Christmas Violin

Last December I got out my violin (that I hadn't played in 35 years) and did my best to learn the most simple Christmas carols I could find. I promised myself that the following year I would spend some time with my violin and really learn to play something right. So I didn't put it away; I left it sitting on the piano bench (the piano also gets little to no use) thinking that if I saw it sitting there, I would remember my promise to play it. Now, it's almost October. The violin hasn't moved since last Christmas.

I promise that tomorrow I will pick it up and, at the very least, dust it off.

Meow!

Was quite surprised by Milo when I went to get a bath towel.

Endeavor

How could I not post the space shuttle today? Very cool to witness history in the making.

Space Shuttle over L.A.

The space shuttle was just shuttled over our heads. 

In a few weeks it will travel through the streets of L.A.to its final home at the Science Center 

near downtown. Would love to see that, but just don't know if I can handle those crowds.

Dumpster Books Redux

Books saved from the dumpster, scissors, glue, and old press-on letters make for a well spent evening.

Today's vertigo challenge

button

Four years later...still haven't changed my mind.

You should probably avoid this staircase if you have vertigo...

Flower Switch

There are a lot of one-of-a-kind things in our house, repurposed or handmade by a long-ago owner. I love all these quirky things, but over time, one by one, they are disappearing. All the electrical on this wall needs to be replaced, the entire wall ripped out. This light switch cover may be the next disappearing victim. But if I can just grab it before the workers start trashing everything (I've lost so much that way), this little piece will find a new spot somewhere.

trio

This little Gnome has now joined the other 2 fellows in my cubicle; too funny.

Similar texture

Shadows in the Living Room

I don't know where these shadows came from. I've never seen them in my living room before. I hope they come again tomorrow.

Dusk in Chelsea

flat tire

Was greeted by a flat tire at work today; fortunately I, for some odd reason, had an air compressor in my van and was able to fill the tire up and get to the tire shop before they closed; and..fortunately when I purchased my tire in January,I paid for a warranty which I was able to take advantage of; got a new tire free of charge; sort of; had to pay for labor but the savings of  new tire was huge!

A Day at the Dog Beach

Home from the beach and Donkey is D*O*N*E.

Best invention ever - the dog beach.

Wet Paint

We spent the day painting a fence that stretches

all the way around the perimeter of a cul-de-sac 

that borders our neighborhood park.

Preparation for an upcoming centennial celebration.

It was great to work with our hands

And live UNplugged for a day.

facet

Spied this hummingbird facet and found it charming.

Desktop

This is just one pile of many that cover the desktop. 

The topmost paper of this pile is dated from January this year (not too bad); 

the bottom-most paper is dated 2001.

apple tree

Apple tree in a friend's yard which the birds have already started enjoying.

Working Gloves

We will be working in the garden tomorrow.

When I saw how these were labeled, 

I knew they would be perfect

ivy trunk

Ivy just takes off and grows where ever it can

30th Anniversary

Well, we made it to 30 years. 

Sometimes I don't even know what to think about that.

Stopping to see the berries

Box fun

Kids and cats seem to see boxes in a more creative way then the rest of us.

Staring out the Window

I see this view every day. It's right outside my front door. But for some reason, as returned home this morning, I sat in my car and just stared.

Pastoral

At my writing desk

Design

Interesting drum design

NYC thru a bus' window

The view of NYC's skyline

always takes my breath away...

Fire in the Hills

This was actually from a few days ago, but I forgot about it until now. There were fires in the neighboring foothills. On that overcast morning, the smoke flowed out from the mountain valleys, and the ranges were seperated in a way that I didn't even know existed.

Puppy Profile

Welcome to the family, Guthrie.

Sticks & Stones

Attended a birthday party and one of the little favors was a play of "sticks & stones" and in a small glass vase sticks were represented by pretzels and the stones were small chocolate rocks; very creative.

Invitation

The bed is calling me

from across the room

at my writing retreat.

Saying, "Leave the writing until morning.

Come on--you know you really want to sleep."

But I need to resist the urge for a little while longer

and get some writing done.

Sigh.

While Walking the Dog

Grasshopper

This fellow was hanging on our screen door; was kind enough to pose for photo before moving on.

Another Food Photo

I know, I know, another photo of someones food. But I couldn't resist; the bell pepper was so pretty against the blue cutting board.

tourists

Lighting is poor but this is a group of tourists (I presume) all taking photos of the fireworks at Disneyland.

Ghostly Diner

While en route to the top-secret writing retreat,

we stopped at an old diner that's now a bus stop--

No more tables.  No more food.

But plenty of ghosts.

Mr. Coconut

There's been a coconut sitting on my counter for several weeks. No one seems interested in cracking it open to eat it. There is also a pile of serano and habanero chilis. No one has made salsa with them.

In my house, I'm not allowed to throw anything away (that's another story). So, while cleaning the kitchen, I amused myself without throwing anything out.

Election Season

Happy Birthday

Love the library; here's to the next 100 years!

Standing Guard

Guarding our front door.

Stickers on a Window

Some of the places our Volkswagen has been.



Teaspoon Wedding Dress

While walking through SoHo today, I came across this window display

at Fishs Eddy (one of my favorite stores)

A wedding dress made of teaspoons.

Brilliant.  

(But I'll bet it's a bit uncomfortable.)

http://www.fishseddy.com/

Waves

We were in a furniture store and I came upon a big piece

a self-contained bar, I think

and on its doors was this pattern.

It made me think of Japanese kimonos

and waves on the ocean.

It took me back-INSTANTLY--to my young boy days

Haunting the basement bookshelves at my grandparents' house

Getting lost in old books

Growing dizzy by looking at the illustrations

Diving in with both feet

Whose Weather?

I'm not sure whose weather this is, but I'm pretty sure it isn't ours.

Payoff

My payoff for tackling the cleaning out of our closet was finding this bottle of wine hidden in a corner that had been forgotten about apparently for years.

Make shift sink

Never seen a toilet like this before; the sink is on top of the tank and when the toilet flushes the water starts coming out of the sink for hand washing.

Chinese Food drive thru

First time I've ever run across a Chinese Food drive thru.

Gluing Stuff Together

An instant "pick-me-up" and antidote for the doldrums is . . . gluing stuff together. 

I have at least 5 types of glue . . . and thousands of pieces of collected stuff,

just waiting to be piled up and stuck together.