The Boys

I was cooking the other night and the boys were gathered round watching me when they mentioned they hadn't been featured, as if they were movie stars, on my blog for quite a while. They groomed a bit while I was getting my photo taker and here they are. They're such little posers! When the animals all get together these three are the life of the party and the ringleaders for mischief, albeit not bad mischief. Anyway Roger, Rudy and Robert say, "hey" and wish you a wonderful day wherever in the world you are.

Music

A friend of mine was telling me she liked the music I'm currently playing on this blog. I did a play list of Blackmore's Night. I don't know how many of you are familiar with their music but I really enjoy it. My favorite tune of theirs is Wish You Were Here. Reminds me of Sweet Man. It's our 'theme' song since he is gone so much. My play list is on random so if you would like to hear Wish You Were Here scroll down until you find it, highlight it, and push play.
Now that I think of it that may not work since it's my blog. Someone try it please and let me know if it does.
Thanks and goodnight from me, have a lovely evening wherever in the world you are.

Nectar of the Goddesses

Please excuse the sloppy photography. I think you can get a clear enough scope of what I'm showing you anyway. Last week my bosom buddy rang my door bell and said, "I have something for you."

At first I thought she was giving me a can of 'Diet Coke'. We both drink de-caf, diet. She got a big grin on her face and said, " they've changed the can". Beware caffine free-diet-Coke drinkers. Read the label. I wish they would let me design a Coca-Cola label. What kind of a person would put silver and gold together??

Is it done . . .

This photo is a little dark and it was suppose to go under the other one but I forgot how these things load so please read post below. I love the colors in this rug.

I can't make up my mind if I'm through with this rug or not. If I go much larger I won't be able to use my own machine to launder it. I would like to go a couple more rows at least so I can put another row of beige opposite the one on the left of this photo. Share your opinion with me.

Work Work Work

This is what I did all day yesterday and part of today. Tomorrow is the yard. UGH!

We're having good weather tomorrow so it won't really be so bad. Have a lovely day wherever in the world you are . . .

Miss Morgan With the Flying Hair

This is my youngest granddaughter affectionately known as Miss Morgan. She loves to jump on the trampoline which creates static in her hair which creates this wild mane about her pretty little head.

When Morgan is at a certain angle on the trampoline, the sun is just right, and her hair is standing out like Aunt Cheyenne's North-of-Ireland-Presbyterian hair it is quite the sight to behold. Her hair almost looks like it's on fire. This little honey is so pretty she makes my heart melt. She is a whiz of a jewel finder on the PC game Hidden Expedition, can put together puzzles like a pro on Jigzone, loves to play with her brothers and is Mom and Daddy's only daughter. You're a gem Miss Morgan.

I love and miss you a bunch. . . Your Granma N

Bottles

I like color, I like it a lot. I have prisms in my windows, bottles in my windows, and witches balls in my windows. Anything to have color. In the afternoon when the sun comes around to the west side of the house these little beauties light up beautifully. I have a uv film on my window so it looks a bit hazy but I assure you when the sun hits them the color is brilliant nonetheless. Unfortunately by the time the sun got to the other side of the house we had lost it behind heavy clouds. Drats! I waited all day to get a 'sun-through-the -bottles' photo. Maybe next time.

The Art of Kerry Soper

While perusing the Internet one evening I came across this art work by Kerry Soper. Aren't they lovely? The picture above is the Manti Temple where I was married and the one below is a kitchen cabinet from somewhere in his mind. The colors are so soft and inviting to look at. I forgot to get the address but you can 'google' him and see more of his wonderful work.

This little cupboard looks so homey to me. I know we're not suppose to covet but I have to admit I covet this fellow's talent. I 'see' things in my mind I would like to create but I can't make it come out the ends of my fingers. What a lovely talent the Lord has give Kerry Soper.

Mr. Soper, I'm told these are some of my talents, I'm a great organizer, listener, worker, I can see things not for what they are but what they can become. Want to trade any of these for yours?

Happy Birthday Cheyenne

On the morning of April 11, 1966 I began labor with my first child. I spent the day at my parents home, hubby and I decided he would go to work and I would call when the time came to go to the hospital. After all, it was my first baby, two weeks early, and what did I know?

Around 5 pm labor intensified and after speaking with my OB's nurse we decided to go to the hospital. After a call to the hubby my folks took me to the hospital where upon the Daddy-to-be arrived about 45 mins. later. I continued to labor through the evening and finally at 11:43 pm

our daughter, a 7 lb 5 oz, 19" long bundle of joy arrived. Cheyenne came into the world with wild coal black hair, black eyes, and a rosebud of a mouth.

My mother said, "Look at that hair, it'll never lay down. She didn't get that hair from my side of the family. That's that North of Ireland hair...she got it from your father. That's the kind of hair you see on Presbyterians. If you had married a proper Limerick man she wouldn't have this standing-up-North of Ireland Presbyterian hair." Then she spat on the child's head to try and make her hair lay down.

Ok, I added this tale about my Mom for effect but it sounded pretty good didn't it?

All that wild black hair eventually fell out and it came back white as snow and those black eyes turned brown which eventually turned green with brown flecks.

You were such a happy beautiful baby; I couldn't have asked for a better 'first' baby than you were.

Cheyenne, you are still sweet and beautiful and a joy to have as a daughter. I cannot imagine my life without you.

I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing me to be your earthly mother, I don't know what I did to deserve that but I do appreciate it and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEYENNE, I LOVE YOU . . .

Your Mom

Love . . .

I love my family with all my heart. My husband is a prince and my children & grandchildren are jewels. But alas, I must admit there is something that ranks right up there with the prince and the jewels . . .

Mmm hmm, that's what I'm talkin' bout . . . cake!
You heard me . . . C-A-K-E

I love cake. I have been known to eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'm just daring that way, it doesn't matter a tittle what time of the day or night it is, I love cake.

I don't know if I have a favorite or if it's whatever kind is on the end of my fork at the moment. I eat all kinds, colors, shapes and textures. I like it hot, cold, plain, or frosted. I love it with no filling, cream filling, or fruit filling. I like it square, oblong, round, and bundt. I like it single layer, double layer or in a trifle. I like it with milk and I like it without. I like it just baked or two days old. (Don't snicker it does last two days . . . sometimes.) I just love cake.

The delightful morsel that is pictured is a boxed dark chocolate fudge. I bake it as directed on the box. A couple of minutes before the cake is done I mix up 2 c. milk, a pkg. of instant chocolate fudge pudding and a 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon mint extract. Mint can be strong so TASTE. Don't let the pudding set up. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven poke holes in the top of the cake and pour the slightly thickened pudding over the cake. It will not hold all the pudding. Put the rest of the pudding in the fridge and eat later or suck it up with a straw, don't turn your nose up to this possibility, it's good. Chill cake about two hours.

When thoroughly chilled and you can't stand the pain of waiting any longer cut a nice square, slice down the middle and spread with cool whip or whipped cream or canned whipped cream (the first squirt goes directly into your mouth as a taste test) then spread the same on top. It's essential to eat it on a pretty plate with a pretty napkin.

My dears you will feel like a princess or prince as the case may be. Cake is the food of the gods and since we are all children of our Heavenly Father and He is Deity that would include us.

Do try a square or two of cake this week and see if your disposition doesn't improve and your outlook becomes sunnier and don't forget the pretty plate and napkin.

So long family and friends, have a lovely evening wherever in the world you are.

More Camera Photos

Agfa Ansco
View finder of Kodak Duaflexll

Kodak Duaflexll

Back of Wirgin Camera

Wirgin camera made in Germany...Know anything

about this piece of equipment?

Brownie Six-20

Cameras

I have a couple of daughters who like photography, the younger one would like to take it up as a living one day. I decided to start an old camera collection for fun and display and then pass them on. Here is the beginning of the collection starting with all four lined up.

From l to r. The first is a Brownie Target Six-20. It was made from July 1946 to 1952. This is mine and takes lovely old black and white photos. The film has to be purchased from a camera shop. As do all the following.

The next is a German made Wirgin. I don't know anything else about it, I've looked all over the net and I do find Wirgin but not this particular one.

Next is an Agfa Ansco. Cameras with this name were manufactured between 1928-1943 in Binghamton, NY. Any cameras made after 1943 were labeled Ansco.

Last but not least is a Kodak Duaflex ll, it uses 620 film and was manufactured in Rochester, NY in December 1953. Kodak had an interesting way to date their cameras. They used the word camerosity as the base; c=1, a=2, etc. When you open the back of this camera there is some identification and under that a list of instructions, under that is four letters. This camera has the letters carm which interpreted gives us the numbers 1253. Hence, December 1953.

The last three cameras may have, and probably do, have parts missing. I'm pretty sure the Kodak would have a flash.

Anyway I think they're interesting and fun to look at. I don't have a clue how to open the Agfa Ansco to see the inside of it so one of these days I will go up to the big city to the camera shop and have them take a look see.

A story. . . When I was a little girl a neighbor gave me an old box camera. I use to go around taking pretend photos of people in the neighborhood. After I snapped their picture I would open the box of the camera and take out a photo of a pretty woman or handsome man that I had previously cut out of a magazine. It was a fun pasttime and folks always got a kick out of the 'their' pictures.
See next post for more photos.

Something New . . .

Something new . . .
I'm such a contradiction of terms. I love new things but I'm drawn to the old.

I love the feel of new socks on my feet, a new flannel gown, the shine of a new pair of shoes, the smell of a new car. Newly mown grass, just turned earth, the desert after rain, the sun on a brand new horizon. the skin of a new baby. I like the smell of a new book and how crisp the pages are.

On the other hand, I love how worn shoes feel on my feet once they've molded to my foot, how flannel gowns get softer and softer with wear. The wrinkles on older peoples faces, how the smell of a book and the texture of the pages change after you've read it time and time again.
I like the vibrancy of youth and yet love to visit with older folks and glean wisdom from their experiences.

I like going into furniture stores and looking at the new items on display but given a choice of something brand new or something used and loved I go for the old every time.

I think what I like about old used stuff is it's history, the memories associated with it. In other words something new is only new until you take it home. Once you've put it on or used it it begins to accumulate character, history and a memory.

When I first came here I purchased a French Provincial settee from the Salvation Army for $10.00. I used that settee for a few years then I gave it to a friend who used it for a few years then I had it again and once again gave it back to her. This went on for 14 years. It was solid but slightly worn when I purchased it and only got better until finally we decided to part with it. She passed it on to someone new. I don't know the history of this piece before I bought it but it was loved because it was well cared for. I loved it while it was in my care, my friend loved it while in her care and we hope whoever has it now loves it too.

People are the same way. I love meeting new people and making new friends but my old friends and family are the ones I'm constantly drawn too. They're like that pair of shoes, bright and shiny when new but once lives are melded together through trials, tribulations, love and heartaches there's nothing like it in the world.

Cherish friends, cherish family. Make them comfortable with wear and service, love them, take care of them.

I want my friends and family to know how much they mean to me and how much better my life is because they're in it.

To them and all others have a lovely day wherever in the world you are . . .