Guilty Pleasures Merged

So, I was reading FIFTY, the other day, when my DrawSomething game beeped. I wandered on over to the virtual world to play a Michigan opponent, with whom I've had a relationship for some time. When it was my turn to draw, I selected the word "puppet" and proceeded to sketch a stage with a character dangling by his arms from its imaginary ceiling. My gal-pal guessed correctly and then messaged me, "Jeesh, at first I thought it was someone chained down to a bed - I guess I'm reading too much FIFTY!" Hey, you've just got to stay current, ya know? 'Twas a funny coincidence...

Oooh-kay, back to the book. Yep, it's as raunchy as you've heard; but I was told that the second and third books delve into what makes Mr. Grey tick, a fact that possibly justifies the read?? The thinking is that the works then qualify for a more worthwhile status, possibly bumping them from porn (my rating) to romance??? Never, as in not ever, could they be classified as literature.

I started FIFTY right after finishing LITTLE BEE, a book I'd promised to review a little more thoroughly but never did. It was terrific. It is classified as literature. Really. Chris Cleave is a master wordsmith. He applies his well-honed craft to telling the story of two women, each a narrator. The reader gets to know them well... how they think, speak, react and yearn. Little Bee is always considering her options for "checking out" of life, if need be... an interesting characteristic in a complex character. Each woman desires a sense of peace. They unite in an unlikely bond, each with her goal well preserved, subconsciously. It's a great read, one I highly recommend. I'll bet my iPad contains fifty saved notes of phrasing that I'll read and reread, over the years, from this book alone.

MERGE INTERRUPTED

Get this... 

No sooner had I typed the first three paragraphs, when in rolled Bri and the local KidGrands. We crammed a lot into an hour, including a little djembe playing. Thing is, I've got two drums here; we needed a third. Not to worry. We used the drum app on... yep, you guessed it... my iPad. Guilty pleasures merged.

Call Me Mellow Yellow

Not too sure about these results, but what the hey... Gran's bowl needed a touch of color and it doesn't get quicker, easier or cheaper than what you see. I stapled the "petals" to a center coffee filter, put them in the sink and poured paint over them. After soaking, twisting, swirling and blotting on newspaper, I put cookie cooling racks into use. Then, it was a huge scrunch around some past paper results, a tie with rubber-bands, and a stake with a wooden skewer. Voila! 

Nice thing is, if I'm sick of looking at them by next week, there's no guilt. 

What would one call this variety of wildflower?

My IDOL Votes To Phillip Phillips... Bring It "Home"!

Phillip Phillips 3rd song, Top 2 ~ American Idol... by HumanSlinky

Can You Hear My Rainy Day Song? nd

Today's rain is of the warm and gentle variety, perfect for watering all the babes we planted, this past weekend. And speaking of babes, how sweet to find this love note, tucked underneath my iPad's Zaggmate.

When Christian was here with the KidGrands, a couple of weeks ago, Hunter's dilemma became one of where to do his early morning artwork. His Daddy reclaimed his old room, the one I use for an office. It's where all the neat old and new art supplies reside. But Uncle Brian's old digs are right next door, so it was just a matter of moving stuff. Before doing so, Hunter had already formulated his plan to write and illustrate notes to all of us; he knew just what he'd be needing. Here, I share mine. It came signed, sealed and delivered in its own special envelope, with heart and star cut-outs included. It is clearly a love song, be it a rainy or sunny day one.

The sun is shining in my heart... I love you to the moon, Sweet Boy. 

♡

LIM - Orange For Dinner

So, y'all have probably noticed that shades of orange are huge, this year. As it applies to food, it's a color that translates to nutritious. I lightened up our wintry fish dishes by switching to a breading of corn and matzoh meals. Panko crumbs are clearly spectacular, but can often translate to a sizable portion of bread. 

You know the gig: egg(white), bread, spritz, spice and settle in on a bed of thinly sliced sweet potatoes that have also been seasoned. It all bakes in half an hour at about 350˚. Serve with a salad of contrasting greens.

Buon Appetito!

Reflecting On Reflections

Yesterday, I was planting underneath our half-a-tree, the (link) Japanese Maple. When I glanced upwards, there was its beautiful reflection, in all its red glory! 'Twas Camera Time, once again.

Robin Gibb 1949-2012

Getty Image

I join music lovers worldwide, in mourning the loss of Robin Gibb. His family has my heartfelt sympathy. Three of four beautiful sons, brothers, husbands, fathers and friends to the world were all done way, way too soon. 

Last night, upon hearing of his death, I immediately posted a YouTube vid of "I Started A Joke", a song that I can play in my mind, without visual or audio aids. Et vous? I decided, instead, to share this video, wherein he speaks to his segue from the genre for which we know him best. Please be sure to find and listen to "Don't Cry Alone", after first hearing Mr. Gibb reflect upon his aim to have his music touch our very spirits. For me, he succeeded brilliantly.

Sunstruck

Missing Our Pals Of The OBX

Favorite OBX Capture of 2011

Ah, here's my favorite capture from last May. We are needing the serenity of our OBX beaches and their resident equines, but you know the gig - tough times for Madre, right now, so we're kind of needing to be close by. Furthermore, who's to complain, when so many are facing far worse challenges? Here's a little reminder of that very fact:

Today, I met a few horses of a different variety. Along with their humans, they help kids like Beau to stay sane and happy in dealing with extraordinary challenges. How incredibly inspiring are these new acquaintances?! They are fiercely driven, just like Pretty Boy, to the left.

It's A Maple-Seed World

Our new gardener... you know, the one who arrived Just In Time, post below... is very aware of his surroundings. Having just studied the topic of germination in school, he is quite intrigued by the gazillions of helicopters flying through the sky. He planted them all over the place. I brought to his attention the babies of red (ornamental Japanese/Lace-Leaf) and green (indigenous) that seeded themselves naturally. "G'ma, do you think my seeds will grow?"

A weekend visitor inquired as to "Why?" the pool is not yet opened; after all, the weather has been gorgeous. Ah, we must wait for all the seeds to descend... and then... and then...

We must wait for all their filter-clogging stems. And then, it shall be time to reveal aqua blue.

Hunter loves to help. After much begging and pleading, and with boatloads of supervision, he push-mowed the confined pool area. Tractors are for fun; push mowers are for the hard-working. Again, not to worry... release the handle and TORO shuts down - an important safety feature. I digress...

By some miracle, there is some planet Earth that is not covered by maple trees. Just look at the blooming Rhododendron, as it reflects in winter's seedy pool cover. Gotta love Mother Nature.

♥

AMERICAN IDOL

Well, it's down to the wire. For us, Joshua Ledet clearly won the night, yet again. Joe and I are wishing him into the finals and would like to see him win the whole shebang; but...

Previous years and statistics seem to dictate a winner in Phillip Phillips... he's terrific in his chosen genre, he is clearly very cute... and he plays guitar. Guitar. Ask Kid Rock why he chose the instrument and he'll tell you that it's traditionally a means to girls' hearts (and votes?). Have to note here that I did not appreciate his (Phillip's) father's packin' appearance. Might have been nice if he'd removed the pistol for the homecoming. Not impressed, except in a negative way. Will this cause him to lose a few votes? Joe thinks he should leave, based on performance.

 Jessica Sanchez has a brilliant voice, but is so young and seems to lack the emotion that immortalizes already great songs... just my opinion, of course, and I'm all for her departure.

AP Photo

Adam Lambert shall return to the IDOL stage tonight. Perfect. He's a primary example of the fact that one never knows what the show's outcome shall be. Second place worked for him, though... it's not everyone who can fill Freddie's shoes. 


ELIMINATION NIGHT UPDATE:
Well, Joshua did not make the cut, leaving the final round to Jessica and Phillip. I guess I did call attention to Phillip here, at the very beginning of the season. Perhaps that counts for something; but we are so disappointed. A mega-classy 20-year-old, Joshua brought his Mom up on the farewell stage and repeated his spectacular rendition of James Brown's "It's A Man's World". 

Sick Day... No, Really... A Sick Day :-)

Gavin spiked a high fever, the other night, so he came to hang out here, yesterday. It was teeming rain, outside, and thus we designated it a Pajama Day For Movie-Watching. And we watched... and watched... and watched... NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S ***"Really Wild Animals"*** and "The Chipmunks Chipwrecked" and "Despicable Me". Actually, I recommend all three... no kidding!!

"G'ma, I can't believe we watched THREE movies!"

"Honey, I'm exhausted from doing nothing. I haven't watched that much TV since I was YOUR age!"

"Gavin, there shall be NO leaping from the furniture!!!" said I, as I returned to the room with snacks.

But y'all know that you can't keep a good man down. So, when couch-cuddling got tiresome and energy levels were bursting, the G-Man built himself a few forts. When they collapsed, he switched to obstacle courses. Couldn't help but reminisce about the good ole days when Ronnie and I executed our own architectural skills. We were supposed to be doing chores on Saturday mornings, but sofa cushions held much more interest, if ya know what I mean.

Problem is, Gavin is still sick and received a double diagnosis, today... strep AND the flu. Am I doomed? If so, he'll have to come back to nurse me for a day.

♥
***"Oh, whaddya want for lunch...whaddya want to munch?
How 'bout some fruit bunch... or somethin' with lots of crunch?
Just give me a bunch of lunch... crunchy, munchy lunch..."***

Art Lessons

Do you play DrawSomething? Aubs introduced me to the game about a month or so ago. It's fun and addictive. More importantly, there are some talented people out there, from whom I can learn a thing or two about depicting words via art. My favorite player is a random one with whom I've engaged on occasion for a month now. I've blocked her name to protect her privacy, but I couldn't resist this screen capture. Our longest run was 56 consecutive rounds. The above 28 is now at over 50, possibly a record-breaker. 

Color Her Inspiring, don't you think?!

Just In Time!

Christian popped into town, last Friday, and he brought along our KidGrands. The visit coincided with our search for a reliever... you know, like Mariano Rivera, except of the gardening variety. By the way, we do send our Yankee star the fondest of healing wishes. I digress.

Turns out that Hunter was just itching to drive the tractor, instead of just riding with Gramps. Not to worry; I do jest a bit here. The blade was disengaged and he was only allowed to "ride the flats"; but I'll bet he put about five miles on Old Betsy! Boys will clearly be boys. Meanwhile...

Baby Sis did a bit of drivin' and ridin', too.

♥

Happy Mother's Day! ♥

Classical Kid

AP

Still lovin' the Kid and his efforts to save Detroit et al, whenever his hard-earned fame and fortune can help. Check out the article here. Born Free in the USA and forever appreciative...

Heavy Metal

My personal favorite-of-the-day, as captured while traveling at 60mph!

Nikon and I rode shotgun with Joe, yesterday. By sheer coincidence, my seated, static shoot from inside the car produced a running theme, don't you think? Check out the shades of steely gray, framed by none other than Mother Nature's brilliant palette.

It was impossible to ignore the deep, shaded greens of the mountains, so positively rich, this time of year, as they played against fluffy whites, more gray and hints of blue.

 Old barns and silos abound, in the countryside, with many in horrid stages of disrepair. They are reminders of a more lucrative time gone by, well before their dignity was threatened. I'm thinkin' that they still possess a degree of intrigue, rendering them photo-worthy. 

Super-size to spot the bird, perched atop the left silo... nesting, I'm sure, giving
new life to these abandoned structures.

Mr. President

Impressed am I by the fact that President Obama has publicly reversed his opinion on same-sex marriages. He somewhat credits the women in his life for this shift in the moral arena. By now, everyone knows at least one committed and monogamous gay or lesbian couple. I've known several, the first of whom were never labeled. I was a child and they were our neighbors. My Dad was friendly with them and that was enough for me. Live and let live with like privileges for all... yes, that would be my stance. Just BE.

IT'S WEDNESDAY... IT'S JOSHUA LEDET!!

Sometimes it's true and it IS a 20-year-old manchild's world! Wow!!

We're Rich!

Speaking of strolls, here are two little cousins enjoying Minnewaska landscapes.
Time flies! And, yes, we are so rich. ♥

A stroll through the garden tells me that there shall be a bumper crop of (link) Silver Dollars, this season, thanks to the fact that we didn't pull weedy-looking plants, earlier in the season. Blossoms abound. They shall soon turn to nifty pods that ultimately end up in vases and bowls. Decorating possibilities are endless. 


Seeds shall be available by the hundreds. Interested? I'll put your name on my list for late summer delivery.

Super Soll Celebrations! ♥

Hunter's much anticipated First Holy Communion and Chloe's fifth birthday party day arrived, yesterday. A spectacular dual celebration began with early-morning church ceremonies, during which Hunter executed his reading in perfect form.

Party-time could not have been warmer or more fun, and our four BabyGrands were excited to be together. 

 Lots of other kiddies rounded out a great crowd of friends and relatives, and the new Soll residence served the function in a super way, making for a super day that was topped off by a Super Moon. What more can we ask for? 

Color Me So Very Inspired 

♥

Occupied!

We've a bird's eye view of the real estate in the Japanese maple. As we enjoyed lunch, today, I spotted movement and quickly grabbed my camera. I was able to capture the tiny wrens from my own perch at the kitchen island... and right through the glass of the slider. How's that for comfy birding? Joe is so happy, 'cause he made the investment about two years ago. Finally, we have condo tenants, but we've designated the property as rent-free. Later on, I moved myself and my Nikon to the other side of the glass, for this close-up. It seems that these little guys are not at all shy.

Now, we're hoping for a family to take up residence in the very cool multiplex that Bri found for us, several years ago. It is clearly for rent, with Everybirdy Welcome. :-)

Tonight's IDOL Vote Goes Once Again To JOSHUA LEDET...

Maybe there was something prophetic in my numbering him "1", in my early photo. Ya think? He is just brilliant, and tonight is not the first that's he's won our first-place vote. Hollie came in a very close second, for us. Yes, Joe and I are in total agreement, tonight.
Update on Elimination Night... Sadly, Skylar leaves; but we're happy that Hollie saved herself. It's tough at this stage of the game. There are four remaining contestants.

Paint Me FIVE! ♥

Our sweet Chloe is five, today! How can that be? We only blinked! With a personality as bright as her gorgeous face, she loves to sing while she paints or plays... so precious. There is not task she cannot accomplish, once her mind is set... determination. Have I mentioned loving? We quickly lost count of the times she said, "I love you," during our recent time together. What a girl, our "baby"... but not the youngest for long, 'cause soon she'll be sharing her great wealth of attributes with her baby sister. She'll be an awesome role model. We love you so much, Chloe. Happy Fifth!! Today, we're singing Justin Bieber, totally in your honor.... and we are SO excitedly awaiting Saturday's party, when we'll share many hugs, just like this one...

Paint Me Ninety-three ♥

Our Matriarch turns 93, today. Ask her and she'll be happy to tell you that "...it's tough getting old." But as one can see from last year's photo, it was a pretty good ride, till recently. Happy Birthday, Mom. We all love you and continue to toast better days.

"Trying Is Free" - A Recipe ♥

Little did I know when Gavin was busily creating his music shop that his sign would so aptly apply to Aubrey's endeavors in the kitchen. No grass grows under Gav's feet, as the saying goes, and his store was born of an incredible imagination, in just a few moments of downtime. For just $4.56, I (re)purchased the big djembe drum. What a bargain!

Meanwhile, Aubs was hounding me to teach her how to make the strawberry sauce I'd mentioned earlier. Why not? It would go well with Nanny's 93rd birthday cake, already concocted by the kids. As I've mentioned before, my girl has inherited the cooking gene. (Bri later confirmed that she still loves the cooking channel; he'd taped "Chopped" for her. I love this!)

Wouldn't you agree that deriving sounds from all neat instruments is clearly the best part of shopping for one... and taste-testing is the best part of kitchen duty?

Oops, I almost forgot about the recipe! Chop fresh berries or use frozen/sliced... pile a few cups into a saucepan, add about one-third cup sugar, a couple teaspoons lemon juice and one of pure vanilla extract. Let it all simmer away and reduce to the thickness you desire. 

How awesome it is that life can be so delicious and...

What a bargain!

♥