A Goose And A Steer Walk Into A Park…(090/365)

“Why didn't the baby goose believe anything his father said?…He thought it was all papagander.”

Bad animal joke


”Why shouldn’t you tell jokes about cows?…Because nobody likes a cattle-tale.”

Even worse animal joke.

TIME:  2:01 and 2:10 PM
PLACE:  Park
SUBJECT:  A Canadian goose and a steer (I think)

The HH and I went out to lunch today at our favorite sushi place.  Afterwards, we went for a little drive and stopped at a county park to see what there was to photograph.  We found this goose by a pond with its companion, while the steer was in the wooden part of a field adjacent to the park road.

Meet Bobert (089/365)

“Sculpture is the art of the intelligence.”

Pablo Picasso (Spanish Artist and Painter. 1881-1973)

TIME:  5:42 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Paper-mâché sculpture

”Bobert is my awesome art project I made in 2nd quarter. He was so good my art teacher kept him in the display case all 3rd quarter. I loved Art. Now I’m in Music. Yaya.” – DramaQueen

(Note:  I received an emergency text from DQ as she was on the afternoon bus, that I needed to go to the junior high school and pick up her art project – Any 2nd quarter art project needed to be picked up to make room for those made during the 3rd quarter.  If the projects were not retrieved by Friday afternoon, they would be thrown out.  Being the wonderful mother that I am, I complied with her request.)

Billion Bubble Beverage (088/365)

“My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.”

Henry Youngman (English born American Comedian and Violinist, 1906-1998)

TIME:  2:18 PM
PLACE:  520 O’Fallon Street, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Gigantic Vess Soda Bottle
(35 1/2´ high x 6´7" wide)

I was at the St. Louis County Library today doing some genealogical research.  I found a few new facts for my files and on my way home, I meandered through downtown St. Louis to visit them in person.  I had reviewed the Sanborn Fire maps, trying to determine just where my paternal relatives had lived in the early 1900s before they moved across the river to Illinois in the early 1920’s.  I found out that this bottle is now located in the same city block where my paternal relatives resided.  This block was home to residential flats, an auto body company and a produce warehouse.  One block to the west was the home of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and school.  Sadly, all the buildings are gone and now they are just vacant lots.

(From the Vess Soda Bottle Landmark file in the Cultural Resources Office
A giant replica of a family-size Vess Soda Bottle, it was erected at Hampton Av. and Gravois Blvd. in South St. Louis. It was constructed by Treesh Neon Sign Company, East St. Louis, Illinois for the Vess Bottling Company of St. Louis. The bottle revolves on a steel pole. In 1953, it was believed to be the largest, revolving, lighted bottle in the world. At night it was lit by more than 600 lineal feet of neon tubing.  In 1989, after the bottle had been found in storage, it was re-erected at 520 O´Fallon. It is mounted on a pole similar to the original, but no longer rotates.)

Horizontal Stripes (087/365)

“Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy.”

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

TIME:  3:46 PM
PLACE:  My bedroom
SUBJECT:  Stripe shadows

We are supposed to get ANOTHER 3-5 inches of snow late tomorrow afternoon – which should all melt by Wednesday and then we are supposed to get up to 71 degrees on Saturday.  Nutsy!  ~*~*~  Anyway, I forgot to put the memory card back in my little camera and could not take my weekly photo at the parking lot at work.  When I returned home I went upstairs to change into sweats and noticed the shadows coming in my bedroom window.  I decided to try to get all artsy with my shot today.  You know what they say about wearing horizontal stripes…I hope they don’t make me look fat.

Sweet Violets (086/365)

“We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory.”

Sir Bernard Arthur Owen Williams (English moral philosopher, described by The Times as the most brilliant and most important British moral philosopher of his time, 1929–2003)

TIME:  8:19 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Violets

I will admit that I did not have a very productive Sunday.  The HandsomeHusband picked up MonkeyBoy from a weekend campout with the Boy Scouts; HH and I went to the grocery store; the kiddos and I met my Dad at the movies to see the 3:30 pm showing of “Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” (we had originally met Dad at the box office for the 1:20 pm showing, but found out that it was sold out, so we bought tickets for the next show and returned home in the meantime – I took a nap); then after the show…nothing.  I even had a “fend for yourselves” supper.  I was lucky to find the energy to take this photo.

Spring Snow (085/365)

"Sprigs of plum by the corner of the wall
Are blooming alone in the cold;
If not for the subtle fragrance drifting over
Who could tell this from snow on the boughs."

Wang Anshi, Plum Blossom, 1060

TIME:  5:50 and 7:00 PM
PLACE:  Longacre Park and down my street
SUBJECT:  Forsythia bush and Magnolia tree in the snow

Ha!  And I thought yesterday was snowy.  Today it started snowing around 10am and kept at it all day.  We picked up about 3 inches of snow – and it was all very fluffy and wet.  Check it out – we have a 50 percent chance of more snow on Sunday evening.  Then, Monday and Tuesday are supposed to be in the 40’s with the possibility of a bit of light snow on Tuesday evening.  It looks beautiful, but we better be done with all the white stuff after Tuesday.  Although…I do remember getting snow as late as mid-April back in 1998 or 1999 so it could happen.  I hope not though.

The Fat Lady Is Still Singing (084/365)

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.“

Doug Larson (English middle-distance runner who won gold medals at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, 1902-1981)

TIME:  8:49 AM
PLACE:  Work parking lot
SUBJECT:  Snow on tree bud

Someone needs to make sure Mother Nature takes her meds ‘cause she is going from one extreme to another this week here in the Midwest – she had us at almost 80 degree temps earlier in the week to waking us up to a layer of wet snow this morning.  Oh well, at least she is keeping us on our toes.

Ceramic Bunny In The Grass (083/365)

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing,
Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself."

Zen Proverb

TIME:  8:38 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Bunny planter

At Monday’s Daisy Scout meeting, we had the girls plant grass seed in a flat container for a Spring/Easter centerpiece.  They made popsicle stick fences and also decorated small wooden eggs to place in their grass “yards”.  I had started a one of my own on Friday in anticipation of showing the girls an example of what it would look like, but alas, I had no grass on Monday.  Wednesday, however, it had popped right up.  I played around tonight and took photos of various Easter ceramics I have nestled in the greenery.

Same Thing In Reverse (082/365)

“In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”

T.S. (Thomas Stearns) Eliot (1888-1965), Anglo-American poet, critic. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."

TIME:  6:53 PM
PLACE:  Front porch
SUBJECT:  Blue planter

We had a gorgeous warm spring day…it got up to a balmy 74 degrees, then the wind kicked in and the temperature dropped.  It is only supposed to get up to 43 degrees tomorrow.  Mother Nature is such a tease.
~*~*~*
This is a blue pottery piece I have on my front porch.  The setting sun shining through the Capital Pear tree’s branches made some lovely shadows on it as it sat on my barn-wood hutch.  The top photo is the original and the bottom photo is the same picture, but just flipped horizontally in Photoshop.  I think the bottom picture looks much lighter in color than the original top photo.  It’s amazing how a such a simple thing as flipping can make photo have such a different look to it.

Pickles (081/365)

“Pickles are cucumbers that sold out. They sold their soul to the devil, and the devil is dill...”

Mitch Hedberg (American Comedian, 1968-2005)

TIME:  6:02 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Kosher dill pickle halves

Random Fact #01824 about me:  I don’t like pickles. 

I don’t like mustard or sauerkraut either. 

My husband thinks I am a freak because of this and says he wishes I would have told him that I didn’t like these things before we got married – because then he would have had a good reason to call off the wedding.

Dang!  I knew I should have spoken up sooner!

Daffodil (080/365)

“Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, and takes the winds of March with beauty.”

William Shakespeare (English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet, 1564-1616)

TIME:  08:58 AM
PLACE:  Work
SUBJECT:  Daffodil bloom

Today marks 6 years since my mom passed away.  It is a difficult day for me and as odd as it sounds, I am glad for that.  One one of my greatest fears is that I will somehow forget and the 21st of March becomes just another ordinary day in my life.  Then if I do that, it will mean that I’ve forgotten her and all she meant to me.  It’s an irrational fear, I know, but one I have nevertheless.  I’d rather keep feeling the sorrow than to have that ever happen.

Super Moon Through Branches (079/365)

“The moon, the anchorless
Moon go swerving
Down at the earth for a catastrophic kiss.”

Philip Larkin (1922-1986), British poet. "The Dancer."

TIME:  10:00 PM
PLACE:  Off the highway
SUBJECT:  Moon

It was too cloudy last night to see the pinnacle of the Super Moon (where the moon is closest to the earth in its elliptical orbit), but I was able to snap a picture of it tonight instead.  According to NASA and contrary to popular belief, the closeness of this moon will not create any giant catastrophic events…the most it will do is could pull some tide waters a few centimeters higher than usual.  The best thing that happened today is that the spring equinox occurred at 18:20 hours – Hot damn and Hallelujah!

HH’s Mid-Life Crisis (078/365)

“Around mid-life everyone goes maniac a little bit.”

Tom Berenger (American actor, b1949)

TIME:  7:03 PM
PLACE:  Main Street
SUBJECT:  Reflection of 1990 Corvette in downtown window

I guess it could have been worse – he could have gotten a girlfriend instead of a car.  I think he calculated the car would cost him a whole lot less in the long run. *rolls eyes*  Wait!  If this is mid-life for him, does this mean he’s going to hang around until he is 110?  Oy vey! – I was hoping to still be young enough to be able replace him with a handsome young stud after he’s gone.  Drat…I guess I’ll need to alter my future plans.

Rooster, Hen, Pullet (077/365)

“Said the first little chicken,
With a queer little squirm,
‘I wish I could find
A fat little worm’”

Unknown. Five Little Chickens (l. 1-4). . . Piping down the Valleys Wild; Poetry for the Young of All Ages. Nancy Larrick, ed. (1968) Delacorte Press.

TIME: 9:18 AM
PLACE:  Tractor Supply Store
SUBJECT:  Pullets

I am in charge of obtaining fast growing grass seed and potting soil for the Daisy meeting on Monday.  The plan is to have the girls plant the seed in recycled flat containers for a very Spring-y grass centerpiece.  I figured the Tractor Supply store would be the best place to procure the supplies.  When I walked in, I saw a sign that Spring is not too far off – there on the floor were several galvanized containers of chicks and ducklings available for purchase.  Oh how I wish we could keep chickens at our house, but we live inside the city limits and unfortunately, it is not allowed.  I would love to be able to own a few hens and have me some fresh eggs for breakfast every morning.

Horse Shadows (076/365)

“Horse, you flame thrower,
you shark-mouthed man,
you laughter at the end of poems,
you brown furry locomotive
whipping the snow, I am
a pale shadow beside you.”

Anne Sexton (1928-1974), U.S. poet. "Horse."

TIME:  4:16 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Horse figures

It was a beautiful, lovely, sunny and warm St. Patrick’s Day.  I spent the morning with my sister, got my hair cut and walked up to the school with the dog at 3pm to pick up Miss StellaDella.  After arriving home, she spent some time bothering her brother and his friend, then brought up the box of Schleich animal figures and set them up on the living room floor in the sunshine that streamed through the open front door.  I loved the long shadows they cast on the floor.

Always Optimistic In The Spring (075/365)

“An optimist is the human personification of spring.“

~Susan J. Bissonette

TIME:  4:38 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Plant markers

I think I mentioned before that the HandsomeHusband purchased several types of seeds and planned to start them for a vegetable garden.  This afternoon he planted some tomato, pepper and cucumber seeds.  We always begin the growing season with the best of intentions; making sure the garden plot is well watered, fertilized and weeded…then, around the 4th of July when it seems the weeds seem to grow faster than we can pull them and it grows so stifling hot and humid that being outside is like being in a wet oven, we tend to slack off and everything ends up going to hell.  Nevertheless, every year we begin anew with high hopes of a massive harvest - I have faith that we will prevail at some point.  This will be the year we need to do it too - I’m afraid the market price of fresh produce is going to get ugly along with higher costs of all the other groceries we consume as well.

Down Escalator (074/365)

“An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You would never see an ‘Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order’ sign, just ‘Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience’ ”

Mitch Hedberg (American Comedian, 1968-2005)

TIME:  7:42 PM
PLACE:  The mall
SUBJECT:  Down escalator at Sears

I was at the mall, not once, but twice today. *Sigh*  I went this morning to Sears to buy the HandsomeHusband a new Craftsman workshirt and pants.  He has some sort of meeting tomorrow and wanted a new set as all of his other ones are pretty worn.  Then I headed to the library for some quick genealogy time before meeting HH for lunch at the hotdog place downtown.  Later, when he got home after work, I pulled the pants out of the bag and….they were the wrong size.  Doh!  So after supper I schlepped back out to Sears to exchange them.  Of course I had company, do you think DramaQueen would let be go without her?

Leprechaun Trap (073/365)

“If you're frightened of leprechauns, the best thing to do is to get yourself a little leprechaun outfit and see how big they are. And then you'll go, 'Well I see. That's like bein' frightened of a hamster.'”

Craig Ferguson (Scottish-born, naturalized American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, and producer, b1962)

TIME:  7:04 AM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  School project

StellaDella brought home a school assignment on Friday to make a trap to catch Libby the Leprechaun who has been playing sneaky tricks in the 1st grade classroom.  SD told me that leprechauns like things that are shiny and are tricky and often disobey.  For example, did you know that a curious leprechaun cannot resist climbing a ladder that expressly states “DO NOT CLIMB LADDER!”?  I didn’t…I’m learning something new all the time.  Thus we spent part of the day on Sunday, painting a shoebox green and assembling the trap.  We have the aforementioned ladder with sign and a treasure box overflowing with shiny “free gold” (beads and coins from Saturday’s parade and some gold buttons from the craft stash) to lure the little sprite in its doom.  If it works, we get three wishes in exchange for its release.  Fingers crossed!

Pillow Pet (072/365)

"It's a Pillow. It's a Pet. It's a Pillow Pet!".

Advertising slogan

TIME:  12:53 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella and Oreo

SD has been obsessed not only with zombies, but also with Pokémon.  She has been diligently playing the Nintendo DS Pokémon Soul Silver game we bought her for her birthday.  Today, I caught her using Oreo as a pillow as she was dressing her Kyogre on her game system.  It doesn’t look like Oreo minds one bit.

Green Dog On Parade (071/365)

Ross: It looks like a perfectly healthy green dog.

Schwartzman, Jason, perf. Spun. Dir. Jonas Åkerlund. 2002. Brink Films.

TIME:  11:26 AM
PLACE:  West Main Street
SUBJECT:  Green dog

The Ancient Order of Hibernians had it’s St. Patrick’s Day parade this morning with twenty-six Irish clans participating.  There were bagpipers, floats, antique cars, a couple of bands and plenty of green and gold beads.  MonkeyBoy, his friend, StellaDella, Oreo and I went downtown to watch (DramaQueen spent the night a friends and was watching it further down the parade route).  This little dog, with its coat dyed green, was walking with a group.  Oreo got a little rambunctious at the sight of this green dog…I think she thought it was some odd breed of cat.

A Brick Fleur De Lis (070/365)

“Grey brick fleur de lis
Found in a messy garage
Now displayed as art.”

Sujomi, Fleur De Lis Haiku, 2011

TIME:  6:05 PM
PLACE:  Front porch
SUBJECT:  Decorative brick

In the course of the big garage clean-out last weekend, not only did we find the 1949 Chevy steering wheel, but also this fleur-de-lis brick.  I know it didn’t come from our house <= it’s built out of wood.  In any case, it’s a nice decorative architectural piece.  I have placed it alongside my growing collection of Haeger pottery on the shelves of the barn wood hutch that sits on my front porch.

Cats Find Genealogy Boring (069/365)

“Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies.”

1 Timothy 1:4, 1769 King James Version

TIME:  7:19 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Jack, sleeping on my computer

This evening I was doing a little organization of my genealogy information.  I have so many loose papers and things are not filed as they should be.  It’s a huge elephant of a project and I have to eat it a little at a time, otherwise I get woozy and all discombobulated on the family lines.  As I was documenting a few of my sources on my software program, Jack decided to jump up on my desk and join me.  He was cold because he lay down underneath the desk lamp.  He also used the edge of my keyboard as a pillow.  No wonder I have cat hair coming out of my keys. 

Family Heirloom (068/365)

Peter Dickenson: [holding up a pocket watch] This is an heirloom. It must be worth something.
Pawnbroker: Your heir didn't loom too big. If I gave you 50, I'd be fired.

Ritter, John, and Larry Storch, perf. The Flight of the Dragons. Dir. Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. 1982.

TIME:  7:43 PM
PLACE:  Dad’s Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Sign

I finished Dad’s taxes and took them over to his house this evening.  We sat in the kitchen going over the returns and I decide to take a picture of this sign hanging above the cabinets.  Last fall, he had several rooms in the house painted, including the kitchen.  In the course of redecorating, he brought this sign up from storage in the basement and hung it on the wall.  The sign originally came from my maternal grandfather, who owned and operated a neighborhood grocery store on the west end of town.  I believe that the store was in operation from the early 1930s until 1954 when he closed the business.  The market was located just a couple houses down from my mom’s family home.  The store was turned into a house that my uncle lived in until the 1980’s.  The house is still there today.

See The USA In A Chevrolet (067/365)

“God says to me with kind of a smile,
"Hey how would you like to be God awhile
And steer the world?"
"Okay," says I, "I'll give it a try.
Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"
"Gimme back that wheel," says God,
"I don't think you're quite ready yet."”

Shel Silverstein (American poet, cartoonist and composer best known in children's literature for his poetry, 1930-1999)

TIME:  3:02 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  1949 Chevy Deluxe Steering Wheel

The HandsomeHusband and MonkeyBoy cleaned out the garage this weekend.  While going through the tons of crap stuff we had in there, he came across this steering wheel that had been left by the former homeowner.  We figured it was pretty old, but did know what year it could be from.  I posted a photo of it on a Chevrolet restoration forum and quickly received an answer…1949.  The chrome is a little pitted, and the grip is worn all over, but it isn’t cracked and overall, it is in pretty decent shape.  I love the retro look of the piece and how the wheel spoke looks like an airplane propeller.

Underneath (066/365)

“I think it's in my basement... Let me go upstairs and check.”

M.C. Escher (Dutch graphic artist, 1898–1972)

TIME:  11:26 PM
PLACE:  Basement
SUBJECT:  Floorboards, joists, ductwork

It helps to have the 53 Weekly Themes list from the Digital Photography School website to get one out of a photo bind (hmmmm, this is the second time in a week I’ve been stuck…I sure hope my brain freezes aren’t permanent).  This week’s theme is “Underneath.”  Therefore, I present to you the view of what it looks like underneath the floor in my office/study area.

Exhausted (065/365)

“I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.”

Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian and Essayist, leading figure in the Victorian era. 1795-1881)

TIME:  8:09 PM
PLACE:  Living room couch
SUBJECT:  StellaDella

We arrived back home from camp around noon; StellaDella had a bath around 2pm; fell asleep soon thereafter on her bed; woke up around 4pm; got dressed; came downstairs, laid down on the couch and proceeded to go to back to sleep.  She slept through dinner and is still out.  I guess camping did wear her out after all.

Lichen And Bark (064/365)

“Our lives should go between the lichen and the bark.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 1, p. 411, Houghton Mifflin (1906).

TIME:  2:25 PM
PLACE:  Girl Scout Camp
SUBJECT:  Lichen on branch

The two girls and I left at 10am this morning for an overnight stay at Girl Scout Camp with StellaDella’s troop.  It was cold and rainy, but the lodge we stayed in was warm, dry and had its own kitchen and bathroom.  I had volunteered to oversee the craft activities and assembled three different crafts for the girls to make.  They also went on three hikes, performed a skit and of course, made s’mores around the campfire.  Even with all of that, they were still up, running around like crazy, until midnight.

Rainy Night Reflection (063/365)

"It was a rainy night. It was the myth of a rainy night."

Jack Kerouac (On the Road)

TIME:  9:09 PM
PLACE:  West Main St.
SUBJECT:  Bar light reflections

DramaQueen went to the movies tonight to see “I Am Number Four” with friends.  While she was there, the rain that was expected showed up.  She texted me to come get her after the movie was over.  As I was driving down Main Street to go fetch her, I took this quick snapshot of the colorful reflections in the wet street from the neon signs shining through the windows of a local tavern.  It’s blurry because I quickly took it as the car was moving…just think what a tripod and more time could capture on a rainy night like tonight.

Late Night Tragedy (062/365)

"I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes."

Andy Rooney (American Journalist, Correspondent, Writer and Producer, b.1919)

TIME:  10:44 PM
PLACE:  Bathroom
SUBJECT:  Empty toilet paper roll

DramaQueen has just alerted me to the fact that we are out of toilet paper.  Why oh why does no one tell me these things during the day – or when I let everyone know that I am going to the store and is there anything we need?  *shakes head* I guess I should have known that we were low, since that, I swear, I am the only one who ever REPLACES the empty roll with a full one <= meaning I actually remove the empty roll and thread the full, new roll properly onto the spring-rod instead of just placing it on top of the cardboard tube like some family members do. *sigh*  I guess a trip to the 24-hour Walgreens is in order before I go to bed.

Cat Got Your Tongue? (061/365)

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.”

Dorothy Parker (American short-story Writer and Poet, 1893-1967)

TIME:  9:35 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Jack

I can always count on the Jack to come through for me when I realize that it is late and I have yet to take a picture for the day.

B-O-L-O-G-N-A (060/365)

“My Bologna has a first name,
It's O-S-C-A-R.
My bologna has a second name,
It's M-A-Y-E-R.
Oh I love to eat it everyday,
And if you ask me why say,
Cause' Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!!”

Bologna – Oscar Brand Ad lyrics

TIME:  1:37 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna

I’ve written about fried bologna before – today I’ve actually taken a photo of its goodness.  See how the middle rises up and it looks like a hat?  That means it’s ready to eat.  I threw it on some soft white Wonder bread and it was delicious.  The only thing missing were a side of Fritos.  <sarcasm on> Dad, I know you read this blog and I know how much you just love the smell of bologna frying on the stove.  I even had some potato chips with a sour cream dip.  All your favorites!  I know you are sad because you missed out on joining me for lunch. <sarcasm off>