ft above the water. The last picture is where my wharves used to be..well they still are there but you can't see them anymore.

If you look close in pic.#3 you will see Harry the Heron. I saw him fly down by my camp and tried to sneak out to get a pic but he was faster than I was and flew off.

School Days

2012-01-30T23:39:00.003-06:00

A friend from my early school days wrote me a letter and sent these pictures. Two are elementary group pictures and 3 are from a 9th grade trip to the state fair.

Baby Pictures

2012-01-29T03:01:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics of Kian Rogers Wayland. Rogers is my "maiden" or birth name. Kian was born Jan. 19 and weighed 7 lbs 3 oz at birth. He and mom are home and doing well. This is my grandson's 2nd boy. The oldest is Landon who was 2 Dec. 24.

I wanna new drug...

2012-01-24T17:04:00.000-06:00

Paula Deen..the chef famous for her decadent..high fat..southern recipes.. is getting a lot of flak for having hid her diagnosis ofdiabetes for three years. She makes thebig announcement soon after she’s made a reported 6 million dollar deal with anew diabetes medication.

I think it was an awful idea for the pharmaceutical companyto select a chef so well known for her high fat cooking.. that if eaten withany regularity is very likely to push someone from a normal glucose to diabetes..especially if there is any hereditary predisposition for the disease. It’s almost as if they want to promote theidea of..don’t worry about how you eat..just take our new drug.

It’s a myth that you can take any medication used to treatdiabetes without changing the diet. Evenif you can take sufficient doses of the medication to get the blood sugar down..youwill most likely become more obese which will increase the amount of medicationneeded to control the blood sugar. Thatwill eventually result in no blood sugar control and the need for insulin.

We have become a culture of…I don’t want to change how Ilive..just give me some medicine that will make it OK. The big problem withthat philosophy is that no medication is without potential hazard. The new drug Ms Deen is promoting has somepretty scary potential side effects…caused thyroid tumors and thyroid cancer in some miceand rats (not necessarily a problem if you’re not a mouse or rat) and cancause pancreatitis especially if you have had that before or if you havegallstones..drink heavily..have high triglycerides. I’ll just bet that Ms Deen might have at leastone of those.

If Ms. Deen does develop one of the complications mentioned above and dies..it will have solved her diabetes problem..which would make the new medication very effective.

Cats & Dogs

2012-01-14T13:16:00.001-06:00

Cassie under the tree...

Fluffy and Cassie....stare down

Fluffy hogging the newspaper & studying the weather/traffic on TV....

Ember, the black Lab and Diamond, Jack Russell Terrier came for a visit...

Cassie & Kit Kit looking down...Hey what about us....

Fluffy peeking around the corner....

Happy New Year?

2012-01-03T17:18:00.000-06:00

Yeah..I know I’m a little late with that greeting but Ineeded some time to ponder it. Is itpossible..in a presidential election year.. to have a happy new year…with thesemorons running for president??

Some got excited last election year with the promise of hopeand change..which turned out to be a delusion. Did Obama know that from the get go or was he just as naïve as the restof us? Well.. fool me once.. shame onyou….fool me twice..shame on me. Rememberthat little saying?

Even though Obama is nothing to brag about..there’s absolutelynothing in the current group of Republican monkeys who could do better and it’s amazing that thatis the best that they could come up with.

Tonight they start with a state that’s not veryrepresentative of the rest of the country to start the process.. but ya gottastart somewhere. The candidates and SuperPacs spent 16 million for 119 thousand caucus goers to vote in Iowa..about $134per person.

And none of these idiots running for president are talkingabout the corruption of the political process which I think is the most seriousproblem in politics today. Can you thinkof a more serious problem? And since they aren’t talking about this problem..noneof them plan on fixing it. They are allbenefiting from these Super Pacs that can provide hideous amounts of money fromanonymous donors to help finance their campaigns. Hey..this money might be coming from foreign countries..sincethat is where most of the American capital is going. If China isn’t contributing..they certainlyshould be.

There still might be hope. It is still..we the people who vote. Are we going to let Super Pacs..supported by God only knows who..pickour candidates? There is one guy..BuddyRoemer..who refuses Super Pac money..who wants to get this corruption issueinto the debates but no one will let him. The other politicians don’t want that information in the debates. The MSM most likely doesn’t either since theyprofit from all that Super Pac money used to buy ad time. It’s up to us..we the people.

If anyone really wants the politicians to address thisissue..go to this website and sign the petition:

http://www.letbuddydebate.org/

No hope to ever fixthe problem unless it is discussed.

Christmas around town

2011-12-23T21:09:00.001-06:00

From my house to yours...Merry Christmas, happy holidays, seasons greetings...

GE Christmas tree...

Nativity scene...Easton green near firehouse...

Easton Library and Silverman's Apple Orchard

Gazebo at Trumbull Town Hall

2011-12-15T07:41:00.000-06:00

Oh Christmas Tree...

2011-12-14T20:43:00.000-06:00

This is the first time in 15 years that I have put up a Christmas tree and decorated it. I have to admit that it does put me in a more holiday spirit. I had the help of 2 granddaughters and their dad. Here is a pic of the tree and some of the ornaments. I have been collecting the ornaments for about many years.

Thanksgiving pictures

2011-11-27T11:03:00.000-06:00

Since we are getting close to 200 on the last post, I will post some pictures I took just before and during this Thanksgiving holiday. I am thankful for so many things, but most of all for family. There are often (even now) crises and conflicts but that too is what family is about. After my dad turned 70 years old, every time we got together he would say, I am just thankful to be here another day. I used to chuckle when he said that. Now, I understand what he meant. I am happy to be around in this amazing world another day.

New England Weather

2011-11-10T22:04:00.001-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL

2011-11-06T09:52:00.001-06:00

Carol, two Norsemen and Darth Vader are here to wish you the best birthday every. They hope your birthday is as special as you are.

Pumpkin Days

2011-10-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

My grandson in CO sent these pics last week. They took their almost 2 year old to the local pumpkin patch. They are having their 2nd baby in Jan. 2012. They have decided to be surprised as to whether boy or girl.

The Big Day

2011-10-16T17:06:00.000-05:00

It wasn't really a big day but seeing The Big Year yesterday inspired us to go on a bird sighting expedition today. We headed south to a new wildlife preserve that recently opened. It was a nice day with nice weather but not many birds were out and about. We did manage to catch a few pics. I was surprised to see the gators were still out.

The first six pics were taken at the Pintail Wildlife Drive which is in the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. The last pic was taken last week at a Wetland Walkway. This is all considered part of the Creole Nature Trail which circles the area where I live.

Clouds, Rainbows & Balloons

2011-10-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

This has been a wonderful few weeks of looking at the sky in our little neighborhood in NM. I took all pictures from my front porch. We had some beautiful clouds and rainbows about 2-3 weeks ago and then this morning the hot air balloons from the Balloon Fiesta flew over.

AUTUMN LEAVES

2011-09-22T16:19:00.001-05:00

REMEMBER....LET'S GO YANKEES!!!.....

& YES CAROL, WHILE I DID NOT LIKE THE YANKEES HAVING TO LOSE TO THE RAYS, IT PLEASED ME TONS IN THAT LOSING TOSSED THE RED SOX OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS...

JAN JUST STARTED A JACKIE COLLINS CHICKLIT NOVEL...GODDESS OF VENGEANCE...TRASHY & ENTERTAINING...EASY READ....

HERE'S THE ONLY WAY FOR ME TO COMMUNICATE, BY TYPING ON MY
POST ITSELF!!! HAVE NO IDEA WHY MY COMMENTS ARE ERASED....HAVE TRIED EVERY ONE OF THOSE LABELS...NOTHING WORKS....

Ten years later...we still remember

2011-09-11T07:14:00.001-05:00

Tribute in light 9/11

Reflecting pools at National 9/11 Memorial New York

Easton, CT Firefighters Remembrance, every 9/11

Sherwood Island, Westport, CT 9/11 Memorial to CT residents killed

Let's not forget!

2011-09-11T07:08:00.000-05:00

9-11-2001

Let's not forget!

Those who sacrificed their lives to save others.

That we still don't know the entire truth of exactly what happened on that day and who was responsible.

Late summer visitors to Louisiana

2011-09-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

From the rough seas of TS Lee to smooth flying of my visiting hummers and a resident anole who dropped in for a drink.

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

2011-08-25T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Irene may be bearing down on NY and CT, so here's a view of
Captain's Cove Seaport, a small marina & restaurant in Bridgeport harbor...

We were there a couple of weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday....There are small
trinket shops on the dock & you can eat on the dock as well...Nights there is
music/dancing upstairs....& you can sit out on the veranda overlooking the Harbor....

And the Cove is the gathering point for some charity events, as noted on the sign...St. Vincent's is one of the hospitals in town & they sponsor a Swim across
the sound as a charitable event for cancer research...

Thie Big Easy ain't easy in the August heat

2011-08-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

Grandson's pictures of Alaska

2011-08-07T09:58:00.000-05:00

My grandson and his wife and baby just sent these pics of their trip in Alaska. They are beautiful so thought I would share here. They were visiting his aunt in Haines.

Trips and Birthdays

2011-07-26T23:28:00.000-05:00

Time for a new post. Wish I had some beautiful scenes. Recently visited my sis and took some fun pics of her dog, Riley and cat, Boo. They get along very well. I enjoyed watching them chase each other. When tired of the game, Boo calls a halt by putting up a little black paw toward Riley's face. Riley stops immediately. Boo is a perfect Halloween cat with orange eyes. Riley had an eye infection at birth and lost an eye. The other pics are of my GD's 10th B'day and July 4th party. The baby is GGD with blue icing.

A view from the pool

2011-07-19T20:01:00.000-05:00

It was a wonderful evening for a swim.

Summer visitors...

2011-07-15T17:28:00.000-05:00

Here's some of my visitors in the yard this summer.... Foxy is grazing on the bird seed...

Woody usually comes down the tree to wait til I throw the bird seed...last month there were three, but lately only have seen one...

This timid turtle strolled out of the wetlands last month...have not seen any turtles in the yard for several years...

And this year we have an abundance of chipmunks...they dart in & out of the rocks to get some birdseed too...

Everyone loves a parade

2011-07-03T18:28:00.001-05:00

About this time every year for as long as I can remember, the Barnum Festival takes place in Bridgeport to commemorate P.T. Barnum, born on July 5, who while not a Bridgeport native, adopted the city...there are many events planned, culminating in both fireworks & a parade...the 63th annual parade happened today...it was a little drizzly & damp, but there were floats, drum corps, balloons, dancers, clowns, the obligatory public officials, & all in all...a nice day for those who did line the streets along the parade route...

Summertime - livin is easy--

2011-06-25T12:42:00.000-05:00

We are getting close to end of this last post. So I putting something together quickly. I am just thinking today of the vast differences in our temperatures and humidity. Coreen is having very wet and cool weather. Carol is having hot and humid weather. We are having heat and dry weather.

Road Trip June 2011

2011-06-17T23:25:00.001-05:00

John and I take a lot of road trips. I enjoy scoping out the passing cars license plates to see what states they are from. Whenever we cross a state line we sing a song for the state we are entering. For Texas, it is "The eyes of Texas which BTW is UT Austin's school song - hook em horns. When entering OK - of course we sing the song from the Broadway musical and Movie "Oklahoma" and so on. We sang the Tennessee Waltz for Tenn and we had one for NC too - just can't remember it. I decided to take pics of the state signs as we entered. I missed a few - but got Tenn. Ark. and NM. Also a pic of CeCe.

Driving through Yale

2011-06-10T07:08:00.001-05:00

Yale University surrounds the city

of New Haven, CT...

It's architecture defines its character....the ivy league historical

school, together with modern developments...

There is always construction there,

ever expanding....& traffic at all times...It is right in downtown New Haven....

Me and the critters celebrate Memorial Day

2011-05-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day Remembrance

2011-05-30T07:36:00.000-05:00

Though time goes by some things are always remembered....It was a long time ago and I still remember the turbulent time when Vietnam was the focal point of a generation...as I mentioned last year, Gerald Bourdeau was the first person I knew who was killed in Vietnam in November, 1966, he was twenty....

Asheville in May

2011-05-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

A beautiful day here in Asheville. We drove to the downtown area and had lunch in a small outdoor cafe across the street from a small downtown park. This is a lovely city. The building is St. Lawrence Basilica. The cardboard box is at the back of our hotel. I suspect some employees are feeding a cat. We did see a black and white kitty beside the box this morning.

A couple of nuts

2011-05-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe we put up new posts at same time and then deleted at same time.

Granddaughter's HS graduation

2011-05-21T19:01:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter (Hunter) in AR graduated HS today. I am very proud of her. She graduated summa cum laude and will be the distinguished freshman (with full scholarship) in the university she is attending in the fall. I am attaching some pictures of the event today. Her parents, my son (Steve) and DIL (Nancy) held a party for her this afternoon at a cabin owned by DIL's parents out in the country. It was a lovely event. There are 2 pics of graduate, and one pic of GD's sister, my other GD (Sloan). One pic is my son and another pic is his dad (Bob) and his wife (Jane).

We wanna go on vacation!

2011-05-19T15:49:00.000-05:00

Our swamp turtle Jan left for vacation today but we insist that she take us with her. We'll call it a vaca-o-blog. So Jan, when you see or do anything interesting, please share it with the rest of us turtles who are left behind, sitting on the log. Don't forget, one of my favorite things to do on vacation is to eat. If you have a particularly interesting meal, snag a pic. I'll have my fork and knife ready.

Have a great vacation!

The Turtle Gang.

More from southwest

2011-05-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

We are needing a new post. Here are more pictures from the southwest

Springtime in the high desert

2011-05-13T19:04:00.001-05:00

To contrast with the lovely flora of the southeast, I am posting, for our pleasure, some spring flowers in the southwest. These are all flowers I have been enjoying on my early morning walk.

Spring in Louisiana

2011-05-09T17:52:00.001-05:00

Lobie, we miss you

2011-05-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

We lost our good friend and companion, Lobie, one year ago today. We miss you Lobie. We will take your ashes and spread on the small golf course where we used to walk with you. You found us 12 years ago while we were living in AR. You were just one year old and came out of the woods behind our house. We thought you might be part coyote. You were hungry and scavenging for food wherever you could find it. You adopted us. It was a lovely 11 years. We will never forget you.

Images of Santa Fe

2011-05-04T20:40:00.000-05:00

I am posting some more pics of Santa Fe. Some are images in a window. They speak to me not just of SF, but of New Mexico, a state I have come to love so much. Two pictures are of some art (pottery and paintings) from NM Native American artists. One picture is of some Santa Fe fashion.

2011-05-03T19:29:00.000-05:00

Is it safe to come out?

2011-05-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

Find the pup in the pic. Again, just a space savor. We are close to the witching number of 200 comments and it's a problem trying to read them when we go over 200.

Place Saver!

2011-04-27T07:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't get those Easter basket pics of Emma
because she tore through it so quickly, before I was out of my morning fog. Things got hectic and didn't go as planned. As you all know, I'm not a frequent picture taker. I've tried to change, but change (really) is hard (at least for me). Sorry if I let you down, Carol.

But I did have a kinda funny one from the day before where Em was trying on gramma's specs (as she 'often' does - that and tears them apart... good thing they're cheap).

Also some outside the balcony where we ate our Easter meal, which was delicious, by the way. It was a buffet, and there was very little food they did not have. Of course, the best part for me was the luscious desert table they had set up. My favorite was the carrot cake. Carrot cake is nearly always delicious, but this one may have been the best we've ever had.

We had a good day, and I hope all the rest of you did too.

HAPPY EASTER!!

2011-04-23T07:38:00.000-05:00

The pics I'm posting are a few we took of Emma before she went to her Easter Parties on Wednesday and Thursday (we'll be taking more on Easter day).

The kids at her school all got their little faces painted like bunnies, and wore bunny ears for their party and easter egg hunt. It's impossible to get a picture of Em with anything on her head (she has always immediately removed anything you put in or on her hair - although we did catch some with a couple of little rubber banded ponytails after she had only partially destroyed them). The teachers told me that little girls are even worse about not wanting things in their hair when they're three years old - so I guess there won't be much hairstyling for a couple more years or so.

This is Emma's Easter poem that I found on line:

"That cute little bunny has hopped all day,
delivering baskets for the holiday.
His paws are so tired and his nose how it itches,
He left you something special to fulfill all your wishes-
Lots of cute little Easter bunny hugs and kisses."

'Hoppy Easter' Everyone!!

How to avoid being an alligator Hors D'oeuvre

2011-04-22T11:19:00.000-05:00

Until Chloe gets her Easter pics ready I am going to explain to Coreen why I don't worry too much about Allie gator getting my Maggie girl.

This morning I was enjoying my coffee on my porch when I eyeballed this teenage equivilent gator cruising the hood. I guess he needed to get an early start before all the people started roughing up the waterway. He better run for cover because the river will be getting very busy soon.

First pic is the gator heading out. He was headed this way but I gave him the evil eye and I can be intimidating. Just ask some of my old students. The second pic is where I usually walk Maggie at night. If you notice, that gator would have to be a gymnist to get past those wharves. The third pic is where Maggie wants to go at night. Very dark over there and now that the neighbor is working on a boat slip, it will be easy access for Allie. I do not let Maggie drag me over there. So don't worry Coreen, we will be OK.

HAPPY EARTH DAY

Spring Awakening

2011-04-20T16:58:00.001-05:00

Finally, the first signs of spring showed up this
week...the bright yellow branches of forsythia
wildly sprouting everywhere...

It's about time...

Mother Nature's Touch

2011-04-19T18:21:00.000-05:00

Can you guess what these pictures are?...I gave you a hint in the title...

Santa Fe in April

2011-04-16T22:40:00.000-05:00

Taking lots of pics of Santa Fe. Here are a few. Churches are important in SF. The 3 here are important to the area. One is the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. The 2nd is the Mission of San Miguel, reported to be the oldest church in the U.S. The 3rd is my favorite, the Church at Loretto which is supposed to have a stairway to the choir loft that is considered to be a miracle. One pic here is one I took in the elevator of the La Fonda. It has mirrors on 3 sides of the small elevator. You can see John 4 times and me taking the pic.

Happy Birthday to our Jan!

2011-04-12T05:01:00.000-05:00

I hope you have a wonderful birthday Jan. And for your birthday..I got you a little picture of my favorite bird. Don't be too critical. I had to take it through a window..with my zoom on full..and holding the camera in my hand. Didn't get much quality but it is the thought that counts..OK.

Family

2011-04-10T06:21:00.000-05:00

Since we are getting close to the end of a post, I will share some pictures from yesterday's family get-together. It is unusual to have so many of my grandkids and great grandkids together at one time. The time we had was too short (for me). As often happens, several had other commitments, but I got them all in our home for a few hours. The two great GK's are both walking. The little boy (Landon) runs everywhere now. He loves opening and shutting kitchen cabinet doors and exploring every room. The little girl (Abigail) stays closer to mom and dad, enjoys and loves sitting on someone's lap and playing patty cake.

Maggie's tent.

2011-04-04T21:56:00.001-05:00

We were in a hurry for a new post because with our live blogging..we were out of room. This was a little rushed since it was time for both of our bedtimes. Good thing her tent just pops up. She was a little confused as to why she was going to be camping tonight. She was also hoping that it wasn't going to be outside considering the weird noise we heard out there tonight.

Spring is really here....Weather Or Not!...It's Opening Day

2011-03-31T08:26:00.001-05:00

Spring will officially be here at 1:05 p.m. today, when the first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at Yankee Stadium...but will need Mother Nature's co-operation because it is raining in the Bronx now... Whatever your team, Opening Day is exciting for all baseball fans, the start of the season when we all have Hope.... Soooo...Let's Play Ball!....

And these are some other signs of Spring that we should be seeing, but so far not a glimmer of any of these colors...

The Sensational, Fantastic Diana Ross

2011-03-29T20:16:00.000-05:00

Her concert was absolutely wonderful, she sang great, for an hour and a half, changed gowns five times...

PS we're outta room

2011-03-29T20:07:00.001-05:00

Leaving NM

2011-03-26T21:11:00.000-05:00

I promised some pictures of our mountains. These are taken through the car window which thankfully was clean for a change. Two of the pics have some white images that are interesting. They are the only 2 of about 20 pics I took with the white images. All pics were taken looking west through the same window as the sun was strong in the east. We are heading east to OK for another road trip.

It's Spring people!

2011-03-20T14:38:00.001-05:00

These are pics of Spring. Included is my trusty old Sears Weedwacker, the pots I'm cleaning, my messy work area, the topsy turvy tomato plant I planted, and the trolling motor plugs I changed.

Spring has sprung!

2011-03-13T15:19:00.000-05:00

Look close and you will see a little alligator sunning on the water weed. It's a true sign of Spring when the gators come out. This was the second one we saw today. The first one was a little bigger.

A week in picures

2011-03-06T13:37:00.000-06:00

While downloading pictures I took on our trip to LV, I am struck by the comparison between what God has made or Mother Nature and what man has built. I love sitting at a window seat while flying and seeing the land below. The rocky mountains are truly majestic from any perspective. This picture was taken shortly before landing in Denver. The rest of the pictures are taken in LV. Although I believe in evolution theory, I can't help but think that God had a lot to do with the mountains. They are so beautiful

Happy Birthday Chloe!

2011-02-27T08:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Chloe.

We finally know when your birthday is so we can celebrate the anniversary of your arrival here on this planet. Hope you have a wonderful day and many more wonderful birthdays in the future.

TGIF

2011-02-25T18:13:00.000-06:00

Fridays are great inventions. We can look forward to 2 days of not having to work and knowing the time is mine - all mine. Well, almost. There are errands and meals and getting the yard ready for spring, and laundry. Oh why did I go and ruin it! Here are some of my favorite recent pictures.

New Orleans

2011-02-13T10:01:00.000-06:00

Here are some scenes from and around New Orleans. We were there in early January. One picture is of Drew Brees' house - at least this is what a tour guide told us. Another picture is on Bourbon Street. One of my favorites is the bridge. I don't know which bridge it is, the ship was docked under it. Maybe Carol will know the name of the bridge. I love sunrises and sunsets over the water.

When you think its COLD...

2011-02-07T17:36:00.000-06:00

New friends

2011-01-29T17:02:00.000-06:00

I finally downloaded my pictures from our trip in early January. There are lots but I want to share those of the new friends we made.

Just another moment in the morning

2011-01-18T20:21:00.000-06:00

Another moment just before the sunrise. It wasn't the best moment because I couldn't find my camera fast enough and missed the best moment.

They say red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. I have a red sky or purple sky for a moment every morning, no matter what the weather is like but I have to be looking at the right time to catch it. This particular morning, the other day, it was sprinkling out so I couldn't get the best composition without standing in the rain and getting wet.

The Littlest Angel, Christina Taylor Green. Let us not forget her!

2011-01-10T20:30:00.001-06:00

I found this on Huffington Post:

"Christina Taylor Green was only 9, but the third-grader already was an aspiring politician. Her parents say Christina had just been elected to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School and had been interested in politics from a young age. She already had told her parents she wanted to attend Penn State and have a career that involved helping those less fortunate than her. The brown-eyed athletic girl loved to swim with her 11-year-old brother Dallas, her lone sibling. Her mother, Roxanna Green, said Christina also loved animals, singing, dancing and gymnastics. She also was the only girl on her Canyon del Oro Little League baseball team. Her grandfather, former major-league pitcher Dallas Green, managed the 1980 world champion Philadelphia Phillies. Christina's father, John Green, is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Christina was born on the tragic day of Sept. 11, 2001."

She came into this world on a tragic day. She left on another tragic day but I feel she left a message. She wants us to all learn to get along and work together. Her life had meaning. She should not be forgotten.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/10/arizona-shooting-victims_n_806768.html#s221614&title=Christina_Taylor_Green

People are armed and angry. Are we in trouble yet?

2011-01-09T05:15:00.000-06:00

People are armed and angry. It's not a good combination. Some of those who seem to be setting the policies that are screwing so many are some of the same who believe everyone should be armed. It never made sense to me and believe me, I have pondered the serious consequences of it. Maybe that is because I work in corrections and denial is a little more difficult for me. I'm seeing people in jail who look like those I used to have in my classes when I taught at the local university. It's concerns me.

Dylan Ratigan, one of my heros, has written an article on Huff Post, "A Destructive Crossroads". The man always makes a lot of sense and he does again here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-ratigan/a-destructive-crossroads_b_806276.html

What's really crazy is that it is some of those who are doing the cheerleading for those doing most of the screwing of us who are telling people to get armed and they are targeting those who are actually trying to help.

2011, What will she bring?

2011-01-02T07:02:00.001-06:00

To borrow from the Daily Word's New Year prayer...

"I enter this new year with enthusiasm!
This is a new day at the start of a new year, and I choose a new way of being. I choose to be free of the limiting thoughts of the past and to not allow outworn habits or beliefs to control my life."

If our thoughts create our reality, it's time to change our thoughts if we want to change our reality.

We would like to invite anyone who happens to stumble into the swamp to share your thoughts and ideas. We welcome new friends for the new year.

December 27, 2010 East Coast Blizzard CT style

2010-12-27T10:49:00.000-06:00

Enjoy the East Coast Blizzard from the comfort of your home....

Looking out my front door this morning... The snow is pushed up against the front storm door, can not push it open to clean it...will have to walk across the front yard in 10" of snow to clean it off...

The snow directly outside the garage measured 11", this is after it was plowed last night when there was about 6" and looking out past the holly bush is where I feed the birds....measures 10" in the grass...had to throw bird seed on top of the snow & the birds are managing to get it without sinking in to the snow...

Here's the path I made across the 3 garage doors to get the snow from against the doors....& the path I shoveled to get across the back of the driveway to throw bird seed to the other

area where the birds eat....and this is looking out my driveway to my two neighbors' homes...I won't be out the driveway until tomorrow....

Out on the back porch the wind blew some snow inside & Cassie wanted to investigate, but came right back inside...
This is the backyard looking at the back porch where the real Christmas tree stands...the pile of snow is what was plowed last night, but the driveway is full again....

Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays

2010-12-22T22:15:00.000-06:00

From my house to your house... Christmas wishes to everyone....

Here's the twin to the National Christmas Tree in Washington, DC, outside GE at the bottom of the hill....a very traditional display this year...

From our annual Christmas trip to the Mohegan Sun Casino....

Oooops!

2010-12-22T20:45:00.000-06:00

... our comments are overflowing.

Waiting for Coreen's Christmas Post.

2010-12-10T18:23:00.000-06:00

My grandson who lives in Colo just posted some pictures on Facebook that they took at the San Diego Zoo. They are wonderful pictures that I thought you might enjoy. Chloe, maybe Emma would like them too. Carol, I am trying to remember if you liked the zoo. All my grandkids have enjoyed going to the zoo. I will not narrate. The pictures speak for themselves. They baby in one is my great grandson, Landon.

Leaving Phoenix

2010-12-04T15:19:00.000-06:00

Time for a new post. These are some pictures taken loop 101 and highway 17 as we left Phoenix on Sunday, Nov. 28. It was a cloudy morning - almost looked like it could rain or snow, but that does not happen often in Phoenix. I was impressed with the roadside landscaping and art work on the walls along these highways so I took some pics in anticipation of this new post. I love the Saguaro cactus along the roads also in Phoenix and on the outskirts of the city. the Saguaro begin about 40-50 miles to the East of Phoenix. I don't know when they begin or end to the west of Phoenix. This is the only place I have seen the Saguaro. They are amazing. They are protected in Arizona and are not allowed to be cut down or moved.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T22:47:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone who checks in here tomorrow has a Happy Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for, especially all of you here who share in my joys and listen to my complaints of aches and pains. I will be thinking of each of your tomorrow and saying prayers that you are safe and warm and enjoying your day. I went through my pictures and found some of a little church John had in Arkansas. It is a lovely little church in a small town. The best thing about it are the people who we count as good friends.

Southwestern scenes

2010-11-14T11:16:00.000-06:00

It is fall in NM and here are some scenes of the drive around Taos and Santa Fe. There is a place here called Ghost Ranch. The area is where Georgia O'Keefe painted many scenes. The pictures are all from Ghost Ranch.

Gary and baby boy

2010-11-13T06:04:00.001-06:00

Just another pic of my grandson with his son.

2010-11-11T13:08:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all Veterans & those serving Today

2010-11-11T08:55:00.001-06:00

To all veterans and those who serve to keep us free today...Thank you all...

He is a hero to all of us who know him....Many thanks Michael....& to all who continue to serve & protect....

And to someone close to my heart who served then and came home....& is still my dear friend...

Many thanks Billy......

Season's Change

2010-11-02T08:16:00.000-05:00

Autumn has arrived...each year for about two weeks these are some of the scenes I am fortunate to have the pleasure of seeing daily....the color of the trees go from lush green to many hues of
yellow, gold, orange, rust, red, wine....the beauty of Mother Nature is all around to enjoy....

The reservoir in town, the lack of rain has left

a visible reminder....several feet of rocks along the sides are exposed.....

At my office in the center of town....

It's Halloween...So Boo!!!

2010-10-31T09:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween....Trick or treating in North Carolina....

Trick or Treat..... And what would Halloween be without a scaredy black cat....

And an Elvis sighting as well....

Elvis has left the building....Thank you very much....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Pumpkin Time at Silverman's Farm

2010-10-16T10:27:00.001-05:00

The New Haven Green, New Haven, Connecticut

2010-10-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

The New Haven Green, an historic landmark.... looking from College Street toward Church Street, toward the business district...The green covers a lot of area in the center of New Haven... Walking toward the business district....

In the center you can see a glass building with an orange sculpture, that is the Giamo Federal

Building, where the bankruptcy hearings are held.....

This is the Federal Courthouse...

This is one of the State of Connecticut Superior Courts....there is another court in one of the

high rise buildings in the background as well.....

This is the Connecticut Financial Center, which

houses the Bankruptcy Court....

This is the Center Church on the Greeen, one of the oldest churches in New Haven....there are

three churches on the Green...

The Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green....

Texas Panhandle

2010-10-09T14:58:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share some of the sights along the TX panhandle on I 40. Some say it is a boring trip but I think it is fascinating. Amarillo has the stockyards and the Cadillac Ranch and just outside Amarillo is Palo Duro Canyon. We sometimes stop in this one Rest Stop that has quite an amazing museum that tells the history and geology of the area. This is an area that can be windy and now we see big windmills. The sunsets and sunrises are amazing here. Now when I go through I also think of the song Carol posted recently about clouds. One can see for miles because it is so flat and there are few large trees. I am posting some pictures we took on our August trip through the area.

Fishing Day.....Finally!

2010-10-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

First three pics are the new additions to my old boat. Next pic is looking at my camp/home from the water. Then pics of the river and on an absolutely beautiful day. The first fish pic is a gar, not what I was going for. Getting him off my line was tricky. The last fish is a very nice catfish, wasn't what I was going for either but it will do. It will also be dinner. I only managed to pull in three fish I can eat but they were well worth the trip. It was a little windy and I'm still working on getting coordinated in the boat. I didn't fall in so it the trip was a success,

Sloan's quilt

2010-09-29T16:46:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of Sloan's t-shirt quilt. I am posting the front, the back and several parts that are most interesting (I think). I will be giving it to her for Christmas. It is reversible. She selected the colors. It was fun to make. I made each section (square) with the front, back and batting in between, and then machine quilted each section separately. The quilt was then put together in columns. After the 3 columns were stitched together, I made a border and put some more batting in for the border. The last part was the binding. I always do a bias binding - that way the binding won't roll and do "funny" things.

Waiting for Jan's quilts

2010-09-24T20:47:00.001-05:00

Look what I found in my pool today.

The hummers only get serious just before closing time.

I fix the squirrels their own bowl of special treats but nooooo that's not good enough, they want the bird food also.

Our best and worst moments occur within social relationships, research shows

2010-09-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

"Our best and worst moments occur within social relationships, research shows
"-- In the first study of its kind, researchers have found compelling evidence that our best and worst experiences in life are likely to involve not individual accomplishments, but interaction with other people and the fulfillment of an urge for social connection.

..... research suggests that the events that end up being most important in our lives, the events that bring us the most happiness and also carry the potential for the most pain, are social events -- ...... connecting to others and feeling their connections to us.

It was not independent events or individual achievements like winning awards or completing tasks that affected participants the most .......... but, moments of connecting to others that that touched peoples' lives the most."
http://www.physorg.com/news202059503.html

Last fill-up for 500 miles

2010-09-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

Remember....

2010-09-11T09:55:00.001-05:00

Today, Saturday September 11, 2010, is a beautiful late-summer day here in Connecticut, with a clear blue sky overhead, just as it was nine years ago....

Every year since that day nine years ago, the Easton volunteer firefighters have placed these flags on the green in front of the firehouse & across from the volunteer EMT in memory of those who perished on September 11, 2001....

It is displayed for just one day, it appears in the morning each September 11 and is gone the next morning....

Is crazy the new normal?

2010-09-10T05:04:00.000-05:00

Dear World

If you hadn’t already noticed, we have a significant number of crazy people here in the United States. It might not be quite as many as it seems by what you see on our news but since many who cover the news are nuts, they seem to be attracted to these kooky stories like the pastor who was threatening to burn the Quran.

But, after pondering for a few moments about what people like to watch on TV, i.e. the Jersey Shores, the cable news guys who pull in the huge audiences, i.e. Glen Beck, the politicians who are running or being elected to run our country, i.e. too many to mention here, maybe crazy is the new normal and there are more of us than I thought.

And there are some who think that some porch spiders are actually space aliens that are down here to monitor earth human behavior. I rest my case.

TGIF

A little doll makes her debut....

2010-09-08T08:09:00.001-05:00

The beautiful little girl is Ella, who was christenend this past February....She is the great niece of my dearest & closest friend who I have known for more than half my life.... I promised her mom Kelly that I would make something for her to wear for the occassion...they waited to christen her til her dad Mike, who is in the Army, returned from Iraq...The family lives in North Carolina for now, as Mike is still in the Army....I found a pattern for this hooded sweater made with chenille yarn for the hood & sleeves making it look like a little white teddy bear coat...

And since Ella is a redhead, I decided to make the angel on her afghan a red-haired angel....just for her...

These afghans are also made from chenille yarn, the rainbow is just my idea to use all the various

colors of yarn in one afghan, the navy & white, my New York Yankee colors...and the black & white afghan was made specially for my friend's daughter-in-law, who likes everything black & white....

"And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”

2010-09-07T15:58:00.001-05:00

My river friends and I, want to say happy trails to the man in the mirror. Our friend TJ beamed up on August 31, 2010. He spent much of his time with his friends on our river.

“Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

We hope it's a wonderful new adventure.

We'll miss you TJ

The river gang.

Picture taken by Kim Hebert

Some furry neighbors drop by

2010-09-03T16:52:00.001-05:00

The best news today is Hurricane Earl decided to pass us by...but we were visited recently by some furry critters who hang out in the neigborhood.....

These deer pass often at the lower end of the yard, & I was able to go on the deck
and catch them before they noticed me & walked into the woods.....

And no, not a furry critter, but one of the hoya wax flower plants that I have...this is the

first time I have seen the starburst flowers bloom in several years...when I went to water the plant a few days ago...lo & behold there it was...they are very delicate, almost fake looking, so I guess that's why it is called 'wax' flower...probably won't see another for a long time...

And sorry these are not really clear, they were taken looking through the screens one evening a

couple of weeks ago.....I looked out & there grazing on the bird seed I put out was a pretty

healthy, good sized red fox....(hope you can make him out)....he hung around for a little bit, even

stood up at the bird bath, then turned around & trotted down the driveway into the woods....

And the secret is...be spontaneous!

2010-08-30T05:14:00.000-05:00

The secret to not overdoing a little party, for me, is to make it spontaneous. When I plan something I feel the need to put on the dog, so the speak. Don't worry, Maggie is safe.

Yesterday, when I got up, I pondered if I really wanted to have a BBQ. Our little, a tad cooler, front was over. The muggies were back with avengence. There was a chance of rain. But you know I had that meat and BBQ sauce taking up space and hollering from the freezer.

After a short ponder yesterday morning, I decided I'd go for it. It turned out to be the most relaxing BBQ I've ever done. No time to worry, make a thousand lists, go to 10 grocery stores, work for 3 days and fill the house with food that people have to haul off in trailers. It also limits how many people can come due to prior engagements. And several I asked already had some. That's OK.

We had about 4-5 decent days of cooler weather last week but yesterday it was back to being horribly hot. I asked my clouds for a little help. Y'all know I have a relationship with the clouds. Well, as I was trying to get my pit fire going, along came a frog strangler. No problemo, I had a big unbrella set up over the pit. That shower cooled it off a little and then it stopped but some of the clouds remained. I moved my chairs out to the wharf to catch a little breeze that comes off the water. While we were sitting on the wharf, one of my friends pointed out that it was raining in the front yard. I said, that's OK we're in the back. I knew that we were OK even though I couldn't explain it to him. Thanks clouds.

Indian Market in Santa Fe

2010-08-27T18:56:00.000-05:00

Last August John and I took little 8 year old granddaughter on the train to the Indian Market in Santa Fe. SF was packed with people. The lines were long to all bathrooms, so John decided to stop drinking water. The temp that day was in the 90's. When we arrived back in Alb we had a flat tire. Although our son was coming to change the flat, John thought he would get a head start on the tire change. He began to get dizzy and nauseous. He sat down on the van's sliding door ramp and in a minute he fainted and slid onto the street. His color was ashen and he was cool and clammy despite the hot temperature outside. I was afraid he had had a heart attack. EMT's were there in 10 minutes. Fortunately at the hospital his heart and other signs indicated he had fainted. No heart or circulatory problems. I have captured our day in pictures.

Someone here must have a new post idea. Where is it?

2010-08-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

Early Saturday morning. Can't take that away from me!

2010-08-21T07:44:00.000-05:00