Category: Funky

Trick-or-treat!

Spooky!

Happy Halloween!   This the season… to carve the pumpkin, don my jack-o-lantern earrings, and put a bowl of candy by the door.   It was five years ago today that we closed on our old house and officially moved into this house.   I was looking forward to living in a new neighborhood, and visions of hoards of trick-or-treaters danced in my head.

That first year, I was bummed that there was only one knock on the door all night.   Since then I’ve come to realize that the number of trick-or-treaters coming by a given house on Halloween is inversely proportional to the median age of the neighborhood, which, in our case, is about 70 (or thereabouts).  For tonight I bought one small treat bag of peanut M&Ms, just in case.  So, of course we got a bunch of kids — the M&Ms ran out before 8PM.   It seems that over the last five years we’re getting a bit of turnover in the neighborhood, more young families with kiddos.

So, watch out, Halloween 2012 will be BIG!

P.S.  this is my first blog post from my new Mac Book(!)

Happy July 4th!

Drill Team

I was bummed that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Susanne, she left without waking us up this morning…we had gotten in very late last night from Madison.   But, I’m so glad we had a great visit.

Today we headed to Cincinnati again to visit a friend of Monte’s from many years ago, Gwen, and her son Devin.  We met at her house and after a quick chat I found out that Gwen and I may be related (!)   Her dad was born in Ireland and some of her people come from the same town where my dad grew up.  Small world!

After putting away the family trees, we walked down the street to watch the Northside 4th of July parade.  A very funky affair indeed.  This is a shot of the Northside Men’s Drill Team.  Get it?  DRILL team?!  🙂

We had a great walking tour of the Northside neighborhood and got a chance to check out some beautiful restored homes, and a former, old time can factory which is being renovated for apartments.

After a great visit in Cincy we headed back to IN and made the obligatory stop at Skyline for a 3-way.  Then we drove to Gary & Judy’s to visit with them.  As (fantastic) hosts for the reunion they were pretty busy all weekend, and we didn’t really get a chance to spend time with them.   So I’m very glad that we were able to do that tonight.

For now, back to the Courtyard, getting ready to pack everything up for the return flight tomorrow.

Goodnight!

May 23, 2011

P is for...

Pasta.  Pizza.  Provolone.  Prosciutto.  Portobello.  Pottery.  Pinot Noir.  Passion.  Patience.  Polenta.  Palapa.  Prayer.  Peace.  Painting.  Parmesan.   Projects.   Persevere.

Photoblog.

Apr 29, 2011

A little freaky.

I had an appointment with the eye doctor this morning. First they numbed my eyes to check for glaucoma. Then they dilated my eyes to look in them.   I’m going to give the monovision contacts one more try.  If that doesn’t help then i’m going to have to try the dreaded progressive lenses.  😮

I took the opportunity to see what my dilated eye looks like up close.    It kinda reminds me of something from an old movie I just saw the other day – The Exorcism of Emily Rose.   The kind of scary movie that keeps me up nights.  You’ll have to see it, cause I don’t want to think about it.

Anyway.  Suffice to say that my eyes eventually got back to normal

Mar 8, 2011

Happy 1st blogoversary!

Today is the 1 year anniversary of my starting this blog.   To mark the occasion, I made a collage using all 365 of the moments that I’ve posted here.

I can recall taking each one.   🙂

I started this in early March last year, in time to capture the signs of Spring, and into the Summer as things began to warm up and as we spend so much time on the lake… then through the changes in Fall and Winter when we spend more of our time on projects and playing with friends on land.  I’ve come full circle, and am looking forward all the moments from the coming year.

Happy Mardi Gras!   and  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lori and to Mary!

Mar 7, 2011

Day #365!!!

Today’s post makes the 365th moment that I have shared with you.  This is a shot of one of the geraniums I planted yesterday that I took today during a break between conference calls.

I’m very pleased that I have stuck with this post-a-photo-per-day-for-a-year project.  There were some days that I found it difficult to see something worth sharing.   But I have to say that most days I looked forward to toting my camera around with me, and was usually pleased to find a moment that was either a photo that I liked or at least made for a nice story to share.

Wow, a year.   365 moments.   It goes by fast.

I look forward to keeping my blog going.  I don’t know that I will be posting something every day, but I am definitely looking forward to posting more moments worth sharing.

A colleague of mine passed away over the weekend after a fight with cancer.  He was only 51.

I can only hope that you all have many more years left on this earth to share with your friends and family.   But since we never know when our time will be up, we have to take the time to enjoy and be thankful for each and every day that we get to spend with them.   I have done that for a year.   And I hope to from here on out…

Jan 10, 2011

Pre-game.

Yeah.  We have a pet duck.  Well, it’s a decoy. … Long story.  Just humor us.  Everyone else does.  🙂

Anyway.  His name is B-Duck – and he’s a big fan of the University of Oregon Ducks.

They were playing in the BCS championship bowl game tonight.

Didn’t turn out as B-Duck would have liked.

He’ll get over it.

Jan 8, 2011

The King.

Elvis is 76 years young today.

What?  Doesn’t everyone have an Elvis shrine?

Monte built this for himself long before we met.  We’ve been adorning it over the years.

Happy Birthday Elvis!!!

 

Nov 28, 2010

Mesmerizing

Every once in a while it’s important to take time out to stop and smell the roses, or to stare at the lava lamp – whatever works for you.

Nov 15, 2010

 

Different Sheila

We are fans of the Farmer’s Almanac.  It keeps us up to date on the celestial happenings around the year.  We get one every year and keep it at the ready.  The 2011 version is out now, by the way.

And it’s also chock full of amusing miscellany.

Have you ever turned to the classified ads in the back?   If you ever need a psychic, magic spell, divine intervention, etc., it is THE place to go.

Happy Birthday Fran!  (make a wish!)

 

Sep 14, 2010

Running in place

Busy, busy, busy.    So much to do, so little time.   Gotta hurry to make it through the week.

Yeah.  But it’s also important to stop and play.

Otherwise all you’re really doing is running in place with a stick up your butt  (heh heh)  😀

Sep 10, 2010

Say it don't spray it.

Ok.  It’s a first for the blog — I am posting a picture for my moment from today that I took 2 days ago (not today).   However, my story is that it does qualify as a moment from today because I took some time tonight to browse through my recently uploaded pictures and I spent a few moments tonight trying to adjust the lighting on this one.  Didn’t work.  But I have to say, even in bad light, it makes me smile.

It’s been a long week.

I’m glad it’s Friday.

g’nite!

Aug 13, 2010

One of those days...

Friday the 13th.   Last day of a long week.

We love these insulated Tervis tumblers.  They’re fantastic, go-everywhere, (mostly) unbreakable beverage holders.     I bought this one only a week or so ago, and it was my current favorite for coffee-to-go.    But, symbolic of the kind of week this has been, this smiley face has has lost a little something.

Jul 15, 2010

Yin & yang

Underneath the Pecan trees, out back, I came across this plant.  I am not sure what this phenomena is called, but it’s turned white on one half of the leaves, divided down its axis.

Must be a sign.

Must achieve balance.

I’ll get right on that.