Friday, July 31, 2009

How Now Brown Cow? (212/365)

2009 07 31 IMG_8585 
“Sacred cows make the best hamburger”

Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer, 1835-1910)

TIME:  7:34 PM
PLACE:  Concordia Church Road
SUBJECT:  Bos taurus

Today was an errand and clean the car day.  One of the errands was going to the library to return some overdue library books.  I also had to replace a book that got caught in a soda bath.  Jack the cat has this thing for knocking over glasses of liquid – one of my library books happened to be in the line of fire.  Thank heavens for Amazon.com!  MonkeyBoy helped vacuum and wash the Jeep, so after dinner, as a reward, MB, StellaDella and I went to the video store to rent some games for their NintendoDS systems.  But before we went there, I told them that we were going for a little drive so I could find a picture to take.  On this country road, we passed a herd of cows and they both decided that the cows would make a good subject.  I turned around and pulled to the side of the road and took photos from the car.  SD helped out by yelling “Hey cows…look over here!” and you know what?  They did.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Down The Rabbit Hole (211/365)

2009 07 30 IMG_8575 
“The rabbit presses back her ears,
Turns back her liquid, anguished eyes
And crouches low; then with wild spring
Spurts from the terror of his oncoming;”

D.H. (David Herbert) Lawrence (1885-1930), British poet. Love on the Farm (l. 36-39). . . The Complete Poems [D. H. Lawrence]. Vivian de Sola Pinto and Warren Roberts, eds. (1993) Penguin Books

TIME:  6:58 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Baby Bunnies

We have bunnies!  Monkeyboy took the dog out this morning and when they came back in he said that she almost caught a baby rabbit, but it got away.  I went out with him and he showed me where the rabbit disappeared in the grass.  I saw the nest, but no bunnies were inside.  After supper tonight, the kids and I trooped outside to check again (with my camera and sans dog) and there they were.  I think there are 4 or 5 babies in the nest which is inside our yard, but just outside our fence.  Now we will have to be extra vigilant whenever the dog goes out…I do not need the guilt of any bunny blood on my hands!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Pop Pop Pop Popcorn (210/365)

2009 07 29 IMG_8573 
“The laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over by themselves.”

W. C. Fields (American comedian, actor and juggler, 1880–1946)

TIME:  8:18 PM
PLACE:  The kitchen counter
SUBJECT:  Knapp-Monarch Corn Popper

When I was going through all my stuff for my yard sale last month, I came across this popcorn popper.  It was my sister’s and she had tried selling it at a previous sale at my house and when it didn’t sell, she left it at my house.  I thought I would it would be neat to show the kids one of the “old school” methods of making popcorn (the “oldest school” method being in a pot on the stove).  So I purchased a jar of popcorn at Target a few weeks ago.  The first time I made popcorn, I prayed that the cloth covered cord wouldn’t start an electrical fire.  The kids loved watching the popcorn pop through the glass dome, I do too.  Now they request popcorn made the “old fashioned” way, they tell me that it tastes way better than the microwave kind. 

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Just Peachy (209/365)

2009 07 28 IMG_8565
“Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches,
Movin' to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches,
Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches,
Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches.

Peaches come from a can,
They were put there by a man,
In A Factory down town,
And if I had my little way, I'd eat peaches everyday,
Sun soakin' bulges in the shade.”

“Peaches”, The Presidents of The United States of America, The Presidents of the United States of America (1995), Track 4


TIME:  9:57 AM
PLACE:  Eckert’s Peach Orchard
SUBJECT:  Peach

This morning the kids and I went to a farm to pick our own peaches.  I love picking our own fruit.  We always joke that they really need to weigh us before we go into the orchard because we sample as we pick *wink*.  Today, they were picking at the rows right in front where you pay, but the kids wanted a tractor ride so we loaded everyone onto the trailer.  They drove us in a big circle around the orchard and dropped us off about 50 feet from where we started.  I do believe that we spent more time on the tractor than it took us to pick our peaches!  I’m thinking a peach crisp with vanilla ice cream is definitely in the works for dessert this week.

Edited to add:  Today is the 20th anniversary of the first date I ever had with HandsomeHusband.  The day after our date, he sent me a dozen sweetheart roses – well, today, he sent me a dozen long-stemmed red roses.  Thank you babe…I am so glad you asked me out!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Nice Seats (208/365)

2007 07 27 IMG_8450
2009 07 27 IMG_8560
“That’s a winner!”

John Francis "Jack" Buck (American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals, 1924–2002)


TIME:  6:03 PM/9:18 PM
PLACE:  Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  The view from our seats/The  scoreboard

My dad gave us tickets for the ball game tonight…Section 153 Row 1.  The first section behind the field boxes.  Not too shabby of seats.  HandsomeHusband had a meeting, so it was just me and the kids.  Being the frugal person I am, we parked at my brother’s work and brought in our own water and sodas in a soft-sided cooler.  We spent $20.00 for 3 hotdogs and a pretzel, $6.00 for cotton candy, $6.00 for ice cream and $5.00 for peanuts and sunflower seeds…oh, yeah and I bought myself a beer-$8.75 including tip…so that’s $42.75 for the evening.  Not bad considering!  We were witness to Matt Holliday’s first game as a Cardinal and we ended up beating the Los Angeles Dodgers who have the game’s best record (62-37).  Go Cards!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Do Not Enter (207/365)

2009 07 26 IMG_8432 
“You never know till you try to reach them how accessible men are; but you must approach each man by the right door.”

  Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, 1887 (American, Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker, 1813–1887)

TIME:  7:02 PM
PLACE:  Millstadt, IL
SUBJECT: Door on building (you will need to *click* on the picture for the best effect)

We went out to for supper tonight – Italian!  My dad and a friend of ours joined us at the restaurant.  Afterwards, I rode back with my dad so I could go to his house and help him with some computer issues.  As we passed through the town of Millstadt, I noticed this door and the sign on it.  I found it quite amusing and mentioned to Dad that I would have to get a picture of it at some point.  He asked if I had my camera – but of course! -and then he turned the car around so I could take a photo.  Thanks Dad!   

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Close Encounters (206/365)

2009 07 25 IMG_8411 
“I've often wondered, what if all of us in the world discovered that we were threatened by a greater power from outer space from another planet -- wouldn't we all of a sudden find that we didn't have any differences between us at all?”

Ronald Reagan (American, 40th President of the United States 1981-1989, 33rd Governor of California,  actor, 1911-2004)


TIME:  11:16 PM
PLACE:  Outside patio at Cutter’s Bar
SUBJECT: Patio lights

HandsomeHusband and I were invited to a surprise 50th birthday party.  This celebrant had owned the bar where HH and I met 20 years ago.  It was like a “Cheers” bar, where everybody knew our names.  Sadly, the bar is no longer around.  We had to play tag team with the kids as we didn’t have a sitter.  I took the kids to a birthday party for my good friend Denise’s children.  HH arrived there about 8pm and I left to attend the other party.  Going to this party was like a reunion.  It was really nice seeing the group again…it reminded me of all the good times we had at the tavern, especially the beginning my relationship with HH.  I ended up talking and reminiscing with the barflies until closing at 2am.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Wires (205/365)

2009 07 24 IMG_8397 
"Electricity, the peril the wind sings to in the wires on a gray day. . ."

Janet Frame (New Zealander, novelist, short-story writer, poet, Her works include "Intensive Care" and "Owls Do Cry," 1924-2004)


TIME:  8:35 PM
PLACE:  The front yard, looking west
SUBJECT:  Power lines

Again, I had another uninspired and not too interesting of a day.  I did some cleaning – the bathroom and StellaDella’s room.  I ended up needing a rake to get everything out from under her bed.  Good gravy, she had an enormous amount of junk under there – what bad feng shui.  Then, late this afternoon, the kids and I - HandsomeHusband was off visiting his good friend - went to pick up gift cards for some birthday parties we are attending tomorrow.  After picking those up, we went to Steak ‘n Shake to eat dinner.  Exciting times!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Work In Progress (204/365)

2009 07 23 IMG_8392 
“Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment.”

Robert Benchley (US actor, author, and humorist, 1889 - 1945)

TIME:  8:14 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Cross-stitch project

Well, here is the progress I have made on my cross-stitching.  It has been stalled a little by that pesky housework and those whiney children, but I think I’ve been pretty successful in ignoring those two impediments. *wink*  The design is actually turning out a lot brighter and nicer than the picture in the book.  I decided to use 3 strands of floss vs. the 2 strands normally recommended for the Aida 14 cloth I’m using for the canvas.  Yeah, I’m a rebel.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

What Is It? (203/365)

2009 07 22 IMG_8385 
I do my work at the same time each day - the last minute.  

Unknown

TIME:  9:39 PM
PLACE:  Somewhere in my house
SUBJECT:  ???

I was a slacker today and did not take any pictures until 9:30 this evening.  And this is what my procrastination gets you…do you know what it is?  The first correct answer gets the satisfaction of being the first correct answer!  How’s that for an incentive?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Baseball Camp (202/365)

2009 07 21 IMG_8345 
Tripper: And even if we win, if we win, HAH! Even if we win! Even if we play so far above our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days; even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at our side of the field; even if every man woman and child held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn't matter because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Mohawk because they've got all the money! It just doesn't matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!
Rest of group: IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER...

Meatballs (Bill Murray, written by Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg [as Dan Goldberg], Janis Allen and Harold Ramis, Ivan Reitman-director, 1979)

TIME:  11:43 AM
PLACE:  GCS Ballpark
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy

Although his baseball season is over, we signed MonkeyBoy up for a 2-day, baseball camp at the GCS Ballpark.  The ballpark is the home of the Gateway Grizzlies, a minor league baseball team which is part of the Frontier League.  HandsomeHusband took him yesterday, and the girls and I went with him today.  It was cool and overcast, but the rain held off until after 12 o’clock when the camp ended.  If you *click* and make the picture bigger, you can see the green ball MB hit just above the black screen that is in front of Brandon Peters, the Grizzly player at this station. 

Monday, July 20, 2009

A Fistful of Floss (201/365)

2009 07 20 IMG_8282 
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”

Herman Melville (American short-story Writer, Novelist and Poet. Best known for his novels of the sea, including his masterpiece, Moby Dick. 1819-1891)

TIME:  9:27 PM
PLACE:  The kitchen
SUBJECT:  DMC embroidery floss

Today I got the urge to cross-stitch.  Why?…heck if I know.  The pattern is a sweet Dutch-type design.  It is from this Ondori book I purchased at the book bazaar back in April.  I have always found cross-stitching to be rather soothing and I like watching the picture emerge from the grid pattern.  Counted cross-stitch is orderly and precise and there are grids and numbers involved.  That pleases the accounting/math geek in me!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The End Of My Rope (200/365)

2009 07 19 IMG_0797 
“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.”

Carlos Castaneda (Peruvian-born American author, 1925-1998)

TIME: 7:23 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Cedar bark and rope

I’m feeling kind of “blah” today and the color in this picture reflects that.  MonkeyBoy and his team lost their game by 6 runs earlier this afternoon.  They were disappointed, but overall, they had a good season.  After the game, I met my sister at the flea market and browsed the stalls with her and DramaQueen.  It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the high seventies and low humidity - nothing like normal July weather at all!  So why am I feeling blah?  Don’t know, but I’m hoping that tomorrow brings me a better outlook.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Tomato Thief (199/365)

2009 07 18 IMG_8129
“It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”

Lewis Grizzard (American writer and humorist, known for his Southern demeanor and commentary on the American South, 1946-1994)

TIME:  5:17 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Sciurus carolinensis

This would be why we may not have any tomatoes this year.  These pesky rodents are enjoying the fruits of our labors.  I saw one of these creatures sitting on the fence chomping away at a green tomato this morning, but alas, I did not have my camera with me at the time.  MonkeyBoy had his ball game at 1pm (they won 16-9, yea!).  After we returned home, I did not feel like cooking (no surprise there), so we ordered some pizza.  Being as I am too cheap to pay for both a delivery charge and a tip, I made the order a carry-out.  I did take my camera with me and was rewarded with this sight as I returned home with the pizza.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Get Your Motor Running (198/365)

2009 07 17 IMG_8115
“Four wheels move your body, two wheels move your soul.”

Unknown

TIME:  6:57 PM
PLACE:  Madison Ball Fields
SUBJECT:  Harley Davidson Chrome Cam Cover

First off – I just gotta say that tonight’s weather was just bee-u-ti-ful!  77 degrees, sunny, white puffy clouds…I can handle this.  MonkeyBoy hit a .333 tonight with a nice rip into right field for a base hit.  He has been in a slump, so that was nice to see.  The Tigers won tonight and we have the second game in the tournament tomorrow at 1pm. 

A fellow player’s grandparents rode their Harley’s to the field and were very accommodating when I asked to take pictures of their bikes.  HandsomeHusband owned a Harley when we first were dating 20 years ago.  As a matter of fact, his pick-up line to me was thus:
“Do you want to come to my trailer and see my Harley?”  How could I resist such a suave approach?  I’m sure the quantity of beer I had consumed that evening had nothing to do with my accepting his invitation! *wink*  He later sold the bike to finance a business venture of his.  I do miss that motorcycle and all the rides we took together.  Maybe when the kids are older, and we have money, we can try to relive those days.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Guarding The Fence (197/365)

2009 07 16 IMG_8092 
“One should guard against preaching to young people success in the customary form as the main aim in life. The most important motive for work in school and in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result and the knowledge of the value of the result to the community.”

Albert Einstein (German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)

TIME:  7:34 PM
PLACE:  Madison Ball Fields
SUBJECT:  Baseball fence guard

MonkeyBoy was finally able to play baseball tonight.  We had rainouts on Saturday, Sunday and last night.  We traveled to Madison, IL to play a team from our hometown.  *shakes head*  We ended up winning by a mere 2 runs.  Our infield had issues overthrowing the ball to each other, allowing more runs than they should.  But, they won, and now we have a game Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.  It’s supposed to be beautiful out – highs in the mid to low 70’s and sunny.  Great weather for a ballgame!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

All Hail The Queen (196/365)

2009 07 15 IMG_8073 
“So, when my mistress shall be seen
In form and beauty of her mind,
By virtue first, then choice, a queen”

Sir Henry Wotton (1568-1639), British poet. On His Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia (l. 16-18). . . New Oxford Book of English Verse, The, 1250-1950. Helen Gardner, ed. (1972) Oxford University Press.


TIME:  7:51 PM
PLACE:  South 11th Street
SUBJECT:  Queen Anne’s lace, Daucus
carota (Family Apiaceae)

I tell ya, I am always learning about new things while doing this photo blog.  I for one, did not know that Queen Anne’s lace is a wild relative of the carrot.  And did you know, according to the World Carrot Museum, “the root of the wild plant can induce uterine contractions and so should not be used by pregnant women. A tea made from the roots is diuretic and has been used in the treatment of urinary stones.  An infusion is used in the treatment of oedema, flatulent indigestion and menstrual problems.  The seed is a traditional 'morning after' contraceptive and there is some evidence to uphold this belief. It requires further investigation. Carrot seeds can be abortifacient and so should not be used by pregnant women.”  I find this fascinating.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Got Milk (195/365)

2009 07 14 IMG_8047 
What did the farmer call the cow that would not give him any milk ?

An udder failure !

Unknown

TIME:  8:27 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen table
SUBJECT:  Bottles of milk

I had to go on a milk run tonight after taking MonkeyBoy to the batting cages again.  I prefer buying our milk in glass bottles – it just tastes better and it is better for the enviornment – less plastic!  I can remember when I was younger, we had a milkman come to our door every Saturday morning.  Mr. Junker was his name.  He would bring the milk into the kitchen and sometimes Mom would even buy us strawberry yogurt as a treat.  Once, I spent the night at my paternal grandparent’s and the next morning there was Mr. Junker delivering milk to them as well…I thought that was pretty neat that Grandma C. and I had the same milkman.  There is a dairy in St. Louis which offers home delivery, but I just can’t seem to get past the higher price it requries.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Fountain At Night (194/365)

2009 07 13 IMG_7989
“– the main jet
Struggling aloft until it seems at rest

In the very act of rising, until
The very wish of water is reversed,
That heaviness borne up to burst
In a clear, high, cavorting head, to fill

With blaze, and then in gauze
Delays, in a gnatlike shimmering, in a fine
Illumined version of itself, decline,
And patter on the stones its own applause?”


(Richard Wilbur (b. 1921), U.S. poet. A Baroque Wall-Fountain in the Villa Sciarra (l. 31-40). . . Norton Anthology of Poetry, The. Alexander W. Allison and others, eds. (3d ed., 1983) W. W. Norton & Company.)


TIME:  10:16 PM
PLACE:  Downtown
SUBJECT: Fountain

My Dad’s maternal side of the family is planning a reunion for this October and I am involved with the planning.  Tonight I had a meeting at a 2nd cousin’s home on the other side of town.  We decided on the food (it’s being catered) and I got to hear more family stories, so I really enjoyed the evening.  I brought a descendent chart for everyone to review and to make any corrections to their family lines for my genealogical records.  I’m planning on creating a gigantic descendent box chart beginning with Dad’s maternal grandparents to hang on the wall at the reunion, along with a compressed chart for everyone to take home.     

This fountain is in the middle of our town’s square by the courthouse.  Originally built in 1937, it is a memorial to American servicemen.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Hey Now, You're An All Star (193/365)

2009 07 12 IMG_7970 
“I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty.”

Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez, aka Imelda Marcos (Filipino, Wife of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines, b1929)

TIME:  9:21 PM
PLACE:  The living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella and DramaQueen and their New Converse Chuck Taylors

DramaQueen's feet are growing as fast as her mouth it seems.   The shoes we purchased in early May are already too small for her!  She demanded asked for Converse Chuck Taylor high tops - these are the "in" things nowadays.  I remember when I purchased a pair at K-mart before I went back to college in 1988 for $9.99 - now, they are considered fashionable and apparently you can only find them at specialty shops where they cost an arm and a leg ($39.99!).  The store where we purchased the Chucks also had Kangaroos.  I had a pair of those when I was a freshman in high school waaaay back in 1981.  I told the young man waiting on us that little tidbit...I think he was amused and was probably not even born at that time.  Good gravy, now I'm one of those old people beginning sentences with "When I was young...." and then the kid's eyes start to glaze over due to sheer boredom.  Anyway, we found a pair for StellaDella at Marshalls, they were still $19.99 though.  She just had to have a pair like her older sister.  Even better, it irritated DQ that her younger sister is copying her, so of course I bought them for her!  We parents need a little fun in our lives! ;)   

Saturday, July 11, 2009

I Said No Pictures! (192/365)

2009 07 11 IMG_7868
The bee that hath honey in her mouth hath a sting in her tail.

John Lyly (Lilly or Lylie) (English writer, best known for his books Euphues, The Anatomy of Wit and Euphues and His England, c. 1553 or 1554–1606)


TME:  6:32 PM
PLACE:  The side of the house
SUBJECT:  A pissed off bumblebee

The bumblebees just love my Rose of Sharon bushes that are planted on the side of the house.  They are busy burrowing in the flowers gathering the pollen with their butts sticking out between the petals.  But when they back-out and see my camera lens, apparently they can get a little testy.  I snapped this just before I made a hasty retreat due to an angry bee barreling toward my face.  I did not get stung, but I guess I do need to learn to pick more cooperative subjects in the future.  

Friday, July 10, 2009

Close Cover Before Striking (191/365)

2009 07 10 IMG_7849 
“You know what burns me? Matches.”

Jay London (American stand-up comic, b1966)


TIME:  8:55 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen Counter
SUBJECT:  Book of matches

I spent the majority of the day trying to clear my desk and de-clutter the desk drawers.  I have a corporate tax return to finish (the client has an extension) and I need a clear space in order to have a clear head to do it.  I found a container filled with books of matches.  I think I picked up the container at an estate sale earlier this year.  From the look of the ads on them, they appear to be from the mid-seventies.  I liked these red match-heads (most of the ones in the other books were white).  When I was younger, I remember you could collect books of matches from just about everywhere, especially restaurants.  I guess with the no-smoking laws we have now, they are harder to come by.  I can’t remember the last time I saw a bowl of them for the taking.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

The Bucket List (190/365)

2009 07 09 IMG_7452 
I tell you the past is a bucket of ashes, so live not in your yesterdays, no just for tomorrow, but in the here and now. Keep moving and forget the post mortems; and remember, no one can get the jump on the future.

Carl Sandburg (American writer & editor, 1878–1967) 

TIME:  8:16 PM
PLACE:  Longacre Park
SUBJECT:  Bucket truck booms

Another day of painting the front porch steps.  The final coat will go on tomorrow.  I had a haircut at high noon; StellaDella had her bangs trimmed as well.  Then a stop at the grocery store – which happened to have a $10 off your $50 purchase today – for today’s and tomorrow’s dinners.  At 4pm, I attended a memorial service for a friend who had passed away unexpectedly last week.  After dinner, it was my turn to take MonkeyBoy to the batting cages so he could get some practice in for the games this weekend.  He didn’t do as well as he wanted and was a little upset about it, so I suggested we go to the park and walk around the lake to shake it off.  These bucket trucks were parked across the street and I liked how they looked silhouetted against the sky.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Back In My Snail Shell (189/365)

2009 07 08 IMG_7422 
“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail. See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle--will you come and join the dance? Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?

Lewis Carroll, (English Logician, Mathematician, Photographer and Novelist, 1832-1898), "Alice in Wonderland", Chapter X: The Lobster Quadrille 

TIME:  8:20 PM
PLACE:  South Side Park
SUBJECT:  Snail in shell

An uneventful day.  I was able to get the first coat of paint on the porch steps.  I will get a second coat on tomorrow and a final coat on Friday.  More than likely, they will need to be repainted in the next 3 years...that's the nature of the beast.  Other than that - it was laundry today.  MonkeyBoy had baseball practice tonight and I was able to sit on my behind and watch sans other children.  It was rather peaceful.  Afterwards, he and I went to the nearby park to search for a photo opportunity.  MB and his sharp eyes found this snail for me to photograph.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Mixed-Up Chameleon (188/365)

2009 07 07 IMG_7356 
The true Chameleon is small,
A lizard sort of thing;
He hasn't any ears at all,
And not a single wing.
If there is nothing on the tree,
'Tis the Chameleon you see.


Carolyn Wells (1862–1942), U.S. poet. How to Tell the Wild Animals (l. 31–36). . .Fireside Book of Humorous Poetry, The. William Cole, ed. (1959) Simon and Schuster.


TIME:  1:43 PM
PLACE:  The Library
SUBJECT:  StellaDella and a chameleon

As part of our library’s summer reading program, they invited the owner of a local reptile shop – The Tye-Dyed Iguana – to educate the kids about exotic reptiles.  There was a lizard, boa constrictor (a female named “Jack”), a Madagascar hissing cockroach, this chameleon, and a very long, very large albino python.  I confess, I forgot the name of this chameleon, but I do remember the name of the python – Aphrodite.  The owner, Matt, let the kids come up in groups and hold her as she was stretched out.  At the end, about six of us parents were holding her and she had enough – we got snake musked!  Not the most pleasant aroma…but it’s what snakes do when they get fed up with everyone holding them.

Now StellaDella wants a lizard.  That is so not happening – we have too many pets as it is right now.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Wet Paint (187/365)

2009 07 06 IMG_7319 
"We'll paint the town and the front porch too."

Unknown

TIME:  7:28 PM
PLACE:  The front porch
SUBJECT:  Fresh paint

After only 5 years, we are slowly creeping up on completing the front porch project.  Well, the porch itself...landscaping around it is another story.  And ok, ok, we still need to put the cap on the handrail too.  You don't want to rush these things. ;)  This morning I rolled a coat of paint on the porch deck.  HandsomeHusband is suppose to be sanding the steps so I can paint those tomorrow.  Then there will be a second coat that has special anti-slip granules mixed in so we don't fall on our behinds when it rains.  Hmmmm, now I'm going to need some new porch furniture.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Where's The Beef? (186/365)

2009 07 05 IMG_7296 
Homer: Are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad, those all come from the same animal.
Homer: Heh heh heh. Ooh, yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.


The Simpsons, Lisa the Vegetarian, 15 October 1995 (Season 7, Episode 5)

TIME:  3:25 PM
PLACE:  Lebanon Ave.
SUBJECT:  Old Neon Sign

This is part of a sign from a local meat processing plant.  I believe that the plant closed around the beginning of this year.  I have passed this sign more times than I can count and have always liked it, especially the meat graphic at the top.  I'm taking a poll, do you think that the graphic is a ham or a roast?  My vote goes for ham - even though it is a little red in the interior.  The round bone in the center and the cross-hatching signifies "ham" to me.  But, if you disagree, please tell me why.  Thanks!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Independence Day (185/365)

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When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

TIME:  9:32 PM
PLACE:  Millstadt, IL
SUBJECT:  Fireworks

Happy Independence Day!  My mother-in-law's birthday is today as well.  On Monday, the 6th, my nephew turns 15 years old.  So to celebrate we went to my brother's house for dinner.  As the nephew is in the midst of his teenage years, picking out a gift was easy - cash!  The back deck of my brother's house was an excellent vantage point for the town's fireworks display.  I brought the tripod in anticipation of capturing some explosions.  I must be really sweet, as the mosquitos found me quite appetizing - I itch something fierce!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Knee-High To A Grasshopper (184/365)

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The poetry of earth is never dead:
When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,
And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;
That is the Grasshopper's—he takes the lead
In summer luxury,—he has never done
With his delights; for when tired out with fun
He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.
The poetry of earth is ceasing never:
On a lone winter evening, when the frost
Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills
The Cricket's song, in warmth increasing ever,
And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,
The Grasshopper's among some grassy hills

John Keats, "On The Grasshopper And Cricket", Poems, Published/Written in 1817

TIME:  10:29 AM
PLACE:  The side yard
SUBJECT:  Grasshopper

We borrowed the power washer from my Dad and HandsomeHusband and I washed the siding on the front porch and the porch deck in preparation for painting the porch floor.  I also noticed some mildew on the side of the house on the aluminum siding and sprayed it with a bleach and water solution.  While I was waiting for the bleach to do its thing, I saw this tiny grasshopper on the plants by the foundation.  I  believe that his antenna were 3 times as long as he was!  After about 4 shots, he was finished with his photo session and hopped away.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Ice Crusher (183/365)

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“I discovered my wife in bed with another man, and I was crushed. So I said, 'Get off me, you two!'”

Emo Philips (American entertainer and comedian, b1956)


TIME:  10:57 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen counter
SUBJECT:  Sears Ice Crusher

This is one of my favorite thrifting items.  It is an ice crusher just like my mom had when I was growing up.  When we were sick, especially if we had a stomach virus and had trouble keeping things down, she would always crush ice for us to suck on so we would stay hydrated.  I found this one in a local thrift store for $3.00 and I use it every morning to crush ice for my diet drink.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

My Ballplayer (182/365)

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"Baseball gives a growing boy self poise and self reliance."

Albert Spalding (American, professional baseball player, manager and co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company, 1850-1915)

TIME:  8:21 PM
PLACE:  Bantam Diamond - Little League Fields
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy

Tonight was the last game of the regular season.  The Tigers won and ended the season with 10 wins and 3 losses.  Woot!  Woot!  Playoffs begin a week from Saturday, so they have a practice next Wednesday evening at 6pm.  I really like this picture of my boy - especially the Gatorade mustache he is sporting!