Here Kitty Kitty

For all the cat lovers out there, here are just a few of the funny cat pictures in my seemingly endless collection.

 I can haz french fry?  Purty pleeze?

You can't really see me can you?

 Arrgh! 

Look, I got the girl.

I said "NO". 

Sometimes bad shots are funny.

You should see that feather now.

Bon Jovi -The "Because We Can" Tour

My birthday was a few weeks ago, and this was my present.

By 6:30 p.m. the line stretched from the Time Warner Cable Arena down the sidewalk to the BOA parking garage where we were parked and had u-turned back up the sidewalk.  The forecast was for rain that evening, but mostly it was a cold wind accompanied by an occasional light mist.

The show was supposed to start promptly at 7:30 but, for whatever reason, did not start until 8:10.  As the lights went down and Bon Jovi took the stage, nearly 20,000 screaming fans rose to their feet.  Amid the thunder was heard "Shot through the heart and you're to blame", the chorus of the well-known "You Give Love a Bad Name".

A packed house.

They performed a number of songs from their new album "What About Now".  Among those were "Because We Can" and the title song "What About Now".  They were on stage for nearly 3 hours, and while the sound quality at the Time Warner arena left a lot to be desired, the band put on a fabulous show.

So many lights.

Behind them on stage was a video wall made up of forty 80-foot polycarbonate plastic columns covered in 3d fabric.  Using 10 hi-def video projectors they can create all sorts of amazing backgrounds.  This wall is automated and the columns move up and down independently from one another.

Skyline on the video wall.

There were 20 songs on the set list (click for links to videos), plus another 7 in three encores.

We arrived just in time to get in line, so "dinner" was high-dollar concession food eaten standing up in the corridor.  

After getting out of the parking garage, we went looking for some place that served "real food" at midnight.  After trying at a place that had stopped serving at 12, we were directed to Skyland's, a 24-hour restaurant.  It's not often we finish up our dinner at 1:30 a.m., but hey, a good time was had by all!

Under the Weather, Again

Today is day 23 of the 30 minus 2 days of writing hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese. Today's prompt is "Absurd". Visit Nicky's post to read stories from the other participants.

This is a repost from several years ago, and it seemed fitting for today.  You see I contracted yet another nasty bug, and am somewhat under the weather today, so the mere thought of manipulating words seems positively absurd.

Ever wonder where the expression "under the weather" came from?

With everyone waxing poetic about the beauty of fall, there is also a down side of this lovely season; it heralds the coming of the cold and flu season.  When we fall prey to these nasties, we tend to say that we are "under the weather".  Just this past weekend, I used that phrase myself and began to wonder of its origins.

The phrase "under the weather" dates back to the 1800s.  When sailors would become seasick, they would be sent below deck to get away from the weather, thus literally being "under the weather".  Author Donald Grant Mitchell was the first to use this phrase in his 1850 book Reveries of a Bachelor, and it has since been used for everything from being "ill" or "indisposed" to "financially embarrassed" or "drunk".

Some state that the correct term is "under the weather bow".  The weather bow is the side of the boat being hardest hit by the nasty weather.

Also there is the belief that the weather can affect one's health, so a sick person is deemed to be "under the weather".  From this theory, it stands to reason that the weather can also influence a person's mood, rendering them under the weather as well.  This is documented as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I touched on last fall in my post Just Another Monday.

We all know the steps to staying healthy during the cold and flu season, but here's a recap so we don't have say, "Sorry, I can't.  I'm under the weather."

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer when you can't wash.
• Do not touch your face - nose, eyes, mouth - that is the germ's way into your system.
• Keep your distance from those are already sick.
• In turn, if you do get sick, stay home away from others.
• And of course, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough.

A Musical Birthday

It is day 16 of the 30 minus 2 days of writing hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese.  Today's prompt is "Music".  Visit Nicky's post for more musical entries from those still able to string two words together.

Music is a broad topic and covers a lot of territory.  I don't have one favorite type of music, nor one favorite song, genre or band.  But for today's prompt I chose Bon Jovi.  For over ten years now I've been a fan, from the first time I heard "Thank You For Loving Me", to their latest single "Because We Can".   

So for my birthday this year we have tickets to a show in the "Because We Can" Tour next month.  This will be our second Bon Jovi concert.  

"Because We Can"

The Mayors of Winston-Salem

It is day 10 of the 30 minus 2 days of writing hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese.  Today's prompt is "The Mayor".  Visit Nicky's page to see what the other long-suffering participants have written.

Winston and Salem merged into Winston-Salem and was officially incorporated in 1913.  Oscar Eaton was elected as the Mayor of Winston before the incorporation, and he served until 1917.  Until then there were mayors for both Winston and Salem.

Oscar B. Eaton

During Mayor Eaton's tenure, a lot was done to bring Winston-Salem into the 20th century such as the paving of First Street and the opening of the Salem Water Plant.  Also the Public Works department was established, and in 1915 the first police cars were purchased.

During our official 100-year history, Winston-Salem has had 18 mayors.  Of those 18, George Coan served two non-consecutive terms during 1929-1935 and 1943-1945.  There were two who served one-year terms.  R. J. Reynolds (I think you'll recognize that name) from 1941-1942, and J. Wilbur Crews from 1942-1943.

There were two mayors who served for 12 years each, Marshall Kerfees 1949-1961 and Wayne Corpening, 1977-1989.

The current mayor, Allen Joines has been in office since 2001.  The majoral election is coming up later this year, and Joines is seeking a fourth term.

Image Source:  Winston-Salem Mayors' Biographies.

Texting

 It is day 7 of the 30 minus 2 days of writing hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese.  Today's prompt is "Texting".  For me it was more like a test I didn't study for.  Visit Nicky's page to see what the other long-suffering participants have written.

Way back in the dark ages before smart phones and home computers there was shorthand.  The Gregg version was invented by John Robert Gregg in 1888.  I took it in high school, (more recently than 1888) and it was probably my favorite class.  All the letters and sounds of the alphabet are represented, but the key to shorthand are brief forms.  Brief forms are words or phrases represented by one symbol, which increased efficiency.

After learning the alphabet and brief forms, we took dictation.  This was the fun part.  We started out at around 40-60 words per minute, and worked up.  I think my max rate was 140 words per minute.  We had to take and successfully transcribe 120 wpm to pass.  The funny thing was that after taking it at 110 or 120, going back to 90 or 100 was actually harder.  I think it was because we were used to the higher speed and had to recalibrate.

Thanks to modern technology, shorthand is a dying art.  Now we have computers and automated dictation equipment.  So how does all this tie in to texting?  Although serving different purposes, the brief forms used in shorthand are similar to the shortened words and phrases used in texting.  This new language allows us to convey our thoughts in 160 characters or less.  That's important when we're typing with just our thumbs.

We've actually used abbreviations like these for years such as FYI, BYOB, ASAP.  BTW, there are enough out there to MEGO.  I'll leave you with this list of shortcuts so you can tune up your texting skills.  TAFN.  CUL8R.

PS - What are some of your favorite texting short cuts?

PPS - Did anyone else take shorthand?

How Doth the Time Pass

It is day 3 of the 30 minus 2 days of writing hosted by Nicky and Mike of  We Work For Cheese.  This is written for the prompt "And the next thing I knew". 

msimuri.deviantart.com

Time is a funny thing.  Sometimes it passes so slowly you are certain the entire Redwood forest will be petrified before you advance to first in line at the checkout.  The girl with pink hair and enough body piercings to rival a punk rocker gives you a surly look, then calls someone from the cosmetic department to determine whether the brand of lip gloss you are purchasing is actually the one on sale.

What does this have to do with today's prompt you ask?  Well, it is all about how fast or slowly time passes in relation to a particular event.  This challenge was announced on January 12, giving the industrious person ample time to prepare.  I read the prompts and assured myself I would have several posts pre-written  so I wouldn't be always be writing by the seat of my pants.  I mulled, pondered, ruminated, cogitated and ultimately procrastinated.  I've got plenty of time.  Well, time has a way of speeding up at all the wrong times, and the next thing I knew it was January 31.  Oops!  I had nothing, nada, zilch.  So here it is day three, and yep, I'm writing by the seat of my pants...again!

Check out the list on Nicky's post for some good reads.

Up a Tree

This picture makes me happy!

Rosie will be 16 years old in June.  As you know, he has been struggling with diabetes for several years now, and he is currently on insulin about twice a day depending on his blood sugar levels when we test him.  In addition, he suffers from allergies, chronic sinus issues and ear and skin conditions which cause him to cough, sneeze and scratch.  He goes to the vet regularly for shots to control his symptoms.  These shots in turn raise his blood sugar.  

In spite of all this, Rosie is still a happy cat, or as we like to say "an awesome cat".  He still loves life.  However, he has good days, and not so good days. 

So why does this picture make me happy?  This was one of his very best days lately.  He loves Sophie and he was chasing her around the house.  But amid chase, Sophie went up her tree.  Uncharacteristically, Rosie followed - at least to the first perch.  He's feeling good, and that makes me happy!

On top of the world.

Sophie is the only one who uses the cat tree.  It is her escape and a good place to oversee the outside, or just catch a few uninterrupted zzz's.  Occasionally, Rosie will lay on the base and soak up a few rays.

It's nappy time!

First Snow of the Winter

Well, we finally got it.  The white stuff fell for a few hours last night after several days of rain.  While we didn't get a great deal of snow, since everything was saturated from all the rain, hubby's car doors were frozen shut when the temperature fell into the 20s. 

This is what it looked like just before dark last night.  We even had a few rumbles of thunder during the snow.

A snowy sunrise.  The sun shining through the snow covered trees is so pretty.

The snow plow spreading salt.

This is a different view of the pond in our ditch, which was frozen over this morning.

A icy look down the street.

By now the the sun is out bright, the temperatures are rising and the snow and ice will soon be a thing of the past.  A typical snow in our area.

Nothing

Image Source: Wikipedia

What do you do when the inside of your brain is as glum and dreary as the day is outside?  Like all the rain has soaked in and drowned your last two brain cells.  I guess you could sit slumped in front of your computer with your head in your hands, pretending to be "the thinker" until the muscles in your neck permanently freeze into that position, leaving you with much more in common with the thinker than you thought possible. That's way too much thinking!

Or you could do what I do.  Nothing!  Except in telling you about doing nothing, I am actually doing something.  Except that the something is really nothing.  

Now you can see why I have nothing to offer.

Something for Everyone?

Just in time for Christmas, Scotch introduces the stiletto tape dispenser.  Available in other colors and styles.  I guess there is indeed something for everyone!

Intracoastal Sunset

I love sunsets, especially at the beach.  I usually focus on those over the Gulf of Mexico.  The most beautiful sunsets are those with interesting clouds to absorb and reflect the sun's rays.  This evening, however, the beauty lay in the other direction.

Here are some satellite pictures of the area.

I took the picture from the end of the Boardwalk facing the islands.

The drawbridge has been replaced and was under construction when these images were taken.

This was one way to get from our condo to the Boardwalk.  We love having such a great choice of restaurants within walking distance.  

This was truly a beautiful evening!

Looking Ahead

This is a photograph taken at Reynolda Gardens that inspired the name of this blog.  While you sometimes see them here, the blog isn't about roses or rainbows, but about life and what goes on in my head.  This is expressed through fiction and poetry, through pictures, through the antics of my cats, and thoughts and questions that come up through every day living.

Thank you for joining me in my journey over the last three years, and as we look ahead to what life holds in store.

Reynolda Gardens (How I Named my Blog - Part I)

It's All in the Name (How I Named my Blog - Part II)

Today is the last day of the Roses to Rainbows Third Anniversary Giveaway.  The winner will be announced tomorrow.

 

Mairzy Doats

 

The late afternoon sun perfectly illuminated this ivy leaf.  In thinking about this picture and the story it could tell, I remembered this little ditty from my childhood.

Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey.

A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you? 

And that prompted me to look deeper into this silly song.  It was written back in 1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston, based on this English nursery rhyme.  

Mares eat oats

And does eat oats

And little lambs eat ivy

A kid'll eat ivy, too

Wouldn't you?

It seems that Drake's daughter came home singing "Cowzy tweet and sowzy tweet and liddle sharksy doisters."  Which translates to "cows eat wheat and sows eat wheat and little sharks eat oysters".  This gave Drake the idea to write a silly song.

However, at that time no one wanted to publish a silly song.  Finally he pitched it to his friend Al Trace, who liked it and performed it with his band the Silly Symphonists.  After this, it was a huge hit for Merry Macs in this 1944 recording.

Remember, leave a comment and you are automatically entered in the Roses to Rainbows Third Anniversary Giveaway.

Welcome to Autumn

From our house to yours - have a great weekend!

Today is the first day of Autumn 2012.  Unlike Septembers of recent years, there is a crispness to the mornings, and the daytime temperatures are more in keeping with the changing seasons.  Many years, September is just an extension of summer in our neck of the woods.  One year I was blowing leaves in 90 degree heat.   In my mind there was something really wrong with that picture.

This year takes me back to my elementary school days, where the start of school meant sweaters in the mornings, and enjoying the warmth of the sun rather than longing for shade. With luck we'll have a long Autumn before the arrival of old man winter.

What are some of your favorite Fall activities?

Remember, leave a comment and you are automatically entered in the Roses to Rainbows Third Anniversary Giveaway.

Celebrating 3 Years of Blogging with a Giveaway!

Another year has rolled around.  Can you believe how fast time flies when you're blogging?  For some of you it was a long, hot summer (wasn't there a movie by that name?) and some of you barely saw the sun, let alone beach-worthy temperatures.

Either way, Fall is just around the corner and so wraps up another year for me in the blogosphere.  No year of blogging is "just another year".  There are things to be learned, people to be met and new experiences to be had.  One of the highlights of this year was participating in a month-long writing marathon hosted by  Nicky and Mike of We Work for Cheese.  These innovative individuals decided it would be fun to come up with 30 topics and see how many people would or could post for 30 consecutive days.  I entered this challenge with doubts, only promising that I would give it a shot since I normally post 3 days a week. 

It was fun and most definitely a learning experience.  I learned that I could take 30 random, off-the-wall topics and write a post for each one.  Granted some were not the most spectacular pieces of literature ever to grace the internet, but I was pleased enough with each to post it for all to see.

After the high of writing for 30 straight days and/or nights, the summer slump hit hard, and it seemed as if much of the blogging world went on sabbatical.  I'd like to end summer on a positive note, so to celebrate my third year of blogging and say "Thank You" to my readers,  I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card.  One lucky reader will be chosen from a random drawing to be held on Monday, October 1.  This is my first giveaway, so the rules are very simple.  All you have to do is leave a comment on any post, starting with this one, through 11:59 p.m. September 30.  Each comment will count as a separate entry.  

The winner will be announced on October 1, following the Quote of the Week.   Good luck and thanks for visiting Roses to Rainbows over the past three years.

If Your Recycles Could Talk

Yes, this is the inside of my recycle bin.  This was last week's contribution, and the bin was at least 3/4 full.  This Spring we switched from the small green bins (we had two) to the large 96-gallon roll out bins. 

With the smaller bins and were required to separate the recyclables, one box for papers and chipboard and one for glass, plastics and metals.  Now we put everything in all together.  If it is recyclable and will fit in the bin, you're good to go, and they are collected every other week.

I have always liked the idea of recycling.  It's like protecting our planet from ourselves, which in turn is protecting us.  So I am always happy to see the bins out on recycle day.  They are covered now so that the contents are kept dry on rainy days, and your neighbors don't see what's in there.  The evidence of who had the party last weekend is hidden.  Your brand of soda and where you shop remain your secret, and no one knows if you didn't remove the caps from your bottles?

If your recycles could talk, what would they say about you?

Got Doughnuts?

Picture this scenario.  Tina and Ryan are lounging in front of the TV watching a Food Network marathon when Tina yawns and says "you know what would be good right now?"  Ryan stands and stretches.  "Well, we just watched 3 hours of food shows, so I'd be surprised if you're not hungry."  

"You got that right!"  

"So, what do you want?  Are you having a Big Mac attack or is the piece de resistance a bucket of the Colonel's chicken?"

"Nope.  Do you remember where we used to go late at night after hours of old movies?  That last show reminded me."

"Let's see, the last show was about a family of immigrant bakers.  You want bread?"

"No, silly, doughnuts.  More specifically, Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  A chocolate covered, creme filled piece of pure deliciousness - and a large diet Coke, please.

Image source:  Steve Jurvetson

Now as I reside in the Krispy Kreme capital of the world, there is some measure of reality here.  

I remember as a teen going to a pajama party (I think the current term is sleepover) and the girl's dad worked 2nd shift.  When he got off work, he took a half dozen wound up teenage girls to Krispy Kreme for doughnuts at 2 a.m.  What a treat!

On another occasion, before we were married, hubby and I went and got a fresh hot dozen of the classic glazed doughnuts after some late night TV.  Now I think they close at 11:00.

This was written for Write on Edge.  This weeks prompt was to write a fiction or creative non-fiction piece in which a local or regional item or industry plays a role.  I chose to honor Krispy Kreme for 75 years of making the best in doughnuts and memories.

Let the Sun Shine

Hot days

The sun shines

The grass dies

And then

Gray days

Clouds hang low

More rain

And then

The sun shines

The grass grows

Now we mow

Repeat

This is summer

It seems that it is either feast or famine.  We lamented the long weeks with no rain while we watched the grass dry up.  We sweltered beneath triple digit heat indices.  Then came August and the temperatures and the rain were once again moderate.  The grass greened up, we mowed.

Next we got a new garage door for my parents' house which exposed new (or old) problems with the 50+ year old structure.  The door became the secondary issue and much work was involved before we had a functioning door.  The riding mower was safely installed behind that door.  Of course this when the rains moved in and every afternoon or evening - more rain.  You know what that means.  Thankfully, the door is now functional.  Let the sun shine!

What frustrates you this summer?

Web Wonder

There was a lot of fog yesterday morning which served to highlight the busy night had by the spiders in our yard.  Here are just a few.

 All of these are different webs.

Some in the trees.

Some in the middle of the yard.

 

Some in mid air tied to the ground with long lines. 

It looked like we were surrounded.

I wonder if I can break free?

A lot of work went into building all these webs.  
See up close how they do it.