From AA to NZ

Cowboy Christmas

2011-12-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas comes but once a year, and sometimes even that is a little too often. Don't get me wrong, y'all. I love Christmas - the lights, the bells, the mistletoe, the sleepy horses and buggies that clip-clop down our street on their way home after the party every night. It is a truly spectacular show - the sights, the sounds, the smells, the glitz, the glam ..... It's Broadway, Hollywood, and Las Vegas wrapped up in red ribbon and a bit of tinsel.

Yes, I want to buy a ticket; however, I do not want to write the script or direct the production. For me, every year, no matter what, my favorite thing is sitting in the dark, holding that cheap candle with the white paper collar, softly singing the familiar carols, and thinking peace on earth might just be possible, after all.

disclaimer: not my house, not my cows

Ghost Busters

2011-11-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

Pretty much the story of my life, currently at least, is a day late. Another Halloween, come and gone, with nary a ghost nor goblin nor raven tapping at our door ..... or window pane, for that matter. The untouted joys of condo living in a childless neighborhood.....

The Long Hot Summer

2011-08-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

Some-some-summertime. The plant outside our door pretty much sums up the season. Simmered -scorched-fried. Not to insinuate that we are frazzled or overheated. Everybody knows that the days are longer and hotter in Texas. We wouldn't have it any other way. But let's not be ridiculous, people. July: thirty out of thirty-one days with temperatures soaring over one hundred degrees. August: another thirty out of thirty-one. Do we really have to make this heat wave a pattern? At least, we have avoided earth quakes and hurricanes, for now. Like I said, "I love Dallas .... in the summer ..... when it sizzles."

A Dream in a Drawer

2011-07-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore -
and then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over -
Like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?
--- Langston Hughes

Y'all are looking at my art studio. Oh, well, of course, I do not climb into the drawer and set up my easel, but I might as well because the table I employ for my endeavors is a jack-of-all-trades piece that serves for dining, package wrapping and clutter gathering.

I have always dreamed of being an artist, not one who works for a living, but rather one who occupies a garret in Paris. Let's just skip over talent and instruction. Maybe I'll go the Grandma Moses route. The biggest obstacle in the path of my dream is .......... myself. Shockingly, I am lazy (so much trouble getting everything out of the drawer, setting up, cleaning up) and I procrastinate ( tomorrow, for sure, I am going to spend time with my paints unless something really important intrudes). So, Langston, I really wish I could tell you what happens to this dream deferred, but tomorrow begins a brand new month, August, in fact. What better time to start on that New Year's resolution?

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

....and those caissons go rolling along ....

Who Do You Think I Think I Am?

2011-05-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Who are we IRL, as they say? A friend once told me that we are who others think we are. Maybe. But in this age of blogging, facebooking, and tweeting, we are able to create and manipulate our images so that it might be impossible for anyone to ever know who we really are. In other words, we are able to star in a drama (or comedy) where we are the protagonist, the screen writer, and the director. Let's face it (oh, yeah), we don't choose unflattering photos to post on our pages. On line we are able to interact with others in an environment of our own making, and the keyboard makes it easier to be witty, pretty, and wise. We share TMI, but only what pertains to our online persona. Maybe we are who our "friends" think we are.

Maybe not.

Hoops

2011-05-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

We're talking hoops, people. And I don't mean earrings. I have ranted about this before, but here we are in Dallas (athletic center of the world. wha..? you don't think so?) on a Friday night with both the Mavs and the Rangers in town. Now, I don't like to be a spoil sport, but should basketball season really be intruding on baseball's turf? I think not. Let's all play outside in the sunshine. That being said ...... Go Mavs.

April Blooms

2011-04-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Summer comes early in Texas, stays late, and gets hotter than blazes so it's really a matter of the early bird spotting the blooms. And aren't all of us just lovely flowers; some, frilly and delicate like the lavender beauties, and others, colorful and sturdy similar to the potted zinnias.

One of my favorite sayings is bloom where you are planted, even if it's in Texas in the midst of tornadoes, wildfires, and high heat and humidity. So, I'm tellin' y'all ..... go ahead and ......... bloom, baby, bloom.

Life in the Fast Lane

2011-04-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

I encountered Don Henley between the strawberries and the California blood oranges (organic) at Whole Foods today. I have been hoping to spot him ever since I read in D that he often saunters through the same market that I reluctantly frequent. I am guessing that he is not a vegan since he sped through the produce ...... maybe on his way to the grass-fed local Texas beef. He was all busy being fabulous and I was all business as usual.

I can't tell you why.

Aging Gracefully

2011-04-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have posted pictures of this beach house before, both in its prime and its decline. It is, as my dad used to say, leaning toward Fisher's (I assume he meant Fisher's Funeral Home), but it cannot be torn down yet because of pending court cases etc.

Today is my birthday AND Easter. Only time Easter occurs on April 24 in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Recently an old friend and I were talking about birthday celebrations and the various joys of aging. She said that the last birthday she couldn't wait to reach was twenty-one, and we both agreed that there was no need for a lot of hoop-la after that so I feel that although the momentous occasion merits the party of the centuries, I much prefer a glass of Prosecco at Nosh, OK. Maybe two.

So ..... sadly the house is a reminder of ourselves ...... the beauty of youth, battered by storms, damaged by time. We may be unsteady, but we are still standing.

April Showers

2011-04-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

I don't find much time to sit on a bench and wax poetic these days, but I can still quote lines that I perused during the last century. (I love doing that.)

April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead ground, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers.

The Wasteland - T.S. Eliot

April is a lovely month of flowers and showers, and who would not like to spend April in Paris? Alas, people, we are Apriling in Dallas, and I am watching tornado colors and hail reports on the television screen for the second time this week. Golf ball size hail and high winds .....lowest floor available....

We are really having fun now, and I thought the highlight of the day was mailing a check to the IRS. Just goes to show you never can tell. (Isn't that the title of a Chuck Berry song - last century?)

Keeping Track

2011-03-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you have wondered where we've been, and the answer is: nowhere lately. Dallas is that kind of city. Once you're here, you can't imagine being anywhere else ...... so just like Rosie here, we don't stray.

In fact, one of us insists on sitting in the driver's seat sometimes.

Super Snow

2011-02-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

Y'all know we live in Texas, right? And Texas is in the southern half of the United States, right? At least, on the map it is. Anyhow, we don't take kindly to sleet, snow, and ice. In fact, we can't cope with it ...... at all.

If y'all came down to see us for the Super Bowl, ya must have noticed that we panic when the temperature falls and precipitation arrives. What did you expect? We don't have snow plows. Good grief, we don't even have shovels. Our streets were impassible, our schools and businesses were closed, our power was rationed (rolling blackouts, anyone?), the post office did not deliver the mail, and is there no justice?..... the beer trucks were unable to get to the bars. You call this a Super Bowl? Has the Committee got no pull with the Weather Guy?

Sigh.

Lemonade

2011-01-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

Sometimes ..... life is just a bowl of lemons .....

Mama Mia

2011-01-29T21:48:00.000-08:00

January 29: my mother's birthday. Always a day for celebration.

All Steamed Up

2011-01-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

My sinuses have run amok! The doctor pronounced allergies and recommended a neti pot and a vaporizer to accompany the antihistamines. Sounds simple, n'est-ce pas? Yeah, I know. You have to plug it in. And then, and then you have to fill it, empty it, clean it, sanitize it ....... and then, you discover it has spritzed "white dust" all over the room .... and then, you have to spend the whole day dusting and vacuuming and swishing off the ceiling fans and cleansing the window shutters and........

Oh, yeah. Thanks for asking. Not. One. Bit. Better.

One One One-One

2011-01-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Another year, another decade, another century ....... tempus fugit.

I was looking through the photo files, searching for an appropriate picture to illustrate the ringing in of the New Year when I stumbled upon ....... whoa .............what's this?! First thing, could we have ever been that young? Could anyone have been that young??? Second thing, the DH had lots of hair. Well, yeah, we both had lots of hair. Third thing, hasn't that look rolled back around? Think about it ...... the fake fur (aw, come on .... you knew it was fake), the cap, the tresses ..... everything old is new again..... And Joyce Carol Oates - isn't she still relevant?

But, let's return to thoughts of the New Year 2011. For most of us (if we're lucky), the holidays are times of celebrations, gifts, and feasts with friends and family. However, as the years go by, traditions evolve, things change, some of our loved ones are far away or no longer with us; and the holidays become tinged with nostalgia, as well as joy. We look back.

Fortunately, the festive progression, which begins with Thanksgiving, ends with the ringing in of the New Year. And we look forward.

May the sun shine on all of us.

Fah Who For-Aze

2010-12-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas Day in New Zealand (they may be a small country, but Santa comes there first), and hopefully Mr. Curious is happily engaged in exploring the spoils of the season. Fortunately, we were able to witness his opening of our gift several days ago before Skype struggled and went down. Unfortunately, the Baby-All-Star's First Christmas Hoopla had to be postponed til next week since he and his family have been fighting a nasty bug that invaded North Texas.

That leaves the DH and moi , roasting chestnuts by the fire, with our pathetic tree ( and you thought everything was bigger in Texas) to celebrate on our own. Of course, one is never really alone at Christmas because memories of so many Christmases Past dance in one's head. So, my little elves, just like the Whos discovered: Christmas comes ... no matter what. May yours be filled with glee, not greed.

Texas Toes

2010-12-05T18:15:00.001-08:00

If you live in Texas, you gotta own a pair of boots. Tiptoeing is not an option and swaggering is a must. Dallas beauty queens cannot wait for cooler weather in order to pull on their boots and go out to do some ridin' and ropin'. Men too - sometimes with chaps - at the beach. Well, that's a story for another day .......

Of course, cowboy boots are not de rigueur for every occasion. We can be quite civilized, y'all. Nevertheless, we will walk all over you.

An American Holiday

2010-11-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

It's the day of the feast. We gather together to offer up our thanks for food and family.

And then it is black Friday, and we run out to the malls to spend our money and tangle with our fellow shoppers in order to prepare for the next holiday on the calendar. It's the American way.

Hey! Where are the pictures of the cars and the crowds?

I am reluctant to confess that just the thought of the Friday frenzy forced me to retreat to my jetted tub where I gazed at my favorite tree whose-name-I-do-not-know, and I meditated on the madness of it all.

Some of us shop; some of us drop ...... and to all a good night.

You Can Cook But You Can't Hide

2010-11-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

One of the popular bloggers opined that it was so b.o.r.i.n.g reading blogs about food and kids and cats and...... Well, dudette, I feel your pain ... if it's not about us, who gives a fig? Oh, fig ... another food reference. However, we all have to eat - usually several times a day too. Somehow doesn't seem the most efficient use of time. As you might have guessed, we are not in my kitchen. And could the photographer have snapped a shot while my eyes were open? I have my glasses on, for Pete's sake. And, no, it couldn't have been the effects of the wine.

To continue, tuna and mango and orange sections and cucumbers and water cress and sauces ... yum. Again, not in my kitchen, where PB&J is often on the menu although on rare occasions I have been known to toss something on the grill just to keep the DH guessing. I know .... the Barefoot Contessa must be trembling in her boots. Oh, wait...

See the guy at the bar? No, it's not Tony Romo, but it might as well be since he doesn't have to put in his time on the grid iron for the rest of the season, but I digress. What do you think the dude is watching on the big screen behind the bar? Remember... this is Texas - football football football. OK, maybe not this year. All that almost-winning-the-World-Series seriously hindered our macho or mojo or something. Anyhow, the big screen broadcasts the play-by-play action in the kitchen. Talk about must-see TV.

Don't Feed the Bears

2010-11-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

That's what I like about Texas. The restaurant owners warn you about the wild animals that might be hanging around the bar. I could have used that info when I was in my twenties.

P is for Pumpkin

2010-10-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Daughter Dearest is a big fan of Halloween. Unfortunately, she has been living in a country that doesn't appreciate the tricks and the treats. See her adventures here on Wellington Road in New Zealand. Even as a child, she enjoyed the costumes and the fantasy more than the candy. Moi, I'm all about the chocolate. Of course, before it became too scary out there on the sidewalks and we all became strangers to our neighbors, my mother and her friends actually handed out home made goodies ..... cupcakes, popcorn balls, caramel apples .....

Number Nine

2010-10-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's TEXAS, people. We all want to be Tony Romo - or date him.

It's football-football-football. Friday night is for high school games and Saturday is for the colleges, and Sunday....well, Sunday is for the Cowboys. Except we are not happy sitting over here in the L column. So ..... you may be a good time Cowboy Casanova, leainin' up against the record machine, but you're runnin' for your life on the grid iron.

Dude, you stole our happy. You made us cry. We wanna uh-uh-uh-uh undo it.

apologies to Carrie Underwood

Going Green for Halloween

2010-10-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Now that the humidity has left town, we can go outside and enjoy the trees at the Dallas Arboretum. The one I'm standing beside reminds me of the threatening trees in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Of course, Halloween does arrive at the end of the month. Scary.

Still Baseball Season

2010-09-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Outside Ranger Stadium. Not much of a crowd today, but our Rangers have already cinched their division title. They're playing the Seattle Mariners, who are trying to end the season with less than one hundred losses ...... so not much excitement there; and most of the big bats are taking the day off. It's just us and the die hard fans. Well, we are, but mostly on television.

Our real seats are a level lower, but it's damn hot with no breeze so we're up here under the overhang with the cool crowd. How about some AC, people?

Looking across from the walkway to where the Cowboys play. Do they really need that dome? I thought cowboys were tougher than that. Don't they sleep under the stars?

One of my favorite five minutes was singing Deep in the Heart of Texas while deep in the heart of Texas. Hey, I'm adaptable ...... a necessary trait for survival of the species. Check your science book.

Take Me Out to the Beach

2010-09-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

From the first time I snuggled my toes in the sand I have loved the beach more than any place on earth. Here, I am hailing you from the snow white sand on what is now known as the Emerald Coast of Florida. Back then (no, I'm not going to tell you when! Get a clue, people - the photos are in black & white) it was the Red Neck Riviera. Gorgeous, nonetheless. No crowds and no condos.

I was on the very same beach last November with a smile just as big. Of course, I was wearing my sunglasses on my eyes. All the better to see you with, my dear.

So, tune in next week. Will our heroine follow the sun or will she head west for a rendezvous with the Rangers? What a cliffhanger.

Where Were You?

2010-09-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

There are a few dates in history that live in infamy. I was not yet born when Pearl Harbor was bombed. However, my father, his brother, and one of my mother's brothers were drafted and served in the Armed Forces as a result of that attack. Their generation bore that burden and was forever affected in one way or another.

My own generation spent years, ducking under our desks during drills, identifying the locations of the nearest air raid shelters, and scrambling into underground tunnels during our college years. Vietnam permanently scarred some of us and scared all of us.

Every one of us still remembers where we were when we learned of Kennedy's assassination.

And yet, nothing. Nothing in our experiences. Nothing in our imaginations. Nothing prepared us for the assault on the World Trade Center. Frozen in horror. Motionless in shocked disbelief. Most of us were not in New York, but we could not turn away from the images on our television screens.

Where were you? I was here, tending America's hope for the future. La petite classe de francais .... a month later, we were making a photo album for a classmate's mother (the school secretary) who was in the hospital ...... dying. My smallest class ever. (French was dying too.) I loved each one of those kids (yes, smaller classes do mean more teacher/student interaction) and many others, and I pray that they are able to overcome the challenges they face, including the aftermath of 09-11.

We're Not in Kansas, Are We, Toto?

2010-09-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

my photo

photos by Eric Garcia

According to the #1 Son, Texas is a land of weather extremes. We have lived here less than a year and have experienced the deepest snowfall ever and the hottest day on some date in August and now? now we are subjected to a close encounter with a tornado brought to us in living color thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine. Will the fun never end?

The DH informed me, while the sirens were wailing and the media and our weather radio were warning that the tornado was on the ground just a few blocks away, that there was no rush to seek cover because we would hear it coming. you know, a tornado sounds like a roaring train ......

FYI: Don't bet your life on it.

The Other Side of the Street

2010-08-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

Sometimes we become discouraged. The sun may be shining brightly; but, like this small tree, we are surrounded by cement, slowly withering in the hot sun. If we could only manage to get to the other side of the street where there are underground sprinklers and twice-weekly landscape maintenance.....

Stalking the Sunflower

2010-08-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ya know, Van Gogh loved sunflowers. Me too. Of course, he was crazy; I'm not commenting on my own sanity, but I do still have both ears. I just saw the doctor today, and she verified their presence although they are currently struggling against the Texas allergens.

Sunflowers are beauty queens and work horses (so Texas, y'all); and they are not at all choosy about where they grow. A few scattered seeds in an out-of-the-way alley for a sunny surprise or tidy rows in a well-tended field for a pretty profit. The old bloom where you're planted idea. I don't know who plants them at Whole Foods. However, they must be organic so I take them home in my recyclable shopping bag.

Too Hot to Cook

2010-08-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned how hot it is here in Texas, land-of-the-free-home-of-the-brave, haven't I?

Yes, you have. Waaay too often.

And did I tell you how I strive to limit my time in the k-room?

Uh-huh. (yawn)

We had lunch at a very fancy French bistro this week .....

Indeed.

And the owner extolled the virtues of a very nice chilled melon soup they were offering that day.......

Do tell.

I giggled to myself, "Why I made that myself this week."

You don't say.

Watch for my new cookbook Almost Cooking coming to a bookstore near you.

A Messy Desk

2010-08-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Albert Einstein supposedly wondered, "If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" Methinks the answer to this question is probably much more simplistic than that E=MC2 thing. So we're all in agreement, then .............. a cluttered desk is a sign of genius.

My desk was in this state of disarray while I ranted and raved, as I do every month, about our cable bill, which just went up again last month. The DH throws in his two-cents worth about television used to be free." (He's old.) I remind him that we receive a lot more channels now, but we both agree that there's not a lot worth watching despite the increased selection. However, he never complains when he's watching football ...... or baseball ..... or golf ..... or basketball ....

On the other hand, we don't usually complain about the bill from Texas Power since we are sandwiched between two condos and, therefore, run our AC less than if we were more exposed to the sizzle of the Texas sunshine. Fourteen consecutive days of temperatures over 100 degrees. I hope we're not striving for the record of 42. And yes, it feels just as hot as you imagine it might. But, I digress. Texas Power sent a notice this week, informing us that they had compromised our personal information, and we are currently at risk for identity theft. With a lukewarm apology, they gave us a list of tasks it would behoove us to perform ASAP, which included placing fraud alerts on all of our accounts. We have to go to the bank in person. Thanks, Texas Power, and what is your penalty for your laissez-faire attitude regarding personal identification info? Is it spread out on your desk in a jumble or neatly organized in stacks of social security numbers and bank codes?

At the moment, my desk is clear; but my mind is cluttered. Yours?

Please, Mr. Weatherman

2010-08-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am not dropping my leaves, but I can identify with the resident ficus tree. Does it really have to be so friggin' hot every day? Doncha know variety is the spice of life? Sure. I love the sunshine as much as the next person, but if every day is sunny and hot what have you got to compare it to? You have seen that groundhog movie, right?

The President was in the Lone Star State today. Even he mentioned it was hot, and you know presidents spend a lot of time in hot water so they really ought to recognize hot when they see it.

So ............ if you need me, I'll be in the bedroom ........ raking leaves.

Summer in the City

2010-08-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

This frowzy geranium had perky blooms not too long ago. Perhaps if she used a good moisturizer, her leaves wouldn't get so dry and crackly. I attempted to move her out of the hot sun, but she turned all weepy and moldy on me. After I removed all the unsightly bits, she's having another go at a spot in the sun, but I don't really hold much hope for her .... maybe a more heat resistant pot?

It's summer in Dallas when:

it is not a dry heat
the thermometer is stuck above 100 degrees outdoors
the AC is below freezing indoors
car convertible tops are up
restaurant patios are deserted
the supermarket ices down your purchases for the ride home
the alley cats have disappeared
it never rains
hot water comes out of both faucets
there's no ice in ice cream.

What can I say? When it's hot, we're hot. The geranium too.

Glorious Food

2010-07-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

The smallest gourmet sampled carrots and gave them less than rave reviews this weekend.

Are you sure carrots are edible?

Later in the week his grandfather inquired, with almost the same facial expression,

Are you sure edamame are edible?

"Oh, even if they're not, they sure are colorful, n'est-ce pas?"

Sorry, Dude ... My Bad

2010-07-16T20:59:00.001-07:00

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2010-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

We used to take the kids to baseball games ..... now they take us. In fact, for several summers we owned (with friends) season tickets to the Cincinnati Reds' games. My father was an incredibly loyal, unwavering, life-long Reds fan. His number one grandson, pictured here last weekend outside the ball park in Arlington, Texas, not so much. He is a more fickle fan, having had a fling with both the Tigers and the Rockies, but now, as you can see by the attire, we're totally on base with the Rangers.

We've been having a bit of rain here in the Dallas metroplex, but we don't let inclement weather dampen our enthusiasm. And yes, this is the stadium where the overly enthusiastic fan tumbled over the deck when he reached for a foul ball last week. My advice: just buy a baseball if you want one.

Inside with the boys and the beers and the brats. What could be more fun? Yeah, we know. The World Cup, and Wimbledon, and LeBron, and yada yada yada; but Baseball is America's Pasttime. Right up there with Mom and Apple Pie.

Washed Up

2010-07-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like a fish out of water? I won't lie to you; I miss the beach. However, now that the Gulf has become an oil retention tank, I wonder whether the Sunshine State can break through the clouds. Hurricanes are bad enough, but black gold gone postal??? At first, it seemed Texas might be spared the gusher's wrath and I was able to console myself with thoughts of treks to Galveston or Port Aransas, maybe even Padre Island. That dream was dashed when tar balls washed up on the beach north of Galveston this weekend (as if they haven't suffered enough). And why do you think the media has settled on the term tar ball? Maybe that seems less icky than the ugly gooey sticky slimy globs they really are. And people, I don't care how much you paid for your vacation on the sand, you don't want to get in the water with those things. That's just as crazy as jumping in with the jelly fish. Another euphemism - tar balls and jelly fish: sounds like the daily special at a seafood restaurant. So, for now, my beach is my bath tub. Last one in .............

June with a Spoon

2010-06-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know. Looks as though I've been dragged into the kitchen again, kicking and screaming in protest. Didn't we already eat today? Hey, I'm the one who was paying attention last century when the scientists promised that we would eliminate meats and veggies and merely be able to swallow a palmful of capsules for nourishment. Still waiting.

It's too hot to cook, y'all. Can't we just have a Popsicle and call it a day? Even the refrigerator is having a melt down and refuses to respond when I press its digital temperature buttons. So confusing ....... is a higher number cooler? Shouldn't it be the other way? Where is the frickin' bottle of nutritional pills?

For those of you who are still hung up on food prep, I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it was actually quite tasty and easy as boiling water. Pasta, cantaloupe, arugula, fontina cheese, and homemade poppyseed dressing. It's summer. You're welcome.

Soccer Mom

2010-06-25T21:16:00.001-07:00

I've seen more than my share of soccer matches. None of them any less exciting than the ones in South Africa at this year's World Cup. Play on. Now where did I put my vuvuzela?

And the Livin' is Easy

2010-06-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Summertime used to be my favorite time of the year. Notice I am speaking in the past tense. You know that familiar saying too much of a good thing? Well, that's what I'm talking about. The summer solstice just arrived a few days ago and the temperature is stuck on 99 degrees - OK sometimes it's 100 but that doesn't sound as cool. I am posting at 11:00 PM Central Daylight Time, and it's still 90 fryin' degrees. Yes, I said ninety. And it's only 81 in Fort Myers. How can that be? Don't people go to Florida to be hot?

The geranium is wilting on the deck, the squirrels are panting, splayed out on the tree branches...... It's too hot to walk in the park, to play golf, to go for a swim (if I had a pool), or to barbecue. So it's winter upside down - we're confined to the cabin, avoiding Mother Nature's hot flashes.

In case you're wondering, I don't know what kind of blooming tree that is. It grows across the street in front of a house that has a for sale sign, proclaiming, "I'm gorgeous inside." It's not.

Irony

2010-06-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

Maureen Dowd's recent column has made me think about the irony in our lives.

How ironic that the subject of my latest needlepoint stitching is the brown pelican. When I began this creation, I could see the birds from my window and hear them diving headfirst into the Caloosahatchee River with a resounding kerplunk only to resurface with hapless fishes sloshing around in their pouchy beaks. A truly amazing feat -- one wonders how/why they don't break their necks. It's like bungee jumping with a cord that's too long. I glance up from my canvas at the television set, and these descendants of dinosaurs are not diving. or jumping. or fishing. As a species, they have just recently been removed from the endangered list. I hope we haven't acted too hastily.

Continuing with the irony: who can watch the members of Congress grill the CEO of BP without wondering who should cast the first stone.

More irony: America's vacation spot goes on vacation.

Even more ironic: The nation's breeding ground becomes a cemetery.

Can you hear that? I think it's Send in the Clowns.

- not the end- is it?

Bye Bye Birdie

2010-06-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

carolyn cole/los angeles times

Some blogs I peruse have posts labeled Wordless Wednesday or some such where the author shares pictures which evidently need no explanation. How could anyone possibly explain that top picture. I can barely look at it, let alone explain it. Help me out here. Those birds suffocating in the oil gushing up from the Gulf floor ....... those dudes don't even drive cars. What are we doing people? You know what they say about fouling the nest .......

look here if you dare

Enfin

2010-06-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, it is finally safe for these shoes to come out of the closet. Not certain who made the rule no white shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day. Just one of those things your mother told you like wear white gloves to church and don't let your bra straps show. Obviously as forgotten as hoop skirts and crinolines in the current century .... so why does this fashion dictate continue to dog us? I'm not a big fan of the white shoe at any time of the year (although these two pairs occasionally adorn my feet - not at the same time, of course), but I do try to avoid offending the fashion police. And I suppose a little bit of foppish tradition is not a bad thing.

Coastlines

2010-05-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Coastlines: Images of Land and Sea is the latest exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art and how apropos. BP's deep sea disaster is still befouling the Gulf, the President is scooping up tar balls on the beach in Louisiana, and all of us are wondering whether we need to cancel our summer sojourns to the sea shore. According to news reports, the British Petroleum people are "disappointed" that their latest efforts to stem the flow of oil have failed. Aren't we all? Especially if in the future we can only remember the beauty of our coast line at a museum.

May Flowers

2010-05-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Back at the bloomin' beautiful Dallas Arboretum on a morning when the weather guy predicts that the temperature will rise into the 90s. Well, to quote one of big D's more famous residents, "Bring it on!" (We know there are misters in the fern gardens.)

These hydrangeas are my current favorites.

Of course, the oak leaf hydrangea has always been a favorite. OK. I admit it. If you are a hydrangea, I love you.

Since our last visit, the gardeners have replaced the daffodils and tulips with annuals, such as ageratum and salvia (the blues) and other colorful stuff. Do they uproot all those spent bulbs and save them to plant in the fall or do they simply dig and discard?

We bid you adieu after having seen the results of April's showers, but we shall return. We have a membership.

Quite Contrary

2010-05-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

You're looking at my current garden. I know. It's a breathtaking sight, and you wonder how I manage to tend so many plants without complaining about aching muscles, dirt-spoiled manicures, and ugly calluses on my palms. Why, just pulling the weeds alone .......

Meandering back through time finds us in a garden that required a wee bit more tending, but its produce was a little more nourishing than basil and thyme. I'm not even sure I knew what basil was at that leg of the journey.

Further down the road and still digging in the dirt. Obviously it's the fourth of July, and that corn is not as high as an elephant's eye. If you have the space, you should try to grow the maize plant. There are some requirements but I forget what they are - something about so many rows or some such. Google it. That's what the Internet is for. Hard to imagine, but there is some information you just can't find in blogs. Very little, I'll admit, but I digress - you've never tasted corn, no matter how fresh you think it is, until you've harvested it from your own garden and eaten it right away. In fact, eat it right in the garden. Raw. So sweet. Class dismissed.

The gardens in the last Eden just about killed us. That's what happens when there's too much land and you've never met a flower you didn't like. So while I'm on this sabbatical, I'm content with my window herb garden and the geranium on the porch.

Bar Talk

2010-05-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

My niece (I only have one) recently posted on FB the oft-repeated live-in-the-moment suggestion. Hard to argue the point because yesterday is gone, and tomorrow has not yet arrived. Oh my. Have you noticed that it is mostly the elders who remember when, and the youngers who can't wait for what comes next? Of course, the explanation is that once you reach middle-age, you're at least halfway down the road, and the journey is not getting any easier even though people say "it's all downhill."

At any rate, I'm all for today being the best day ever, and if there's a glass of wine at the end of it - that's good too. Cheers.

Beautiful .... Like a Rainbow

2010-05-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Must I repeat yet again .... it's Texas, people. You know. Where everything is bigger. Where the rainbow sprawls across the whole wide gol' dang sky like some ephemeral, ethereal hoochie mama, and one needs a wide angle lens to capture it all. And yes. Yes, that is my finger covering the lens. You take what you can get with the iPhone.

Here's hoping they see the rainbow on the Gulf Coast too.....

April is for Azaleas

2010-04-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Showy ... maybe a little gaudy ... but never a wallflower.

You know I'm talking about the azalea. Right?

A Day at the DMA

2010-04-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Museum of Art is a short drive from our abode so we dropped in to check out what was happening with the artsy crowd. It was not a weekend so we had plenty of room to peruse the paintings, unlike some crushing exhibits we have viewed at the Art Institute of Chicago during one of our past lives. Well, you know ...... here in Texas we're fans of the wide open spaces.

It's spring/summer here, but we did not dawdle in the sculpture garden because the first rule of museum meandering (besides comfortable shoes, of course) is realizing you can't see it all in one visit.

So we signed in and signed up and insisted we "wouldn't be strangers."

The Lens of Impressionism was actually quite interesting, mixing the art and photographs of the early impressionists and integrating iPhone images of Normandy as it is today.

Through the looking glass before lunch at 1717 - but that's a blog for another day. And for our Ann Arbor amis, this exhibit is in conjunction with the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Just can't get away from all that culture ......

Birthday Blog

2010-04-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday. Again. Already. So soon. I know the bean counters have skipped some days - maybe even weeks - probably just to satisfy those little cry babies who can't wait to be sixteen or twenty-one or whatever. And what does that impatience lead to? Before you know it, you're up in the really BIG numbers. Numbers so big that Nana's Little Math Genius tires of counting before he gets there. Higher than eleventy-two even. Therefore, I've decided to take retaliatory action and do what all women d'un certain age do. I'm going to .............. lie about my age.

Little Red Corvette

2010-04-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

The DH and I have owned several corvettes over the years although I had always imagined myself in an XKE. Alas. You can't always get what you want.

The current ride was in the car spa for some body work last week. Driving in Dallas is tough, people. These cowboys have no respect for your wheels. I imagine they're angry that we're not all still saddling up our steeds and, if you ask me, some of those SUVs amount to wishful thinking. At any rate, the auto surgeon insists the old gal is going to need some serious internal intervention in the near future, which raises the question: invest or divest?

Neither of the beauties pictured above is our vehicle du jour, but I'm certain I could be very happy in the little slinky black number. Unfortunately, the tax man has recently cometh to our house, and, let me put it this way, we should probably consider a larger roadster just in case we have to live in it.

Where the Flowers Iz

2010-04-11T20:11:00.001-07:00

On the banks of Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas, in the land of mansions, about a block from our humble abode. Sometimes there are ducks and geese cruising on the stream, maybe a swan or two; but nary a pelican. Bikini beauties sun themselves on the grassy slopes, but it's just not the same as the sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Everything may really be bigger in Texas, but that doesn't always mean it's better, y'all. However, I am lovin' the blooms although it's the worst allergy season ever - supposedly because of all the unseasonable snow earlier this year. Whatever. Achoo. Is that one of those "tall tales?"

Man Oh Manatee

2010-03-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

When our Kiwi kin visited us last year in Florida, they really wanted to see the elusive manatees that inhabit the warm waterways there. Boo hoo. Nary a glimpse. So this year to celebrate the cutest Kiwi turning five, the DH and I went to see the manatees......in captivity......in Texas....in Dallas

And we found them. So we're sending pictures across the ocean to the birthday boy.

Look at me! I'm swimming upside down! The manatee may not be the most beautiful creature under the sea, but it most definitely is one of the most graceful. According to African folklore, the gentle giants were thought to have been human at one time. Big, non-aggressive herbivores? I think not.

So, to our friends down under (I know. I try), hello

and good-bye.

High Five

2010-03-25T21:09:00.001-07:00

I don't need to tell you that this is not rush hour in Big D, but maybe I do have to mention that you're looking at the infamous high five. Did you notice the Texas stars it's sportin'. Every time I approach (positively intimidating from the other direction), I am amazed at the engineering stupidity of it all. OK. I confess. I know nada about engineering, but shouldn't some place as HUMONGOUS as Texas not have to stack its roads all on top of each other and scrunch them together like that? And, of course, it's a national news event when the elevated levels with those amusing ninety degree loop-de-loops ice up. The semis get cold feet at the top, and the smart-ass SUVs go sliding into each other like bumper cars. Yep, drivin' ain't for sissies in the Lone Star State. Yee haw.

Ma Cousine, Mon Amie

2010-03-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have a million cousins (well, not a million, but you get the idea). Oddly enough, my kids only have one. Not one each, but one total ...... that they have to share. Talk about down sizing.

One of my cousins passed away earlier this month. Growing up we were BFFs, and even into advanced adulthood we had much in common. We shared a love of books and flowers and paper dolls and pies and Granny and .....

I spent a week every summer at her house, and we romped and yapped like two young puppies. We didn't exactly run wild, but there were only so many minutes in that week and we were determined to live the hell out of each one.

We had our differences. She was the girly one; I was more of a tomboy. She liked Debbie Reynolds; I preferred Liz Taylor. She lived in a small city; I grew up in a small town. She went to a small college, I graduated from the largest university in the country.

We were family, but we were also friends. We never had an argument or exchanged harsh words. Not many people can manage that feat and still have interesting conversations.

So RIP, cousin o' mine. You are still in my heart, and our memories are still in my head.

I'm Not Irish

2010-03-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

Faith n' Begorra ... it looks like the Chicago River sloshing around in that goblet, and I thought I was toasting St Patrick with a glass of green beer. Thank God, I'm not that young anymore.

Spring Forward

2010-03-14T09:18:00.001-07:00

The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting (aren't y'all?), the sky is blue ....... I love spring ..... maybe more than summer because it's not all hot and humid, but, people, people, people, I really really hate DST. It's already later than I want it to be (in more ways than one). After all, it's not like we're all twelve and just can't wait to turn thirteen.

We're Off to the Future

2010-03-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Seems like just yesterday I was off to kindergarten, and today ......... well, we won't go there. Now it's the kiwi cutie's turn to venture out into the world. He set off on his scooter on his first school visit (so I was told) all suited up in his helmet and his backpack. I don't really remember my first day at school. Like so many of my generation, I loved school mostly for the social opportunities it presented. I got A in math and F in effort, which was OK with my parents. In retrospect, perhaps they should have set higher standards. Academics were easy for me, but I never learned to push myself beyond the edges. You know that army slogan "be all that you can be?" I don't think I am; but I'm still working at it. So ....... my little grasshopper (do they have those in New Zealand?), enjoy your new adventure and take all it offers and more.

fashion note: didn't I just see this outfit in the Neiman Marcus catalogue ..... in my current size??

Au Revoir

2010-02-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Olympics are over ...... and so is February. May they bundle up all that snow and ice and ship it to the North Pole (I hear there's a global warming or melting or whatever going on there).

It's been fun and all - warming the back side in front of the easy-peasy-flip-the-switch fire place, following the Olympics on the big screen, and the friends and family on the small one. That's me: a master at techno multi-tasking. And the #1 son wonders what I do all day.

BRING ON SPRING. If tomorrow comes in like a lamb, I'm not getting out of bed.

Smarter Than a Fifth Grader

2010-02-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

Babies change our lives, usually for the better. Unfortunately, the little creatures do not come with instructions ....... but their equipment does. The #1 son struggles to assemble the baby carrier as his parents giggle and murmur something about paybacks for all those Christmas Eve easy-to-assemble must-have toys that ended up under the tree ...... eventually.

Of course, back then the manuals were written in English.

Birthday Cake

2010-02-23T21:53:00.001-08:00

I have not seen the Julia Child movie, but I do own her cookbook. Notice that I said own, not that I cook from it ......evah. I mean ... where are the pictures? Seriously. Who can cook without pictures? Anyhow, I do admire her attitude in the k-room, and I do like to watch her cook on those old TV episodes. Don't even imagine that I'm cooking along cause I'm not. Above are the ingredients for her favorite cake (mine too), and might I suggest baking it on a day when you don't want to drink the bourbon instead of mixing it with the bittersweet chocolate.

The finished product is not exactly a thing of beauty

and a bit of a challenge to cut (or is it just me?)

but it is heaven on your palate.

Today is the daughter's birthday so I am sending these photos across the many miles to New Zealand and not even mentioning that I had to bake the darn thing in a boiling water bath. A boiling water bath, I tell you. As if just being in the kitchen isn't painful enough ..... No ordinary cake from a box for my baby. No way. If you too live dangerously and want the recipe ..... just ask. I share.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

2010-02-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

What a joyous moment it is when an infant wraps his fingers around yours. This gesture certainly puts life in perspective. So ...... welcome, little one. We're really glad you're here. Already, the world's a better place.

Pooh's Poem

2010-02-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

The more it snows

(Tiddly Pom)

The more it goes

(Tiddly Pom)

The more it goes

(Tiddly Pom)

On snowing.

Most snow in Dallas ....... evah. You know, we moved south to escape the snow and ice and winter's wrath. How's that workin' out for ya, you ask. Well, the weather guy says that we won't see snow like this again in this century in Big D. (Has he been talking to Al Gore?)

poetry credit to a.a. milne & Winnie the Pooh

Little Lambs

2010-02-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

It's a cuddly lamb seat for a cuddly lamb. The new arrival is not yet a week old, and already he has us all ga-ga for his goo-goos. Well, the cat ..... maybe not so much. This contraption cradles you, warms you, entertains you, and vibrates. Wish they had one in my size.

Can We Blog?

2010-01-30T22:54:00.001-08:00

Recently on Facebook the daughter of a friend of mine gasped, " I caught a glimpse of myself in the window and saw my MOTHER ... holy crap!" I laughed. We've all been there. We always think that it will never happen to us, but it always does. And not in a good way. We love our mothers; we just don't want to be them.

My daughter just named me her "blog of the day" so if you're coming from there to here, don't expect to find the stimulation, passion, and intensity that you find in her posts. I admire her for being able to "put herself out there," as they say; but I'm from a bygone era where we were cautioned not to discuss controversial topics like money, sex, politics, or religion. Must explain why we're all in therapy - or should be, if we're not. So if you're here (yawn), travel on over to Wellington Road and check out the latest. Click on follow, not follow me (unless you want to tweet) to become a fan. No charge.

She's wiser, but I'm older.

Rest in Peace

2010-01-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

Today is my mother's birthday. As usual, she would have been 29 on the 29th. This is the picture of her that my father carried around in his wallet until the day he died. I think that he always saw her as she was here. She loved big hats and high heels and red lipstick. At her funeral someone remarked that she was the life of the party. Not a bad way to be remembered.

I bet no one ever said that about J. D. Salinger.

Wholey Cow

2010-01-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

Whole Foods ........ or to quote the DH ....... "Warehouse of Rudeness." He swears that all the shoppers are self-involved egomaniacs who attempt to maim you with their carts. Points are earned if they elbow you to the ground while reaching past you to grab the organic carrots. Yes. Grocery shopping has evolved into a contact sport. Penalties are assessed for dawdling in the aisles or hesitating in front of the dairy case. It's rush, rush, rush, push, push, push - we've got places to go, things to do......... We've got us a weekend schedule, for chrissakes.

Moi? I just hate the whole grocery shopping scene. I'm meant for those little markets in Paris so I try to send the DH whenever possible - although he's a little shaky in the produce area. if there's a rotten strawberry, he'll find it and bring it home. The whole gathering and preparing scenario is so yesterday for me. Think about it. Three meals a day for a mere twenty years adds up to 21,840 culinary creations. Like I said, "What are restaurants for?" And you can quote me. You're welcome.

Movin' on Down the Road

2010-01-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

The new hacienda has three levels with two condos to a floor, garages underneath, and an elevator with issues. We live in the front unit with the bars on the windows. Talk about being a prisoner in your own home .......................

You may have noticed that we move around a bit ......... so many dwellings, so little time. However, my query is: why is it that we keep downsizing, but the carrier keeps upsizing? That truck may have more square footage than our condo.

Boxes .... we've got boxes, we've got lots and lots of boxes. Our telephone is in one of them, but we haven't been able to locate it yet. We'll call you when we do.

Toulouse

2010-01-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

How many days is it til Mardi Gras?

When Hell Freezes

2010-01-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes there is just something that makes you say WTF?? We are practically experiencing a heat wave here in the Big D area with the temperature in the 50s today. Thank God for the iPhone or you would never have believed me. That is ice (you heard me - it's ice) that is crowding the ducks off the pond. Those poor guys probably flew south for the winter and now they'll probably demand their money back, and what with the state of the economy .....

I don't mean to insinuate that Plano, Texas, is Hell. Everybody knows that Hell is in Michigan. 48169.

Cookin' with Gas

2010-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

You know I can cook when I have to. Fortunately, I don't have to very often. Anyhow, this is my current kitchen, which is about as basic as a kitchen gets although it does come equipped with four stemmed wine glasses and a corkscrew.

Recipes, ingredients, peeling, chopping ............ and then, there's clean-up. Is it worth it?

Maybe not.

My own children confessed, years later, that they waited until my back was turned and then fed their rejects to the garbage disposal. (We didn't have a dog.)

Now I just cook for the DH (really it's for myself ...... some nonsense about creative juices), and, like Mikey, he'll eat anything and like it. I think this ended up as boeuf bourguignon. Ain't no crock pot in my kitchen.

And this is the new kitchen .......... much bigger and shinier. Are those cabinets looming? And, yes, you're right. I'm washing my hands of the whole business. Nice faucet.

I Remember Snow

2010-01-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

It's a winter for the record books. Coldest ...... snowiest ......windiest ....... Blah blah blah. Just because we have been inundated with information about global warming, have we forgotten the snows of our youth? Boots and mittens, sleds and shovels. Snow men, snow balls, snow forts.
Icicles, ice skates ........

Would I rather be here? Oh, hell yeah!

Send Al Gore a thermometer, wouldja?

Don't Fence Me In

2009-12-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

Must I remind you that everything is bigger in Texas. These long horns once roamed here, and so did the people on the other side of the fence. Now they are surrounded by a nifty planned community of restaurants, shops, apartments, and townhomes. I'm sure the developers are just conniving to get their hands on this prime real estate.

Sarah Cook: born in 1793. She lived a month or so past her 96th birthday - so much for modern health care increasing longevity.

Lieut. Henry Cook is at peace (I assume) beneath his new tombstone. Beware: the month after your birthday must be a danger zone.

The final resting place of Daniel Cook, who was the original inhabitant.

Lots of big houses in Texas, but not every family owns their own cemetery. Only descendants are permitted to be interred on this property so don't try to bury all your exes in Texas.

Fa - La - La

2009-12-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

It's Santa's favorite elf. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent creating those ornaments or, more importantly, why. I think it must have had something to do with putting together a perfect Christmas .... you know, the one where everything is just-so ...... picture-perfect ...... and the photos are too. The one that is just a few if-onlys out of reach ...... Accomplishing that fantasy is why Santa needs milk and cookies ........ and champagne and lots of wrapping paper. It took me a long time to figure out that the "perfect" Christmas that I was trying to re-create was not just one Christmas -- it was a collage of the best parts of lots of childhood holidays, both real and imagined.

So now that I am older and wiser, but no less fashionable (don't tell me you didn't notice the afro, the uber lip gloss, the scarf, the short skirt?), I realize that Christmas can still be perfect with almost no work at all ....... especially if your children are grown. Fah who for-aze!

Signs of the Season

2009-12-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

Everything is bigger in Texas. You didn't really expect one of those dainty table-top trees, did you?

One of Santa's elves has managed to find our temporary abode and get all wrapped up in the customs of the season. I know ..... it's a gift. I can't stop myself.

Christmas is a week away? Dude, how can that be? Sure, the trees are all sparkly and bright, but they're still wearing their autumnal leaves ........ and yeah, I'm wearing a coat. Shoot me.

Bloomin' Holidays

2009-12-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

Paper whites are always part of my Christmas decor although I usually plant them myself - it's always fun and a great deal messier.

However, this year we are celebrating in a temporary space and I want to keep time and effort to a minimum. Don't look for me in the kitchen baking cookies.

It shouts holiday spirit, don't you think?

And the magic begins ......

Show Me Your Mussels

2009-12-07T20:42:00.001-08:00

I had never even tasted mussels until we went to New Zealand, home of the famous Green Mussels, not to be confused with the famous All Blacks. My favorite daydream/fantasy is sitting at the bar in one of those dark, intimate Parisian cafes with a glass of French wine, a plate of mussels, and, of course, plenty of crusty French bread. Sigh.

Well, OK ..... sitting by the Gulf with a mess of mussels, a glass of California wine, and fresh-baked bread.

OK. OK. In a pseudo sidewalk French cafe .......... with a mountain of mussels, a glass of over-priced French wine, and big bread - in Dallas, frickin' Texas. Hey, it is what it is, people. You gotta love the one you're with.

Let it Snow

2009-12-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

Snow on palm trees - it's a sacrilege.

39 degrees in Plano, 41 in Ann Arbor: what's the point of slippin' south of the Mason-Dixon line if it's colder than ..... Michigan?

Global warming indeed.

November Nightfall

2009-12-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Somehow a sunset over the back fence in the Texas 'burbs is not quite so romantic as sundown on the Caloosahatchee from twenty stories up, but this one is a beauty nonetheless. Now, if I could just find that conch shell to announce to the neighbors that day is done.

Putting Up the Christmas Tree

2009-11-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

We currently reside on what I call Restaurant Row. I know, I know. It's a dream come true. At any rate, we watched the construction of the Christmas Tree as we dined this week. Surprisingly enough, what they say is true ... if we build it, Santa will come. Let the games begin.

Deja Vu

2009-11-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes, the ubiquitous cowboy boot ........ who could live in Big D (the land of denim and diamonds) without at least one pair in her/his closet?

I'll Huff and I'll Puff

2009-11-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Is it me ...... or

This pile of rubble used to be somebody's house.

Throwing the house out with the trash.

Too big to fall. I know. It's a curse.

And not a leg to stand on.

What used to be a house by the sea is now a house in the sea.

When Mama Nature knocks, don't hang around to see what she wants cause she's coming in whether you open the door or not.

No Fishing

2009-11-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

People used to hang out at the end of the fishing pier here in Galveston, Texas. Some of them even caught fish. How did they get there? you ask. Well, they didn't walk on water.

You're right. It is a big jump from that one section to the next. This is the entrance to the pier, next to the sea wall, and there is a huge gap between these pilings and the end ones you see in the first photo. And we're talking concrete, people. Ain't no messin' with Mother Nature when she's in a hurricane mood.

Yes, this was a popular hangout a little over a year ago until Ike blustered into town.

Galveston, Oh Galveston

2009-11-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

We stayed on Galveston Island for several weeks at the end of 2007. In fact we spent Christmas and New Year's Eve happily ensconced in a charming beach cottage hiding behind the giant dream home looming behind me in this photo. Notice how wide the beach is and observe the dunes in front of the mansion. Your tax dollars at work ..... millions of dollars spent to create and foster those dunes and grasses to protect the beauty of our national coastline. In Texas everyone has access to the beaches. I guess nobody can own Mother Nature - although, Lord knows, lots of people try. How much do you think a beach house like that one is worth?

Not much, as it turns out, after the arrival of Hurricane Ike in September of 2008. It is still standing a little over a year later, however. Many of its neighbors are not. In fact, do you see those dunes anymore or the tons of sand that came up to the paint marks on the supports? A victim of high winds and a strong storm surge, this house is truly on its last legs. The beach is no longer as wide as it once was, leaving the remaining homes a lot closer to the water. Waterfront property - always at a premium.

Meanwhile, I guess you really can't go home again.

Cold Front

2009-11-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are wearing jackets ......... but no shoes.

Swimming in the Swamp

2009-10-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Some of you complain that all I do is beach beach beach. Well, if you must know ..... Florida is actually a swamp. It's overrun with alligators and other unfriendly critters, pesky mosquitoes and big ugly bugs, gigantic weeds and horrible humidity.

Are you booking a flight?

Bye Bye Bye

2009-10-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

We're leaving town next week. We're packing up and saying our good byes.

Au revoir to our friends .......

Hasta luego to the beaches .......

Sayonara to the dolphins and all the other creatures beneath the sea ......

Arrivederci to our favorite restaurants .......

Dasvidania to the marinas ..............

See ya later, alligators .......

It Only Hurts When I Laugh

2009-10-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

The usual ride is under the weather so today we're going topless to the beach. I would prefer a red convertible, but you take whatever the nice man at the car clinic gives you.

I'm also test driving my Halloween costume. Rather clever, don't you think? What? Why, it's the Flying Nun, of course. Seriously windy at the beach, but any day with low humidity is a good day.

Oops. Did I speak too soon?

Life is Good

2009-10-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sunshine

A glass of wine

So Fine

Weather Woman

2009-10-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

If you're down here on vacation, boy did you pick the wrong week. We tied the record high temperature ever in SWF today; tonight we'll break the record low, which was set back in 1927.

How does one go from record highs to record lows in just a few days? Just askin'.

Moving In, Moving Out, Moving On

2009-10-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

Last year we were excited to move into these giant towers next to the Caloosahatchee River. Here in the land of furnished short-term rentals, we were signing a lease and rescuing our furniture from long-term storage in Ann Arbor. We have down-sized several times, but still have enough stuff to make unpacking an unpleasant chore. We said to ourselves - we're not going to do this again in the near future.

You just never know what fate has in store so it doesn't pay to over plan. Unfortunately, our condo went into foreclosure, and we are resuming our status as rolling stones while we search for our next residence.

We don't own our condo so we are merely inconvenienced, but for the owners it's a different story. Hard times here in the Sunshine State although I think California currently has the largest number of foreclosures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCPbL4yA7ik

Record Heat

2009-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's the DH and we're on the move. Notice, fashionisto (and you thought I didn't know Spanish) that he is, he has donned autumnal attire now that it's October. I do hope it is not his Halloween costume.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?? So sorry, I say, about those chilly temperatures all of you north of the Mason-Dixon Line are experiencing. Too bad. So sad. But life on the lower peninsula is not exactly a day at the beach. Oh, what's that you say? Well, yeah ..... I guess it is if you want to be all literal about it, but we're setting new temperature records every day. Do you realize how hard that is, and how much time we must spend looking for the cool?

No wonder we kick off our shoes and make ourselves at home.

We're Hot

2009-10-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

It snowed in Denver ... postponing the baseball game, and I noticed that the temperature was below freezing in Ann Arbor this morning (despite Rich Rodriguez being a bit hot under the collar). First question: should we even be playing baseball in October? And don't say global warming. Second: was I the only one who noticed the sports overload this weekend? Football, football, football, golf, golf, baseball ....... whatever happened to seasonal sports?

And speaking of seasons, you may have noticed on the national weather map that we are experiencing a heat wave here in the Sunshine State. Must be why we're still number one in the college football rankings. Go Gators. Okay ...... I'm fickle ..... so bite me.

Spooky

2009-10-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, October is the month of Halloween. Perhaps someone (something?) from outer space is trying to warn us. After all, we are planning to bomb the moon tomorrow at dawn. Ouch!

Beach Blooms

2009-10-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's another day at the beach. Record high temperatures for October. Yes, you heard me - October. The temperature is still in the 90s, and the Gulf is still 85. Let's not talk about the heat index (same idea as wind chill for you Yankees) which hovers somewhere in the low 100s.

Some of us are searching for whatever blossoms beneath the waves.

Some of us haven't gotten our feet wet yet,

but when we do, look what treasures we find ........... sand flowers, don'tcha think. Recognize the nutmeg?

Something is always blooming at the beach.

These beauties remind me of morning glories although they glory all day long.

Even the trees are heavy with peliblooms.

Of course, there are few days that one does not observe the blooming parasols.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

On the Beach

2009-10-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Didn't you say 10 AM?

I've been waiting around here on one foot seems like forever.

Hope you don't forget to bring the fish for lunch.

Birds of a Feather

2009-09-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

The end of September, and it's a slow day at the beach. Not many bikinis, but a bevy of terns who seem to travel in flocks.

Shouldn't birds fly south at this time of year? Either these guys are rebels or they've misplaced the GPS. Trust me, I would never go anyplace with the DH unless he was toting a GPS. Of course, one learns those things through experience ..... but that's a blog for another day. Then again, perhaps there is reason behind the term bird brain.

Autumn is in the air although the temperature is still in the 90s, and the humidity refuses to come down to a comfortable level. The blues of the water and the sky are much sharper, and there is a lovely lull on the beaches until the snowbirds arrive; and those birds do fly south.

No tsunami here, but the Samoans and the New Zealanders on holiday there were not so fortunate this week. We pray for them.