July 22, 2008

My *poor* husband... Today is his Birthday and he couldn't even sleep till the usual hour he prefers. Tomorrow is Opening Day At The Track {the 140th Season of exclusive NYS Thoroughbread racing} and the whole city is getting spruced up for it. Especially the caretakers of the big summer homes of the Rich & Famous. ,-)

See, we live on a street with little houses, behind a street with big houses. So, when the big houses caretakers work, we hear them. And the caretaker nearest, was out cutting some of the lawn, a little after 7am this morning! So, since it was a lovely night and we slept with windows open ~~ needless to say, my husband couldn't stay asleep. He up and showered and came down. But... then the lawn cutting stopped! ,-)

But then, it sounded like he was banging on something like an oil drum. ??? LOL...

Then, my husband's *Morning Newspaper* has not been delivered yet! We get 2 newspapers a day and he reads one in the morning and one in the evening. *Religiously*... >,-) But the *Morning* one is late! Eeek!

None of these things, bodes well for the Day hu? :-) Nahhh, he's not phased. It's a milestone number and so ~~ why sweat being awakened early? Or having to switch from reading the *Morning* newspaper, to reading the *Evening* newspaper, in the morning? Very small stuff!!!

Update! *Morning Newspaper* arrived! All is right with the world! :-)

One of the Grand's Birthday was this past Sunday. I put lots of sparkles on her present wrapping paper. Needless to say, we have sparkles popping up, all over the place, still. I can imagine that there are even more sparkles around, next door. Where the paper was torn off. -grin-

I'd like to say Thank You to all who joined in on the little "Blogging Look" discussion in Comments, the other day. Especially for anyone who did not agree with the ideas for Blogging, which it contained. It's always easy to comment "Agree". But it's not so easy to comment, "Disagree". And yet, a discussion needs more than one side to an issue.

And disagreement can be calm. It really can be. Maybe we equate disagreement, with being loud about it. Not necessary to be thus. This was not an easy lesson for me to learn, for sure. But the tiny bit I've been trying, in the very near past... I feel much better about. Feel I am coming to learning {I hope} the art of simple, calm stating of facts as I see them. I hope.

Funny thing is, I came to what I call "Pretty Blog Land" in Blogger, to escape from disagreement. But that was noisy, nasty, very unpleasant back and forth stuff, from which I was escaping. And I needed to escape from it!

But, golly gee, "Not everyone likes Vanilla Ice Cream best!" :-) Not everyone likes to do all their decorating in shades of Rose Color. Not everyone likes classical music. Not everyone loves Pizza. And on and on and on and on.

Variety! It's lovely. It's beautiful. It makes for texture and inspiration and perks us up. We need our own choices, yes! We need to surround ourselves with what we resonate with. But... But... But... Don't we also need to take a quiet peek, at the other guy/gal's choices too? :-) Always without any inference, that one way is the only way.


{Please remember, if you want to see any of my Medium Size photos, larger... simply click on them.}

Waxing moon & this and that...

The moon is waxing. These photos aren't trying to masquerade as clear and proper photos of her. But I still think they have a beauty, all their own. {Nothing like appreciating your own work, hu? -giggles-}

This one shows a street light, below...
~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~

The pink and silver planting out front, is looking prettier and prettier...
~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~

We had a quick and simple Supper, last night... Farmer's Market beets and lettuce. Deviled Eggs. And a quick salad, made of cut-up left-over chicken... And a simple white wine...
~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~

"Alabama, they say, is like one big front porch where folks gather on summer nights to tell tales and to talk family."

The above is from the intro to this precious book, which I got from Amazon New and Used Books. I read about it in one of the {click-->} photo blogs I follow... A lady of the South, who said she got out her old and well worn copy, to read something... {Link above} And it made me want to read the book, as well. {And this Photo Blog has simply beautiful photos, as well...}

If summer time feels like time to tell tales and talk family to you too, please see if you can find this book. Mine is a new re-issue, with a different cover pic, than the original. But I love the picture of the author. She looks like someone I would just love to know. And I'd love to be able to sit down with her and hear her tell stories, in real life. :-) She would certainly be lovingly called 'Miss Kathryn.'
~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~

A Lily...
~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~**~~~

We are NOT in decline...!!!

Today, we celebrate, our Independence and Freedom. ~~~~~~~~ Yes, gas prices are high, and people have been running up way too much credit card debt, and there are job losses. ~~~~~~~~ So how come, we are still over-run with immigrants? Who just want to come here. No matter how bad things are said to be... How come?
~~~~~~~~
May I paraphrase something I just read...
~~~~~~~~
No doubt times are tough right now. But the American people are still as creative and hard working as they've always been. Some of our pinhead politicians have mucked up recently. But we are not a nation in decline! We've had tough times before, and come through them. And on this Independence Day, we remain strong, and the world's greatest hope. ~~~~~~~~ {If you disagree with the last line, please tell me who you see, as the world's greatest hope?}
~~~~~~~~
I only wanted an old fashioned 4th of July. BBQ and red/white/blue desserts and parades and fireworks. ~~~~~~~~ But lately I've been hearing too much Decline... Decline... Decline... ~~~~~~~~ I can't enjoy my old fashioned 4th of July, without addressing what I hear/read too much of.

Poster Source

July 3rd...

{Lily, next door...}

{Bee Balm, next door...}

I'm toying with the idea of taking the Holiday Weekend off, from blogging. ~~~ But, could I do it? ~~~ And if I decide to do so, would my muse start working overtime and give me lots and lots of ideas, for things to write about? And of pictures to take? ~~~ And then, would I be banging-my-head-on-my-desk, and asking myself, "Why, did I say I was taking a blogging holiday?????" ~~~ What if I said I was going to take a blogging holiday, from visiting other blogs? Would I be able to stick to that??? ~~~ Or might I explode? :-)))) ~~~ Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! ~~~ >,-))))

Look at how the Tomato buds are progressing?!? Wow! Yellow blossoms now! How cool is that? :-))) ~~~ I know. I know. Still not time to get out the iron frying pan, for a BLT. ~~~ But... there is now, more hope. :-)))

Looks like showers are around today. Better than T-storms. But still not so good for swimming. ~~~ The oldest Grand, who is here today, got in for a dip before the rain. ~~~ And {Click-->} "My Favorite Toothless Grin" was over, to test the pool for 'Pop.' That's his *job* this season. :-) ~~~ But now, the sprinkles continue and I bet it would be chilly, with the {nice} breeze. So, swimming may have to wait till tomorrow...

Click-->Picture Source

Wishing you an Old Fashioned 4th of July. But please remember, our Freedom isn't Free. Remember all the military, who stand ready to defend our Freedom. And are defending it. Please let's not only think of hot dogs and parades and fireworks. Please, let's remember all those military who have, are, and will insure that we have this joy to partake of, on this 4th of July.

Click-->Picture Source

Happy July, to one and all...

{'Old Rose'}

Happy July!
May it be filled with fireflies & ice cream cones & flag waving parades & purple twilights & fireworks & steamy afternoons & front porch swings & the high hummmmm of summer afternoon "heat" bugs & lying in the grass & fashioning pictures from the clouds & quick thunder storms which clear the air & the sound of ice clinking in tall, frosty glasses & old fashioned hand-held fans & Sunday evening band concerts in the park & picnics & 'the old swimming hole' & holding a Butter Cup under your chin to see if "you like butter" & after dark ghost stories on a neighbor's porch & running home, kind-of-fun-scared, after listening to them & straw hats & Strawberry Shortcake & butter-slathered corn-on-the-cob picked only hours ago and rushed to a road side stand & the laughter of children running through a sprinkler & Peach Cobbler & spider webs with early morning dew on them & picking tomatoes in your own garden & star-filled night skies & whatever else says "Summer," to you...
*~~~*~~~*~~~*

{A Spider web with early morning dew drops, caught on it}
*~~~*~~~*~~~*

See the Tomato Blossom?

Here it is, cropped closer. {Per usual, you can click on any photo, to enlarge} Seeeee... we will have at least one home grown Tomato this year. >,-))) One anyway. ~~~~~~ Nope, not enough to pull out the frying pan yet, for BLT's. >,-))) But... there is hope! :-)))
*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the pool. Before anyone went into it! Ahhh beauty. Ahhh joy.
~~~~~~ Since I can't swim, and therefore don't use it, I *wish* no one would go into it. Let it stay in pristine beauty, all summer long. ~~~~~~ *Somehow,* no one agrees with me. >,-)))
*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Especially, after a morning of Baseball Camp...

Happy, happy month of July, to you and to all.............

*~~~*~~~*~~~*