The Morning After

This is day 10 of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is The morning after.

"Hey Alex, you don't look so good," observed Charlie, "where were you yesterday?"  Not much got past Charlie.

Image Source: Wikipedia

"I guess you haven't heard.  Well, in a nutshell, I was having coffee with an angel, and the next thing I know I had been manipulated into staking out her lunch date who turned out to be a member of the mob, as was her ex-boyfriend, and she was involved.  They kidnapped us, blindfolded us and took us to an abandoned building.  Since we were outnumbered and to protect the girl, I went along thinking I could gain an advantage but they jabbed us with a needle and it was lights out. While we were out, they took the flash drive and were probably going to come back and finish us off after they verified what was on the flash drive."

"After we regained our senses, it took us an hour to get the blindfolds off.  They took my gun, badge and Jenna's purse. Fortunately for us they neglected to take my phone so I dialed 911. The police traced the call and sent officers, but they were ambushed when they arrived and were pinned down in the alley.  Jenna was freaked out by the gunfire and was screaming like a crazy person."

"The officers called for reinforcements and in the meantime, I tinkered with the A/C vent to see if I could crawl out and free Jenna.  Once up there I saw that it was barely wide enough to crawl through...dang near got stuck a couple times.  I came out in a hallway about the time that SWAT arrived. Nothing like the FBI being rescued by SWAT."

"They thought I was one of the mob at first since they had taken my gun and badge.  After we got that cleared up, we were questioned, and the henchmen were carted off to await their attorneys. Did I mention my head is still throbbing?"

"Well," said Charlie, "you lived to see another day."

"You know what they say...there's got to be a morning after," Alex quipped.

"So, are you going to see her again?" grinned Charlie.

For more adventures of Charlie and Alex:

Risky Business

Aliens, Really?
The Colombians
The Key
Stranded
The Last Laugh

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The Gossips

This is day nine of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is Dishing the Dirt.

This painting is titled The Gossips and was painted by Norman Rockwell in 1948.

Image Source: Gandalf's Gallery

Norman Rockwell paints the perfect example of dishing the dirt, and it is my expectation that the first lady in the painting said something about the gentlemen in the green hat on the last row that made him a laughing stock. He seems mighty displeased with her.

Who is the woman and what is her relationship with him? And in the interest of continuing to dish the dirt, what did she say?


There is more about The Gossips here including some answers.

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Got Boots?

This is day eight of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is Favorite article of clothing for winter.

In many areas winter means frigid temperatures, shivering, cold feet, wind-blown watery eyes and runny noses. In other places the seasons meld one into the other with barely a flicker of the thermometer. Whether it's parkas or bikinis, there is a staple in your wardrobe without which the season would be incomplete.

Here in North Carolina our winters vary broadly from year to year. Some are mild with only the merest dusting of snow, gone before lunch time. Every so often, however, we get a good (or bad) one, depending on your point of view.

That is when I pull out my favorite article of winter clothing, my snow boots. Not just any snow boots, but the same pair that have kept my feet warm and dry through several decades. I've even featured my old faithful boots here before.

Now I have coats and jackets, hoodies, and scarves and a multitude of gloves, but going out in anything except my trusty snow boots, would be like going out in bunny slippers.

What keeps you warm in the chill of winter?

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55 Hotdogs

This is day seven of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is Ten hotdogs.

Do you remember the nursery rhyme about 10 little indians?  If not, it goes like this:




If for some crazy reason you can't see the video, click here.
Vienna has claimed the wiener for over 500 years, and Germany is likely be the first to put their dachshund sausages in a bun.  Whether you call them wieners or frankfurters, dogs or pigs in blankets, almost everyone likes a good hot dog. Whether they are fried, steamed or grilled, there are a multitude of different ways to dress them. You can get them from the diner, the ballgame or a hot dog stand or your own back yard.  There are even eating contests to see how many you can eat in a specified number of minutes.  So how do you like your dogs?

Let's see how many you can eat!

One little 

Image Source: Wikipedia

Two little 

Image Source: Joseph Devon

Three little hot dogs

Image Source: Wikipedia

Four little 

Image Source: Freestockphotos.biz

Five little 

Image Source: Modified from Sh4rp_i

Six little hot dogs

Image Source: Arnold Gatilao

Seven little 

Image Source: Freestockphotos.biz

Eight little 

Image Source: Irish Fireside

Nine little hot dogs

Image Source: Wikimedia

Wow, ten little hot dogs - Boy, that's a lot of wieners!

Image Source: Wikipedia

  Fifty-five to be exact!

Quote of the Week

This is day six of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is What is "chill" and how do 
I do it?

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.  

- Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

Image Source: nickster99

The definition of "chill" is to relax or hang out. Relax means to spend time resting or doing something enjoyable, especially after you have been doing work.

How you do it depends on you.  The concept of relaxing is different for each person. Maybe you like to listen to classical music, curl up with a good book and/or cat, take a walk, or head to the beach.

Chilling doesn't necessarily mean doing nothing. Some people relax by working.  Not working at their everyday jobs, or doing chores, but by working at their hobbies like painting, scrapbooking, or gardening (not to be confused with toiling in the hot sun).

In today's world sometimes relaxing doesn't come easy.  We feel guilty if we're not being productive or if we aren't marking off all the items on our never-ending "to do" list. Stress can be a 24/7 problem, interfering with our rest.  That makes it all the more important to add "relax" to our list of things to accomplish.  Yes, sometimes it is necessary to schedule down time.

Here are some of the health benefits* of relaxation:

1. Helps protect your heart.
2. Helps protect you against getting colds.
3. Helps boost your memory.
4. Helps protect you against depression.
5. Helps you make better decisions.

These are just five of the many reasons to add some rest and relaxation to your day planner.

So whether it's taking in an afternoon matinee or lying on your back watching the clouds, take some time to just chill - it's good for you!


*Read more here. 

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Eli, Where Are You?

This is day five of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery. Today's topic is Invisible.  This is a continuation of my series following the life of Eli.

Eli and his friend Paul were knocking back a few beers and playing pool at the Come As You Are Saloon when in walks this stranger.  Now strangers aren't an unusual sight at the CAYAS, but this one was different. He had a ominous air about him and a crescent scar across his left cheek. His eyes were dark, almost daring someone to mess with him.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Eli and Paul watched as he worked his way to the bar. "Bartender, I'd like a pomegranate martini." 

When they heard that, Paul burst out laughing.  "A pomegranate martini?  What kind of a drink is that for a man?"  

"Shut up, Paul" urged Eli. "What kind of idiot are you, anyway?"

The stranger turned and stared at Paul.  It was a dark stare.  An evil stare. He started walking toward them, glass in hand. He stops mere inches from Paul, tosses back the martini and slams the glass on the table, sending shards of glass flying.

In a low voice that belied the intensity of the moment he remarked almost casually, "That wasn't very nice." 

By this time Eli wasn't feeling very confident about the outcome, and wishing he could suddenly become invisible. 

"My friend didn't mean anything" Eli interjected, hoping to defuse the situation. "Sometimes he can be a bit crass, but he's totally harmless. By the way, my name is Eli, what's yours?" Being friendly couldn't hurt he thought.

"Name's Rico" growled the stranger, and I don't take kindly to being laughed at," gripping the stem of the broken glass. "I ordered this for my old lady."

Paul never knew when to leave well enough alone and asked, "Then why did you drink it?"

Again that dark, evil stare.  "So I could do this" as he raised his arm. "Nobody laughs at me in front of my woman!"

At that point, Eli again wished he were invisible.  As Paul was about to feel the wrath of Rico, he called out "Eli, where are you?"

"What's the matter with you, I'm right here, but not for long. Run!" shouted Eli.

Both men turned and stared. They'd heard Eli shout, but there was no one there, and Paul asked again, "Where did you go?"

Eli reached out his hand to wave, "over here", and it was his turn to freak out. He couldn't see his hand.  He looked down, he had no legs. He looked in the mirror.  No reflection. "What the...?"

Eli, he said to himself, stay calm and don't say anything...just leave.  Gotta try and figure this out.

What do you think happened to Eli?



If you want to catch up on Eli's adventures:

Birdman
The Princess
Eli and the Redhead 
The Winged Woman
Meet Eli's Mother


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Small Town Travel

This is day four of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery.  Today's topic is Travel.

Take a trip with me through Amish Country in Lancaster County.  It seems there are cornfields everywhere. One moment you are in town and you turn right, and left and you are in the middle of someone's farm. Some would say it's the best of both worlds.

Amish cornfield

Small towns often have interesting names, as seen on this sign. Thank you for calling Bank of Bird-in-Hand. My name is Robin.  How may I help you?

Are there two in the bush?

We spent the afternoon in Strasburg, and I got my first ever ride on a honest-to-goodness steam-powered train. It was a short 45-minute tour through Amish Country, and yes, more cornfields.

Choo-choo

Here we have some local artwork on display on an old railroad car.  Beauty takes many forms.

Local art

 On another day we visited the Town of Lititz. The heart of Lititz consists of two intersecting streets.  There are many restaurants and shops, including their very own chocolate factory (move over Willy Wonka). They also have a Wall of Remembrance to honor those who paid the supreme price for freedom.

Honoring their heroes

One thing you can always be sure of seeing in Lititz is ducks.  Below we have Duck Island. This is in beautiful Lititz Springs Park, which is over 200 years old.  Can you imagine how many ducks have lived here over the years?

Duck Island in Lititz Springs Park

This beautiful old building is located in Ambler, PA.  We were on our way from Ephrata to Horsham, Actually we were on our way to Philly, but reasonably-priced accommodations were not to be found, so we settled on the little town of Horsham, about a half hour outside the city and took the train.

Beautiful patterns in architecture

A newer building houses CVS, but I give them credit for styling the store to fit in with the small town surroundings, rather than the standard red brick of the ones in larger cities.

New fitting in with the old

Back in Ephrata, we visit the Green Dragon.  There is something there for everyone from fresh foods from local vendors, many of whom are Amish or Mennonite, to beautiful beeswax candles. Pretty and healthy too.

Local products

Look at all the colorful fashions. Want sunglasses, got 'em.  Need wind chimes, bird feeders, funny signs, just look around. You're sure to find something that strikes your fancy.

All the colors of the rainbow

Thanks for joining me on my journey through some quaint little towns. Every time I visit Ashley, I get to see another slice of the American pie - Pennsylvania style.










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The Secret Ingredient

This is day three of the January writing challenge hosted by P. J. at the 'lilhoohaa blog. Let's join in and share a month of reading, writing and discovery.  Today's topic is Willly Wonka's greatest candy making secret.

Image Source: Wikipedia

I saw this many years ago, but honestly don't remember much about it, so I Googled it. There are a lot of opinions ranging from those who think its a whimsical, fanciful movie for and about kids and that Wonka does no wrong, to others who are sure there is a dark, sinister sub-story playing out within the factory.  One reviewer went to far as to call it a "horror movie in disguise as a children's movie".

Apparently there is some secret ingredient or method that makes his confections superior to others. Let's use some imagination shall we.  It's 1971 and the Willy Wonka is offering factory tours to the children. Little kids flock by the hundreds, lured by dreams of endless chocolate...tempted by tasty treats offered by the master chocolatier himself.

So what's the secret?  Does he use the finest cocoa beans, or maybe his cousin's best friend's great-grandmother's recipe? Some folks even believe that it was the children themselves. Why else would he give special tours of the chocolate factory if not to steal their sugary goodness. You know they are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Wait, that would explain the girls, but what about the boys? Snips and snails, and...oh no...not puppy dog tails.  That's just awful-all those poor, tailless puppies running around, all in the name of great candy. That definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth!



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Winter Comfort Food

This is day two of the 20 Days of Chill writing challenge hosted by P. J. at A ‘lil HooHaa. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery.  Today's topic is Favorite Winter Comfort Food.

Wow, who knew such a simple, straightforward topic would be so challenging?  There are a number of foods which fall into the category of "my favorites" and/or "comfort food", but they are not categorized by season. In fact, there are very few foods or dishes that I consider strictly seasonal.  It is not taboo for me to make soup in the summer or eat ice cream in the winter. 

When I think of comfort food, I think of dishes like mac and cheese, a plate of potato hash, a burger, pizza or anything with bacon, none of which I would relegate to the winter months.

That which comes closest to fulfilling both the winter and comfort requirements would be pecan pie. I only make this around Christmas and it is my favorite pie. While it is obviously food, and I only make it in the winter, it seems odd to call it my favorite winter comfort food.

What are some of your favorite winter and/or comfort dishes?









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Quote of the Week

This is day one of the January writing challenge hosted by P.J. at the 'lilhoohaa blog. Please join me as we share a month of reading, writing and discovery.  Today's topic is Spilled Milk. Since today is Monday, it's time for my weekly quote, and most obvious is:

Don't cry over spilled milk. - Benjamin Franklin

This was also attributed earlier to 17th British historian, James Howell.  

Image Source: lunatheninjakitty

It is thought that this phrase stems from European folklore which holds that fairies like milk and will drink up any spills left behind.  I guess that's saying not to worry if milk is spilled because the fairies will clean it up.  I wonder if they had chocolate milk?

February 11, 2015 is "Don't cry over spilled milk day".  Who knew?  In celebration, let it serve as a reminder to not stress over things that have happened which we cannot change.  The past is just that...the past.  Let's not waste energy worrying about it, and look forward to a new day, and a new year, with a positive attitude.




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Out With The Old

And In With The New

Image Source: openclipart.org

Another year has run it's course, and we struggled rolled with the punches.  Was it a bad year?  Not entirely, but it was difficult at times.

Here are a few highlights of 2014:

Winter and Spring passed with barely a nod since hubby spent much of the first half of the year traveling for his job.  We did have a good snow storm and a bad ice storm complete with power outage.

On the home front, I continued with the routine chores and looking after the cats.  Part of those chores included yard work, which resulted with me doing a face plant into the neighbors wooden fence.  Let me tell you that smarted and left me with an awesome shiner. Amazingly, other than the bruised face, there wasn't another scratch on me.

We helped a good friend celebrate her 80th birthday.  She was certainly surprised when she was escorted to a dinner with 15 of her closest friends.

We traveled to Pennsylvania to visit Ashley and her family.  That was a week filled with fun, laughter and shared friendship.  We went to an amusement park, took a steam train ride and found a lovely small town zoo in which to meander about.

Insert more business travel.  Sigh!

In October we made our nearly-annual trek to Madeira Beach (St. Petersburg, FL).  There we ate copious amounts of seafood, went fishing at Ft. DeSoto, and took a dolphin watch cruise. My favorite non-seafood meal was DeLosa's pizza eaten on our balcony at sunset.

November brought the devastating loss of Dood at age 14.  He was always the healthiest of our cats, so his brief illness and subsequent passing a little more than a year after Rosie really rocked our world.

There are always holiday memories, whether we want to remember them or not.  I choose to remember them...even when one of them is of my feet going out from under me on the dance floor at a Christmas party.  That it was our wine club Christmas party is irrelevant, right? Sorry, no pictures or video. 

Now we have a new year before us.  May it be filled with hope and joy, laughter and friendship, love and peace!  Welcome to 2015.

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Quote of the Week

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Lucky Bee Press

New Year's resolutions are overstated and overrated.  Rather than put pen to paper and list all that we hope to begin, change or achieve, let's take the blank pages of the New Year and give ourselves permission to live one chapter at a time.





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Quote of the Week

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.  

- Roy L. Smith

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

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Quote of the Week

 It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.  

- Edmund Hillary

Image Source: Wikipedia

Born in 1919 in New Zealand, Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was a mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. He and a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.  After his climb, he held a life-long passion for helping the Sherpa through a trust that he founded.

The mountain is only a physical obstacle. In facing what life puts before us and persevering, we gain strength and confidence, ultimately overcoming our personal obstacles.

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A Christmas Puzzle

Christmas is a joyful time of year, but we put so much pressure on ourselves to find the perfect gift, or the right outfit for the party. So, let's all take a break from the hustle and bustle and stress of the holiday season and work a puzzle.  It's simple and colorful and will only take you about 5 minutes to complete. Just click on here Christmas Puzzle  to begin. (Note, the picture above is not the puzzle picture.)

A few tips - the pieces are not set in their final positions, they can be turned by degrees by right clicking on the piece.  In other words if it looks like it is the bottom right corner, it may actually be the top left corner. The same applies to all the pieces, otherwise it wouldn't be any challenge at all.

You can also view just the border or just the middle or all the pieces, and you can change the number of pieces to increase the difficulty, and you can preview the picture like looking at the box lid to a regular jigsaw puzzle.

It is timed, but just have fun with it, and if you enjoy it, feel free to share it.

Merry Christmas!

Quote of the Week

You can't cross the sea merely by standing 

and staring at the water.  ― Rabindranath Tagore

Not only can you not cross the sea by staring at the water, you can't accomplish anything by being a bystander in your own life.  From something as simple as an overstuffed closet or messy garage, to a major endeavor, you can't accomplish something you never begin.  

Like I'm fond of saying "those dishes aren't going to wash themselves".  There's no time like the present, so let's dig in and get our feet wet and our hands dirty and see what we can accomplish.  


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Quote of the Week

The best thing one can do when it's raining 

is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Spring 2000 - November 28, 2014

As some of you may know, we said good-bye to Dood on Friday.  We knew there was something wrong, but had no idea when we went to the vet Friday morning that would be our last moments with him.  To say that it was heartbreaking would be an understatement for me, having only lost Rosie a year ago.  Dood was really a comfort this past year, and we grew closer than ever.

If you're wondering what this has to do with the quote, it's simple.  For me the rain symbolizes tears, and sometimes the best way to deal with loss is to rain when you need to.

Love ya buddy!

Happy Thanksgiving

Image Source:  Frances Brundage

Happy Thanksgiving to our family and friends!

Quote of the Week

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. 

- Anaïs Nin, Diary, 1969

This is an unintentional continuation of the last several weeks' thought process.  We've talked about hindsight being the key to the future as it enables us to see the possibilities. Then we touched on our inner strength, which is always there, but sometimes seems harder to access.

This week we look at life and how full it is or maybe how lacking it seems.  Courage and inner strength are closely related and tie into our ability to make the most of what life has to offer.  

The point of today's quote is about finding the courage to move forward and broaden our horizons.  We only get out of life what we put into it, and sometimes that takes strength, courage and the ability to learn from our mistakes, as well as the courage to risk making those mistakes in the first place.






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Sun on the Water

Sunlight resting on the calm glistening water

what a peaceful feeling.

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