The Goat

Blah Blah Blah

2012-01-17T00:06:00.002-05:00

I'm not really sure what happened, but a few months ago I became overwhelmed.

Then a month ago I lost my kitty, Mocha. (I'm still having trouble with that one)

I've gone on a cruise, went to a bowl game and hung out with my Dad for a week in the past month.

It seems like just those last three events would have perked me up and had me blogging for days,

but they didn't.

I've just got the Blog Blahs.

I haven't even been excited about picking my Photo of the Day.

That's usually my favorite thing to do each day.

I've decided I'm going to take a month off.

I'll come back around Valentines Day (or next week, if saying that I don't want to blog for awhile means that I can't think about anything else I'd rather be doing.)

I'm not going to quit blogging and I'm not going to shut down my blog.
I'm not going to fade into the sunset and I'm not going to stop visiting your blogs.
Honestly though, I've hardly visited anyone in months.
I just need a rest.

Oh and I've rented that booth space in an antique mall, so trying to prepare for that is really occupying my mind, too. I've been gathering, shopping, spray painting, evaluating and going over that 6 x 6 space a million times. It's exciting, but exhausting and I won't be moving into the space until Feb 1st.

I'll see you in a few weeks with Photos of the Day and lots to talk about.

Have a wonderful day!
Kristin

POTD - Giant Bag Tags

2012-01-15T12:50:00.002-05:00

POTD - Giant Bag Tags

So many people are collecting bread bag tags for me and I appreciate it so much! My ultimate goal is to be able to cover an entire wall with the tags as well as do some other crafts with them. A friend of mine saw these bag tags on some kind of a chicken meal from Walmart and she knew the second she saw the hearts on the tag and the size of them, that I was going to flip. She was right. I was so excited that I took a photo immediately. I put the tags on my passenger side seat in my car and took this shot. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these, but I'm sure thinking about it.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Engaged

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Engaged

A picture of a craft project in the works. I've been cutting out circles and hearts from vintage dictionary pages to eventually sew together. Tonight I was pleasantly pleased when I realized that I inadvertently captured the word engaged in one of my hearts. I stacked the hearts on one of my photographs, as a representation of all of the circles I'd been cutting, and really liked the way it all worked together.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2012-01-13T23:14:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Friday Fragments! This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival. For more Friday Fragments finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time. Thanks!

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These fragments are weeks in the making! I've been writing down funny things because I have no brain these days. I hope you enjoy my Saturday morning Fragments!

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When I was on my Christmas Cruise with my husband we were seated for dinner with a group of people that we hadn't met yet. At one point everyone left the table and just this guy and I were at the table. I laughed and said - "Well, do you have something exciting to share real quick while everyone is gone?" He said, "Sure! My step-sister is now my step brother and she used to live in Jacksonville." You could have knocked me over with a feather. He laughed and said he couldn't believe he blurted that out!

My husband proclaimed one day that people who live in Charleston, SC called the city Chuck. As in, "I live in Chuck." My friends Matt and Patti had just driven by Charleston a few days earlier and noticed the exit for North Charleston. Matt asked my husband if the people in North Charleston called it Up Chuck?

We laughed a long time.

My friend and I are going into business together. We're taking on a 6x6 booth space in an antiques mall. That's a pretty small space if we don't get along! Good thing we are pretty compatible. Actually, all we have to do is maintain the booth space, we don't actually have to be there all the time. They are fully staffed with folks who know what they are doing. That's good news for us!!

I heard on the radio that James Taylor is giving guitar lessons on his website, here. I don't know if they are free or not, because I don't play guitar so I didn't follow through with the enrollment, but how cool to have lessons from James Taylor. I really enjoy his music.

I took my car in because the windshield washer fluid wasn't pumping at all. We had just taken it in moments before it hit the 100K mile, end of the warranty mileage. We put a few hundred miles on the car since then so we were now over that magic number. It seems they found a lot more problems with the car and my "I'm just taking it in to unclog the pump" ended up costing me $505. Almost all of it would have been covered under the warranty if if had died, leaked, been discovered before that 100K. Sigh sigh. At least the car is paid off!

I found this poster at a thrift store in Punta Gorda. I didn't buy it, but I remember seeing it for sale in the 80s. Gooooooo State! (you can click to enlarge)

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I went to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL and watched my Michigan State Spartans come home with a win! The first half was boring, the second half and the three overtimes were spectacular! I'm so proud of my Spartans!!

Have a wonderful weekend and please head on over to Mrs. 4444's place to see more Friday Fragments if you haven't already.

The photos of the cactus are in a neighbors yard. Not my neighbor, but my Dad's. :)

Kristin

POTD - Turning in Fog

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Turning in Fog

Driving along the highway the other morning I noticed the most beautiful foggy area with the palm trees looking over everything. By the time the camera in my phone finally engaged, I was having to turn the corner from the ramp to the main road. Just on the other side of the overpass, there wasn't even a hint of the fog. Amazing how different the weather can be just feet apart.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Royal Palm Tree

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Royal Palm Tree

This is by far my most very favorite type of palm tree. The palm tree trunk is silky smooth, the top has a beautiful bright green band and the bushy palm fronds remind me more of a bottle brush than a palm frond. The streets of Punta Gorda were lined with the Royal Palm, the side streets, too. I had a permanent grin looking out the window of the car. Just imagine what it could have been like if it was 11:11 and I was standing next to one of these beauties?!! Oh, that's just too much to even comprehend!! If you'd like more information on the Royal Palm, just click this link - Pristine Landscape Inc.

Enjoy!
Kristin

My Dad's Place

2012-01-09T23:07:00.000-05:00

I really had no idea what to expect when I went to see where my Dad was now living. He just kept telling me that he looked at the place one day, bought it the next and wasn't planning on coming back for a few months. So when I asked about the house he'd say, I don't know or I don't remember. He's been down in Punta Gorda for a few months now and living in the house, but he still was mum about it's condition. He did tell me the place was pink. I thought it was going to be as pink as this flower, I found on his back patio, but actually it's a dusty rose that pretty much looks like a rosy tan.

Tom, my Dad and I arrived fairly late and after dark. My heart was beating pretty fast as I was so nervous about what I'd find when he opened the door to the inside.

Oh heck! He was pulling my leg, as it is a real nice place. The problem for my Dad was that he purchased the place furnished and still with a lot of the former owners things - so it was a little overwhelming for him. That's why he was so vague about the place.

The outside is nice, if not a typical looking Florida style modular home. Everyone in his community has a house like this, but interestingly, they are all different. Some are bigger, some smaller, different colors, landscaping and driveways, the patio's are different or the homes are higher off the ground. When you look down the street you don't feel as though you are seeing the same image. I like that.

Here is my Dad's carport. Lots of light comes into the house because of the lack of walls. It bothers me in my place that two sides of my condo are windowless. He doesn't have that problem at all.

The back patio needs some love, but I can see my Dad entertaining friends back here in the near future.

He even has a storage area where the former kitchen cabinets now reside. The two gray bins are going back with me to Jacksonville the next time I come down. We gathered up all as many items as possible that my Dad either didn't like or wasn't needed in his place. The house was full of lighthouses, in the form of little statues, plaques, wall decor, dishtowels, etc. He wasn't too keep on keeping all of that. The decorations in the house were also pretty girly. Tea cups and saucers and tons of items with flowers. We deflowered the place :)

By the time I left I had gone through every nook and cranny and divided everything we found into piles - Humane Society (towels and blankets), Habitat for Humanity Resale store (unwanted items that I didn't want), trash, keep and the Gray Bins. I will have a booth in an antique mall in a few weeks, so all of the items that I thought I could sell there, I put in the bins.

I haven't edited the inside photos yet, so I hope to have that finished for tomorrows post.

I really think my Dad is going to be happy there. Especially now that the decorations are more to his liking! I don't know if he is going to be a year round resident or just a winter resident. I don't even think he knows. He'll figure it out.

Until then - he's got a great place.

Thanks for stopping by!
Kristin

The Boy the Monkey and Batman

2012-01-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

I was updating my Facebook status today while I was making my way home. My first mode of transportation was the car. My Dad took me to my first stop, the bus. I took a photo of the bus when it arrived and updated my status - I'm on the bus!

Then a few hours later when I transfered from the bus to the train, I took a quick shot of some folks getting on the train and updated my status - I'm getting on the train!

Then an hour or two later I witnessed something interesting.

A young kid sitting across the aisle from me asked the train conductor when the next "smoke break" was coming up. The conductor said that it would be about 15 minutes. The kid then picked up his bag and walked down the aisle. It was then that I saw it...

The boy was putting on his Batman backpack and the head of a stuffed animal, a monkey, was peeking out the top. It was kind of sad and kind of sweet all at the same time. I imagined all sorts of scenarios for the reason he was on the train. I also imagined all kinds of ages for the boy. I also couldn't imagine a young boy who carries a stuffed animal would be hanging out with the smokers outside the train.

It intrigued me enough that I mentioned the boy, the monkey and the Batman on Facebook.

Awhile after I posted the comment I went back to my earlier picture and realized that I had inadvertently photographed the kid with backpack! I enlarged the photo, as I just took a quicky shot with my phone and it wasn't a large file, but you can clearly see the little monkey face peeking out of the backpack.

My seatmate and I ended up talking to the boy for a few minutes before my stop and found out a few things. He's 18 and had been visiting with his girlfriend for a few weeks. He's now on his way back home. He seems like a really nice kid, but he is still such a little boy. Everything he said just told me that he may have more to learn than a lot of kids his age. I wish him well. I'm glad the monkey and Batman were on this trip with him.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Scenes from Punta Gorda

2012-01-06T15:50:00.002-05:00

A painted flower above a shop in Fisherman's Village

I'm sitting in a Mexican restaurant - Dean's Tex-Mex to be exact - and they have pretty fast internet service here. However, the exception is uploading my photos to Photobucket. It's being pretty sloggy. So, I thought I'd post just the few that I've managed to load and leave the rest for next week when I return home.

One of the only cool, vintage items we found in the cupboards -

a 1964-65 New York World's Fair tray.

I'm having a real nice time down here with my Dad. We've cleaned out nearly every closet, under bed, around the corner and way-back space in his place. We dropped off three large trash bags of towels and blankets to the humane society (they always appreciate towels and blankets for the animals) and a huge trunk load of stuff to the Habitat for Humanity Restore store. I had piled so much stuff into my Dad's livingroom for so many days I was afraid one of us might trip on the stuff. I'm glad to finally get it out of there.

These were tiny butternut squash that I saw at the Farmer's Market.

He didn't invite me down to clean, but I did it anyway. It seems easier somehow to clean someone elses place than my own - I've cleaned out the kitchen cupboards inside and out, sprayed the oven and got that wiped down. I'm going to be relining the shelves in the bathroom with contact paper later today - I'm actually looking less forward to that, than I was the oven. I can never seem to get contact paper to stick, but those shelves just can't be left bare.

My Dad's place was full of lighthouses, so I had to laugh when one of the first displays of snowglobes I found were lighthouses. We have de-lighthoused his space and it feels so much better. He chose three or four of the lighthouse items to keep. The place is looking more and more like him each day. He's going to really enjoy the place after I leave, I can just feel it.

I've been sitting here for over an hour, so I'd better scoot.
Have a wonderful day!

Kristin

Hanging out with Dad

2012-01-04T21:17:00.001-05:00

Hey
Have you wondered what in the heck happened to me? Well my husband and I went to the outback bowl on monday with my dad and then we headed south to punta gorda. my dad moved into a house down there a few months ago and i was anxious to see the place. my dad purchased the house with most of the household contents. about the only things that were taken as far as i could tell were photos and clothing. it is a little overwhelming to move into someone elses place and try to make it yours, so im here to help sort through and help my dad feel more comfortable here. the house is full of lighthouse knick knacks, towls, pictures, paintings, plates, etc. we are currently delighthousing the place.ive taken my dad shopping a few times to try to find items that are more his style, but so far we javent had a whole lot of luck. i will be back home late sunday. my husband has already gone home as he had work to do. my phone is not blogger savvy and i cant seem to capitalize or create a paragraph, so i thank you for slogging through this. my dad doesnt have internet and i havent found an internet cafe yet. have a great day. kristin

POTD - Toast! Cheers!

2012-01-01T01:34:00.000-05:00

POTD - Toast! Cheers!

Happy New Year!! A few hours before that clock struck midnight some friends and I gathered together with glasses of sparkling grape juice and toasted to the new year. We also gave thanks for those that were gathered together and those that couldn't be there. We said things about love and friendship, too. They were going on a bit too long so I suggested we have a sip and toast again!

I wish you all a Happy New Year! and I wish you only the best in the upcoming year.

Enjoy!
Kristin

December Links

2011-12-31T23:04:00.000-05:00

My December 2011 links

POTD - Lace and Palm

2011-12-30T01:22:00.000-05:00

POTD - Lace and Palm

I'm going to have to update this description because I never did get the artist and title of this sculpture, which is of a boy riding on the back of a dolphin on a big wave. There was a family taking pictures right next to the plaque and I gave up waiting before they were finished. What you see here is a tiny portion of the wave with a palm tree in the background. I liked the mixture of textures and the five or six different colors of green against that bright blue sky.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Major Award

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Major Award

A friend of mine (UP Annie) sent this handmade pop-up card to me in her Christmas envelope, which she made. I knew I was going to enjoy her card so instead of opening it in my car, where I open most of my mail, I tucked it in my purse so I could read it when all of my attention was focused on the letter. Then I promptly forgot about it for two days! Sheesh! When I realized what I'd done, I think I made that face shown above!!

I thought the pop-up card would make a funny photo of the day, but wasn't sure how to photograph it. When my friend showed up at dinner tonight with a leg lamp shirt on, I knew I had the perfect background! Thanks Matt for being such a great model and backdrop!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Please fill my stocking

2011-12-28T23:55:00.000-05:00

It's the same thing each year.

A few weeks before Christmas my husband and I have "the talk," the Christmas talk. Are we getting each other big gifts (no), what are we going to do for Christmas Day (go to the Christmas Day dinner with the transplant community), and last but not least I mention that he is responsible for filling my stocking.

It's the same thing each year.

He rolls his eyes and ends the conversation when I mention the stocking.

A week before Christmas I remind him. "Don't forget that you are responsible for filling my stocking."

He rolls his eyes and says, "I never know what to get you!" (which by the way is so untrue. He knows that the kitchen aisle and the paper/crafting/scissor aisle are all the further he needs to go.)

This helpful information is given to him each day until Christmas Eve when I stand in front of him and literally point to the door - "GO!"

Actually, I got that wrong. This year around noon on the day of Christmas Eve he sighed and said, "I never did get to the store. I'm sorry." Like he was given a pass because it was just a few minutes past noon. Ha!! Then, I stood in front of him, pointed to the door and said go.

I don't know why he does that because, just like every year, he comes home with a huge grin on his face, carrying three or four bags from Target saying, "I don't think all of this will fit in your stocking, is that OK?"

Then he spends about 20 minutes wrapping up a few things.
You know that I have already set up a wrapping station for him so it's easy.

And he can just hardly wait until I get to dive into my stocking.

This year in my stocking I received...

dishcloths
pot holders
sharpies
a brand new box of 64 Crayons
(he was so tickled. He said, "It's been a long time since I've gotten you a new box of those and look on the back, you can upload a photo on the Crayola site and turn those into coloring pages!")
a package of pens on a rope
A two pack of scissors
multi colored silicone spatulas
some candies and a few other kitchen goodies.

This is exactly the type of things we both love to give and receive. I was pleased as punch! I loved my stocking. And he really did have a great time shopping for all of it. I don't know why he resists so much. I'm actually surprised that he didn't buy me a package of Post-its. That's usually a guaranteed Tom gift to me.

I gave him - a bacon press, new plastic cutting board, Salt and Pepper grinder set, some Penzey's Spices and two of those long handled back scratchers. And probably a few other things I can't remember right now. We tend to give upgrades to our worn out kitchen tools as gifts. I like that.

Am I the only one that has to go through this? I doubt it, but it sure feels that way.

I hope you have a wonderful day!
Kristin

POTD - Element

2011-12-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

POTD - Element

One of the small burners in one of my rental condo stoves died within a few months of buying the condo. It was so low on the list of things to do that I had never called anyone out to fix it. The condo across the hall, mine as well, had dishwasher issues this week so I finally called in a repairman. Being without a small burner is one thing, being without a dishwasher is an entirely different matter. This guy repaired both appliances and for the first time in five years, the stove is running with all four burners. Good deal. The photo above is a close up of the burner element. Of course I loved the repeating lines.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Indulgences

2011-12-27T02:23:00.000-05:00

I've got a question for you. All of you.

At what point in the holiday festivities do you stop indulging?

We all know the New Year is coming and Getting Organized and Lose Weight are high up on many a New Years list - even if you don't have a list, or make resolutions.

Back to the things that run through my mind.

Do you abstain from most of the goodies from Thanksgiving to New Year?
Do you bake only the things you like so you will have more of a chance to have more of it?
Do you bake things you don't love so you won't over indulge?
Do you cruise the cookie table at all events eating a small bite of everything so it feels like you didn't have much at all?
Do you give yourself a day or two to indulge and then stop?
Is Christmas Day the end of the sugary snacks?
Do you ask your family to hide the goodies from you?
Do you have an end date? or maybe you don't even think about it?

Are you none of these?
Are you all of these?

Am I the one obsessed?

It's true, I'm a diabetic and the holiday season is amazingly hard on me. I can smell the sugar in the air and I can hardly resist. I made very little in the way of baked goods this year. Since we had our cruise I just knew I wasn't going to have the time to get it all baked, wrapped and delivered. I made chocolate covered pretzels and they were really great, but I didn't feel the need to eat them all :) I didn't make my very favorite Christmas delight, Kookie Brittle, because my willpower was at an all time low. There were some cookies still in the house that I managed to find today and that's when I thought about when I was going to stop. Then I wondered if anyone else had to tell themselves to stop?

I am so very grateful that I have not gained a bit of weight, except that one cruise pound which I have lost already, but I must stop the madness. I can feel myself wanting to wander through the kitchen to see if I can find a cookie, maybe some chocolate chips, anything to feed this sweet tooth that had too much this season. I realize that even if no one else has to, I have to give myself an end date and stick to it.

Salad in a Jar

photo and info from fat girl trapped in a skinny body

I've been hanging out at Pinterest quite a bit lately (you can follow me if you'd like. I have a button on the left side near the top) and food in a jar for gift giving was all the rage before Christmas. One thing I never once thought of was a whole salad in a jar, including the dressing. It wouldn't necessarily be in the gift giving category, but more of a homemade convenience food. (Brilliant!) I make salad and put it in a container, but I still need to add stuff. I love to eat salads but preparing them is the chore I dread. I have already gathered a few jars that would be perfect and I got my favorite salad fixin's at the store the other day. Now to create the salad.

So to redeem myself from a possible whiney post, I'll end it with the Salad in a Jar. You can pop on over to Julia's sight and read her hints on making a salad in jar that will last a week in the fridge and how she keeps her homemade salad dressing from separating. I do believe I will enjoy her website. I'm glad I found it.

This is just one of the many things I'm going to try in this upcoming year. I may make a list of the new things I've done. or not. we'll see if any of it is blog worthy :)

Don't forget to let me know about your indulgences and how you handle them.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Christmas Candle

2011-12-26T00:06:00.000-05:00

POTD - Christmas Candle

This candle was one of the many ornaments on the Christmas Tree where we had Christmas Dinner. I thought about photographing more of the ornaments, but I was so taken with this candle that I realized that this was the only one I wanted at this time. I'll kick myself in a few days, but for right now, I'm happy with that decision.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:23:00.004-05:00

POTD - Merry Christmas

This fabulous Christmas Tree with multi-colored lights was something I discovered in a park in St. Augustine. I had been wanting to find a public tree so I could practice my "bokeh" technique. Bokeh is the out of focus background in a photo. In this case, I chose to have the entire picture to be out of focus so that the Christmas lights would blur.

Merry Christmas!
Kristin

POTD - Green and Rust

2011-12-24T01:15:00.000-05:00

POTD - Green and Rust

Have you ever seen these giant round containers in and around cities? I have and yet I don't have a clue what they are used for? Are they treating waste water? Is this fresh water? Does it NOT hold water at all? Well, in Jamaica there were several of these all next to the dock where our ship pulled in. I really liked the patina of container and the rust and white of the stairway. The funniest thing though, was that I took this picture because I thought the palm tree was a mural on the side of the container. It wasn't until we walked back by it a few hours later that I realized it was a real palm tree.

Leave me a comment if you know what these containers are for because it's driving me crazy.

Thanks!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2011-12-23T00:27:00.000-05:00

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

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I didn't put a tree this year. I love my Christmas tree and I love going through each and every ornament, but I go through this every couple of years and I just can't begin to put up the tree. I have a set of lights on the windows and I have the stockings hanging as well as a few other decorations, but not the full blown decorating thing.

I'm not even Bah-Humbug! I am loaded with Christmas Spirit, just not the tree.

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I have this little Mexican clay Nativity set that I love, but I do something funny each year. Sometimes I don't notice until I put everything away after Christmas, but today I made it my photo of the day and so I noticed right away, but after editing. I rarely get the Joseph figure in the correct spot. Usually I put one of the Wisemen thereby mistake because he has this red heart looking box in his arms. I arranged my Nativity scene, took all of the photos I needed to pick out a good photo of the day, edited the photos, picked my favorite and added it to my 365 Photo Project calendar. Then I saw it. No Joseph. One Wiseman. Too funny.

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Our transplant community is having a Christmas Day dinner. This has been going on longer than I've been a part of the community, but it's so nice that I'm now more involved. I did make a suggestion this year and asked that the organizers listen to me -- I didn't like the food that we'd been served for the past few years -- so I asked if a few of us could make the side dishes and the organization could spring for the meat and dessert. Thankfully everyone agreed. Now I'm petrified that we won't have enough food. I just found out that we will have almost 50 people. I'll be a busy bee cooking Christmas morning!

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I teased my husband when I got home yesterday afternoon that I could tell he was super busy because the dishes hadn't been done and the overflowing trash was still there. He never does those jobs anyway and I truly was just teasing. I went and took a nap, due to a short sleeping night, and when I got up he had done the dishes, taken out the trash and was at the store buying groceries for the week. I love those types of surprises.

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That's Tom and I just last week on Grand Cayman.

Pretend that the water is a gorgeous blue because it truly was!!

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Today - 23 December 2011 - is the six year anniversary of my husband's liver transplant. What a blessing and what a Christmas gift it was for both of us. We have truly been blessed as Tom has really had very few complications since his transplant and is living a much happier life. He's still a grumpy guy, but those times come far less than they did pre transplant. :o) Who knew that one of the darkest times of our lives came to be the beginning of the happiest years of my life.

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I hope that you are enjoying Hanukkah or Christmas or the Solstice or whatever it is that you celebrate this time of year. I also hope that you stop by Mrs. 4444's place for more Friday Fragments!

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Under Water Vision

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Under Water Vision

I saw this boat hanging out in the port in Jamaica. It doesn't look like it gets a whole lot of business, but then again, I could be very wrong! You wouldn't get me on that boat, that's for sure. I can do a cruise ship, but not something this small.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Our Room with a View

2011-12-20T23:30:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have been married for ten years, as of June 23rd, 2011. We have been on quite a few cruises and we have always had a great time together so my husband booked us on a Christmas Cruise on the Norwegian Sun as our anniversary gift to each other.

I wholeheartedly agreed!

The cruise he chose was the Western Caribbean - Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Bahamas. We had never been to any of those places on previous cruises, so I was excited to go.

People always talk about the rooms on the cruise ships. Tom and I got a porthole view room just once, on our first cruise. The second cruise we got a balcony and we have had a balcony room ever since. I won't cruise without one.

On with the tour of our room.

We were at the very back of the ship - the last door on the right. This hallway actually doesn't look that long in this shot - it was around 800 feet long...OK, maybe 750. A football field is 100 yards or 300 feet. On any of the decks walking from the front of the ship to the back just didn't seem like a big deal, but getting onto the elevator at the front and walking this loooong looong hallway seemed like it took forever! There were several elevators that came to our floor at various points along this hallway, so we didn't have to walk it every time. I'm just being dramatic.

When we got to our room, this is what we saw. Our room was actually about 3 feet shy in length from all the other standard balcony rooms because we were that last cabin. There had to be enough turning room for carts and other assorted items in the hallway, so our room was shortened to make this possible. The other cabins on this side of the ship had a larger sofa that pulled out into a bed and there was a curtain between the sofa and the bed.

We had a nice closet on the right and a pretty big bathroom, for a ship bathroom, on the left in the hallway. I didn't get a photo of the bathroom - it was all white and just didn't photograph well at all.

This looks very odd, but this is the two views of our balcony. On the left is extended portion of our balcony. On the right is the normal size of the balcony on our side. Where the glass ends is essentially the end of our room and where the balcony should stop. Since we are the last room, we get that extra 10 feet or so. We got a lounge chair, too. We could see the entire side of the ship and the back, too. The balcony was worth every square foot that we lost in the room. Tom and I spent hours and hours out here.

The sunrise and sunset were never in the same place in the sky (from our balcony) because the ship was moving in a different direction from the morning or evening before - having the side and back view was advantageous. I saw a sunset that hardly anyone on our side of the ship could see from their balcony. Have I mentioned that I loved our balcony? OK, I thought so.

Here's the back of the ship that I took when we were docked in Cozumel. See those back balconies - they are just huge compared to the others.

We got the pleasure of watching another ship come in and dock. We were actually a captive audience - we weren't allowed to go to our ship until this one coming in was fully anchored and it took about 30 minutes. Still, I enjoyed seeing it all in action. It didn't make for good pictures though.

That was a quickie tour of the room and I tossed in the docking of the other ship just so I could show off that gorgeous Caribbean blue water.

I hope you have a wonderful day.
Kristin

POTD - Made in the Shade

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Made in the Shade

Out on the deck, just outside of the Garden Buffet on the Norwegian Sun, is a wonderful space to dine. The blazing sun and the rain could ruin an otherwise great meal, but the ships designers came up with this giant tent like structure to shade nearly the entire deck. The sun shining on the white fabric really accentuated the perfect seams. Of course I loved the play of lines and couldn't wait to feature this as a photo of the day.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - A Plate of Donuts

2011-12-19T23:30:00.000-05:00

If I haven't mentioned it a million times already, I am in the final days of my 365 photo project. Trying to come up with fun things to photograph elude me sometimes, so I keep my eyes open for possible photo topics to keep in my pocket and pull out when I need them.

I saw a blog post about donuts a while back and a plate full of donuts seemed like a real nice photo subject. Bavarian creme, chocolate with sprinkles, a couple of nutty donuts and some powdered sugar ones. Don't you just want to grab one and dive right in?

Me, too! and I know the secret!!

The secret is that these are not full sized donuts. They are mini ones. Very mini!

The tiny round sprinkles just look huge on that mini confection if you think about it.

All of these donuts are actually decorated Cheerios!

Yepper - Cheerios.

I kept putting the donuts in the freezer to keep the chocolate from melting as I arranged them on the plate for the photo shoot. I realized that this was a great picture to show the scale of the plate of donuts. I think we all know the size of a pound of butter.

That little teeny plate I found at the flea market. It's a small Holly Hobby plate. I picked it up for a dime. I'd looked in nearly every shop for something small to put the donuts into or on. I'm so fortunate to have found this plate near the end of our flea market tour.

I'd like to thank The Unconfidential Cook for the Tiny Treats blog post which started this whole quest for mini donuts and a teeny plate to put them on. I had so much fun and the donuts are the official photo for Day 353.

I hope you have a great day!!
Kristin

12 more days of my 365 Photo Project. Just 12 more days!

POTD - Mexican Snowglobes

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

POTD - Mexican Snowglobes

Ticky tacky snowglobes make me squeal with delight every time I see them. I did my best to arrange these before I took a photo. However, not all stores understand my kind of vacation photography. I think I was making the poor woman at the souvenir shop a bit nervous. We made her day though an bought a few items, but not a snowglobe.

Enjoy!
Kristin

The Four C's

2011-12-18T02:42:00.000-05:00

When you think of the Four C's, does a church in Cozumel come to mind? I'm sure you probably thought of the Four C's of a gemstone - cut, clarity, carat or color. Well in this case I'm talking about the Corpus Christi Cathedral in Cozumel, the island's largest Catholic Church. That actually may be the Six C's!

I just got back home from a week long cruise of the Western Caribbean and Cozumel was one of our stops.

I saw the bell towers from the ship and knew that those towers were going to be a destination for me. Once we got off the ship, I couldn't see the towers anymore, so I had to explain what I wanted to find and after a pow wow with a few taxi drivers, we finally found one who knew exactly where I wanted to go.

I was immediately struck by the intricacy of the ironwork on the three sets of doors that open up to the body of the church.

I don't know why these plowers were hanging here, but I bet they were just gorgeous a few days ago. I still thought they looked nice, even with the faded flowers.

The man on left hand side of the photo was praying (and watching me take photos when he didn't think I was looking) the entire time I was there. He had a picture he was holding in his hands.

The side windows were the same yellow, green and blue glass, but much smaller and less ornate.

One of the side isles was decorated for Mary.

I think the translation is Tender Mother.

I think I took a picture of every window in the place. (I was obsessed)

A close up view of the bell tower and one of my favorite types of palm trees. They have super sleek trunks without any stubble from old palm fronds.

I hope you have enjoyed a quickie tour of the Corpus Christi Cathedral on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. For more Sundays in My City, please visit Unknown Mami who always has a lovely party on Sunday.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Returning Home

2011-12-16T21:37:00.002-05:00

The Norwegian Sun is headed back to Port Canaveral. We've had a nice voyage with some rocky seas, some rain and quite a bit of cloud cover. There still has been plenty of sunshine, lots of activities both on the islands and on the ship and the rocking only made me sleep longer. Have I mentioned how wonderfully I sleep on cruise ships? Well, I do. I've taken a nap each afternoon, except for one, for at least 2 hours but most have been closer to 3 hours. The most wonderful part is that I don't get that groggy-I-should-not-have-slept feeling. I can pop right out of bed and run out the door.

I didn't take as many pictures as I'd hoped, but I did take one each day for my 365 Photo Project. I wasn't going to mess that up! I just had a hard time getting good shots when I was in a taxi or walking with a group of people. So many of the people I wanted to take pictures of were the local folks, but if they catch you photographing them, they want some money. So very very few people photos - sorry 42N!

The buffets, the ice cream station, the outdoor grill, the two dining rooms, the 24hr pizza and pasta station, and the specialty restaurants (Steak, Asian, Brazilian, Italian, Bistro and Tapas) all made for great dining options all day and night. Speaking of...one of the places had the best popcorn! I may go grab a small bag before I head back to the room. I'm sure I missed a dining option in there because there were so many, but all in all we were never without something to eat. Thankfully, I usually only ate a late breakfast or early lunch (I tried really hard to sleep in late) and dinner. So many people that I talked to ate way too much. I know I ate too much, but I went for quality rather than quantity :o)

That's all I have time for right now - I should be back with photos by the end of Saturday or on Sunday.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Washy Washy Happy Happy

2011-12-11T22:43:00.001-05:00

So far so good!
The Norwegian Sun is a lovely ship that's been around for about 10 years as this ship anyway.
One of the very first things we noticed was the hand sanitizer woman in the skywalk onto the ship. You couldn't get past her without getting a santizer spritz on our hands.

At the restaurants before walking in there's someone - "Washy washy happy happy," they say as they hold out the bottle and spray our hands. As much as I hate sanitizing sprays, I'm fairly happy about it being a ship wide thing. I bet it really helps keep cold and flu bugs from spreading.

In the morning we get to our first stop - Cozumel, Mexico. I didn't bring my computer so no photos from me until I get home, but I expect to take some fun shots.

Thanks for all of the wishes and blessings about my dear Mocha. I told my husband that I only thought about her 400 times today, but am so grateful that I don't have to worry about her.

My internet minutes are few, so I'm going to scoot.

We're having a blast!

Hope you have a great day!
Kristin

On the Good Ship Lollipop

2011-12-10T04:08:00.001-05:00

On the Good Ship Lollipop.

Well, this ship is called the Norwegian Sun. This will be my home for about a week. I've cruised on Carnival and Princess, so I'm really looking forward to the Norwegian line.

This is going to be our stateroom. We always have a balcony room when we cruise so we can open the door and get ocean air all night while we sleep.

There is an internet station, which costs a bit of $$, but I'm sure I'll check in a couple of times, but I'm not taking my own computer. It's a scary thought to leave my computer behind, but I can do it :)

I can do it knowing I have access to a computer!

Click to enlarge the map.

My Aunt and Uncle live part time in the Cayman Islands so they are going to come pick us up on Tuesday and give us the nickel tour. I'm excited to spend the day with them - how fun!

I'm looking forward to the cruise and not worrying about the health of my sweet Mocha. I think I cried myself out yesterday and the evening before and I hope to just enjoy the vacation with my husband.

I hope you have a wonderful week.
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2011-12-09T00:45:00.001-05:00

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

Welcome to Friday Fragments. Usually this is a post full of fun and funnies, but not today. Just fair warning if you care to scoot by quickly, it's OK.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival. For more Friday Fragments finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time. Thanks!

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I can hardly think of anything else but the passing of my kitty. I've cried gently and I've violently cried outloud into a blanket I just got out of the dryer. I've sobbed walking into the kitchen and seeing the kitty food dishes. I tear up just thinking about trying not to cry. My eyes are so swollen that I'm wondering if I will ever get them to go down before I have to go to sleep.

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She was 15 years old and not well. It's OK, I know. It was time. She was throwing up and not keeping a lot of food in her. She was literally starving to death before my eyes. I couldn't do that to her any longer just because I loved her. It was time. I have to keep telling myself that it truly was time.

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My husband, who can be so gruff and sharp at times has a super sticky sweet kitty voice that he uses to talk to cats. He adores them. He complains about having to pick things up from the floor, but will get down on his belly in a second if it's to play with the cat.

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Mocha loved me best. If I was gone her world was incomplete and she let everyone know it. If my husband was gone she hardly noticed. Maggie, Mocha's sister who passed a few years ago, now she loved Tom. Her life's mission was to get fed and sit on Tom's lap. Mocha looked at me with such love in her eyes and she never looked at anyone else that same way. She could look at me for hours, if it weren't for those cat naps!

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At least I can stop worrying about her. I've been so worried for so long. I might be crying from that great relief.

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I wrote on Facebook that I was taking the kitty in for a semi-frantic trip to the vet. By the end of the evening when I told of the passing of my sweet kitty I had received nearly a hundred messages of love. In a couple of hours I was hugged, loved, consoled, prayed for and blessed. I thought Facebook birthdays were fantastic, but the outpouring of love for my Mocha, husband and me was amazing. I am so very grateful for that. Thank You.

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Not the uplifting Friday Fragments post that I usually have and hardly even a fragment, but I could have gone on for days and this was the perfect thing to keep me fairly brief.

Thanks for being a Friday Fragment friend, or a friend of Mrs. 4444 or a Facebook friend or just someone who stopped on by. It means a lot to me.

Have a great weekend.
Kristin

POTD - Best Of...Mocha

2011-12-08T23:47:00.001-05:00

POTD - Mocha

It's been awhile since I did a Best Of photo of the day and today I unfortunately have reason to bring back an image from the past.

My dear sweet kitty was put to sleep today (Thursday Dec 8th, 2011) in my arms. Her sister, Maggie, passed away, with me by her side, July 31st, 2006.
Two beautiful, crazy, loving and totally food obsessed sisters.
My world improved the day they came into it.
We had Maggie 10 years and Mocha 15.

Kristin

Trips and Treats

2011-12-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy making treats and trees that I haven't even started decorating my house. I find that every couple of years I never actually get out my decorations! It's pretty easy to do since I don't have any children or parties at my house, but the main reason the non decorating happens is because I have a big event or vacation in December that takes up my time.

This year I have two things - I have the once a month potluck tonight and I've been doing the centerpieces for the tables. (those paper trees I blogged about the other day)

AND my husband and I are going on a cruise for our 10th Anniversary. Our wedding anniversary was in June, but a Christmas time cruise fit into our plans a bit better. So, I've been preparing to go away by getting the cat sitter all lined up and the mail tended and new clothes purchased and stuff mailed out to family and friends and and and -- the list is long.

Don't worry, I've broken up that TO DO list by making treats! I've never made Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods before, but it was very easy to learn and I think they turned out great. This batch came out better than the first and that's just because I had better "sprinkles" for the outside. I bought regular sprinkles the other day and the yellow and orange and pink bits just didn't look right. I finally found some that were all red, white and green and it made for a much more cohesive look. I love the Chanukah Blues so I always like to add in a little of that when I'm making Christmas treats.

I made three different kinds of pretzel treats - white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. The ones pictured are the milk. I ended up drizzling a little white chocolate over the top, but I never thought of getting a shot of them. Hopefully I'll remember to get a shot when I'm at the potluck.

I'm not taking my computer with me on our trip (shudder!!) so I'll probably only get to post a few times while gone - I'm assuming there is a computer/internet station on the ship. If not, then this blog is going to be very quiet for a few days.

Hope you have a wonderful day!
Kristin

POTD - Snowman and Kisses

2011-12-07T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Snowman and Kisses

I wanted to use the wrappers from all of the Hershey Kisses that I unwrapped for yesterday's baking project, but it was difficult figuring out how to feature them. I put them into jars and they looked cool, but not when I photographed them. I realized that they needed to be background. So I searched through the house and came up with a little wintery scene. My folded paper trees with my new salt glazed snowman from Eldreth Pottery , and the scattered wrappers made a lovely scene. I really loved that the glitter on the two big trees gave some sparkle in the photo!

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Tracks

2011-12-06T02:09:00.001-05:00

POTD - Tracks

I found this location by just driving around and keeping my eye out for something that might be interesting. The sun was getting pretty low in the sky but no sunset colors yet. I drove toward an industrial area when I passed over the train tracks and realized that there was a cutaway to a utility road right next to the tracks. That's the perfect place for me to be able to pull in and evaluate the area without being in traffic. I really liked this spot and when I saw this view I knew exactly what I wanted to capture. If you enlarge the photo you can see the train tracks disappear and then come up again over another little hill. That was what I wanted to see.

Enjoy!
Kristin

I didn't think the enlargement was big enough - so here is a larger, smaller version :) Not sure why I got a kick out of that view, but I did. Do you see that we have some leaves turning? Yep, it's still fall here in Jacksonville.

Folded Paper Christmas Trees

2011-12-05T21:18:00.001-05:00

Something inexpensive and abundant. That was my criteria for a Christmas project. I wanted to make the table decorations for our potluck on Thursday, but I didn't have any starting point. I remembered making these magazine trees and did a little search and found that they were quite popular all of a sudden. Tutorials were everywhere! Even Martha Stewart had them on her site.

You start off with a magazine or a dozen magazines :o)

If you do that next step through the entire magazine, it will end up looking like this.

You can do each step one at a time to each page or you can do the steps all at once. On the magazines I tend to do one step at a time through the entire magazine. On the little books, at the end of the page, I found it easier to do all three steps at once.

I cut some of the magazines in half (quite a chore!) and made some smaller trees as well as the big ones.

I sprayed the big ones with silver spray paint and then covered them with a fine glitter. I thought it would look more silver, but it just painted the very edges of the tree. I haven't quite decided if I'm in love with them or not.

Once I finally thought about it awhile, I realized that I could use a readers digest or a small paperback to make the smaller trees. I went to a thrift store or two and purchased all of the small 190 page romance novels. The ones with the women draped in some man's arms on the front cover! I tore the book in half (very easy!) and took off the cover and back and made these little trees. I love their color so I won't even spray paint them. All of the trees - big and small - will be going to my Liver Transplant Support Group Potluck as the table decorations. I think they are going to look great.

The trees were super easy to make, as you can see from the steps above, and I was able to fold the pages as I watched TV. That's of course always a bonus!

Hope you have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Parlor Chandelier

2011-12-05T03:57:00.001-05:00

POTD - Parlor Chandelier

The Elizabeth Swain Memorial United Methodist Church in San Marco, FL was one of the stops for the Holiday Open House the other night. It's a rather small church but one of the most unusual things about it is that just off the sanctuary is a parlor. I'd never heard of a parlor in a church before now. I didn't get any information on the chandeliers in the parlor, but there were two of them and they were beautiful. They each contained 24 lights and I can't even begin to count how many crystals. I thought it was such a lovely space with the crystal chandeliers and the blue-gray walls.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Holiday Home Tour

2011-12-04T18:57:00.001-05:00

On Saturday evening a few friends and I went on a Holiday Home Tour of 5 homes in the San Marco area of Jacksonville, FL. The very first house that we went to I asked about being able to take photos in the home and I was told no way. None of the houses allowed it.

So below you will see the unlawful photos that I took - most of them with my cell phone! I figure the outside photos were allowed, so only the interior photos were illegally gotten.

Please don't tell on me. :o)

This was such a great idea and made quite a statement in the kitchen.

It was a beautiful sunset.

This was such a great idea with the wreaths hanging from old windows. I have some old windows in my garage - I may actually do this.

This was the house number to one of the featured homes. It belongs to the ivy covered wall a few photos below.

I thought this was a really cute way to use a white Christmas tree. The three buttons on the snowman are black Christmas ornaments.

This house had wall to wall pine flooring and the entire place had the smell of pine. It was pretty cool. This is the stairway all decked out.

I would love to have this be the entry to my house! Oh I loved it.

The last place we visited was the church. This photo is really grainy but it was such a neat sight with the moon and the stained glass and the clouds.

Thank you for joining me on a mini tour of homes - If I was allowed to photograph inside the houses this post would have had a few hundred photos! The homes were just gorgeous.

For more Sundays in my City, go ahead and visit Unknown Mami. Lots of folks link up each week and it's a great time!

Have a great week,
Kristin

POTD - Candy Canes

2011-12-03T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Candy Canes

I have a craft project that I'm going to do this week that involves some candy canes. I hated to just keep them in the box, so I took them all out and started putting them in some jelly jars that I have in my glass bin. I hauled them all over the kitchen taking their picture, but the one I like best is the one where I put them in an old fruit crate with just a sliver of light coming through.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2011-12-01T20:55:00.001-05:00

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

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Today's Fragments are all things that I either read or posted on Facebook this week.
Mostly humor :)
Enjoy!

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My Friend: I've been reading a great book and got to the last few pages. Now I can't find the book nor do I know the title. Sure wish I knew how it ended :(

The very first comment she received said: He woke up and Suzanne Pleshette was beside him.

If you don't know what this is about, highlight the black line below.

In the Newhart Show, which ran from 1982 - 1990, this was the surprise ending.

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My Friend: I was trying to have a nice relaxing lunch break in the parking lot up the street from work, all of a sudden train cars are sliding at me and I'm running away screaming like sissy. (She further explained) I was standing right next to the tracks, it WAS like something out of a movie! I had just rang my husband on the phone and when he answered the cars started derailing so all he heard was me screaming, "OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD!"

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Lansing, MI got about 7-10" of snow yesterday morning so there were a lot of snow related posts, but this one got me laughing.

My Friend: ...so apparently amidst my morning drama of waking up late, getting the car stuck and shoveling myself out, I didn't notice that a tree fell on the jeep!

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This list of Adult Truths can be enlarged - just click! I thought a lot of them were quite funny and true! It has been shared over 30,000 times on Facebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if you had seen it already. I still had to share!

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My Friend: When you mistakenly put all your eggs in one basket, is it ok to throw that basket at something really hard when things don't work out?

I said: You might want to take one of the eggs out and put it on the counter before you smash the rest. It's good to have a nest egg.

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Help Portrait information on Photojojo

On December 10th, you can take part in Help Portrait by giving a portrait to someone in need!

With the forthcoming Christmas tree installations and mall traffic, give a portrait to restore dignity, bring smiles and even remind people, many of whom have forgotten, how beautiful they are.

I haven't been able to participate last year or this one, but I have a friend in Lansing, MI who is involved and she loved being a part of it. Donations are accepted, of course! They are also in need of picture frames to put the photos into after being printed. Check to see if you have a Help Portrait group in your area by following this link - Groups

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Mason Jar Pour Spout

I thought this was such a cool idea! It's just perfect for some bulk items that are easily stored in jars.

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If you only gave yourself credit, for all the things you do that you do not give yourself credit for, you'd be astonished to learn how much you really do accomplish in a single day. Every single day.

That's okay though, because I'm still "counting" all of it.

The Universe (From TUT's Notes from the Universe)

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Last week I blogged about all of the really cool gift guides that I had discovered.
If you missed it, here is the link. Gift Guides They really are worth looking at if you've got a few minutes. The online catalogs are quite nice and easy to read.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Kristin

November 2011 links

2011-11-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

Here are all of the November 2011 blog posts on The Goat.
(I do this for my organization more than anything else)

POTD - Drive-In Menus

2011-11-30T05:50:00.000-05:00

POTD - Drive-In Menus

The day was done and I had just a few hours until the stroke of midnight. I had to get my shot in for the day. Nothing had caught my attention until I saw this row of outdoor menus at a Sonic restaurant. I've actually never eaten at a Sonic, but I have always liked the nostalgia of having curb side service. Since there were just so many competing colors I found the black and white version to be my favorite.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Corkboard transformation

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

This cork board was not working for me. I had everything off of it before I thought about blogging about it - so there is no before shot, but just imagine stuff tacked up. I had pared down the quantity of stuff months ago, but I still never looked at it.

If I wanted this board to work for me, I needed to enjoy looking at it. I decided that all I really needed to do was to change the color of the background and I had an easy idea.

So I cut off a bunch of small strips of blue painters tape and lined them up along the side of the board.

And I started taping up pages from an old book. Don't worry, the book wasn't valuable as reading material.

Here is the whole board covered in pages.

The top row I taped the side that was covered up and then placed a map pin at the top of the page.

Then I placed a few items back on the board. It's my Vision Board, so I need to actually put the things I want to focus on in my life, up on the board - but since I wanted to take a picture of the board with stuff on it, I just added a few things. The Hello Kitty coloring book pages and the sticker envelope are from my nieces :)

I really need a storage solution for those plastic leis. I've used them several times at our monthly potluck, so I'm not throwing them away. Maybe just a clear box with a lid? That might be the easiest. Any suggestions?

I like this board so much better now. I might put a ribbon around the edges, but I really like the simplicity of the background. It's not dark, it has texture but it's not distracting. I now notice the board when I walk in that room, as opposed to never seeing it before. I think a vision board needs to be seen in order for it to do its magic.

Do you have a space that has been needing a change? A one dollar book from a thrift store may completely change the way you feel about your space. It sure did mine!

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Rick Rack

2011-11-29T03:59:00.001-05:00

POTD - Rick Rack

I keep seeing blog posts and photos about easy ways to corral ribbon by wrapping them around a clothes pin. I thought it was a cute idea, but I didn't get it. I didn't get it until I received this clothes pin with rick rack wrapped around it. It was just so sweet looking, not to mention I loved the green color. It's fabulous! I immediately unwrapped the rick rack and that's when I got it! The clothes pin jaws hold the end in place and winding up the ribbon or what ever you have, is so easy, no tangles and the other end can also be secured in the jaws. Simple and brilliant! It also made for a fun little photo shoot.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Three Elevens

2011-11-28T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Three Elevens

My friend, Diane, gave me this box the other day. Since I was unable to have my 11-11-11 party due to my illness, she decided to still give it to me in its "made for the day" box. Inside was a fabulous flamingo ornament. It made me laugh - I love it. When I was contemplating tossing the box, I realized that if I turn it on an angle it would read 11 - 11 - 11. I brought out the jelly beans that I had used the week before and ended up with a fun shot with my favorite date.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Calendar Swap & Cyber Monday deal

2011-11-28T01:27:00.001-05:00

I signed up to be a part of a calendar swap a few weeks ago. In fact, I asked for two swap partners because I didn't think I could possibly only pick one calendar! There are so many fabulous calendars out there - not sure if you have checked them out, but you don't have to go with the traditional calendar these days.

The first calendar that I received was this one from 1 Canoe 2. I actually had this one as a favorite in my Etsy account!

This is a letterpress calendar that fits beautifully into the little tree stump holder.

Whenever I look for a calendar, I always make sure that I really like the October image. October is my birth month, so I should be happy with that page, don't you think? Well, just look at the image on this October page. Those are some crazy looking robots! I love them.

I really like this calendar and even though I favorited it in my Etsy, I'm not sure I would have purchased it. I would have probably gotten the same artist that I get each year. I'm so happy that I joined the swap - I knew I'd get something different and with all of the cool calendars out there, I knew I wouldn't get anything but something that was cool.

I'll be sure and show the second calendar when it arrives and when it does, I'll show off what I sent.

Have a great day!

OH and it's Cyber Monday! That means that a lot of people are going to shop online today and this week. I'm having a Cyber Special for all my readers (and anyone you'd like to pass along the info.)

If you would like to order anything from my Etsy shop - Photos on the Run, put THANKYOU into the coupon code area and receive free domestic shipping on all items through Sunday December 4th. I have so many items in stock that I can usually send out your order the next day. Happy Shopping!

Thanks so much!

Kristin

POTD - Sunrise

2011-11-27T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Sunrise

I have made an effort to go to the beach several times this month to get sunrise shots. The colors of the sunrise (and sunset) seem difficult for me to photograph. They tend to get all washed out and the beautiful golden color that I see with my eyes rarely comes through with my camera. Yesterday morning I was there at the beach well before sunrise and stayed for about 30 minutes after and took a few hundred shots. I successfully captured what I saw with my eyes. It made for a very happy morning!

Enjoy!
Kristin

What the left hand does

2011-11-23T22:34:00.001-05:00

One of the many things I have learned over the years is that once a body part has been hurt, you discover how much you use it!

My left elbow has been giving me some trouble. I sleep with my left arm under my pillow and I strained it a few months back. It wasn't a big deal, but every so often I could feel a strain. Last week I must have slept in the same position for hours and hours and the elbow joint and muscles finally gave out. The elbow might have been slightly dislocated, but the muscles and tendons were stretched beyond their limits. For the first few days I thought just babying the arm would help, but I finally went to the Chiropractor and he worked on it quite a bit. He said it will take a few weeks to get my range of motion back.

I'm a righty, so I thought it would be no big deal to have a tender left arm. I mean how often do I use my left arm anyway? OH BOY! I use it a lot.

I've discovered that my left arm is the work horse of the two arms. For example, I haul around a bucket, well that's what I call it, to take everything I use or purchase during the day and haul it from my car to my 5th floor condo.

I use the bucket in the grocery store, flea markets, thrift stores, anywhere I go. I've discovered that my right arm has no idea how to pull the bucket. My left arm understands how to steer it in a crowd and basic maneuvering skills, while the right arm is clueless. My left arm closes the car door, takes change and merchandise at a drive thru, is the main arm used in driving. My right hand gathers up items and arranges the items in my left arm. So the left arm ends up holding everything, while the right arm and hand is free to do?? I have no idea! My left hand holds the phone to my left ear, which is the only ear that I can use on the telephone. (I've never understood that, but that's the way it is.) Thankfully my right hand brushes my teeth and feeds me, although flossing my teeth has been nearly impossible this past week.

I'm actually a pretty good sleeper - once I get to sleep I can sleep 8 hours no problem - but I do go to bed quite late. I sleep on my back for most of the night, but in order to get to sleep, I have a specific ritual and that involves my left arm under the pillow and the left side of my head snuggled into the pillow. Getting out of that routine is so hard. I've been pulling another pillow up on my cheek while I'm on my back, just to pretend that I'm sleeping on my side!

I have a new found respect for my left arm and I will not take it for granted anymore. However, it can heal up quickly and I wouldn't mind at all.

I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Kristin

POTD - Peace, Love and Ice Cream

2011-11-23T04:39:00.001-05:00

POTD - Peace, Love and Ice Cream

I was following behind this ice cream truck in a parking lot when I noticed that it was a really nice one. I've seen several ice cream trucks lately that look like they've been put together with sticks and spit! The message on the back of the truck was so true. Who can argue with Peace, Love and Ice Cream?!

Have a great day!
Kristin

Holiday Gift Guides roundup

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when the online gift guides come out en masse. I posted one the other day, (Emily's Holiday Guide) but that one just got me started! I decided to go through my Google Reader, which was well over the 5000 unread posts mark, and discovered all of these buying guides and do-it-yourself projects.

Have a cup of coffee, maybe tea, and kick back and enjoy flipping through these online magazines.

Anthology Gift Guide

OCD Cutting Board

This was just too funny not to pull out and share. haha!

Sweet Paul Magazine

Gifted Magazine

100 Handmade Christmas Ornaments

101 Ultimate DIY gifts

101 Simple handmade gifts

Holiday Gifts from Poppytalk

Additional links...
Handmade gifts Dec 2010 , Handmade gifts II Dec 2010, 50 Homemade gift ideas, Gifts in a Jar

There will be more, lots more, but these are the ones I found the past several days.
Have a fabulous day!
Kristin

POTD - Positively Glowing

2011-11-22T04:13:00.001-05:00

POTD - Positively Glowing

Late in the afternoon the sun hits the Muhly Grass at the gates to my condo community and the purpely seed tops just glow. It makes me smile every time I see them. I wish they lasted all year, but then again, they wouldn't be as special if I got to see them each day.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Coffee Anyone?

2011-11-21T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Coffee Anyone?

I took this photo at a local church when we had an event. Coffee and church seem to go hand in hand but they could have very well been at a breakfast dive as they've seen a lot of use. The neatest part of this photo, to me, is that I can clearly see two handles and only one coffee pot.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Jack Sparrow

2011-11-20T14:54:00.001-05:00

POTD - Jack Sparrow

Poor Jack was marked down from $8 to a measly $1.99. Even locked inside a plastic shell with glitter raining down, he still looked sexy as can be. Some folks are just like that.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Vintage Florida Photos

2011-11-20T01:30:00.001-05:00

I just recently discovered the Florida Memory Project website. It's a division of the library and information services and they have managed to collect over 170,000 digital photos. I think I can probably spend a few dozen hours looking through this particular archive. I pulled just a few photos from my search "Jacksonville Beaches" in black and white. I've been home sick for well over a week now, so what's going on in my city is a look back at the way it was.

Rosemary Carpenter, Miss Florida 1948, posing in front of sea-oats - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Date 1948
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number C010331

Jacksonville Beach "baby races"

Date 1973
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number C680688

Two young children fishing at Jacksonville Beach

Date 1981
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number C800981

Young women posing from behind a beach umbrella

Date 1930
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number SP01286

Ida May Roth at the beach - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Date ca 1924
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number N048043

Tourists walking along the Jacksonville jetties - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Date 1929
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number N032606

Group at the beach - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Date 1923 or 1924
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number N048045

Family standing next to its car at a Mayport beach

Date 191-
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number PR06772

Looking down roller coaster at the beach - Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Date Between 1930 and 1949
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number RC07957

Bird's eye view of Jacksonville Beach

Date 1946
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number RF00359

People walking near the beach in Jacksonville

Date 1936
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number SP00001

Young women with man at the beach

Date 1930
Collection Florida Photographic Collection
Image Number SP01284

I hope you enjoyed a look back at what it was like in Jacksonville, FL before the internet :) For more tours of cities near and far, please head on over to Unknown Mami's weekly carnival - Sundays in my City. It's one of my favorite places to be each week.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Inspiration through jelly beans

2011-11-17T08:32:00.000-05:00

I was reading a photography website (ClickinMoms - I have a banner for them on the left hand side of my blog) when I came across this photo of jelly beans in the article about photographing food.
I like things in jars and I like taking pictures of things in jars, so this just fit right into one of my themes. Since I don't eat jelly beans, it didn't occur to me that they'd make a good subject.

I try hard not to voluntarily put myself in the candy isle. I could live there.

After a facebook discussion on where to find jelly beans, I went to Target, bought two bags and didn't bring home any other goodies, amazingly.

Source - ClickinMoms

I just love this photo. (above) I like how clear the jelly beans are in the jar and how the jelly beans in the background are not in focus, but they still look like what they are.

When I first set up the shot in my house I put the jar and jelly beans on a white background. I thought that's why the colors popped out at me so much in the original. Those just didn't look right. Too white, too bold. So I had to go back and find the photo.

Ahhhh, it looks like a cutting board. A nice earthy color bringing out the colors of the beans.

That explained a lot!

I got out a metal tray in a dark earthy color, a tall glass jar and set up the lighting. Took a dozen shots or more. Then I switched out the tall jar with a shorter one. The shorter one had a larger opening and I liked that better.

This is the best shot from my first session. It's not as warm and cozy as the inspiration piece and I think that's because there was too much light shining on my beans and tray. Also, the tray was reflective, unlike the wood used in the original. My jar is too far toward the middle, which usually can be an easy crop, but I lost most of the jelly beans on the left side when I did that.

I had never taken a picture as inspiration and then tried to replicate it nearly exactly. I kind of like it! I can see things in mine that I like, but I can also see things that can be improved upon. I think I'll take more shots in the daylight (no natural light right now) and use a cutting board as the base.

It's good to know that I still have a lot to learn.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Night time on JTB

2011-11-17T04:12:00.001-05:00

POTD - Night time on JTB

It's been a while since I have done some road trip photography. That's my fancy way of saying "I'm pressing the shutter button on my camera, while driving, hoping to get something interesting." This evening when I went out for kitty food and jelly beans (an odd combo, huh?) I decided to take some shots from the steering wheel. Both hands on the steering wheel but a few fingers were holding on to the camera. I liked this shot best because of the wavy light off to the right hand side and the streak of yellow on the left that almost looks like a tiny flame. I have always liked the way lights show up in night pictures. They are like giant flashing neon.

Enjoy!
Kristin

JTB is the abbreviation for Route 202/J. Turner Butler Blvd.

Aunt Jean

2011-11-16T05:18:00.001-05:00

Aunt Jean is arriving!

She's my Aunt Jean but only because I have adopted myself into her family tree. Or I pulled her into mine. Since she's the actual Aunt of my friend Lori, then it would be more correct to assume that I have invaded their family.

I'm glad I got that straightened out.

Aunt Jean arrives on a midnight flight into Jacksonville, tonight. I will have my rear end firmly planted in the car that will be picking her up.

You know how some people just naturally connect to each other? I don't know what it is, but I love Aunt Jean. Hopefully she likes me well enough that she can tolerate my over enthusiastic bubbliness around her.

Lori, Aunt Jean and I are going shopping at the outlet mall in St Augustine on Friday. It's been years since I've gone out shopping like that, but that doesn't matter, I'm just excited about the company. Right now my voice sounds like a 100 year old smoker, but hopefully by Friday I'll be able to talk rather than croak. If not, I'll do a lot of listening. For those of you who know me, yes, I can listen! I can hear my friend Kevin saying something about being able to see the game on TV because Kristin will just keep the conversation going. He only had to nod every so often. (It's true and funny at the same time)

When I gave my hug to Aunt Jean in the Philly airport a year ago February, I asked her if she would be traveling to Florida any time soon. She said she didn't plan on it. Well, this will be her second trip down here. Thanks for planning on it!

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Swamp grass

2011-11-16T03:40:00.001-05:00

POTD - Swamp grass

In an area right in my neck of the woods is a retaining pond with a whole host of cattails. I thought all of the tall grasses were cattails, but this grass was different. I have done some investigative work (Google searches) and have not come up with the correct terminology to figure this one out. I may have taken a picture of the entire stalk, I can't remember right now, but these are the seeds. They seem to just push right out of the top of the grass. Wild looking. Speaking of wild. I sort of freaked myself out and got the heck out of there when I started wondering if an alligator was in the water waiting for me to get just a little bit closer.

If you know what kind of grass this is, shout it out. Ya know, it may be a pampas grass come to think of it. I'll check on that.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Indoor Flamingos

2011-11-15T04:41:00.001-05:00

POTD - Indoor Flamingos

My new pets have found their home in my home. Goodness, they've only been in place a few days and I see the shelf already needs dusting - they must be messier than I originally thought! I have to admit that I really do enjoy quite a few of the tacky Florida stuff out there. Although I have lived in Florida for 8 years now, this is my very first set of pink flamingos. A shell lamp may be in my future, yet!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Emily's Holiday Guide

2011-11-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

The Holiday Guide
by Emily Henderson

To say that I was shocked to find out who put this guide together is an understatement. Emily Henderson won one of the HGTV Next Design Star seasons and I wasn't sold on her. I have seen a couple of her shows on HGTV and I have found them to be pretty good, but I haven't been a consistent watcher. When I found the link to the guide and Oohh'd and Aahh'd over nearly every page, I would have never put Emily's name on the project. I will pay a lot more attention to her now.

Empty Parking Lots

I linked this up on Facebook and one of my sister's said "Well that might just be the best gift guide I've seen in my whole life. Fun fun." High Praise coming from someone who is one tough customer.

Go ahead, flip through the guide.

Everything in the book is clickable and will take you to the page you want and you won't lose the page you were on in the guide. (sometimes it's the little things that make me happy.)

Balancing Blocks

A range of prices are included for all ages.

DIY ideas and free printables.

Stripey Straws

I already have a pretty nice list of items that I would love to give or receive.
I may not give any of them but at least I've got some ideas in my head!
It's good to be a step ahead that's for sure.

The photos are just a few of the fun things in the guide, with links to the source.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Green Glass

2011-11-14T04:13:00.000-05:00

POTD - Green Glass

Green glass, green pottery, green grass, green trees. All pretty to me. Of course I loved this green glass jar collection I found in the house where I stayed on Martha's Vineyard this summer.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2011-11-11T18:39:00.001-05:00

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

Welcome to Friday Fragments! This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival. For morehttp://www.halfpastkissintime.com/2011/11/friday-fragments-episode-171.html finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time. Thanks!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I should have known when the Canada Dry Ginger Ale liters were on sale BOGO and I got two.

I should have known because my husband had left town for a few weeks.

I should have known when I scheduled my first party in years.

I should have known when I crawled into bed with my still sick husband the night before he was to leave town that I was going to get sick.

...and have to drink the ginger ale, be alone and cancel my party.

I'm grateful that I'm alone though. I had complete control of the remote, the couch and the bed.

I hope I'm halfway through this crud because today was just awful.

A friend of mine called and asked if she could drop off some chicken soup. That was just the sweetest thing! I always think I'm going to do something like that for someone, but by the time I really think about it, they are well again. Now maybe I will be more inspired since it's happened to me!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I found some pink flamingos a few weeks ago at a local shop. These were the original kind - with the metal legs that stick in the yard and just plain plastic pink flamingo bodies. It's actually very hard to find them here in Florida, so I was totally excited to see them for sale. Since I don't have a yard I didn't put their legs on. They are sitting in my bookcase. I love them.

I changed the name of my Etsy shop from Kirby3131 which I didn't want as my store name, to Photos on the Run. That is so much more like me. Most of my photos are taken when I'm out doing something else! I love the new name and am so grateful that Etsy let us change our name finally. If you every want to visit my Etsy shop (for a gift maybe? Christmas? Birthday?) I always have a link on the left hand side of my blog - You can click on any of the photos (in the Etsy banner) to take you there. Thanks always for looking and commenting on my photos. I so appreciate it.

I'm watching Season One of Project Runway right now on TV. (half watching half blogging) It was such a great show before the producers started picking the one to win instead of the judges.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

The photos in today's FF post are all from yesterday when I played around with some apples, a peeler and my pig cutting board. These were the outtakes.

Have a great weekend and Happy Veteran's Day and Happy 11-11-11.

Kristin

POTD - Love

2011-11-11T04:00:00.001-05:00

POTD - Love

I bought a dozen apples the other day to make apple pie for my 11-11-11 party. I have never made an apple pie before, but it's a Pioneer Woman recipe, so I figure I can't go wrong! However... I have since gotten sick (again!) and had to cancel my party. So instead of taking a picture of the cough syrup I've been taking as often as I can, I decided to pull out those apples and do something interesting with them. When I peeled this beautiful and tasty Gala Apple I noticed that the remaining skin looked like a heart. With a little clean up, I made sure it looked like a heart.

I think I'm going to have to make that pie anyway.

Enjoy!
Kristin

The apple pie recipe is actually from PW's cookbook.

POTD - Jewels

2011-11-10T06:04:00.000-05:00

POTD - Jewels

When I saw these lamps online at the auction website, I imagined photographing them. Once I got them home I was almost overwhelmed - I wanted to capture the shadow against the wall and the rainbow shine on the jewels. The lamps were so tall (nearly three feet) that I kept trying to get the whole lamp in the shot. When I focused on one section, I got the shot.

Enjoy!
Kristin

It's so gaudy!

2011-11-09T23:30:00.000-05:00

This wasn't what I was originally going to talk about today, but photobucket isn't cooperating with me tonight and I can't seem to get anything loaded. However, my phone was able to send a photo in, so ... I guess I'll talk about the auction.

I'm in need of an income and I don't want to get a job, so I'm going to start buying some furniture, fix it up a bit and sell it. The problem with this is that I love and adore buying furniture and I have a bit of trouble selling stuff I like a lot. The other day I bought a chair and torchiere lamp at auction. I may keep the lamp for my photo room. It gives off a ton of indirect light and I like that. The chair I will use for my party on Friday and then I have no problem selling it.

Tonight was a box lot and the cheaper furniture auction. You can get some incredible deals and I got a few of those tonight. I got a mirror for a dollar, a framed poster for four, a lamp for five, a scrabble game for a dollar and a pair of the lamps shown above for $30 each.

I really didn't want to pay that much for the lamps, but they were the entire reason why I went to this particular auction to begin with. Oh goodness, I fell head over heels for these gaudy darlings. I will be keeping them for a little while, but at some point I'll paint them, find some fabulous shades and maybe even rewire them and sell them.

On Friday, they will be sitting on either end of the kitchen bar.

Do you think they should be painted white? Maybe just a dry brush coat over the blue, so the blue still shows through?

I want to get another booth in an antique mall or craft space. I'd love to sell my photos and the cool things I find. I will be looking into that, too.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Snuff Kitty

2011-11-09T07:50:00.000-05:00

POTD - Snuff Kitty

When I was in Michigan I had the honor of photographing Snuff Kitty. Actually, her original name was Copenhagen but that turned into Snuff after a few minutes. When I talk about her I almost always add Kitty onto the end, hence Snuff Kitty. She is an incredibly quiet kitty with the silkiest fur. She loves to snuggle on top of the person sitting on the couch watching a movie and she loves to lay in my suitcase if she happens to get into the guest room. This photo was taken outside on the patio furniture that had been covered in fallen leaves.

Enjoy!
Kristin

The big clean up

2011-11-08T05:59:00.002-05:00

My husband is leaving for Michigan today. He's all better now.
It was a long process because of the steroids he was given, but his cold has been gone for days now.

I ended up being sick just a day and a half. Honestly, it was mind over matter. If I needed to rest and take some breaks, fine I'd do it, but I wasn't going to be taken down by a cold.

Tom packed up his truck last night and took with him a chair and ottoman that was in our bedroom. It was just a chance suggestion by me that turned into him asking if he could take the chair with him to his cottage in the U.P. I said that I really dislike the chair because it's too slippery. I can't sit in the chair, especially in the reclining position, without sliding down into an uncomfortable position. Truth be told I didn't like the chair when we purchased it, but he did and I gave in.

Since the chair is gone it has opened up a GIANT space on my side of the bedroom. We have another recliner-chair-thing that I purchased years ago, that never even made it out of the box. (I bought it in an attempt to replace the chair I disliked) Now it's in our garage buried under a table and who knows what. When Tom gets back from Michigan we'll go and dig it out and see if it has survived the years of neglect. I think I'm just going to enjoy the extra space for a few weeks. I might even have some different ideas for that space.

The odometer in my car even likes all ones.

I'm cleaning house like crazy because I'm having a party for 11-11-11. I rarely ask anyone to come over because my place is so disorganized and I'm embarrassed by it, but it drives me crazy that I can't show off my home. I've got a great place, if I do say so myself. I've been working for weeks on getting things condensed, tossed and given away and I am really seeing a difference. I also haven't dusted in goodness knows how long, so I've been doing that, too. The ceiling fans are all clean, the kitchen cabinets have been cleaned real well, the tops of all the art on the walls. It's your basic spring cleaning for several years all wrapped up into one massive effort.

The neat thing is that I think I can get all I want accomplished by the end of today - which will leave me several days to get crafty and make some fun stuff for the party. I've been resisting the urge to get crafty first and clean later!!

I am having trouble coming up with a food menu though. I'm going to make dinner for everyone and I'm just scratching my head. I'm thinking pasta, salad, bread - but what pasta? what salad? what bread? If I did this a little more often I wouldn't be so clueless.

I'm just grateful that I didn't back out of my party plans. I've been wanting to have a party on 11-11-11 for years now, but I was thisclose to blowing it off because getting my house organized enough just seemed too daunting a task.

If you want to come to Jacksonville, FL on Friday night around 6pm I'll be having a party.
Come on over!

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Geometry

2011-11-08T05:28:00.001-05:00

POTD - Geometry

I posted this photo on Facebook the other day and someone said that they loved the geometry of this shot. I knew there were a lot of things I liked about it, but the word "geometry" summed it up in just one word. I just hadn't figured out the word until it was written in the comments. Thanks Susi!

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Past their Prime

2011-11-07T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Past their Prime

I debated whether or not to use this as my Photo of the Day because the flowers are past their prime and some of them only have their seed heads. Then I realized that behind those flowers is the Muhly Grass which is in its prime with the brilliant purple tops. I originally took this photo just to see if the purple would come through and give a softness to the wilted flowers.

We do get Fall in Northern Florida and I'm happy I documented a little bit of it.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Ferris Wheel

2011-11-06T06:11:00.000-05:00

POTD - Ferris Wheel

I can't help but take pictures of Ferris Wheels. They are just so bright and lovely against the sky. I think they are beautiful against a blue sky or a nighttime sky. Oh and a sunset. I bet it was real pretty against a sunset, too. The funny thing is that I don't actually like to ride Ferris Wheels. I love a good roller coaster, but the slow moves of the Ferris Wheel basket makes my tummy do flip flops. Still, they are beautiful.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Racing Pigs

2011-11-06T01:58:00.002-04:00

A couple of friends and I went to the Jacksonville Fair on Friday. (Thanks Mike and Chris for suggesting the outing!) I've lived in Jacksonville for five years now and I had never attended. I'm used to the big county fairs that we have in Michigan, so I was quite curious to see what kind of a fair a Southern city could create.

I would have never guessed that I was going to see some pigs run around a track and jump into a water trough.

It was a very popular event! The pigs are a few months old and gladly race around the track so they can get to the end to get their reward.

What do you think motivates a pig to run?

Look at them go!
The little capes on them are their numbers, so that the crowd can root for their favorite.

They look like SuperMan with those capes.

In answer to the question - the pigs are motivated by an Oreo Cookie. That's their reward at the end of the track.

One of the other things that pigs like to do is swim!
The pig handlers said that if pigs had a nice big pool to swim in and cool off, then they wouldn't roll around in the mud (to cool off.)

Since the pigs enjoy the water a special water trough was set up for them to swim in.

This group of four came barreling around the corner and put on the brakes!! It was so funny. I think they are new to the water trough trick.

It took one brave soul to put a hoof into the water before the others would join in.

They were still racing to the end for an Oreo, so they made short work of the swim. I was amazed at how quickly those teeny little pig legs could paddle!

Snouts up!

I Win!!

But these fellas are right behind.

At the end of the show we could get a picture taken with this little piggy.

I completely enjoyed the Racing Pigs. They were a hoot!

That's what can happen on a Sunday in Jacksonville, FL. For more Sundays in my City, please head on over to Unknown Mami's place. Who knew you'd see a pig race when you came here?! You never know what others will blog about in their city.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Just a little drama

2011-11-03T08:05:00.001-04:00

We've had a little drama at our place the past week. My husband caught a cold last week, not a huge deal for most people, but being that he's immune suppressed that makes it a bigger deal than usual. This cold immediately became a hacking cough and fever type of cold. I gave him the OTC stuff for a few days, but on Saturday evening his temperature wouldn't come down and his coughing was out of control. Time to go to the Mayo Emergency Room.

Can I just stop here and say that I am so very grateful that we moved to Jacksonville almost 6 years ago. Walking into the ER at Mayo is just heavenly. Hardly a soul is there and all of the doctors in the ER are part of the Mayo Staff. We get right in and all of Tom's history pops up on the screen. Not to mention, they know exactly how to handle a post transplant patient and all of their medication dos and don'ts.

He's the only one at the ER, so he gets in right away. No matter how fast you get into an ER, the wait is three hours before you get to go home. Labs take time to test and read if nothing else, so I'm always fully prepared for a three hour wait. This night was no exception. The doctor comes in, chats with Tom, listens to his breathing, listens to his concerns and orders a chest xray.

Pneumonia.

They give him an antibiotic while he's there and give us a script for more.

Three hours later, nearly on the button, we go home.

The next day, Tom is feeling much better already and I feel awful. Damn, I got it.
I stay in bed half the day, rest and try my hardest not to breathe the same air as Tom. I don't want this any worse. I end up only being sick for Sunday and Monday and slept most of Monday, barely awake past 7 pm. By Tuesday I'm pretty chipper but still I could sleep most of the day!

Monday, Tom takes his antibiotic and is feeling itchy, but he didn't think a thing of it. I wasn't awake, nor was I sleeping in the same room as him with this cold the two of us had, so I had no idea that he was having a reaction to the meds.

Tuesday comes around, he goes out on a job and comes home complaining of being itchy. I suggest several things, but the medication issue hasn't clicked with me either. At 9pm he takes his antibiotic again and goes to bed. He comes back out an hour later and he is head to toe hives and red blotches. I run off to the drug store and get him some Benedryl.

Around the two hour mark, post Benedryl, his face starts swelling and he has a fat lip. Mayo ER here we come again.

Poor guy was allergic to the generic form of the medication. The ER folks spring into action and he is quickly given and IV Benedryl, Prednisone and a few other things to help him relax and doze off while the drugs work on getting the swelling down. Three hours later we are on our way home.

It's Thursday now and he is so much better. The hives haven't come back and he has hardly coughed at all the past 12 hours. He is jumpy and wide-eyed from the Prednisone but it's only a 5 day dose, so he'll get through it. He managed to fall asleep last night so that's a big plus.

So that's what I've been up to...

Hope your life has been a lot less drama and a lot more fun!
Kristin

Beauty in Ordinary

2011-11-02T03:57:00.002-04:00

POTD - Beauty in Ordinary

My jar of fortune cookie fortunes is filling up, which is really nice because now when I reach in for a fortune, I'm getting ones I haven't seen in awhile. This particular fortune that I grabbed said, "You find beauty in ordinary things. Do not lose this ability." I don't ever remember seeing that one before, but the interesting thing about it is that I hear this from people all the time about my photography. It never fails to inspire me to do more. Now that I'm in the push to finish out my 365 project and I'm feeling like I have already taken pictures of nearly everything around me, this fortune tells me that I need to just keep going.

60 days left.
Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Pumpkin on the windowsill

2011-11-01T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Pumpkin on the windowsill

At my sisters house I spotted this pumpkin with a red leaf on top just sitting in the windowsill of her kitchen. It was just so beautiful I had to stop and admire the simple beauty of it. Hope you had a happy Halloween.

Kristin

October 2011 Links

2011-10-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

These are the links to all of my posts for October 2011

Halloween

2011-10-31T16:50:00.002-04:00

Twas the afternoon of Halloween and the ordinary was starting to look a little scary.

Was this tree always this dark and sinister?

Could it just be the day of the year?

Pumpkins were huddling together hoping to be safe from the the ghouls and goblins that would be coming out after dark.

Some pumpkins sprouted wings and donned a mask just to blend in with the crowd sure to come by this evening.

This fireman decided to hang off to the side to make sure that the crowds stayed orderly.

For now the sun is still above the horizon, but soon it will be dark. Soon the streets near and far (except in New Hampshire) will have front porch lights on, kids in costumes and laughter and joy will be in the air.

When all have been tucked in bed, what will come out from the shadows then?

Happy Halloween!
Kristin

POTD - Halloween Bee

2011-10-31T08:21:00.001-04:00

POTD - Halloween Bee

I spotted this bee buzzing around someone's house. What a fun and interesting way to display pumpkins. Don't hit me, but carved pumpkins would hardly last a day in Jacksonville's 70º heat. You folks on the East Coast, I bet your pumpkins are buried under snow! Hope you can find them :0)

I do hope this is a fun and enjoyable Halloween for everyone!

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Spicy

2011-10-29T08:29:00.001-04:00

POTD - Spicy

One of my Michigan trips I found myself at an estate sale with my Mom. I recall seeing quite a few big or heavy things that I would have loved to haul home with me - a typing table, a large framed poster from the 70s, books. One of them was a gallon zipper bag with seven spice tins and a small box of birthday candles. All for the bargain price of 50¢. I remember telling my Mom that I was going to need these for a photo shoot some day. I was right. I was fresh out of ideas, when I remembered the spices. I tore out a page from a 60s cookbook to make the backdrop for the tins and spent some time arranging and rearranging the tins until I finally got a shot I liked.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2011-10-28T23:12:00.000-04:00

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

Welcome to Friday Fragments! This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival. For more Friday Fragment finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time. Thanks!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I've discovered that when you have a credit card that is completely paid off, big money things find their way to the pocketbook. $5000 in teeth (just mine), $40 three times a week for 6 weeks for the Chiropractic appts that I need for my back and neck, $600 on the car, once a year automatic payments show up - so I knew about that one, but had forgotten the time of year. I think there are a few more, but I'm in denial.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

At our monthly potluck one of the women makes a really great punch. She's kind of a jokster so I purchased a shark fin ice ring that I'm going to freeze. At the next potluck I'll sneak it into her punch. I think she'll get a kick out of it!

Google images
This is the mold. It's a hoot!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

For the They Grow Up So Quickly part of the program.

I took this picture in October 2010 when I went home to Michigan to visit with my family and my nieces.

This is Scarlett the week of her first birthday.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

This picture is Scarlett, October 2011. It's once again the week of her birthday. I took this photo in the same park and on the same swing set as I had the year before. She looks like such a big kid and she's only two!

I'm totally jealous of her curls.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I have seen this photo on Facebook a dozen times and it never fails to crack me up!

Hello?

Is it me you're looking for?

I can see it in your eyes

I can see it in your smile

You're all I've ever wanted

And my arms are open wide

'cause you know just what to say

And you know just what to do

And I want to tell you so much

I love you

I long to see the sunlight in your hair

And tell you time and time again

How much I care

Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow

Hello!

I've just got to let you know

'cause I wonder where you are

And I wonder what you do

Are you somewhere feeling lonely?

Or is someone loving you?

Tell me how to win your heart

For I haven't got a clue

But let me start by saying I love you

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

We only have 64 more days of the year 2011. We've already passed through 301 days. Can you remember most of those days? I can't. I'm glad I have a blog so I can remember what in the world I have been doing this year.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I've got dozens of people collecting bread bag tags for me. It's fun going to the mailbox and finding a little envelope with a few tags tucked inside. Had I realized this project was going to bring me more snail mail I would have started this a long time ago! Thanks everyone, I'm still collecting. If I could fill an entire wall with them, that would be awesome. I have a vision of a backdrop of the tags with photographs hanging in front.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Thanks for stopping by my late entry :0) I'm just happy to be able to participate this week.

Don't forget to visit Half Past Kissing Time to see the other Fragmenters.

Kristin

POTD - Cattail Reflections

2011-10-28T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Cattail Reflections

The sun was in the perfect place to lend some light to the photo. The water was barley moving but left enough of a ripple to make the reflection interesting. The water reflected that brilliant blue sky and the cattails. It all added up to a really fabulous find.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Doing a little detective work

2011-10-27T23:22:00.000-04:00

If ever there was a use for a thesaurus it's when you're trying to do a search for something that you know very little about. I kept wanting a new set of words for "seed pod" and had very little luck.

This afternoon on my photo journey to find something interesting for my 365 project, I came across some interesting seeds.

I tried to take one of the seed pods with me, but they were really stubborn! I broke the pod of the one I was trying to pull off and the stem to the plant never did break off.

I took a photo of the seed pods, but there weren't any flowers on the very tall plants.

So I come back home and try to Google some keywords that relate to my seed pod to discover the name of the plant. I switch to images so I can go through them quickly.

I tried
Black Seed pod 5"
flower seed pod black four sides
Black seed pod + bean-like (I got beans - hundreds of bean photos)

Nothing.

I just assumed it was a flower, so I tried
black seed pod bushes

Nothing

Finally I started THINKING!
that's difficult some days.

Florida Flowers with black seed pods

BINGO!
It was on page two, but there they were!

Source

Candlebrush is a member of the bean or legume family, and there are two different species that go by this common name. Other common names for this bold tropical beauty are Christmas Candle and Emperor’s Candlesticks. So it’s important to be able to identify today’s featured plant as Senna alata. (And to add to the confusion, older books name this plant as Cassia alata.)
(Source)

Source - Top Tropicals - Senna Alata

According to the UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service, where the above quote was taken, these cool looking plants have some bad habits. They are a bit invasive, the entire plant is poisonous if swallowed, but are used for medicinal purposes and they really only have a three season life. They can become quite large, think shrubs, and they create sucker plants like crazy. I guess if one were to plant this flowering shrub you'd want it to be confined to a small location so the gardener could weed the suckers easily or to give it tons of space to just take over.

I'm going to try to go back to the location where I found the bush, this time armed with a knife or pair of scissors, and get a few more seed pods. They are just terribly cool and I want to photograph them in an unnatural environment - like my table!

Have you found an unusual plant lately?

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Really Great Cookies

2011-10-27T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Really Great Cookies

I picked up three cookies to bring to a friend's house, knowing of course, that the cookies would have to be my photo of the day. I just assumed that my friend would have a nice plate or something decorative that I could use as the base for the cookies. After searching through his cupboards, pantry, books and blankets, I discovered these neat silver and black DVD cases. I teased him about being a BOY and not having anything fancy. It was a bit of an effort, but I think the background and the DVD cases make a nice backdrop for the really great cookies!

Enjoy!
Kristin

JibJab Disco

2011-10-26T23:18:00.003-04:00

The past couple of years my friend, Steve has created a birthday dance for me on Jib Jab.

They are always so funny!

I think Steve looks like a disco queen in that perfectly curled hair, don't you? I remember my hair looking like that a few times.

Then there's me, in the psychedelic shirt and that far out afro! I love it!

I didn't realize I had such dance moves.

But Steve and I must have been a hit at the local disco.

We had all the moves!

And then I had to take center stage - Look at Meeeeeee!!!

I can't believe that it's been 9 days since my birthday. I really did sleep through that week!

I'm nearly feeling 100% and with that enthusiasm, I'm able to embarrass myself with these photos.

Thanks Steve!! Thanks JibJab!

For a few days this link will be active - Click to view the Disco Birthday in its entirety.

Kristin

POTD - Pine Cone

2011-10-26T10:46:00.002-04:00

POTD - Pine Cone

It's Fall in Florida. Sometimes it is hard to tell when Fall has arrived as the trees hold on to their leaves until the middle of December. The pine trees, however, produce their cones this time of year. A perfect time to gather them for Thanksgiving and Christmas displays.

Enjoy!
Kristin

I have survived...so far

2011-10-25T06:20:00.000-04:00

I know that I kind of left my last blog post talking about my teeth and saying that I was having a root canal on Monday.

I had no idea that my days between that appointment and the one on Monday would consist of me becoming one with the couch, eyes closed, passed out cold, for days on end. My nights I slept in bed, rarely moving until the pain meds wore off.

When the pain came back it wasn't on soft kitty cat feet, it came roaring over me like a hurricane.

Normally I can take pain pretty well, but mouth pain is an entirely different category. I cannot tolerate it. Now is probably a good time to mention, if you hadn't figured it out already, I'm not very functional on pain medication either.

Thankfully Monday 8am finally arrived and I had my root canal. My heart was beating out of my chest, but I was fairly calm after a few minutes and my mouth was numbed up. My new-to-me dentist did a real nice job. He didn't numb me too much and not too little. It all wore off within an hour of being home. My jaw still hurts, but he had a lot of work to do in there. Tylenol is working just fine to keep my pretty pain free today. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a much better day.

Since I'm no longer sleeping the day away I expect I will rejoin the blogging world. If I could have held onto a thought for more than a second, I wouldn't have taken the week off. Then again my blog is about my life and last week my life was all about sleeping!

I will be fitted for two crowns next Monday. The fun never ends!

Hope you had a great week!
Kristin

POTD - Pile o' pens

2011-10-25T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Pile o' pens

On Saturday I attended the Gift of Life Celebration. Mostly transplant recipients attended this particular event, but there were a few kidney donors and donor families. We had a lovely BBQ meal, listened to a few speakers and looked at the information tables full of literature, pens, car magnets and bumper stickers. The green pens were just one of the many freebies available at the event.

Whenever you see a green band on someone's arm, it probably means organ and tissue donation, just like most pink bands are linked to breast cancer awareness.

•♫♪..♪♫•It's not easy being green•♫♪..♪♫•

www.donatelife.net

Enjoy!
Kristin

Dental news

2011-10-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

Well, just as I suspected, I've got one expensive mouth. It's all my husband's fault. Well, not his direct fault, but when he started getting sick 7 years ago I took my stress out on my poor teeth for a few months by grinding them in my sleep. I broke a tooth at that time and cracked a few fillings. I went to a dentist and they fixed me up...

They actually did a pretty shotty job and left gaps between the filling and the tooth, I later found out, which has caused so many issues. After Tom's transplant I needed to have extensive dental work, but I couldn't afford it all at the time, so I opted for just a filling for the tooth that needed it most. The rest I'd deal with later.

It's now later.

I am now in need of a root canal and crown for the broken tooth that causing all the pain. I also need two additional crowns and the removal and replacement of the fillings that were so poorly done years ago. One or both of those may need a crown, depending on what is found once the fillings are removed. My molars have extremely deep pits and they have been filled and filled and filled until some of them are half tooth and half filling. This just creates problems.

The bill for the proposed treatment of all issues found today is $5,744.00

It boggles the mind.

My husband's liver transplant was well over $300,000 so I know about medical bills, but it just seems like a little ol' tooth or two shouldn't cost more than a down payment on a cheap car.

Monday at 8am I'm going in my my root canal. Wish me luck!

One of the good things about getting new xrays. If anything should happen to me, I now have current dental records and that can help with identification if necessary. (I watch far too many forensic shows)

I hope you have a great day!
Kristin

Home, birthday, dentist

2011-10-19T21:20:00.004-04:00

I'm home!

I had a birthday!

I have a broken tooth.

I've been sleeping most of the past two days.

I'm getting my tooth looked at and hopefully fixed in the morning.

I'll be back good as new real soon!

Kristin

POTD - Mail art and gifts

2011-10-18T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Mail art and gifts

It may be called Snail Mail these days, but it's pure JOY when it's unexpected art and gifts! I have to admit that I did know that I was getting some bread bag tags and some mail art, but the extras were all unexpected and totally fun! Another friend asked for my address the other day because she wanted to send something she got in Hawaii. You can't see it very well in the photo but mixed in with the bread tags is a Pineapple Pete smashed penny! Thanks so much Susi and Tara for the fabulous snail mail.

I'm getting some ideas for Christmas cards...hmmm.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Fall in Michigan

2011-10-17T02:10:00.000-04:00

Fall in Michigan.
Oh how I love thee.
Let me count the ways.

The start of the Michigan State University semester - the students are back, the student rental houses are full, the stores are busy, the place is buzzing with activity.

College Football. Michigan loves it's College Football and I'm an MSU Spartan. This year MSU is host to the MSU v UofM game. Each year since 1953, the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State game receives the Paul Bunyan Trophy, a 4-foot wooden statue of the legendary lumberjack. Michigan State has had the trophy sitting in it's case for the past three years and I know we plan on keeping it this year, too.

(I wrote this days ago hoping to publish, but alas I didn't. However, I'm happy to report that my Spartans did indeed win that game and keep the trophy!)

Fall means LEAVES! Lots and lots of leaves of varying colors and sizes falling from the sky and rustling on the ground.

When leaves are on the ground you can hear things. You can hear a squirrel digging for acorns, cats running through the grass or friends coming to the door.

Cool weather is almost guaranteed, but sometimes you get that amazing Indian Summer where the temperatures are way above average and the sun shines bright. It's an incredible event because just when you thought your summer activities were over, you get a quick do over! My MIL and FIL spent several days relaxing by the pool during this years Indian Summer which lasted nearly two weeks! Unheard of.

Drinking apple cider and picking out pumpkins.

Allergies. Yep, I'm allergic to Fall. The dust of the leaves, the decay and the rain of Fall do a number on me. It's really hard NOT to jump in the leaves! I suffer every year and I keep coming back. The beauty of it is intoxicating and I have to do it again. (OK, so I don't love allergies, but it's expected in my version of fall)

My birthday. Now my birthday will take place whether I'm in Michigan or not, but it's always nice to have a little birthday celebration when I'm in town. This year the celebration was for the two year old, Scarlett, who was born just two days before my birthday. It was fun being a part of her birthday this year. I'm going to celebrate mine with a few folks in Jacksonville. It seems I've met several folks who also share a Libra birthday with me.

Hope you have enjoyed the things I love about Fall in Michigan.
Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - BWL Smoke Stacks

2011-10-17T01:36:00.000-04:00

POTD - BWL Smoke Stacks

Industrial buildings, electrical towers, utility poles, street lights...all of these fascinate me. I like the symmetry of them I think, but also the use and decay of these items. The Board of Water and Light (BWL) power station and smoke stacks are an icon in Lansing and something I love to photograph each time I come to town. A new plant is soon going to take the place of this one and Wynken, Blynken and Nod will be shut down. I'm almost terrified, OK, so I'm being a bit dramatic here, but I'd hate to see these stacks torn down. I have no idea of the future of the BWL smoke stacks, but they will always be a part of my memories of Lansing, MI.

Enjoy!
Kristin

(Used Pioneer Woman "Colorized"action on the photo)

POTD - Pumpkin Tendrils

2011-10-16T00:47:00.000-04:00

POTD - Pumpkin Tendrils

My sister picked out a pumpkin from the Uncle John's pumpkin patch that had these lovely dried tendrils still attached. It really is the little stuff that gets me so excited. I guess it runs in the family because she picked this particular pumpkin because it had the little curls. I wish I could stick around Michigan longer to actually witness the carving of the tendril pumpkin, but that's just not going to happen. I go home on Monday.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Fallen Tree

2011-10-14T01:04:00.004-04:00

POTD - Fallen Tree

I've been to this barn a few times already this trip, but this photo is from the other night when the sun was going down. I was on my way to a friend's place to pick her up for dinner when I noticed how beautifully the surrounding landscape was looking in this gorgeous light. I immediately thought of this barn and how it would probably look so lovely in the yellowing light. I was almost late picking up my friend because I stayed much longer out here taking pictures than I intended. To be honest, I'm not sure this is the best shot - it's really busy with all of the elements, but it's my favorite.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Zoobie's

2011-10-12T08:59:00.004-04:00

POTD - Zoobie's

Zoobie's Tavern is no longer open in Old Town*, but the cool sign still remains. I never saw the sign lit up at night, but I do hope that the ends of space ball on top lit up or blinked or something! Do you see that clear blue sky? It's an unusual sight in Lansing, that's for sure. It was a bright sunny day and 80º in October. What a fabulous day!

Enjoy!
Kristin

*This particular Old Town is in Lansing, MI.

POTD - Weed Seeds

2011-10-11T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Weed Seeds

This late in the season, it's rare to find a dandelion puff ball in the yard, but my niece found one and brought it to me. I immediately got my camera out and thought it might look really cool with the fall color backdrop right there for me. I think I was right, it does look cool. (If I do say so myself!)

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Stella

2011-10-10T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Stella

The middle one, the lovey one, the brown-eyed one. This is Stella. She had been sick for the past couple of days, so I waited to get her close up on a day when she felt better. We were on our way to the farmer's market for their fall harvest event when I asked her to stop for me. Stella smiles and laughs and giggles all the time, but it's hard to get her to smile for the camera. Thanks honey for doing such a great job for your Tottie!

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Zora

2011-10-09T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Zora

Zora would prefer to be left alone to play games on the computer, watch TV, draw, write and illustrate her stories...well, pretty much she wishes she didn't have sisters that mess with her stuff. That's very important to a seven year old. Zora took a moment out from playing a computer game to look at me. Thanks Zora, I really like this one.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Scarlett

2011-10-08T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Scarlett

Scarlett peeking between the balusters of my Mom's stairway. It's blurry but I don't care. Scarlett runs so much that's about all you see of her anyway - just a blur.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Life Jackets

2011-10-07T06:11:00.000-04:00

POTD - Life Jackets

My niece, Zora, asked me a few days ago if I would take her to her swim lesson at the YMCA on Thursday. How I could I refuse such a simple request?! Of course, I'd take her, but on one condition...I was going to need her cooperation when it came to picture taking. She agreed.

Thursday arrived and since we arrived early she got to play in the wading pool. A couple of times she said, "Take a picture of me doing this, Totttie!" So I did. (I was a very happy Auntie to say the least.) While she was getting some direction from her swim instructor, I wandered off to this delightful display of safety. I fell in love immediately. I do enjoy a nice row of similar objects, but I was loving the few life jackets that were of a different color. That made me very happy.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

2011-10-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

Welcome to Friday Fragments! This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival. For more Friday Fragment finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time. Thanks!

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

I truly believe that what you think about, you bring about. I thought I'd really test that by thinking about Indian Summer in Michigan during my vacation there. I was seriously not prepared for a cold spell. Wouldn't you know it, it's been in the mid seventies and sunny for the past four days. GORGEOUS! It's supposed to stay this incredibly wonderful for the next week, too! Yee Haw!

My niece Zora said "I'm so excited that it's a free writing day in our journal because I prefer to write 'Realistic Fiction.' " She's seven. I don't think I've ever said the words realistic fiction in my life.

I have eczema on my elbows. It's been a problem all year. They used to itch, but now that most of it has gone away I've pretty much forgotten about it. I don't often see my own elbows, so it's easy not to think about. My niece Stella (3), who my sister calls Stella Nightingale, has asked me about my elbows several times the past few days. She points at them and looks very sad. Today when she was in the bathroom washing her hands she handed me the Lubriderm Lotion and said "Here. Put this on your elbows." I guess I need to keep them lotioned up when I'm around her.

A girl I went to school with asked me if I'd like to see her while I was in Michigan. You could have blown me over with a feather, as we really haven't spoken much since we were in Brownies together in elementary school. I've been having some really great conversations with people who I didn't know very well in school but am meeting again as an adult, so I'm going to see her. I am looking forward to our visit and am so very grateful that she asked to see me!

I'm having to fill up my weekend as my very dear friend Bob will not be joining me in Michigan as originally planned. When she called to tell me that she was cancelling her trip I was stunned - stunned to silence. I just didn't have a thing to say to her. Bob, I love you, but all I wanted to say to you was all the things I thought we could do this weekend. I even brought the Moroccan Argon oil and conditioner so you wouldn't have to pack it in your carry on. We even put the soft sheets on the twin beds, not the sandpaper ones we had last year. I know I won't change your mind, but you will be terribly missed. I'm sure I'll think of something to say in a day or two. Just give me a chance to not burst into tears, OK?!!

Speaking of trips. My Mom booked her trip to Nairobi yesterday. WHEW! That's going to be one heck of a vacation. It's hard to say that my mom is going with her boyfriend*, but that's what he is - so anyway, her boyfriend's daughter is going to school there for a semester (or more, I'm not sure) so they are going to go visit while she's there. My Mom has always wanted to go to Africa, so this is truly her trip of a lifetime.

*boyfriend just doesn't fit for anyone over the age of 25, in my opinion.

*•-:¦:-•:*''''*:•-:¦:-•

Have a wonderful weekend! I know I will even though Bob won't be here with me. I'm kissing my nieces every chance I can get and giving them words of advice that I'm sure they will remember for a moment or two. Please stop by Mrs. 4444's place and see what the other Fraggers are doing today.

Kristin

The photos are of a painted bronze sculpture by the artist J. Seward Johnson. He donated the sculptures to Jacksonville Beach and now they reside in Latham Park, just steps away from the Atlantic Ocean.