Lights (080/365)

TIME: 12:34 pm
PLACE: Home Depot

SUBJECT: Light fixtures

*~*~*

SD joined me on a trip to Home Depot to purchase a gallon of paint for the porch trim - so when I DO have the energy, I will have the paint to use as well.

We also went to the Dollar store to get some flower picks and a flower spinner to take to the cemetery.  DQ and SD both went with me after supper.

It's the 16th anniversary of mom's passing. I can't believe it's been that long since she's been gone. It seems like forever and it seems like yesterday. It doesn't happen often, but there are still moments when the grief hits me out of nowhere...like an aftershock.    

 

Botanical FIzz (344/366)

TIME: 7:11 pm
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Botanical Fizz

*~*~*

Our broker had a Holiday Cocktails Mixology Class via Zoom with the St. Louis Bartender of the year (2019).  The broker provided cocktail kits with the liquor, so naturally I was in.  I even got my sister to join from her house.

We made Holiday Mules (vodka, cranberry, lime, and ginger beer), "Irish Quarantine was Over" ( Irish whiskey, ginger-pear syrup, mint bitters, and club soda), Autumn Old Fashioned (rye whiskey, apple cider syrup, and cinnamon bitters) and a Botanical Fizz.

The fizz had 1220 Blue Morpho Gin, lemon, simple syrup, orange bitters, sparkling grapefruit juice, egg white, and rosemary. 

I served mine in a festive circus tiger glass.

It was pretty tasty.

Bourbon Sunset (116/365)

TIME: 8:15 PM
PLACE: Front porch
SUBJECT: Stumpy’s Old Monroe Bourbon Whiskey #14

The Husband and I sat on the front porch this evening.

He was sipping some bourbon.

Empty (081/365)

TIME: 5:59 PM
PLACE: Edwardsville
SUBJECT: Martini glass & reflection

The Annual Meeting for our institution was on the agenda tonight.

Traditionally, co-workers go to dinner together prior to the meeting.

I may or may not have had 2 beverages with my meal.

Green Glass (047/365)

TIME: 9:03 PM
PLACE: Home
SUBJECT: Stained glass box

A belated Valentine’s Day gift from the husband was waiting for me when I returned home from work.

A stained glass box – made by a friend of his in Centralia.

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere (014/365)

TIME: 8:55 PM
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Drink

Tonight I needed a screwdriver.

Some peach flavored vodka and a little orange juice.

The purple chevron straw adds a little contrast.

Broken (035/365)

TIME: 10:06 PM
PLACE: Home
SUBJECT: Broken ornament

I finally started putting ornaments on the tree.

In the process, this one fell from a branch and shattered on the floor.

It was one of the the ornaments Mom gave me after I moved into my first house.

It hurt seeing it broken – but I keep reminding myself that it’s just a “thing” and that I have other ornaments from her.

Still, I’m a bit sad about it.

Employee Meeting (112/365)

People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything. 
~Thomas Sowell

TIME:  9:18 AM
PLACE:  Sheraton Hotel
SUBJECT:  Water Glass

I attended our quarterly All-Employee Breakfast/Meeting this morning.
No Kindle Fires were given out this time.
That’s okay.
I’m good with the breakfast.

Spilled (020/365)

“Why is it that when you wipe up dust its called dusting but when you wipe up a spill its not called spilling? Just something to think about.”
Ellen DeGeneres (American stand-up comedian, actress, and talk show host, b. 1958)

TIME: 7:15 PM
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Spilled water glass

No unattended water glass safe in the house with Jack the cat around.
I swear he knocks them over just to spite me.
Luckily this one wasn’t full,
And there were no electronic devices nearby.

Window Treatments (225/365)

“The truth in the matter lies in the fact that anything repeated too long without variation tends to become boring.”

Don Ellis (American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer and bandleader, 1934-1978)

TIME:  7:47 PM
PLACE: Around the neighborhood
SUBJECT:  Windows

I took this photo while walking Oreo this evening.  This are the windows of a factory that is close to our house.  The top picture is SOTC and I like it.  But to have some fun, I applied some Photoshop Actions to it.

Here is one called “Old West”:


This one is called “Seventies”:


I like this one.  It’s called “Vivid Blur”


And finally, a “#2 Pencil” action:


I just love Photoshop.

Up With The Glass (211/365)

"Life, alas, is very drear. Up with the glass! Down with the beer!"

Louis Untermeyer (American, Poet, Anthologist, Critic and Editor, 1885–1977)

TIME:  8:20 PM
PLACE:  Global Brew Tap House & Lounge
SUBJECT:  Seadog Blue Paw Wheat Ale

We actually had a thunderstorm and rain today.  It brought the temperature down, but it made it quite steamy and hazy out.  The HH and I met his brother and sister-in-law for dinner this evening.  Afterwards, we had a drink at the Global Brew Tap House.  I had the Seadog Blue Paw Wheat Ale (with blueberries at the bottom) which was quite tasty.  Thanks, to HH, who took the photo for me tonight. 

My Reward (199/365)

“The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)

TIME:  7:48 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUJECT:  Last of the Baileys in a juice jar

Even though I should, I don’t clean out the refrigerator on a regular basis.  It’s not on my list of priorities – I usually wait until it gets really icky.  Tonight, it got to that point.  I threw out a lot of stuff, removed and washed the shelves and now it is beautiful and clean once again.  I even found this bottle of Baileys shoved way in the back.  It had just enough left to fill up an old jelly juice glass.  What a nice little reward for me.  As I drank it, I vowed to do better by my hardworking kitchen appliance.  But, more than likely?  Not gonna happen.

Eggs Under Glass (099/365)

Bugs: [pulls out "1000 Ways to Cook A Duck"] Fillet of duck Bordelaise maitre d'butter. Yum-yum. Duck polonaise under glass. Mmm-mm.
Daffy: [pulls out "1000 Ways to Cook a Rabbit"] Rabbit au gratin de gelatin under tooled leather. Oh, drool, drool.
Bugs: Barbecued duck meat with broiled duck bill Milanese. Yummy-yum.
Daffy: Chicken-fried rabbit with cottontail sauce braised in carrots. Mm-mmm.

Blanc, Mel, perf. Rabbit Fire. Dir. Chuck Jones. 1951. Warner Bros. Pictures.

TIME:  8:10 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Homemade cloche filled w/ plastic eggs

Here is my small attempt at spring/Easter decorating.  A thrifted cheese dome with a wood base ($2.50) that I attached to a wooden candle holder (50 cents), then spray painted it all with a dark walnut stain, and finally, filled the glass dome with small plastic eggs (25 cents).  Voilà!…a decorating masterpiece.

Anniversary Gift (091/365)

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person”

Mignon McLaughlin (American Journalist and Author, 1913-1983)

TIME:  4:00 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Nestled glass mosaic bowls and carved wooden stamp

Here’s to 16 years of wedded bliss with my love.  Just think, our marriage is now old enough to drive.  Love you babe and thank you so much for my gift – they are beautiful.

Vintage Beer Holder (037/365)

“Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder”

Kinky Friedman (American Singer, Song Writer, Novelist and Politician. b.1944)

TIME:  6:36 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Blue Moon Belgian White and a vintage drinking glass

I found this glass at the thrift store on Friday.  Priced at a mere 35 cents,  I thought it was both adorable and affordable – I am officially in love with the bird that decorates the sides of the glass.  I christened my new drinking vessel this Super Bowl Sunday with a Blue Moon Belgian White ale, and of course, an orange slice.  It worked perfectly.

Insulators (181/365)

 
Col. Milt: [gesturing towards a pile of books] You read them all?
Bennett Marco: Yeah, they also make great insulation against an enemy attack! But the, uh, truth of the matter is that I'm just interested, you know, in, uh, Principles of Modern Banking and, History of Piracy. [picking up books]  Paintings of Orozco. Modern French Theater. The... Jurisprudential Factor of Mafia Administration. Diseases of Horses and novels of Joyce Cary and... Ethnic Choices of the Arabs. Things like that.

The Manchurian Candidate. Perf. Douglas Henderson and Frank Sinatra. 1962. United Artists.

TIME:  7:49 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT: Glass insulators

I picked these glass insulators up at a yard sale last weekend.  These particular ones are fairly common ~ I only paid $1 apiece for them.  I thought that they would look nice sitting next to a window, especially when the sun hits them.

A Little Privacy Please (259/365)

 
“A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station.”

Bill Cosby (20th century), U.S. comedian. Fatherhood, ch. 3 (1986).

TIME:  9:43 PM
PLACE:  The bathroom
SUBJECT:  Privacy glass

We live in an older home with windows that need serious replacement and updating to be more energy efficient.  Our bathrooms have vintage privacy glass on both the top and bottom sashes.  I have always liked the texture and pattern on these panes of glass.  Tonight, the streetlight outside was shining on the window, radiating its light on the glass.  I thought it looked pretty cool.

Margaritaville (121/365)

“Enjoyed it! One more drink and I'd have been under the host.”

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

TIME: 8:12 PM
PLACE: Margaritas Mexican Restaurant 
SUBJECT: $1 Margarita on the rocks

I got a "kitchen pass" to go out to dinner with my old college roommate and good friend, Denise.  She wanted to take me out for my birthday and catch up because we realized that we hadn't gotten together since StellaDella's birthday in February!  So we went to a local restaurant, had dinner, some beverages and chatted.  Then we went to a tavern that happened to have a band whose keyboard player/singer is a friend from high school.  His wife, who was there as well, is another former high school classmate.  We haven't seen either of them in quite some time.  We ended up doing even more chatting and catching up with her and when the band took their breaks, we did the same with him.  As for the bar scene, all I can say is I am SO glad I am married (and happily so most of the time -right honey? *wink*) and am not out there in the "searching for someone" arena.  It's brutal out there!